Acting · Paris, France · Born June 3, 1902
Paul Bonifas (3 June 1902 – 9 November 1975) was a French actor, born in Paris. In the 1920s, while working for the French customs service, Bonifas took classes in acting at the Conservatoire de Paris in his spare time. He left with the first prize for comedy, which allowed him to join the Odéon Theatre in 1933, then the Comédie-Française in 1938. He made his first film appearance in 1935 in a version of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, directed by Pierre Chenal. During World War II he served as a lieutenant in the artillery, was badly wounded, and evacuated from Dunkirk with his unit. In London he joined the Free French, and worked for Radio Londres broadcasting to occupied France. In 1942 he appeared in the film The Foreman Went to France. In 1943 he formed "The Molière Players", who staged a repertoire of mainly Molière works in London theatres, as well as in regional towns and at French army barracks. He came to the Comedy Theatre, London with Théâtre Molierè in 1943 and 1944, performing in L'Anglais Tel Qu'on Le Parle, Le Malade Imaginaire, Gringoire, Le Misanthrope et L'Auvergnat, Les Femmes Savantes, Le Paquebot Tenacity, La Testament Du Pere Leleu and L'Extra. His Company included Andre Frere, Georges Rex, Suzette Marquis, Elma Soiron and Paul Clarus. In 1944 "The Molière Players" appeared in the short film Aventure malgache directed by Alfred Hitchcock. This was written by, and based on the experiences of, Jules Francois Clermont, an actor in Bonifas' troupe working under the name of Paul Clarus, who had operated an illegal radio station Madagascar Libre in Madagascar while the island was under Vichy control. Bonifas then appeared in a number of other British films, including Two Fathers with Bernard Miles, directed by Anthony Asquith, and had minor roles in the musicals Heaven Is Round the Corner and Champagne Charlie, the action adventure film The Man from Morocco, the comedy-drama Johnny Frenchman and the horror film Dead of Night. Bonifas returned to France in 1946 and resumed his career in theatre, specializing in comedy, but also taking dramatic roles. His later film career included appearances in Trapeze (1956), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956), Fanny (1961), Charade (1963), Greed in the Sun (1964), The Train (1964), Is Paris Burning? (1966), Triple Cross (1966), and The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (1974). Bonifas died on 9 November 1975 at Vernouillet, Yvelines, France. Source: Article "Paul Bonifas" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
MovieLe Père Amable
1975
as Vatinol
MovieRosebud
1975
MovieThe Common Man
1975
as Le Maire
MovieAntigone
1974
as le choeur
MovieThe Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe
1974
as le père de François Perrin
MovieThe Last Train
1973
as Le voisin
TVLa Duchesse d'Avila
1973
as L'aubergiste
MovieLove Me Strangely
1971
as Hotel porter
MovieCold Sweat
1970
as The doctor
MovieAn Artistic Couple
1970
as Henri Faroy
MovieThe Horse
1970
as Witness to Car Accident
TVMaurin des Maures
1970
as Pons
MovieThe Christmas Tree
1969
as (uncredited)
MovieSecret World
1969
as Gustave / servant
MovieLa Séparation
1968
as Prêtre
TVLes Dossiers de l'Agence O
1968
as Le vieux Vick
MovieTriple Cross
1966
as Charlie
MovieWho Are You, Polly Maggoo?
1966
TVAt Theatre Tonight
1966
as Félix Ducotel
TVIllusions perdues
1966
as Camusot
MovieThe Sleeping Sentinel
1966
as Lanier
MovieLe Naïf amoureux
1965
as 'Tonton Louis'
MovieLucky Jo
1964
as Légiste (uncredited)
MovieThe Train
1964
as Spinet
MovieGreed in the Sun
1964
as Doctor Magnart, former professor in Lyon
MovieJeff Gordon, Secret Agent
1964
as Le notaire
TVBayard
1964
as Aymon Terrail
MovieCharade
1963
as Mr. Felix
MovieLa parole est au témoin
1963
MovieThe Depths
1963
as Mons. Lapeyre
MovieThe Trip to Biarritz
1963
as Bourrély
MovieSundays and Cybele
1962
as Grocer
Les Célibataires
1962
as Chandelier
MovieKeep Talking, Baby
1961
MovieBlood on His Sword
1961
as Le chirurgien / Doctor of Louis XI
MovieFanny
1961
as The Postman
MovieGoodbye Again
1961
as Cellarman
MovieThe Truth
1960
as Un greffier
MovieThe Gigolo
1960
as (uncredited)
MovieThe Enemy General
1960
as Mayor
MovieLove and the Frenchwoman
1960
as Le père de Ginette (segment "La Virginité")
MovieA Woman Like Satan
1958
as Innkeeper
MovieA Legitimate Defense
1958
as le président de la cour
MovieLes Misérables
1958
as Hospital doctor
MovieSinners of Paris
1958
as L'inspecteur Renaud
MovieMademoiselle and Her Gang
1957
as Marcel, owner of the hotel
MovieLove in the Afternoon
1957
as Police Chief (uncredited)
MovieThe Case of Dr. Laurent
1957
as Guillaumin
MovieThe Hunchback of Notre Dame
1956
as Master Lecornu
MovieThe Terror with Women
1956
MovieFrou-Frou
1955
as Le réceptionniste de l'hôtel (uncredited)
TVSherlock Holmes
1954
as Prof. von Gaulkins
MovieTheir Last Night
1953
as le commissaire principal
MovieLettre ouverte
1953
as Honoré, the father-in-law
MovieHoliday for Henrietta
1952
as The Newsagent (uncredited)
MovieIls sont dans les vignes...
1952
as American
MoviePiédalu fait des miracles
1952
MovieDans la vie tout s'arrange
1952
as Monsieur Bleubois
MovieThe Green Glove
1952
as Inspector
MovieThe Truth About Bebe Donge
1952
as Traveler (uncredited)
MovieDuel à Dakar
1951
as The Commander
TVSchlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
MovieAmazing Monsieur Fabre
1951
as Le ministre Victor Duruy
MoviePardon My French
1951
as Monsieur Bleubois
MovieClara de Montargis
1951
MovieJuliette, or Key of Dreams
1951
as Captain of the cargo ship
MovieBedelia
1946
as Insurance Manager
MovieLisbon Story
1946
as Stephan Corelle
MovieJohnny Frenchman
1945
as Jerome
MovieDead of Night
1945
as French Nightclub Patron (Segment "The Ventriloquist's Dummy") (Uncredited)
MovieThe Man from Morocco
1945
as French Mayor
MovieChampagne Charlie
1944
as Targetino
MovieEnglish Without Tears
1944
as Monsieur Rolland
MovieCandlelight in Algeria
1944
as French Proprietor
Two Fathers
1944
as The Frenchman
MovieAventure Malgache
1944
as Michel
MovieThe Foreman Went to France
1942
as Prefect of Rouville
MovieMaxim's Porter
1939
MovieThe Five Cents of Lavarede
1939
as Sailor
MovieCrime and Punishment
1935
