Dard, Frédéric

(June 29, 1921, Jallieu, Rhône, France - June 6, 2000, Bonnefontaine, Switzerland)

   A former journalist, he wrote thrillers under his real name and various pseudonyms but remains famous for the novels he signed as San Antonio (also the name of the main character). From 1949 (Règlez-lui son Compte) to his death, he authored more than 200 adventures of the famous "Commissaire" (Supertin-tendent) San Antonio published by Le Fleuve Noir. He collaborated on many movies as screenwriter and / or dialogist (1955 M'sieur la Caille, also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist, André Perga-ment; 1956 La Bande à Papa, as adapter, dialogist, Guy Lefranc; 1957 L'Irrésistible Catherine, as co-screenwriter, co-adapter, dialogist, André Pergament; Action immédiate / US TV: To Catch a Spy, as screenwriter, adapter, Maurice Labro; L'Etrange Monsieur Stève, as co-screenwriter, co-adapter, dialogist, Raymond Bailly; 1958 Le Dos au Mur / UK: Evidence in Concrete / USA: Back to the Wall, as author of original novel, screenwriter, adapter, dialogist, Edouard Molinaro; En légitime Défense, as co-screenwriter, co-adapter, dialogist, André Berthomieu; La Fille de Hambourg / UK and USA: Port of Desire, as co-screenwriter, Yves Al-légret; 1959 Le Fauve est lâché / USA: The Tiger Attacks, as co-adapter, co-dialogist, Maurice Labro; Un mondo para mi / Tentations / UK: Soft Skin and Black Lace / Soft Skin on Black Lace / USA: Soft Skin on Black Silk, as author of French dialogue, José Antonio de La Loma, Louis Duchesne, Spain / France; 1960 Préméditation?, as author of original novel Toi qui vivais, co-screenwriter, co-dialogist, André Berthomieu; Les Scélérats, also screenwriter, co-adapter, dialogist, Robert Hos-sein; La fuga desesperada / Le Bourreau attendra, as screenwriter, José Antonio de la Loma, Robert Vernay, Spain / France; 1961 La Menace / US TV: The Menace, as author of original novel Les Mariolles, co-screenwriter, co-adapter, dialogist, Gérard Oury; Les Men­teurs / UK: House of Sin / USA: The Liars, as author of original novel Cette Mort dont tu parlais, screenwriter, adapter, dialogist, Edmond T. Gréville; Les Bras de la Nuit, as author of original novel, co-dialogist, Jacques Guymont; 1962 Le Monte-Charge / La morte sale in ascensore / UK and USA: Paris Pick-Up, as author of original novel, co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist, France / Italy; Le Crime ne paie pas / Il delitto non paga / UK: Gentle Art of Murder / USA: Crime Does Not Pay, as screenwriter, dialogist, segment "L'Homme de l'Avenue" / "The Man on the Avenue", Gérard Oury, France / Italy; L'Empire de la Nuit, as adapter, dialogist, Pierre Grimblat; 1963 L'Accident / USA: The Accident, as author of original novel, co-screenwriter, Edmond T. Gréville; 1968 Béru et ces Dames, as au­thor of original novel, co-adapter, Guy Lefranc; 1982 Y a-t-il un Français dans la Salle?, as author of original novel, co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist, Jean-Pierre Mocky; 1986 Le Caviar rouge, as co-author of original novel, Robert Hossein, France / Switzerland; 1993 Le Mari de Léon, as author of original novel, co-screenwriter, co-adapter, dialogist, Jean-Pierre Mocky), screenwriter (1977 Emmenez-moi au Ritz, Pierre Grimblat), and co-screenwriter (1997 Maître Da Costa, episodes "Les Témoins de l'Oubli", Nico­las Ribowski; "Meurtre sur Rendez-vous", Nicolas Ribowski; "Le Doigt de Dieu", Bob Swaim; "En Dése­spoir de Cause", Detlef Rônfeldt; 1999 Alibi sur Or­donnance, Nicolas Ribowski, France / Germany). Be­sides those he adapted, several of his novels and plays were brought to the screen (1956 Les Salauds vont en Enfer / USA: The Wicked Go to Hell, as author of original play, Robert Hossein; 1958 Toi le Venin / Nella notte cade il velo / UK: Night Is Not for Sleep / USA: Blonde in a White Car / Blonde in a White Car, as author of original novel C'est toi le Venin ... , Robert Hossein, France / Italy; 1959 La Nuit des Espions / La notte delle spie / UK: Night Encounter / USA: Double Agents, as author of original novel La Nuit des Espions, Robert Hossein; 1966 Commissaire San Antonio / Sale Temps pour les Mouches, as San Antonio, Guy Lefranc; 1976 Les Magiciens / Profezia di un delitto / Die Schuldigen mit den sauberen Hànden / USA: Death Rite, Claude Chab­rol, France / Italy / West Germany; 1981 San Antonio ne pense qu'à ça, as San Antonio, Joël Séria; 1991 La Vieille qui marchait dans la Mer / UK and USA: The Old Lady Who Walked in the Sea, as San Antonio, Laurent Heynemann; 1994 Coma / Tragica conseguenza, Denys Granier-Deferre, France / Italy; 2004 San-Antonio / Spy Zone, as San Antonio, Frédéric Auburtin, Laurent Touil-Tartour, France / Italy / UK) and to TV (1972 Les Six Hommes en Question, as author of original play, Abder Isker; 1973 Le Cauchemar de l'Aube, as author of original novel, Abder Isker; 1978 Emmenez-moi au Théâtre: Pas d'Orchidées pour Miss Blandish, as French adapter of the original play, Claude Barma; 1979 L'Accident, as author of original novel, Abder Isker; 1981 Le Bourreau pleure, as author of original novel, Abder Isker; 1984 Le Tueur triste, as author of original novel, Nicolas Gessner; 1998 Les Brumes de Manches­ter, as author of original play, Jean-Daniel Verhaeghe; Le Danger d'aimer, as author of original novel, Serge Meynard; 2001 Mausolée pour une Garce, as author of original novel, Arnaud Sélignac).

 Filmography

1960 ◘ Une Gueule comme la mienne (with the col­laboration of Pierre Granier-Deferre; also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)