Louis de Funès, the actor with 1,000 facial expressions

This is the first thing that comes to mind when we hear the name of Louis de Funès: his face distorted by one of those famous facial expressions accompanied by a noise of which he alone had the secret. A trademark for an actor who became a true legend from the early 1960s. A legend that still endures as Louis de Funès’ films cross generations. Evidenced by the audience scores at each replay.

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The actor, world-famous for “La Grande Vadrouille”, “Fantômas” or “Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez” nevertheless enjoyed success late in life. After years of scouring the piano bars and chaining small roles to earn a living, his career will accelerate in the second half of the 1950s, thanks in particular to his roles in “La Traversée de Paris” by Claude Autant-Lara (1956) and in Yves Robert’s “Neither seen nor known” (1957). But it is really his roles in “Oscar” at the theater then in “Pouic-Pouic” by Jean Girault (1963) that will put his name at the top of the bill. A success that will then never be denied, until his death on January 27, 1983, at the age of 68. Louis de Funès, by his full name Louis de Funès de Galarza, has appeared in nearly one hundred and fifty films. Everyone has their favorite! But what brings them all together is undoubtedly the actor’s facial expressions and grimaces, which all seem to be unique. Here are forty mythical ones to (re-)discover in our montage.

Movies in order of appearance:

1. “Madness of grandeur”, directed by Gérard Oury, 1971
2. “Oscar”, directed by Edouard Molinaro, 1967
3. “The Adventures of Rabbi Jacob”, directed by Gérard Oury, 1973
4. “Madness of grandeur”, directed by Gérard Oury, 1971
5. “On a perched tree”, directed by Serge Korber, 1971
6. “The Miser”, directed by Louis de Funès and Jean Girault, 1980
7. “Cabbage Soup”, directed by Jean Girault, 1981
8. “The Adventures of Rabbi Jacob”, directed by Gérard Oury, 1973
9. “The Gendarme on a walk”, directed by Jean Girault, 1970
10. “Neither seen nor known”, directed by Yves Robert, 1958
11. “Oscar”, directed by Edouard Molinaro, 1967
12. “Le Grand Restaurant”, directed by Jacques Besnard, 1966
13. “The Man Orchestra”, directed by Serge Korber, 1970
14. “The Adventures of Rabbi Jacob”, directed by Gérard Oury, 1973
15. “The Miser”, directed by Louis de Funès and Jean Girault, 1980
16. “The Little Bather”, directed by Robert Dhéry, 1968
17. “Cabbage Soup”, directed by Jean Girault, 1981
18. “The Adventures of Rabbi Jacob”, directed by Gérard Oury, 1973
19. “The Wing or the Thigh”, directed by Claude Zidi, 1976
20. “The Gendarme in New York”, directed by Jean Girault, 1965
21. “Neither seen nor known”, directed by Yves Robert, 1958
22. “Summer Vacations”, directed by Jean Girault, 1970
23. “The Adventures of Rabbi Jacob”, directed by Gérard Oury, 1973
24. “The Tattooed”, directed by Denys de La Patellière, 1968
25. “Oscar”, directed by Edouard Molinaro, 1967
26. “La Grande Vadrouille”, directed by Gérard Oury, 1966
27. “Hibernatus”, directed by Edouard Molinaro, 1969
28. “The Gendarme of Saint-Tropez”, directed by Jean Girault, 1964
29. “The Little Bather”, directed by Robert Dhéry, 1968
30. “The Man Orchestra”, directed by Serge Korber, 1970
31. “La Grande Vadrouille”, directed by Gérard Oury, 1966
32. “The Gendarme on a walk”, directed by Jean Girault, 1970
33. “Hibernatus”, directed by Edouard Molinaro, 1969
34. “Fantômas”, directed by André Hunebelle, 1964
35. “Oscar”, directed by Edouard Molinaro, 1967
36. “The Little Bather”, directed by Robert Dhéry, 1968
37. “The Miser”, directed by Louis de Funès and Jean Girault, 1980
38. “Le Corniaud”, directed by Gérard Oury, 1965
39. “Fantômas against Scotland Yard”, directed by André Hunebelle, 1970
40. “The Wing or the Thigh”, directed by Claude Zidi, 1976