Henri Decae

Director Of Photography

About

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Birth Place

France

Born

July 31, 1915

Died

March 07, 1987

Cause of Death

Complications Following An Operation

Biography

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After Raoul Coutard, the most distinguished cinematographer to have come to prominence with the French New Wave. Decae directed several films through the 1940s before becoming the regular cinematographer for Jean-Pierre Melville ("Bob le Flambeur" 1955, etc.). He shot the debut features of both Claude Chabrol ("Le Beau Serge" 1958) and Francois Truffaut ("The 400 Blows" 1959) and also wo...

Filmography

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Director Of Photography

Attention! Une femme peut en cacher une autre (1985)

Director Of Photography

Le Vengeance du serpent a plumes (1984)

Director Of Photography

Les Parents ne sont pas simples cette annee (1984)

Director Of Photography

Director Of Photography

L' Ete de nos quinze ans (1983)

Director Of Photography

Photos & Videos

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Elevator To The Gallows (1958) -- (Movie Clip) Don't Sneer At War

Elevator To The Gallows (1958) -- (Movie Clip) He Got Cold Feet

Biography

After Raoul Coutard, the most distinguished cinematographer to have come to prominence with the French New Wave. Decae directed several films through the 1940s before becoming the regular cinematographer for Jean-Pierre Melville ("Bob le Flambeur" 1955, etc.). He shot the debut features of both Claude Chabrol ("Le Beau Serge" 1958) and Francois Truffaut ("The 400 Blows" 1959) and also worked frequently for Louis Malle ("Elevator to the Gallows" 1957, etc.). Decae began shooting international production in the late 1960s and remained active until a few years before his death. He demonstrated a special flair for atmospheric nighttime sequences.

Filmography

Cinematography (Feature Film)

Director Of Photography

Attention! Une femme peut en cacher une autre (1985)

Director Of Photography

Le Vengeance du serpent a plumes (1984)

Director Of Photography

Les Parents ne sont pas simples cette annee (1984)

Director Of Photography

Director Of Photography

L' Ete de nos quinze ans (1983)

Director Of Photography

The Island (1980)

Director Of Photography

Le Coup du Parapluie (1980)

Director Of Photography

Est-ce bien raisonnable? (1980)

Director Of Photography

Inspecteur la Bavure (1980)

Director Of Photography

Flic ou voyou (1979)

Director Of Photography

An Almost Perfect Affair (1979)

Director Of Photography

Ils sont fous ces sorciers (1978)

Director Of Photography

The Boys From Brazil (1978)

Director Of Photography

Mort d'un pourri (1977)

Director Of Photography

Le Point de mire (1977)

Director Of Photography

Bobby Deerfield (1977)

Director Of Photography

Seven Nights in Japan (1976)

Director Of Photography

La Course a l'echalote (1975)

Director Of Photography

Operation Daybreak (1975)

Director Of Photography

La moutarde me monte au nez (1974)

Director Of Photography

Isabelle devant le desir (1974)

Director Of Photography

The Adventures of Rabbi Jacob (1973)

Director Of Photography

Two People (1973)

Director Of Photography

Don Juan (Or if Don Juan Were a Woman) (1973)

Director Of Photography

Le Droit d'aimer (1972)

Director Of Photography

La Folie des grandeurs (1971)

Director Of Photography

Director Of Photography

Le Cercle Rouge (1970)

Director Of Photography

Le Samourai (1967)

Director Of Photography

The Black Tulip (1963)

Director Of Photography

L'aine des Ferchaux (1963)

Director Of Photography

A Very Private Affair (1962)

Director of Photography

Purple Noon (1961)

Director of Photography

The Joy of Living (1961)

Director Of Photography

Leon Morin, Priest (1961)

Director Of Photography

The 400 Blows (1959)

Director Of Photography

Les Cousins (1959)

Director Of Photography

The Lovers (1958)

Director Of Photography

Le Beau Serge (1958)

Director Of Photography

Un Temoin dans la ville (1958)

Cinematographer

Bob le Flambeur (1955)

Director Of Photography

Les enfants terribles (1950)

Director Of Photography

Silence of the Sea (1949)

Cinematographer

Editing (Feature Film)

Silence of the Sea (1949)

Sound (Feature Film)

Silence of the Sea (1949)

Sound Rerecording

Silence of the Sea (1949)

Film Production - Main (Feature Film)

Silence of the Sea (1949)

Life Events

1941

Co-directed (with Brother Claude Decae) and shot first short film, "Eau Vive"

1947

First feature as director of photography, Jean-Pierre Melville's "Le silence de la mer"

Videos

Elevator To The Gallows (1958) -- (Movie Clip) Don't Sneer At War Ex-paratrooper Julien (Maurice Ronet) has snuck out his office window, now makes his approach to his arms dealer boss Carala (Jean Wall), who's also the husband of his lover, with Miles Davis' score, in Louis Malle's Elevator To The Gallows, 1958.

Elevator To The Gallows (1958) -- (Movie Clip) He Got Cold Feet Paris teens Louis (Georges Poujouly) and Veronique (Yori Bertin) snatch the car belonging to Julien, who's stuck in an elevator, as his lover and murder accomplice Florence (Jeanne Moreau) waits nearby, in Louis Malle's Elevator To The Gallows, 1958.

Elevator To The Gallows (1958) -- (Movie Clip) Then We'll Be Free Director Louis Malle's famous close up of Jeanne Moreau (as "Florence") in the film that made her a star, on the phone with lover Julien (Maurice Ronet), Miles Davis' score creeping in, opening Elevator To The Gallows, 1958.

Les Enfants Terribles (1950) -- (Movie Clip) Two Halves Of One Body Continuing exposition by novelist, screenwriter and narrator Jean Cocteau, director Jean-Pierre Melville and cinematographer Henri Decae, on the relationship between Elisabeth (Nicole Stéphane) and brother Paul (Edouard Dermit, Cocteau’s lover at the time) whom she’s nursing, along with their mother, following a weird injury, in Les Enfants Terribles, 1950.

Les Enfants Terribles (1950) -- (Movie Clip) A Perfect Battlefield Typical of the director Jean-Pierre Melville, on his second feature, with camera by Henri Decae, a remarkable opening shot, narrated by the novelist and screenwriter Jean Cocteau, introducing Renèe Cosima as Dargelos and Eduard Dermit as Paul, filmed at the historic Lycée Condorcet in Paris, from Les Enfants Terribles, 1950.

Les Enfants Terribles (1950) -- (Movie Clip) Suicide Is A Deadly Sin Stir-crazy Elisabeth (Nicole Stéphane) observes weird behavior by her brother Paul (Edouard Dermit), whom she’s still nursing following his snowball-fight injury, then receives his classmate Gerard (Jacques Bernard), leading to further fighting and a visit to their invalid mother, in writer Jean Cocteau and director Jean-Pierre Melville’s Les Enfants Terribles, 1950.

vLes Enfants Terribles (1950) -- (Movie Clip) I'll Keep The Boys Out Of Trouble Vacationing at the beach, the uncle (Roger Gaillard) brings nephew Gerard (Jacques Bernard) and his two weird, orphaned friends (Nicole Stéphane and Edouard Dermit as Elisabeth and Paul) to a shop, where novelist, screenwriter and narrator Jean Cocteau further describes their strange game, in Les Enfants Terribles, 1950, directed by Jean-Pierre Melville.

Only Game In Town, The (1970) -- (Movie Clip) But Not For Me After the credit sequence establishing Elizabeth Taylor as a weary Las Vegas showgirl, she enters a piano bar where co-star Warren Beatty is the act, George Stevens directing his last feature, from Frank Gilroy’s play and screenplay, in The Only Game In Town, 1970.

Night Of The Generals, The (1967) -- (Movie Clip) You've Become Vicious General von Seidlitz-Gabler and his wife (Charles Gray and Coral Browne) host General Tanz (Peter O'Toole) and introduce their daughter (Joanna Pettet) at a reception, in Sam Spiegel's Night of the Generals, 1967.

Night Of The Generals, The (1967) -- (Movie Clip) Holiday Rations Corporal Hartmann (Tom Courtenay) is the tour guide for General Tanz (Peter O'Toole) who is under orders to take one day's leave and enjoy Paris, in Sam Spiegel's Night of the Generals, 1967.

Night Of The Generals, The (1967) -- (Movie Clip) A Remarkable Officer Narration begins the introduction of General Tanz (Peter O'Toole), accompanied by Col. Sandauer (John Gregson) in the Warsaw ghetto, in producer Sam Spiegel's Nazi murder mystery, Night of the Generals, 1967.

Only Game In Town, The (1970) -- (Movie Clip) How Long We Been Married? The morning after their first evening together, Las Vegas showgirl Fran (Elizabeth Taylor) and lounge pianist Joe (Warren Beatty) tangle a little then warm up, George Stevens directing from Frank D. Gilroy’s screenplay, in The Only Game In Town, 1970.

Boys From Brazil, The - (Original Trailer) A Nazi hunter (Laurence Olivier) tracks a mad scientist (Gregory Peck) out to bring back Hitler.

Comedians, The - (Original Trailer) American and British tourists get caught up in political unrest in Haiti in Graham Greene's The Comedians (1967) starring Elizabeth Taylor.

Hotel Paradiso - (Original Trailer) Chaos results when a mild mannered man (Alec Guinness) tries to have an affair with his neighbor's wife (Gina Lollobrigida) at Hotel Paradiso (1966).

Family

Claude Decae

Brother

Made some amateur films with Henri.

Bibliography

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