Biography for
Louis Malle

photos

board

add

contact

details

Date of Birth

Date of Death

Mini Biography

Louis Malle, the descendant of a French nobleman who made a fortune in beet sugar during the Napoleonic Wars, created films that explored life and its meaning. Malle's family discouraged his early interest in film but, in 1950, allowed him to enter the Institute of Advanced Cinematographic Studies in Paris. His résumé showed that he had worked as an assistant to film maker Robert Bresson when Malle was hired by underwater explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau to be a camera operator on the Calypso. Cousteau soon promoted him to be co-director of Monde du silence, Le (1956) ("The Silent World"). Years later, Cousteau called Malle the best underwater cameraman he ever had. Malle's third film, Amants, Les (1958) ("The Lovers"), starring Jeanne Moreau broke taboos against on screen eroticism. In 1968 the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the obscenity conviction of an Ohio theater that had exhibited "Les Amants." A director during the Nouvelle Vague, New Wave" of 1950s and 1960s (though technically not considered a Nouvelle Vague auteur), he also made films on the other side of the Atlantic, starting with Pretty Baby (1978), the film that made Brooke Shields an international superstar. The actress who played a supporting role in that film was given a starring role in Malle's next American film, Atlantic City (1980). That promising actress was Susan Sarandon.

In one of his later French films, Au revoir, les enfants (1987), Malle was able to find catharsis for an experience that had haunted him since the German occupation of France in World War II. At age 12, he was sent to a Catholic boarding school near Paris that was a refuge for several Jewish students, one of them was Malle's rival for academic honors and his friend. A kitchen worker at the school with a grudge became an informant. The priest who was the principal was arrested and the Jewish students were sent off to concentration camps.

In his final film, Vanya on 42nd Street (1994), Malle again penetrated the veil between life and art as theater people rehearse Anton Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya." In that film, Malle worked again with theater director Andre Gregory and actor-playwright Wallace Shawn, the conversationalists of My Dinner with Andre (1981). Malle was married to Candice Bergen, and he succumbed to lymphoma in 1995.

Spouse

Trivia

Malle avoided repeating himself - tried to explore something different in every film he made. And he liked to take his time making films, which is why he avoided working with Hollywood.

Planned to direct a political satire "Moon Over Miami," starring Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. The film was canceled due to Belushi's death in 1982.

Ancient student at L'IDHEC (La FEMIS)

Was voted the 40th Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

Biography in John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume Two, 1945-1985," pp. 639-646. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1988.

Father of Chloe Malle (b. 1985).

Has son Manuel Cuotemoc (born 1971) with former girlfriend Gila von Weitershausen.

President of jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1993

Daughter, Justine, with Alexandra Stewart.

Before turning to film studies, he chose political science at the Sorbonne in Paris.

Born as fifth of seven children to a wealthy industrialist family. His grandfather Henri Béghin had founded the sugar company "Béghin-Say".

Went to several Catholic boarding schools, which inspired him to make one of his greatest movies, Au revoir, les enfants (1987).

Personal Quotes

"It is only when memory is filtered through imagination that the films we make will have real depth."

"The longer I live, the less I trust ideas, the more I trust emotions."

"I tend to think that I repeat myself, so I try to resist the temptation to return to what I have already explored."

"I think predictability has become the rule and I'm completely the opposite -- I like spectators to be disturbed."

You see the world much better through a camera.

	You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.
	With our Resume service you can add photos and build a complete resume to help you achieve the best possible presentation on the IMDb. Click here to add your resume and/or your photos to IMDb.

Browse biographies section by name

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z