Jean Delannoy

Jean Delannoy was attending Paris University when he decided to follow the example of his sister, actress Henriette Delannoy, and seek out work in silent films. After acting in a handful of pictures, Delannoy became the chief editor at Paramount's Paris studios. He then turned director on such short subjects as Une vocation irresistable (1934) and L'ecole des detectives (1934), moving into features with 1935's Paris-Deauville. More popular with the public than with critics, Delannoy nonetheless won the Cannes festival Grand Prix award for his direction of La Symphonie Pastorale (1946); he later shared a Venice festival award for Dieu a Besoin des Hommes (1950). After delving into romanticism in his films of the 1930s and 1940s, Delannoy settled into standard melodramas and costume productions. Delannoy retreated to television in the 1970s, making a full-fledged return to theatrical features in his 80th year. In 1975, Jean Delannoy became president of the Institut des Hautes Etudes Cinemotographiques, a prestigious French film school.

~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide