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Michel Simon

Michel Simon

Actor · Died May 30, 1975, aged 80 · Geneva, Switzerland

Michel Simon (9 April 1895 – 30 May 1975) was a Swiss actor. He appeared in the notable films La Chienne (1931), Boudu Saved from Drowning (1932), L'Atalante (1934), Port of Shadows (1938), The Head (1959), and The Train (1964).

Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 9, 1895
Died
May 30, 1975 (aged 80)
From
Geneva, Switzerland
Works as
Actor
Titles
18 on MovieCove · 110 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 5% in 30 days

What are Michel Simon's films like?

Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 87th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 94th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 47th percentile
: browse their Drama 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
37%
Bonds
24%
Power
13%
Self
12%
Society
10%
Ideas
3%
Survival
2%
Justice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass3 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 16 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 6 · Serious 2 · Dark 8

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 6 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 5

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

Gentle 5 · Charged 8 · Intense 3

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

Steady 7 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 6 · 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 11 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 1

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

A split, not a type: Casual 7 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 3

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 6 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 5

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

Resolved 11 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

14 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 4 of 14 analyzed roles.

Hero
4 of 14
Shadow
3 of 14
Mentor
3 of 14
Threshold guardian
2 of 14
Ally
1 of 14
Trickster
1 of 14
Show the 14 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
9
Melancholic
6
Romantic
5
Contemplative
5
Dread
3
Other
15

How their films linger

Unsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet8
  • Tragic1
  • 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 Michel Simon's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 18 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Michel Simon'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

110 credits, 18 with a MovieCove page; 16 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

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

    Actor

  • Morceaux de Cannes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Actor

  • René Clair, tout entre nous n'était qu'un jeu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Lui-même

  • The Bardot mystery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Actor

  • Jean Vigo : le son retrouvé (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Le père Jules (archive footage)

  • The Red Ibis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Zizi

  • The Butcher, the Star and the Orphan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Erotologist

  • The Most Wonderful Evening of My Life(1972)

    as Attorney Zorn

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Blanche (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Master

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

    as Louis Compiegne

  • Let's Have a Riot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as Cavazza

  • The Marriage Came Tumbling Down (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Le vieux Jéricho

  • La Plaie et le Couteau, Charles Baudelaire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Un récitant

  • The Two of Us(1967)

    as Pépé

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

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

    as Locker Attendant

  • Cyrano et d'Artagnan(1964)

    as Le Grognard

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • The Train(1964)

    as Papa Boul

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Devil and the Ten Commandments(1962)

    as Jérôme Chambard

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

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

    as Charles-Edmond Larmentiel

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

    as Colonel Nanar, du cadre de réserve

  • Pete the Tender (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Pierrot

  • The Battle of Austerlitz(1960)

    as Alboise

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Head(1959)

    as Prof. Dr. Abel

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • It Happened in Broad Daylight(1958)

    as Jacquier

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • A Certain Mr. Jo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    as Joseph "Jo" Guardini

  • Three Make a Pair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Commissaire Bernard

  • La joyeuse prison (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Benoit, chief guard

  • Mémoires d'un flic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Principal Commissioner Henri Dominique

  • The Impossible Mr. Pipelet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Maurice Martin, concierge d'immeuble

  • At the Order of the Czar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Prince de Sayn-Wittgenstein

  • Hungarian Rhapsody (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as General von Sayn-Wittgenstein

  • The Anatomy of Love(1954)

    as Padre Silvio

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Strange Desire of Mr. Bard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Auguste Bard

  • Saadia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Bou Rezza

  • The Merchant of Venice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Shylock

  • Femmes de Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Professor Charles Buisson

  • The Virtuous Scoundrel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Albert Ménard-Lacoste / Alain Ménard-Lacoste

  • Hôtel des Invalides (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Récitant / Narrator (voice)

  • The Road to Damascus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Caïphe

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

    as Lucien Bertal / Léonard, his understudy / Banquo

  • Full House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Commissioner Jules Maigret (segment "Le témoignage d'un enfant de choeur")

  • The Girl with the Whip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Le tuteur

  • Mister Taxi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Pierre Verger, « Monsieur Taxi »

  • La Poison(1951)

    as Paul Louis Victor Braconnier

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Two Truths (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Cidoni

  • Beauty and the Devil(1950)

    as Mephistopheles / Old Prof. Henri Faust

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Fabiola (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Senator Fabius Severus

  • La Carcasse et le Tord-cou (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Joseph Ferdinand Anselme Midot,aka 'Le tord-cou'

  • The Lovers of the Pont Saint-Jean (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Alcide Garonne

  • Not Guilty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Doctor Michel Ancelin

  • The Crowned Fish Tavern (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Captain Palmer

  • Panic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Monsieur Hire

  • A Friend Will Come Tonight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Michel Lemaret

  • Vautrin the Thief (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Vautrin

  • Shop Girls of Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Baudu

  • Girl of the Golden West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Butler

  • The King's Jester (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Screenplay · as Rigoletto

  • Tosca (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Il barone Scarpia

  • Comedy of Happiness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Monsieur Jourdain

  • The Musicians of the Sky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Le capitaine Simon

  • Paris - New-York (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Inspector Boucheron

  • Cavalcade of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Diogène, Monseigneur de Beaupré & Lacouret

  • Circonstances atténuantes(1939)

    as Mr. Gaetan Le Sentencier

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Fric-Frac(1939)

    as Jo

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Last Turning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Nick Marino

  • The End of the Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Ernest Cabrissade, eternal understudy

  • Behind the Facade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Picking, knife-throwing artist

  • Deputy Eusèbe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Eusèbe Bonbonneau

  • Cocoanut (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Josserand

  • Mother Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Michel Quercy

  • Le ruisseau(1938)

    as Counr Edouard de Bourgogne, aka 'L'Escargot'

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Beautiful Star (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Léon

  • The New Rich (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Martinet

  • Port of Shadows(1938)

    as Zabel

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Boys' School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Lemel, le professeur de dessin

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

    as Michel

  • Naples Under the Kiss of Fire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Michel

  • Bizarre, Bizarre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Irwin Molyneux, alias Félix Chapel

  • La Bataille silencieuse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Sauvin

  • Boulot aviateur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Baron Gobèche

  • Le Choc en retour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Laverdac

  • Let's Make a Dream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Un Invité (Prologue)

  • Girls of Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Baron de Beaupoil / his brother

  • The Twins of Brighton (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Labrosse

  • Moutonnet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Frècheville

  • Under Western Eyes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Lespara

  • The Fleeing Dead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Achille Baluchet

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

    as Perrot-Joly

  • Lovers and Thieves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Doizeau

  • A Bum Deal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Boudu

  • Adémaï au Moyen Âge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Lord Pickwickdam

  • Le Bonheur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Noël Malpiaz

  • Ladies Lake (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Oscar Lyssenhop

  • L'Atalante(1934)

    as Père Jules

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Léopold le bien-aimé (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Actor

  • High and Low (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as M. Bodeletz

  • Miquette and Her Mother (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Monchablon, un médiocre acteur de tournées, qui fait la cour à Miquette

  • Boudu Saved from Drowning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Producer · as Priape Boudu

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

    Actor

  • The Bitch(1931)

    as Maurice Legrand

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Baby's Laxative (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Chouilloux

  • Jean of the Moon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Director · as Jean de la Lune

  • Illegitimate Child (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Lorédan

  • Pivoine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Actor

  • The Sad Sack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Joseph Turlot

  • The Passion of Joan of Arc(1928)

    as Jean Lemaître

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Late Mathias Pascal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Jérôme Pomino

  • The Vocation of André Carel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    as Gaston Lebeau

  • The Gallery of Monsters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Actor

  • Les Deux Réalités (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Cidoni

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 110 titles, 109 of them dated from 1924 to 2022; peak year 1972.

Biggest box office

The Two of Us (1967)

$57K worldwide

Highest rated

The Train (1964)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19242022

Peak 1972 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 10 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.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting110 of 110: 107 only acting, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score87thDirecting1 of 110: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting1 of 110: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing1 of 110: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

110 titles, 3 with more than one role — acting and directing overlap on 1 of them.

By decade

1920s6 · acting1930s42 · 42 acting · 2 crew1940s15 · 15 acting · 1 crew1950s24 · acting1960s11 · acting1970s6 · acting2000s1 · acting2010s1 · acting2020s3 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 36% of 22 roles
25354560

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 Michel Simon's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 87th percentile, the median of all 18; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 88th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

88thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Approval · how many liked their films

90thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 18 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up12
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 18 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

Cyrano et d'Artagnan (1964)

51st percentile spread · 17% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Train (1964)

Midcredits 97th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the acting 82/100 in their films, across 14 reviewed titles; fans 86, detractors 57. 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.

Is Michel Simon's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 21 · mildMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Michel Simon work with?

People who share at least 2 of Michel Simon's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Abel Gance shares the most, 2.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles