Claude Chabrol

In 2009, he stated that the three worst movies ever made are: Fanny (1961), Day and Night (1997) and his own film, The Twist (1976).

He's well-known for the very inconsistent quality of his resume, being credited with having directed some of the best movies of French cinema along with some of the worst. His frequent collaborator, writer Paul Gégauff, claims that Chabrol didn't even bother to supervise the final editing of the movies he hadn't cared for in the first place and that he would immediately move on to something else. Having directed some infamous titles actually became a source of pride for Chabrol, although, in the documentary Grand manège: Qu'est-ce qui fait tourner Claude Chabrol? (2006), he stated that, at one point in his life, he became more careful and concerned about the quality of his projects and that he regards Death Rite (1975) and The Twist (1976) as his last movies that qualify as very bad.

Member of the jury at the Venice Film Festival in 2000.

He was a director and writer, known for La Cérémonie (1995), Le Beau Serge (1958) and Story of Women (1988). He was married to Aurore Chabrol, Stéphane Audran and Agnès Goute.

Said that he valued very much a good sense of humour in his actors and that his collaboration with Emmanuelle Béart in Torment (1994) was a difficult one because she was completely devoid of it.

He cast Micheline Presle in The Blood of Others (1984), one of the many projects he had accepted against the grain and chosen to handle in the most superficial way as possible. When Micheline asked him if he had any ideas about how she should have played her character, he replied that he didn't. The actress eventually played the role to good reviews, leading the director to tell her with self-irony that she had been much more praised than the film itself.

Between 1978 and 1980 made commercials for Mamie Nova, R5, Gueule d'Amour and Franco Russe.

He was a great gourmet. While his wife Stéphane Audran was shooting The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972), he used to prepare some delicious dishes that she would share with members of the cast and crew.

His relationship with Stéphane Audran ended when he fell in love with his frequent collaborator Aurore Chabrol (nee Aurore Pajot). He always liked to claim that it was Stéphane to throw him into Aurore's arms as, during the shooting of Ten Days Wonder (1971), she couldn't attend his birthday dinner and jokingly suggested that he should jump on the script-girl instead. The script-girl was Aurore and the friendship between her and Claude developed into a love affection. Audran always claimed that the story isn't true.

He was famous for his drunken antics on movie sets. Stéphane Audran remembers that, one day during the shooting of Le Boucher (1970), he drank so much wine that he had to be brought away with a cart.

His film La ligne de démarcation (1966) was originally intended for Anthony Mann to direct, but the latter declined the offer and recommended Chabrol instead. Chabrol took the job against the grain and once claimed that he had been drunk during most of the shooting.

During the shooting of Bluebeard (1963), producer Carlo Ponti was so appalled by Stéphane Audran's performance that he asked 'who's that slut who's playing Fernande?' Chabrol (who was already engaged to Audran) slapped Ponti in the face and screamed 'that's my woman!' The director and the actress married one year later.

Les Bonnes Femmes (1960), now regarded as one of his masterworks, was a critical and commercial failure when it was originally released. In her autobiography "Le Roman de ma vie", Bernadette Lafont remembers that, at one point during the movie premiere, a viewer furiously screamed that he wanted back the 5 francs he had paid for the ticket. Chabrol, who was sitting before him, turned around and gave them to him. Also, at the end of the screening, another spectator tried to get in a fist fight with the director. The two men were separated.

Spent several of his childhood years in Sardenne. That's where his debut film, Le Beau Serge (1958), takes place.

Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume Two, 1945-1985". Pages 194-199. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1988.

Claude Chabrol was born on June 24, 1930 in Paris, France.