Jacques Besnard (Also known as Jacques Treyens; born 15 July 1929 in Le Petit-Quevilly - died 9 November 2013 in Boutigny-Prouais) was a French film director, assistant director, producer, actor and screenwriter. Best known for Le Grand Restaurant (1966), Le Fou du labo 4 [fr] (1967) and La situation est grave... mais pas désespérée [fr] (1976).[1][2][3]

Jacques Besnard
Born
Jacques Besnard

(1929-07-15)15 July 1929
Died9 November 2013(2013-11-09) (aged 84)
Years active1955–2004

Life and career

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Jacques Besnard was born on 15 July 1929 in Le Petit-Quevilly, Seine-Maritime, France. He began his career in 1962 as the first assistant to director André Hunebelle, after having had some previous experience as an actor in 1955 and as an assistant director under Maurice Régamey, Yves Robert and Alberto Lattuada between 1956 and 1961. Besnard worked alongside Hunebelle on movies such as: Les Mystères de Paris (1962), Banco à Bangkok pour OSS 117 (1964), Fantômas (1964), Furia à Bahia pour OSS 117 (1965) and Fantômas se déchaîne (1965). It was during this time that Besnard met actor Louis de Funès when they worked together on the two Fantômas movies.[4][5]

 
The Pavillon Ledoyen restaurant in Paris which was masked as Septime for the exterior shots of Le Grand Restaurant.

Besnard would go on to direct his own movie titled Le Grand Restaurant in 1966, which he co-wrote with Jean Halain and Louis de Funès. It starred de Funès and Bernard Blier as the main characters of the comedy film, and ranked as the eighth-most-popular film at the French box office that year. In 1967 Besnard would go on to direct the comedy film Le Fou du labo 4 [fr] starring Jean Lefebvre and Bernard Blier, from which he attainted much acclaim and public popularity. Besnard directed a few Boulevard comedies in the 1970s with varying degrees of success. He most notably worked as assistant director under Gérard Oury in the 1973 comedy Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob, starring Louis de Funès. However, by the 1980s, Besnard left the silver screen to focus on directing opportunities for television shows and movies.[6][7] [8]

In 1976 he directed the erotic film Et si tu n'en veux pas (also known as Joëlle et Pauline or Baby Love) with Joëlle Coeur, Gilda Arancio and Alice Arno in the cast.

Jacques Besnard died on 9 November 2013 in Boutigny-Prouais, Eure-et-Loir, France, aged 84. He is the father of French director Éric Besnard [fr].[9][10]

Filmography

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Director & Screenwriter
Year Title Cast Notes
1966 Le Grand Restaurant starring Louis de Funès
and Bernard Blier
1967 Estouffade à la Caraïbe starring Jean Seberg
and Serge Gainsbourg
1967 Le Fou du labo 4 [fr] starring Jean Lefebvre
and Bernard Blier
1972 La Belle Affaire [fr] starring Michel Serrault,
Rosy Varte
and Michel Galabru
1974 C'est pas parce qu'on a rien à dire qu'il faut fermer sa gueule [fr] starring Bernard Blier,
Michel Serrault
and Jean Lefebvre
1975 La situation est grave... mais pas désespérée [fr] starring Michel Serrault
and Jean Lefebvre
1976 Le Jour de gloire [fr] starring Jean Lefebvre,
Pierre Tornade
and Darry Cowl
1976 Et si tu n'en veux pas starring Joëlle Cœur [fr],
Gilda Arancio [fr]
and Françoise Pascal
distributed under his pseudonym Jacques Treyens
1978 Général... nous voilà ! [fr] starring Darry Cowl
and Roger Dumas
1982 Te marre pas... c'est pour rire ! [fr] starring Michel Galabru
and Aldo Maccione
1984 Allo Béatrice starring André Dussollier
and Nicole Courcel
television series (6 episodes)
1985 Hôtel de police [fr] starring Corinne Touzet
and Olivier Granier [fr]
television series (2 episodes)
1988 La Belle Anglaise [fr] starring Daniel Ceccaldi
and Catherine Rich
television series
1990 Le Retour d'Arsène Lupin [fr] starring François Dunoyer [fr]
and Sophie Barjac
television series (1 episode)
1992 Feu Adrien Muset starring Jean Lefebvre television film
1994 Avanti starring Patrick Bouchitey
and Farid Chopel
television film
Assistant director
Year Title Director Notes
1956 Honoré de Marseille Maurice Régamey
1957 Comme un cheveu sur la soupe Maurice Régamey
1959 Cigarettes, Whisky et P'tites Pépées Maurice Régamey
1959 Signé Arsène Lupin Yves Robert
1960 À pleines mains [fr] Maurice Régamey
1960 La Famille Fenouillard Alberto Lattuada Italian film, co-produced by France
1961 L'imprevisto Yves Robert
1962 Les Mystères de Paris André Hunebelle
1962 Le Masque de fer Henri Decoin
1964 Banco à Bangkok pour OSS 117 André Hunebelle
1964 Fantômas André Hunebelle
1965 Furia à Bahia pour OSS 117 André Hunebelle
1965 Fantômas se déchaîne André Hunebelle
1968 Sous le signe de Monte-Cristo André Hunebelle
1971 La Folie des grandeurs Gérard Oury
1973 Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob Gérard Oury
1974 The Four Charlots Musketeers [fr] André Hunebelle
Writer only
Year Title Director Notes
1995 Un si joli bouquets [fr] Jean-Claude Sussfeld [fr] television film
1997 Un petit grain de folie Sébastien Grall [fr] television film
2004 L'Antidote [fr] Vincent de Brus [fr] film
Actor
Year Title Director Notes
1955 Série noire Pierre Foucaud
1955 Du rififi chez les hommes Jules Dassin
1955 Chantage Guy Lefranc

References

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  1. ^ "JACQUES BESNARD". mubi.com. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  2. ^ "De beste films van Jacques Besnard". filmvandaag.nl. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  3. ^ "DEATH: Jacques Besnard (1929-2013)". filmdeculte.com. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  4. ^ "Jacques Besnard (1929-2013)". imdb.com. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Jacques Besnard (1929-2013)". lefilmdujour.fr. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  6. ^ "JACQUES BESNARD". filmtotaal.nl. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  7. ^ "Jacques Besnard". fransefilms.nl. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  8. ^ "Jacques BESNARD". notrecinema.com. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  9. ^ "Jacques Besnard (1929-2013)". data.bnf.fr. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  10. ^ "Jacques Besnard". moviemeter.nl. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
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