Alfred Adam

Biography

Tall, but never standing uptight, even looking a bit sloppy; a drowsy look but with a twinkle of irony in the eye; a grumbling tone but not without some sympathy underlying; a winning drawling Paris accent; You may have recognized Alfred Adam, the French actor par excellence. Adam could as well be the nasty type as the regular working-class Parisian, the cuckold as the local Casanova, a general as a chauffeur, a gangster as a policeman, a peasant or the richest man in the village, an ordinary butcher as an eccentric. While being always convincing with, in addition, this Gallic touch that made (and still makes) him a treat to look at and to listen to. Born in 1908 in Asnières, a North-West suburb of Paris, Alfred Adam proved multi-talented as of a young age. Besides becoming an actor, he studied civil engineering, wrote plays (his most famous being 'Sylvie et le fantôme'), penned film screenplays and dialogs and even the argument for a Roland Petit ballet. He also showed a life long interest in reading, sport (boxing, tennis, soccer), good food and friendship. He was a local figure in Montmartre where he lived, gaily strolling the streets in his long long coat and his wide wide hat. But acting was his main activity and he did interpret scores of roles, whether at the theater, for the cinema or television. Trained at the Conservatoire by Louis Jouvet, he worked for him between 1935 and 1939 before being hired by another great name, Charles Dullin and becoming a member of the Comédie Française. Ever an open-minded artist, Alfred Adam never said no to a good light comedy. As far as movies are concerned he debuted in 1935 in Jacques Feyder's masterpiece 'La kermesse héroïque'. His greatest role is unquestionably that of Cornudet, the Republican who is the only one to defend a brave prostitute against self-righteous bourgeois and nobles in Christian-Jaque's film version of Maupassant's 'Boule de Suif'. He was also very good as the chauffeur and confidante of Gabin in Verneuil's memorable 'Le President' and an absolute delight as Maréchal de Villeroy, that old codger, in Bertrand Tavernier's 'Que la fête commence' The only regret we can have is that Adam accepted too many roles in minor pictures. He would have been amazing in pictures by Renoir, Clouzot, Grémillon or Carné.