Jean Gabin

Beginning a career in the French theatre with a debut at Moulin Rouge in Paris in 1929 was the start of Jean Gabin's acting and sometimes singing career. He was born on May 17, 1940 in Paris as Jean-Alexis Moncorge.
He looked angry, but he was the gentleman of the French cinema between WWI and WWII. His most popular personality was as inspector Maigret. He had the ability to play aristocrats, thieves, manager and farmers. He was still working when death from a heart attack due to leukemia November 15, 1976.
Gabin emigrated to the U.S. following the occupation of France by the Germans. He lived there until 1943 and carried on a romance with Marlene Dietrich. Gabin was a variety singer and his stage debut reflected that talent. Gabin had a difficult working personality and damage to his Hollywood career was insurmountable. He made a couple of films while in America Moontide in 1942 and The Impostor in 1944. They were not successful. He did find a measure of success in 1934 in the film Maria Chapdelaine.
Gabin was cast in Au-Del? Des Grilles which won an Academy Award for Best Foreign language film. The film did not do well in France and there were more failures during the next five years for Gabin. In 1954 Gabin acted in Touchez pas au grisbi (Don't Touch the Loot). He gained critical praise and worked again in French Cancan. He made more than 50 films over the next twenty years which were commercially successful.
Gabin was married to Gaby Basset from 1925 until 1930, Suzanne Marguerite Jeanne Mauchain from 1933 to 1939 and Dominique Fournier from 1949 to 1976. He has five children.