orig. René-Lucien Chomette
born Nov. 11, 1898, Paris, France
died March 15, 1981, Neuilly-sur-Seine
French film director.
He acted in silent films from 1920 until 1923, when he wrote and directed Paris qui dort . That film, along with Entr'acte (1924) and the satiric farce The Italian Straw Hat (1927), established his reputation as a leader of the avant-garde. He used sound creatively in early talkies such as Sous les toits de Paris (1930) and A nous la liberté! (1931). The Ghost Goes West (1935), made in England, was an international success. During World War II he directed several Hollywood films, including And Then There Were None (1945), then returned to France to make Le Silence est d'or (1947) and Les Belles de nuit (1952).
Clair, photograph by Yousuf Karsh
© Karsh from Rapho/Photo Researchers