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Paul Gégauff

Paul Gégauff

Writer and actor · Died December 25, 1983, aged 61 · Blotzheim, Haut-Rhin, France

Paul Gégauff was a French screenwriter, notable primarily for his long-term collaboration with the director Claude Chabrol. He scripted 14 of Chabrol's films. He won an Edgar Award for scripting the crime thriller film "Purple Noon" (1960), a loose adaptation of the novel "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (1955) by Patricia Highsmith. On Christmas Eve 1983, Gégauff was stabbed to death by his second wife Coco Ducados.

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Biography from IMDb.

Born
August 10, 1922
Died
December 25, 1983 (aged 61)
From
Blotzheim, Haut-Rhin, France
Works as
Writer and actor
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 39 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 26Up 34% in 30 days

What are Paul Gégauff's films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Power.

Genres

Crime6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 17th percentile
: browse their Comedy 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
Morality
27%
Power
23%
Self
19%
Survival
11%
Bonds
10%
Ideas
8%
Society
2%
Deception7 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFate2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 2 · Serious 4 · Dark 7

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

Grounded 6 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 1 · Charged 6 · Intense 6

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

Steady 5 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 0

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 3 · Funny 2

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

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 6 · 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 2 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 4

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 5 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
11
Melancholic
5
Absurd
3
Contemplative
4
Cold
2
Other
6

How their films linger

Unsettling8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 7 with a twist

  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous6
  • Cyclical1

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 Paul Gégauff's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (3).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Paul Gégauff'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

39 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Oriana (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Writer

  • Ave Maria(1984)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Frankenstein 90 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Screenplay

  • Secrets of the Satin Blues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Screenplay

  • Neon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Dialogue

  • The Story of a Mother (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Writer

  • Death Rite(1975)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • A Piece of Pleasure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Composer · Screenplay · as Philippe

  • An Invitation to the Hunt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Writer

  • My Husband, His Mistress and I (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Writer

  • Scoundrel in White (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Screenplay

  • The Valley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Adaptation · Dialogue

  • Ten Days' Wonder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Writer

  • The Sensuous Assassin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Writer

  • The Novices(1970)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • This Man Must Die(1969)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • More(1969)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Scarlet Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Writer

  • Delphine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Writer

  • Les Biches(1968)

    Dialogue · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Weekend(1967)

    as Le Pianiste (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Diabolically Yours(1967)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Salle 8 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 65 episodes · Screenplay

  • The Champagne Murders(1967)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Line of Demarcation(1966)

    as Gestapo Agent

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Le Reflux (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Whisky y vodka (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Screenplay

  • The Other Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Writer

  • The World's Most Beautiful Swindlers(1964)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

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

    Dialogue

  • Of Flesh and Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Dialogue

  • Vice and Virtue(1963)

    as S.S. Doctor

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Ophélia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Screenplay

  • Sign of the Lion(1962)

    Dialogue

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • The Third Lover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Writer

  • Wise Guys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Screenplay

  • Les Bonnes Femmes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Dialogue · Screenplay

  • Purple Noon(1960)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Web of Passion(1959)

    Adaptation · Dialogue

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 39 titles from 1959 to 1985.

Biggest box office

Purple Noon (1960)

$228K worldwide

Highest rated

Purple Noon (1960)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

The Novices (1970)

Film career

  • 1966Screen debut· Line of Demarcation

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting4 of 39: 3 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting1 of 39: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting36 of 39: 34 only writing, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score50thMusic1 of 39: 0 only music, 1 with another role

By decade

1950s1 · crew1960s23 · 3 acting · 20 crew1970s10 · 1 acting · 10 crew1980s5 · crew

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.

How do Paul Gégauff's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 15; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 53rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

36thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

6 of their 15 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · writer

Ave Maria (1984)

52nd percentile spread · 36% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Purple Noon (1960)

Midcredits 97th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 51/100 and the plot and story 48/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

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 Paul Gégauff work with?

People who share at least 2 of Paul Gégauff's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Claude Chabrol shares the most, 8.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles