History Creator / GerardOury

As an actor, he joined the Comédie-Française troupe just before UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Being Jewish (of Russian descent on his father's side), he fled the country to Switzerland during the war, then came back and performed in a string of supporting roles after 1945, notably playing UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte twice in unrelated films. He became a film director in 1959 and had his first success in 1961 with ''Crime Does Not Pay'' (''Le crime ne paie pas'').

He was married to actress Creator/MicheleMorgan from 1960 to his death. He had a daughter (not from Morgan), Danièle Thompson, who became a screenwriter and assisted him on the writing of a number of his films.

* AuthorAppeal: Three of his comedies involve UsefulNotes/{{J|udaism}}ewish characters (''Film/TheMadAdventuresOfRabbiJacob'', ''Film/AceOfAces'' and ''Film/LevyAndGoliath'') and the religion has some importance in the plot of at least two of them. Oury was non-observant but was nonetheless interested in the gaps between Orthodox Judaism, Liberal Judaism and non-observance. He knew nothing about Orthodox Judaism until he met a rabbi, Josy Eisenberg, who then became his consultant on films bringing up the religion.

** Oury and de Funès were to collaborate further on ''Le Crocodile'' in 1974. Unfortunately, it was at this time that de Funès' health worsened with his myocardial infarctions. De Funès considerably slowed down his film output, and he and Oury never collaborated again.

* [[invoked]]WhatCouldHaveBeen: He wanted to reunite Louis de Funès and Bourvil once more with ''Film/DelusionsOfGrandeur'', but [[TheOtherMarty had to recast]] the character of Blaze with Creator/YvesMontand following Bourvil's death in 1970.

* AuthorAppeal: Three of his comedies involve UsefulNotes/{{J|udaism}}ewish characters (''Film/TheMadAdventuresOfRabbiJacob'', ''Film/AceOfAces'' and ''Film/LevyAndGoliath'') and the religion has some importance in the plot of at least two of them. Oury was non-observant but was nonetheless interested in the gaps between Orthodox Judaism, Liberal Judaism and non-observance.
* AuthorTract: Through some of his films, he advocated for religious tolerance (both inside religions and outside) and reconciliation against antisemitism and racism.

Max-Gérard Houry Tannenbaum, better known as [[PenName Gérard Oury]] (29 April 1919 – 20 July 2006) was a French film director, actor and writer.

Pairing Creator/{{Bourvil}} and Creator/LouisDeFunes in the one-two-punch of ''Film/TheSucker'' and ''Film/LaGrandeVadrouille'' in 1965 and 1966 was the lightning in a bottle that made him one of the most commercially successful French {{comedy}} directors (or French directors period) of his time. Other classics like ''Film/{{The Brain|1969}}'', ''Film/DelusionsOfGrandeur'' and ''Film/TheMadAdventuresOfRabbiJacob'' followed.

As an actor, he joined the Comédie-Française troupe just before UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Being Jewish (of Russian descent), he fled the country to Switzerland during the war, then came back and performed in a string of supporting roles after 1945, notably playing UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte twice in unrelated films. He became a film director in 1959 and had his first success in 1961 with ''Crime Does Not Pay'' (''Le crime ne paie pas'').

As an actor, he joined the Comédie-Française troupe just before UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Being Jewish (of Russian descent), he fled the country to Switzerland during the war, then came back and performed in a string of supporting roles after 1945. He became a film director in 1959 and had his first success in 1961 with ''Crime Does Not Pay'' (''Le crime ne paie pas'').

As an actor, he joined the Comédie-Française troupe just before UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Being Jewish, he fled the country to Switzerland during the war, then came back and performed in a string of supporting roles after 1945. He became a film director in 1959 and had his first success in 1961 with ''Crime Does Not Pay'' (''Le crime ne paie pas'').

* OddCouple: His comedies often involve two characters who couldn't be more different and are forced to cooperate.

* AuthorAppeal: Three of his comedies involve UsefulNotes/{{J|udaism}}ewish characters and the religion has some importance in the plot -- ''Film/TheMadAdventuresOfRabbiJacob'', ''Film/AceOfAces'' and ''Film/LevyAndGoliath''. Oury was non-observant but was nonetheless interested in the gaps between Orthodox Judaism, Liberal Judaism and non-observance.

Pairing Creator/{{Bourvil}} and Creator/LouisDeFunes in the one-two-punch of ''Film/TheSucker'' and ''Film/LaGrandeVadrouille'' in 1965 and 1966 was the lightning in a bottle that made him one of the most commercially successful French comedy directors (or French directors period) of his time. Other classics like ''Film/{{The Brain|1969}}'', ''Film/DelusionsOfGrandeur'' and ''Film/TheMadAdventuresOfRabbiJacob'' followed.

!!Films he's directed include:

Pairing Creator/{{Bourvil}} and Creator/LouisDeFunes in the one-two-punch of ''Film/TheSucker'' and ''Film/LaGrandeVadrouille'' in 1965 and 1966 was the lightning in a bottle that made him one of the most commercially successful French comedy directors (or French directors period) of his time. Other classics like ''Film/DelusionsOfGrandeur'' and ''Film/TheMadAdventuresOfRabbiJacob'' followed.

He was married to Creator/MicheleMorgan from 1960 to his death. He had a daughter (not from Morgan), Danièle Thompson, who became a screenwriter and assisted him on the writing of a number of his films.

* AuthorAppeal: Three of his comedies involve UsefulNotes/{{J|udaism}}ewish characters and the religion has some importance in the plot -- ''Film/TheMadAdventuresOfRabbiJacob'', ''Film/AceOfAces'' and ''Film/LevyAndGoliath''. Oury was non-observant but nonetheless interested in the gaps between Orthodox Judaism, Liberal Judaism and non-observance.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: He wanted to reunite Louis de Funès and Bourvil once more with ''Film/DelusionsOfGrandeur'', but had to recast the character of Blaze with Creator/YvesMontand following Bourvil's death in 1970.

Pairing Creator/{{Bourvil}} and Creator/LouisDeFunes in the one-two-punch of ''Film/TheSucker'' and ''Film/LaGrandeVadrouille'' in 1965 and 1966 was the lightning in a bottle that made him one of the most commercially successful French comedy directors (or French directors period) of his time.

Pairing Creator/{{Bourvil}} and Creator/LouisDeFunes in the one-two-punch of ''Film/TheSucker'' and ''Film/LaGrandeVadrouille'' in 1965 and 1966 was the lightning in a bottle that made him one of the most commercially successful French comedy directors (or directors period) of his time.

As an actor, he joined the Comédie-Française troupe just before UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and performed in a string of supporting roles after 1945. He became a film director in 1959 and had his first success in 1961 with ''Crime Does Not Pay'' (''Le crime ne paie pas'').

Pairing Creator/{{Bourvil}} and Creator/LouisDeFunes in the one-two-punch of ''Film/TheSucker'' and ''Film/LaGrandeVadrouille'' in 1965 and 1966 ensured he would become one of the most commercially successful French comedy directors (or directors period) of his time.