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Bourvil

Bourvil

Actor · Died September 23, 1970, aged 53 · Prétot-Vicquemare, Seine-Inférieure [now Seine-Maritime], France

André Robert Raimbourg (27 July 1917 – 23 September 1970), better known as André Bourvil, and mononymously as Bourvil, was a French actor and singer best known for his roles in comedy films, most notably in his collaboration with Louis de Funès in the films Le Corniaud (1965) and La Grande Vadrouille (1966). For his performance in Le Corniaud, he won a Special Diploma at the 4th Moscow International Film Festival. Bourvil's father was killed in the First World War before he was born. As a result, he spent his entire childhood in the village of Bourville, from which he took his stage name. He married Jeanne Lefrique on 23 January 1943. After a battle with Kahler's syndrome, which attacks the bone marrow, he died at the age of 53. He is buried in Montainville, Yvelines. In his comic performances Bourvil principally played roles of gentle and well-meaning characters who were often a bit obtuse or naïve, such as his roles opposite the hyperactive, dishonest and bossy ones played by Louis de Funès. Bourvil's characters not only managed to make viewers laugh, but also to save themselves, often unwittingly, from the Machiavellian designs of his adversaries. Bourvil was, however, also capable of more dramatic roles such as the handyman in L'Arbre de Noël (1969). In this role he observes the relationship between a man he works for and the young son who has fallen ill. The audience can identify with the character played by Bourvil, just as they can in his comic roles, so often as a simple man. One can also note his role of Monsieur Thénardier in the film adaptation of Les Misérables (1958), and his penultimate role as the policeman Mattei in Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Cercle rouge (1970). In March 1948, Bourvil took part in the complete recording of Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann with artists of the Paris Opéra-Comique conducted by André Cluytens, playing the four 'servant' roles. Description above from the Wikipedia article Bourvil, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 27, 1917
Died
September 23, 1970 (aged 53)
From
Prétot-Vicquemare, Seine-Inférieure [now Seine-Maritime], France
Works as
Actor
Titles
20 on MovieCove · 61 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 32% in 30 days

What are Bourvil's films like?

Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 85th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 56th percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
31%
Morality
26%
Power
13%
Survival
10%
Society
9%
Self
8%
Ideas
3%
Friendship5 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 19 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 12 · Serious 2 · Dark 5

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 9 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 8 · Charged 10 · Intense 1

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 11 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 10

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 14 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 18 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

16 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 8 of 16 analyzed roles.

Hero
8 of 16
Ally
3 of 16
Trickster
2 of 16
Mentor
2 of 16
Shadow
1 of 16
Show the 16 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
11
Joyful
9
Tense
6
Absurd
5
Melancholic
5
Other
8

How their films linger

Feel-good13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy13
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Bourvil's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 3 of their 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Bourvil's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

61 credits, 20 with a MovieCove page; 18 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Les Magnifiques sauvages (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Composer

  • Belmondo: The Incorrigible (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Actor

  • Clodo(1971)

    as Gaston (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Red Circle(1970)

    as Commissioner François Mattei

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Le mur de l'Atlantique(1970)

    as Léon Duchemin, Norman restaurateur

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Stud (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as William Chaminade

  • The Christmas Tree(1969)

    as Verdun

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies(1969)

    as Monsieur Dupont

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Brain(1969)

    as Anatole

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Big Wash (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Armand Saint-Just

  • Les cracks(1968)

    as Jules Auguste Duroc

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Les Arnaud(1967)

    as Judge Henri Arnaud

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Don't Look Now... We're Being Shot At!(1966)

    as Augustin Bouvet

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Three Disordered Children (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Eugène Laporte, entrepreneur de travaux publics

  • The Wise Guys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Hector Valentin

  • The Big Swag (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Louis Bourdin, metro ticket puncher and writer

  • The Secret Agents(1965)

    as Lalande

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • The Sucker(1965)

    as Antoine Maréchal

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Big Scare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Actor

  • La Bonne Planque (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Antoine Perrin

  • My Wife's Husband(1963)

    as André Colombey

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Un drôle de paroissien(1963)

    as Georges Lachaunaye

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Josefa's Loot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Pierre Corneille

  • Don't Tempt the Devil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Albert Gaudet, investigating judge

  • Les Culottes rouges (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Fendard

  • Un clair de Lune à Maubeuge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Le chanteur à la télévision

  • Tartarin de Tarascon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Priest who reinflates the tire of his moped

  • The Longest Day(1962)

    as Mayor of Colleville

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Busybody (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as André Loriot

  • Tout l'or du monde(1961)

    as Mathieu Dumont / Antoine Dumont / Martial Dumont

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Fortunate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Noël Fortunat

  • Captain Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Baladin Cogolin

  • The Hunchback of Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Passepoil

  • The Green Mare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Honoré Haudouin

  • Le chemin des écoliers(1959)

    as Charles Michaud, père

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Serenade of Texas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Me Jérôme Quilleboeuf

  • Sunday Encounter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Jean Brévent

  • The Mirror Has Two Faces (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Pierre Tardivet

  • Les Misérables(1958)

    as Thénardier

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Singer from Mexico (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Bilou

  • The Crossing of Paris(1956)

    as Marcel Martin, unemployed taxi driver

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Hussars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as le trompette Flicot Jean-Louis

  • Le Fil à la patte (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Camille Bouzin, clerc de notaire et auteur de chansonnettes lestes

  • Cadet Rousselle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Jérôme Baguindet

  • April Fools' Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Émile Dupuy

  • Royal Affairs in Versailles(1954)

    as Museum guard

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Three Musketeers(1953)

    as Planchet

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Crazy for Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Hippolyte Lemoine, neveu d'Augustine

  • Grrr.... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Writer · as Lui-même

  • Alone in Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Henri Milliard, le jeune marié campagnard

  • Mr. Peek-a-Boo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Léon Dutilleul

  • The Prize (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Isidore Pastouret

  • Miquette (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Urbain de la Tour-Mirande

  • Le Roi Pandore (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Léon Ménard, le gendarme

  • Wear His Heart on His Sleeve (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Leon Ménard

  • White as Snow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Léon Ménard

  • By the Window (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Gaston 'Pilou'

  • Not So Stupid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Léon Ménard

  • Hanged Man's Farm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Le bourrelier, le chanteur à la noce

  • A Star to the Sun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as (uncredited)

  • Sideral Cruises (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Scientist

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 61 titles from 1942 to 2023; peak year 1970.

Biggest box office

Les Misérables (1958)

$2.4M worldwide

Highest rated

The Red Circle (1970)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Don't Look Now... We're Being Shot At! (1966)

Film career

19422023

Peak 1970 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1951Screen debut· Mr. Peek-a-Boo
  • 1951First top-billed film· Mr. Peek-a-Boo
  • 1966Career best· Don't Look Now... We're Being Shot At!

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting60 of 61: 59 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score64thWriting1 of 61: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleMusic1 of 61: 1 only music, 0 with another role

By decade

1940s7 · acting1950s22 · 22 acting · 1 crew1960s26 · acting1970s4 · acting2020s2 · 1 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 50% of 26 roles
51566166

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Bourvil's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of all 20; across their 19 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 67th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Approval · how many liked their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Reach · how many have seen their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Midcredits score across 20 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 20 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · actor

Les Arnaud (1967)

57th percentile spread · 34% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Red Circle (1970)

Midcredits 98th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the acting 77/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Bourvil work with?

People who share at least 2 of Bourvil's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Robert Dorfmann shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers