54 Years Ago: Jean Gabin’s Tribute to a French Cinema Legend – A Rare Man of Integrity!

A man from Marseille and another from Paris. One an optimist, the other a pessimist. One with a bright smile and the other with a steadfast frown. One mastered the lyrical accent perfect for Marcel Pagnol’s prose, and the other possessed a unique, cavernous voice suited for delivering Michel Audiard’s lines.

On the surface, everything seemed to set the cinematic giants Fernandel and Jean Gabin apart. Yet…

Two Titans of French Cinema

Despite their differences, these renowned actors collaborated throughout much of their careers, co-founding the production company Gafer in 1963—a blend of their surnames, “Ga” from Gabin and “Fer” from Fernandel.

Although there was some rivalry between them, Jean Gabin paid a heart-wrenching tribute to his colleague during an ORTF broadcast in 1971, shortly after Fernandel’s death. This interview, later aired by the INA channel, showed a tearful Gabin, his voice choked with emotion, full of tenderness and respect for his late partner.

“He was as straight as an arrow”

“There was a long period when we didn’t see each other until the day we started our company and worked on the film called ‘L’Âge Ingrat’. We saw each other very often”, he began, recalling that their first collaboration was in 1931 on the film ‘Paris Béguin’ by Augusto Génina.

“I think that in such a circumstance, there’s not much to say, words are unnecessary. For me, besides the actor, it was the man who left us. The man was extremely upright and loyal. Beneath his humor, he was someone you could rely on. He was as straight as an arrow, and that’s very rare nowadays, very rare.”

What is your favorite film starring Jean Gabin? And Fernandel’s?

(Re)discover the trailer for “The Sicilian Clan”…