Delbez, Maurice

(July 28, 1922, Bezons, Seine-et-Oise, France - )

   He intended to become an actor and worked with Julien Bertheau, a renowned performer of the Comédie-Française. After founding an amateur theat­rical company in the early years of the occupation of France, he chose to join the French Resistance until liberation. Having graduated from the IDHEC, he was an assistant director for ten years (1947 Monsieur Vincent, Maurice Cloche; 1949 Pattes blanches / UK and USA: White Paws, Jean Grémillon; Docteur Laennec Maurice Cloche; La Cage aux Filles, Maurice Cloche; Musique en Provence, documentary, short; Bonheur en Location, Jean Wall; 1950 Ballerina / USA: Dream Bal­lerina, Ludwig Berger; Né de Père inconnu / I bastardi, Maurice Cloche, France / Italy; Prélude à la Gloire, Georges Lacombe; 1951 Journal d'un Curé de Cam­pagne / USA: Diary of a Country Priest, Robert Bresson; Le Voyage en Amérique / UK: The Voyage to America / USA: Trip to America, Henri Lavorel; Knock / UK and USA: Dr. Knock, Guy Lefranc; Une Histoire d'Amour / UK: Young Love / USA: Love Story, Guy Lefranc; 1952 L'Homme de ma Vie / L'uomo della mia vita / UK: The Man in My Life, Guy Lefranc, France / Italy; Elle et moi, Guy Lefranc; L'Amour n'est pas un Péché, Claude Cariven; 1954 Les Révoltés de Lomanach / L'eroe della Vendea, Richard Pottier, France / Italy; Escalier de Serv­ice, also technical adviser, Carlo-Rim; 1955 Le Masque de Fer / Il prigioniero del re / US TV: The King's Prisoner, Richard Pottier, Giorgio Rivalta, France / Italy; Le Fil à la Patte, Guy Lefranc; Chantage, Guy Lefranc; Les Aristocrates / UK and USA: The Aristocrats, Denys de La Patellière; 1956 Le Salaire du Péché, Denys de La Patel-lière; Le Cas de Sœur Angèle / Il segreto di suor Angela / US TV: Sister's Angele, Léo Joannon, France / Italy; 1966 Le Voyage du Père / Destinazione marciapiede, Denys de La Patellière, France / Italy; Sale Temps pour les Mouches, Guy Lefranc; 1968 Béru et ces Dames, Guy Lefranc). Parallel to his own directing career, he was a technical adviser (1953 Lettre ouverte, Alex Joffé; 1956 Milord l'Arsouille, André Haguet; 1959 Goha, Jacques Baratier, France / Tunisia, shot in 1957; Les Dragueurs / UK: Young Have No Morals / USA: The Chasers, also co-screenwriter, Jean-Pierre Mocky; 1960 Le Panier à Crabes, Joseph Lisbona; 1969 Le Paria / Jaque Mate / UK: Diamond Rush, Claude Carliez, France / Spain); co-directed films with André Haguet (1957 La Roue), José-André Lacour (1964 L'Année du Bac), and Darry Cowl (1964 Jaloux comme un Tigre); and worked as production manager (1968 Les Idoles, Marc'O; 1977 La Grande Frime, Henry Zaphiratos). From 1969 to 1971, he ran the "Banc d'Essai" research service of ORTF (French TV), which notably produced the first TV movies of Serge Moati, Benoît Jacquot, and Jacques Fansten. He was director of the programs and the production of FR3 Nord Picardie in Lille (1975-1977) and director of studies at the IDHEC (1978). Autobi­ography: 2003 Ma Vie racontée à mon Chien cinéphile ou Le Pont de Truyère (Editions de L'Harmattan).

 Filmography

        ◘ A Pied, à Cheval et en Voiture / A piedi... a cavallo . . . in automobile / US TV: On Foot, on Horse, and on Wheels (France / Italy)

        ◘ Et ta Sœur (also co-screenwriter)

1961 ◘ Dans l'Eau qui fait des Bulles / Le Garde-Champêtre mène l'Enquête (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter)

1964 ◘ Un Gosse de la Butte / Rue des Cascades (also screenwriter, adapter)

 Television Filmography

1962 ◘ L'Inspecteur Leclerc enquête (episode "La Filière")

1965 ◘ Les Saintes Chéries (episodes "Eve et les Magasins", "Eve et la Maison de Campagne", "Eve et le Dimanche", "Eve et sa Beauté", "Eve et la Vie parisienne", "Eve reçoit")

1967 ◘ L'Amateur ou S.O.S. Fernand (episodes "La Prin­cesse russe", "Le Sculpteur")

        ◘ Destins (episodes "Le Kiosque à Musique", "Cocu, pendu et content")

        ◘ Le Type d'à Côté

        ◘ Histoire de France (documentary; short; epi­sode "Juliette et le Lion")

1980 ◘ Les Menteurs

        ◘ Des Vertes et des pas mûres (also screenwriter)

1981 ◘ Théâtre en France ou Une Certaine Allégresse (documentary; co-director with Jeanne Gi­rard)

        ◘ La Mémoire aux Images (20 X 15' documentary)

        ◘ William Wyler (documentary; short)

        ◘ Cet Horizon de Félicités: Goethe à Strasbourg (documentary)

1990 ◘ Gilles Grangier, 50 Ans de Cinéma (documentary; medium-length)