Philippe Clair

Biography

Prosper Charles Bensoussan professionally known as Philippe Clair (14 September 1930 – 28 November 2020) was a Moroccan-French actor, director, producer, screenwriter, and popular humorist. Along with fellow French directors Max Pécas and Richard Balducci, his name is synonymous with the golden age of camp and low comedy in French cinema. Philippe Clair moved to Paris in 1950 to study acting at the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts of Paris. He won the Bernstein and College Stars awards, honors given to the best young Parisian actors. He performed on stage and television with major directors and writers in shows such as L'Affaire des poisons [Affair of the Poisons] directed by Raymond Rouleau, Une femme libre [A free woman] by Armand Salacrou, and Les Îles fortunées [The Prosperous Islands] by Simon Gantillon. Eventually he got a show of his own and became an important French humorist, mounting such works as the Judeo-Arabic Purée de nous z'otres [Mashed we z'otres], and Le Cid in Oued Bel [Parody of El Cid] based on the book by Edmond Brua. He specialized in improvisation and in writing comedy sketches. In 1965 Clair directed his first film, Déclic et des claques [Clicks an…

Directed

1. More Beautiful Than Me You Die (1982) — Director
2. The Great Java (1971) — Director
3. Shut Up When You Speak! (1981) — Director
4. Si tu vas à Rio... tu meurs (1987) — Director
5. How Did You Get In? We Didn't See You Leave (1984) — Director
6. The Fuhrer Runs Amok (1974) — Director
7. Comment se faire réformer (1978) — Director
8. La Brigade en folie (1973) — Director
9. Si t'as besoin de rien, fais-moi signe (1986) — Director
10. Rodriguez au pays des merguez (1980) — Director
11. Les réformés se portent bien (1978) — Director
12. La Grande Maffia (1971) — Director
13. L'aventure extraordinaire d'un papa peu ordinaire (1990) — Director
14. Déclic et des claques (1965) — Director
15. The Braggart (1976) — Director
16. Ces flics étranges venus d'ailleurs (1979) — Director

Also appeared in

1. The Upper Hand (1966)
2. People of No Importance (1956)
3. More Beautiful Than Me You Die (1982) — Prosper
4. The Great Java (1971)
5. Shut Up When You Speak! (1981) — Ahmed
6. The Foreign Eye (2006) — Self
7. Si tu vas à Rio... tu meurs (1987) — Shipowner
8. How Did You Get In? We Didn't See You Leave (1984) — Prosper de Courtaboeuf
9. Cayenne Palace (1987) — José Morgan
10. The Fuhrer Runs Amok (1974) — Le curé de Bab El Oued
11. Comment se faire réformer (1978) — L'adjudant
12. La Brigade en folie (1973) — Philippot
13. Si t'as besoin de rien, fais-moi signe (1986) — Simon
14. Les réformés se portent bien (1978) — L'adjudant Nestor
15. Rodriguez au pays des merguez (1980) — Roro
16. Déclic et des claques (1965) — Jean-Philippe
17. The Braggart (1976) — French bus driver in India / voice of Gilbert Malki (uncredited)
18. La Grande Maffia (1971) — Vicar
19. Lâche-moi les valseuses!... (1977) — Le gérant de la station-service
20. Midi Première (1975) — Self
21. Give Me Ten Desperate Men (1962)
22. Ces flics étranges venus d'ailleurs (1979) — L'adjudant Prosper Perez, dit 'Tonton Merguez'
23. Samedi soir (1971) — Self
24. Les Rendez-vous du dimanche (1975) — Self
25. Arte 1 Documenta (2006)