Barsacq, André

(Anatole Petrovich Barsacq / January 24, 1909, Fedosiya, Russia-February 4, 1973, Paris, France)

   Trained at the Paris Decorative Arts (1924-1926), he was hired as costume and stage designer by Charles Dullin in 1927. He collaborated on several films as art director (1928 Maldone / USA: Misdeal, also assistant director, Jean Grémillon; L'Argent, Mar­cel L'Herbier; 1929 Gardiens de phare, also assistant director, Marcel L'Herbier), production designer (1930 Le Mystère de la Chambre jaune / USA: The Mystery of the Yellow Room, Marcel L'Herbier; 1932 Pour un Sou d'Amour, Jean Grémillon; 1933 Le Mar­tyre de l'Obèse, Pierre Chenal, supervised by Marcel L'Herbier; 1934 N'aimer que toi, André Berthomieu; 1935 Les Mystères de Paris / UK and USA: The Myster­ies of Paris, Félix Gandéra; 1937 Courrier-Sud, Pierre Billon; Yoshiwara, Max Ophuls; 1938 Barnabé, Alex­andre Esway; 1941 Volpone, Jacques de Baroncelli, Maurice Tourneur; 1943 L'Honorable Catherine / USA: The Honorable Catherine, Marcel L'Herbier; Lumière d'Eté, Jean Grémillon), and assistant director (1934 La Dolorosa, Jean Grémillon). In 1936, he co-founded a theatrical group, La Compagnie des Quatre-Saisons, and four years later became the manager of Le Théâtre de l'Atelier. From the 1940s to the 1960s, he was one of the busiest and most impor­tant French stage directors. He also authored a play (Agrippa ou La Folle Journée). Other credit (as screenwriter and adapter): 1956 Le Revizor ou L'Inspecteur général (Marcel Bluwal). His brother was art direc­tor Léon Barsacq (1906-1969).

 Filmography

1952 ◘ Le Rideau rouge (also co-screenwriter)

 Television Filmography

1964 ◘ Château en Suède

1968 ◘ L'Idiot (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)

1974 ◘ Les Oiseaux de la Lune