Song:Ignace
Album:Le Flamboyant
Fernandel was a very popular comedy film star in France for 40 years. He was known for his big teeth. They called him "Horse Teeth". Most of his success as a recording artist came from his films like this 1937 song Ignace. He appeared in a couple of Hollywood films in the 50s and did a very popular British commercial in the 60s. He was born Fernand Joseph Desire Contandin May 8, 1903 in Marsaille, France. His father was an accountant and part time singer and comedian. Young Fernand would tag along to his father's shows. Not surprisingly, he started performing as a child and he became a big vaudeville star. His mother-in-law gave him the name Fernandel because he was so attentive to his wife. With the invention of sound in film, Paris wasn't any different than Hollywood. They looked for stage performers who could be film stars. And Fernandel was a big vaudeville star. He began making movies in 1930. Most of his films were comedies. He did a series of films as the Italian village priest Don Camillo in the 50s. But his big success in musicals was in the 30s. Ignace is from the 1937 film Ignace. He's playing a soldier in this film. His films and the songs were usually written by Jean Manse and Roger Dumas. WWII was a dry period for Fernandel as he was active in the Resistance. But he was successful again in the 50s with the Don Camillo films. You may have seen him as The Coachman in the 1956 film Around The World In 80 Days. And he also starred with Bob Hope in the 1958 film Paris Holiday. And he appeared in a series of Dubonnet commercials in England in the 60s. This budget comp is a good intro to his music. By the late 60s, Fernandel's health was failing. He was a heavy smoker. He died on Feb. 26, 1971 at age 67. His son Franck Fernandel was also an actor and singer. Here's Fernandel performing Ignace in the 1937 film Ignace. The entire film can be seen on Youtube.
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