Former assistant to Jean Renoir who began directing his own features in the early 1940s. Becker directed only 13 films and has been largely neglected by critics, though he was celebrated by the auteurs of the New Wave for "Casque d'Or" (1952), a spirited, atmospheric tour of France's turn-of-the-century underworld, and "Touchez pas au Grisbi" (1954), an intriguing gangster melodrama starring Jean Gabin and Jeanne Moreau. Becker was married to actress Francoise Fabian and his son Jean Becker is also a director.
Family
SON: Jean Becker. Director. Born in 1933.
DAUGHTER: Sophie Becker. Continuity supervisor.
Companion
WIFE: Francoise Fabian. Actor.
Milestone
Through family connections met Jean Renoir and became friends
1929: Film acting debut in Jean Renoir's "Le bled"
Prior to 1930, worked in battery factory, also as baggage supervisor on CGT line between NYC and Le Havre
1932 - 1939: Worked as assistant director on 13 Jean Renoir films (also acted in some)
1935: With Pierre Prevert co-directed the short comedy "Le commissaire est bon enfant/Le gendrame est sans pitie" (also co-writer; actor)
1935: Reportedly made the five-reel "Tete de turc" but later refused to acknowledge it as his work
1938: Made short documentary of the Communist Party Congress at Arles
1939: Began working on "L'Or du Christobel/The Gold of Christobel"; abandoned when WWII began; later repudiated his association with the project
Spent more than a year in a German prisoner-of-war-camp
1942: Feature directing and co-writing debut, "Dernier Atout/The Last Trump"; first of three films made during the German Occupation of France
1945: Last film under the German Occupation, "Falbalas/Paris Fills"
1947: First of three postwar comedies, "Antoine et Antoinette"
1951: Enjoyed success with the light comedy "Edouard et Caroline"
1952: Made what many consider his masterpiece, "Casque d'or/Golden Helmet/Golden Marie"
1954: Helmed the noirish "Touchez pas au Grisbi/Honor Among Thieves"
1954: Directed the lavish "Ali Baba et les quarante voleurs"
1956: Helmed "Les Aventures d'Arsene Lupin", about a gentleman thief
1957: Made the biopic "Montparnasse 19/The Lovers of Montparnasse", about Modigliani
1960: Final film, "Le Trou/The Night Watch/The Hole"
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