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Pierre Brasseur

Pierre Brasseur

Actor · Died August 16, 1972, aged 66 · Paris, France

Pierre Brasseur, born Pierre-Albert Espinasse (22 December 1905, Paris – 16 August 1972, Bruneck, Italy) was a French actor. He was the son of actor Georges Espinasse and actress Germaine Brasseur while the latter was married to Albert Brasseur. His grandfather, Jules Brasseur, was an actor as well. The family tradition of using the name Brasseur was continued by his son Claude and his grandson Alexandre. Renowned for playing outsized characters, Brasseur is probably best known in the anglophone world for his (semi-fictionalised) portrayal of the actor Frédérick Lemaître in Les Enfants du Paradis (Children of Paradise, 1945) and as Docteur Génessier (more subdued) in the horror film Eyes Without a Face (Les Yeux sans visage, 1960) co-starring with Alida Valli. On May 30, 1927, Brasseur performed the spoken role of the Narrator in the world premiere of Igor Stravinsky's opera-oratorio Oedipus rex. Description above from the Wikipedia article Pierre Brasseur, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 22, 1905
Died
August 16, 1972 (aged 66)
From
Paris, France
Works as
Actor
Titles
20 on MovieCove · 138 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 38 days to Oct 27Down 1% in 30 days

What are Pierre Brasseur's films like?

Across their 18 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 81st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th 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
28%
Morality
27%
Power
18%
Self
10%
Society
8%
Ideas
6%
Survival
3%
Romantic love7 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 18 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 4 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 8

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

Gentle 4 · Charged 10 · Intense 4

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

Steady 9 · Shifting 8 · 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 8 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 4

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 7 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 7 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 7

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

Resolved 11 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

14 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 8 of 14 analyzed roles.

Shadow
8 of 14
Herald
2 of 14
Mentor
2 of 14
Hero
1 of 14
Threshold guardian
1 of 14
Show the 14 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
8
Tense
7
Warm
6
Joyful
4
Romantic
4
Other
15

How their films linger

Bittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous3

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 Pierre Brasseur's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Pierre Brasseur'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

138 credits, 20 with a MovieCove page; 6 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Le Dernier Mélodrame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Writer

  • The Most Wonderful Evening of My Life(1972)

    as La Brunetière

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • La Brigade des maléfices (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Diablegris · as Diablevert

  • The Swashbuckler(1971)

    as Gosselin

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Macédoine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Actor

  • Un ange passe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Writer · as Florisse

  • Goto, Island of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Le Gouverneur-Roi Goto III

  • The Return of Monte Cristo(1968)

    as Faria

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Birds in Peru (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Husband

  • A Little Virtuous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Jules Polnick

  • The Madman of Lab Four (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Father Ballanchon

  • King of Hearts(1966)

    as General Géranium

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Pas de panique (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Fernand Toussaint

  • A Young World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Le Grec

  • A Matter of Resistance(1966)

    as Dimanche

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Two Hours to Kill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Laurent

  • Fortuna (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Nissim Buzaglo

  • L'Or du duc (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Adhémar de Talois-Minet

  • Cloportes(1965)

    as Demuldère aka 'Tonton le Brocanteur', receiver

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Pas de caviar pour tante Olga (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Patache

  • Black Humor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Le guérisseur - segment 1 'La Bestiole'

  • The Circular Triangle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Georges Richter

  • Lucky Jo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Loudéac

  • A Very Handy Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Simone Palumbo

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

    as Mayor

  • Agent of Doom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Charlèz

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

    as Charles Cassidi, lawyer for Mrs. Dupré

  • The Abominable Man of Customs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Russian killer

  • Crime Does Not Pay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Martin Fenayrou

  • Hitch-Hike (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Achille Pipermint, l'homme d'affaires radin à Orly

  • Emile's Boat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as François Larmentiel

  • Rencontres(1962)

    as Carl Krasner

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Famous Love Affairs(1961)

    as le grand duc Ernest

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • The Nina B. Affair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Berrera

  • Long Live Henry IV... Long Live Love! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Constable of Montmorency

  • Spotlight on a Murderer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Comte de Kerloquen

  • Candide or The Optimism in the 20th Century (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Pangloss

  • Le dialogue des Carmélites(1960)

    as Commissioner of the Republic

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Bell' Antonio(1960)

    as Alfio Magnano

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Carthage in Flames (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Sidone

  • Eyes Without a Face(1960)

    as Professor Génessier

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Bureaucrats (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Monsieur Nègre

  • Head Against the Wall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Dr. Varmont

  • The Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Don Cesare

  • The Possessors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Lucien Maublanc, le cousin oisif

  • Life as a Couple(1958)

    as Pierre Carreau

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Les Cinq Dernières Minutes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as Maurice Tardenois

  • Sans famille (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Jeroboam Driscoll

  • The Gates of Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Juju

  • Napoleon(1955)

    as Barras

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Oasis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Antoine Vallin

  • Tower of Lust(1955)

    as Jehan Buridan

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Rasputin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Gregory Iefimovich Raspoutine

  • Clothing the Naked (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Console Grotti

  • The Curious Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Vocals · as Bird (voice)

  • The Drunkard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Maître Pierre Renneville

  • Crimson Curtain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Ludovic Arn / Macbeth

  • Torticola versus Frankensberg (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Invisible Man's Friend

  • Le Plaisir(1952)

    as Julien Ledentu

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Bluebeard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Amédée de Salfère dit Barbe-Bleue

  • Dirty Hands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Hoederer

  • Skipper Next to God (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Captain Joris KnAipper

  • Jamaican Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Jacques Mervel

  • Lost Souvenirs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Philippe (segment "Une statuette d'Osiris")

  • Julie de Carneilhan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Hubert Espivant

  • Millionaires for One Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Francis

  • Portrait of a Murderer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Fabius / Jean

  • The Lovers of Verona(1949)

    as Raffaele

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Secret of Monte-Cristo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as François Picault

  • La Nuit blanche (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Pierre Taverny

  • Cruise for the Unknown One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Emile Fréchisse

  • The Revenge of Baccarat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Rocambole

  • Rocambole (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Rocambole

  • Noah's Ark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Bitru

  • Love Around the House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as 'Douze Apôtres'

  • Gates of the Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Georges

  • Pétrus(1946)

    as Rodrigue

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • La Femme fatale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Jean Pleyard

  • Land Without Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Jean-Thomas Pellerin / François-Charles Talacayud

  • Behind These Walls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Jean-César Morin

  • Children of Paradise(1945)

    as Frédérick Lemaître

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Adieu Léonard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Prosper Bonenfant

  • Summer Light (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Roland

  • Two Shy Ones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Vancouver

  • Le soleil a toujours raison (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Gabriel

  • La Croisée des chemins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Hubert Epervans

  • Promise to the Unknown One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Lussac

  • Three Argentines in Montmartre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Toninett

  • Tobie Is an Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Actor

  • Sixième étage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Jonval, the young cynic

  • The Path of Honor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Philippe

  • Last Desire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Frossard

  • Second Childhood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Frossard

  • Corsican Brothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Tonio

  • Le père Lebonnard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Alfredo Lebonnard

  • Visages de femmes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Georges Legrand

  • Café de Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Le Rec

  • The Life of Giuseppe Verdi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Alexandre Dumas figlio

  • Gosse de riche (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Pierre Mougins

  • Port of Shadows(1938)

    as Lucien

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Grisou (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Dialogue · Theatre Play · as Hagnauer

  • Heartbeat(1938)

    as Cousine (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Hercule (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Bastien

  • Claudine at School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Doctor Dubois

  • The Virgin Bride (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Georges Letournel, fils du mari de Jacqueline

  • La Reine des resquilleuses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Fred Woolson

  • Confessions of a Newlywed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Edmond Trivelin

  • Une femme qui se partage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Actor

  • Le Mari rêvé (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as René Daroy /Achille Daroy

  • Prête-moi ta femme (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Actor

  • Passé à vendre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Bob

  • Jeunesse d'abord (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Actor

  • Valse éternelle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Actor

  • Le Bébé de l'escadron (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Max

  • Little One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Georges Darnetal

  • A Rare Bird (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Jean Berthier

  • Jonny, haute-couture (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Jonny

  • Le Miroir aux alouettes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Jean Forestier

  • Quadrille d'amour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Robert Lanclot

  • Caravane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Lt. de Tokay

  • L'Oncle de Pékin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Philippe

  • The Amorous Garrison (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Paul, rider

  • Incognito (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Marcel

  • Moi et l'impératrice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Didier

  • One Night's Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Koretzky

  • Honeymoon Trip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Rudi

  • Weaker Sex (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Jimmy

  • Une faim de loup (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Actor

  • Quick (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Maxime

  • A Father Without Knowing It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Jean

  • The Winner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Hunter

  • Circulate! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Jean Dupont-Desroches

  • My Friend Victor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Edgar Flachon

  • Backbiters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Le type de l'appareil à sous

  • Feu! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Frémiet's ordinance

  • Madame Sans-Gêne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Actor

  • la loi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Don Cesare

  • Opération Jericho (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Jean-César Morin

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 138 titles, 136 of them dated from 1925 to 1979; peak year 1960.

Biggest box office

Eyes Without a Face (1960)

$63K worldwide

Highest rated

Children of Paradise (1945)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Eyes Without a Face (1960)

Film career

19251979

Peak 1960 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 3 MovieCove titles. 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.

  • 1938Screen debut· Heartbeat
  • 1946First top-billed film· Gates of the Night
  • 1960Career best· Eyes Without a Face

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting137 of 138: 134 only acting, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score70thWriting3 of 138: 1 only writing, 2 with another roleOther crew1 of 138: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

138 titles, 3 with more than one role — acting and writing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1920s3 · acting1930s43 · 43 acting · 1 crew1940s25 · acting1950s24 · 24 acting · 1 crew1960s35 · acting1970s6 · 5 acting · 2 crew

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 24% of 17 roles
385363

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 Pierre Brasseur's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 70th percentile, the median of all 20; across their 18 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 70th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Approval · how many liked their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Reach · how many have seen their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Midcredits score across 20 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 20 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · actor

Famous Love Affairs (1961)

61st percentile spread · 27% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Children of Paradise (1945)

Midcredits 97th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the acting 79/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles; fans 83, detractors 50. 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 Pierre Brasseur work with?

People who share at least 2 of Pierre Brasseur's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Philippe Agostini shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers