History Creator / JeanGabin

He made his debut at the tail end of the silent era, and by 1934 and ''La Bandera'' he was a major star in French cinema. 1937's ''Film/TheGrandIllusion'' got him attention worldwide, and the movie became the first picture in a non-English language to be nominated for the UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestPicture.

* ''Film/TheTattoo'' (''Le Tatoué'', 1968) as Comte Enguerand-Louis Marie de Montignac a.k.a. Legrain

* ''Film/TheTattoo'' (''Le Tatoué'', 1968) as Comte Enguerand-Louis Marie de Montignac a.k.a. Legrain

** ''Maigret et l'Affaire Saint-Fiacre'' (1959)
** ''Maigret voit rouge'' (1963)

* BadassBaritone: His authoritative voice played a huge part in his characters' personas, his gangster/police roles especially.

Creator/MicheleMorgan.

** De Funés and Gabin were reunited in the movie ''Le Tatoué'', and most of their interactions there are HamToHamCombat, again.

* ''Film/PortOfShadows'' (1938) as Jean

* ''Le Quai des brumes'' (''Film/PortOfShadows'', 1938) as Jean

UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and the German occupation of France led Gabin to emigrate to America. His brief career in Hollywood ended up a disappointment, so he decided to make better use of his time by joining the [[UsefulNotes/GaulsWithGrenades Free French Forces]] in North Africa. He fought on the Western front in 1944 and was there for the liberation of Paris.

UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and the German occupation of France led Gabin to emigrate to America. His brief career in Hollywood led to disappointment, so he decided to make better use of his time by joining the [[UsefulNotes/GaulsWithGrenades Free French Forces]] in North Africa. He fought on the Western front in 1944 and was there for the liberation of Paris.

His exile from French cinema led to a career slump that persisted for some time after the war, until he eventually made a triumphant comeback with ''Touchez pas au grisbi'' in 1954. He was reunited with ''Grand Illusion'' director Creator/JeanRenoir in ''French Cancan'', another big hit. His career reinvigorated, Gabin kept acting until the mid-1970s.

** In a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lqM62th0Ro cult scene]] from ''Film/TheTripAcrossParis'', the dispute between Gabin's character Grandgil and Jambier (Creator/LouisDeFunes). The script required for Gabin's character to be as loud as possible; Gabin was a living legend and de Funès was not the King of French LargeHam comedy yet. Nevertheless (and despite being visibly intimidated), de Funès held his own, and was noticed by a lot of people. Bonus point for the argument involving ''literal ham''.

* ''Le Quai des brumes'' (''Port of Shadows'', 1938) as Jean

He was also famously in a love affair with Creator/MarleneDietrich.

He made his debut at the tail end of the silent era, and by 1934 and ''La Bandera'' he was a major star in French cinema. 1937's ''Film/TheGrandIllusion'' got him attention worldwide, and the movie became the first picture in a non-English language to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture.

He made his debut at the tail end of the silent era, and by 1934 and ''La Bandera'' he was a major star in French cinema. 1937's ''The Grand Illusion'' got him attention worldwide, and the movie became the first picture in a non-English language to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture.

!!His roles provide examples of the following tropes:

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