
Henri Decoin
Biography
Henri Decoin (18 March 1890 – 4 July 1969) was a French film director and screenwriter, who directed more than 50 films between 1933 and 1964. He was also a swimmer who won the national title in 1911 and held the national record in the 500 m freestyle. He competed in the 400 m freestyle at the 1908 Summer Olympics and in the water polo tournament at the 1912 Summer Olympics.
During World War I Decoin served as a pilot. After that he worked as a sports journalist for L'Auto, L'Intransigeant and Paris-Soir. In 1926 he published his first book, influenced by Dadaism, the experimental and prize-winning Quinze Combats (Fifteen Rounds), in which a boxing match is seen subjectively by a boxer, and in 1933 directed his first film, Les requins du pétrole (The Oil Sharks).
He was known for tackling many genres; with adaptations of Georges Simenon as The Strangers in the House (1942) - featuring Raimu in one of his famous roles, and The Truth Of Our Marriage (1952), historical films like The Case Of Poisons (1955), and The Iron Mask (1962), espionage flicks like The Cat (1958), police procedurals with Raid on the Drug Ring (1955) and Fire To The Powder (1957), psychological dramas in Green Domino (1935) (where he first met his second wife, Danielle Darrieux), and The Lovers Are Alone In The World (1948) and even an odd film noir like Between Eleven And Midnight (1949). He worked with such stars of French cinema as Jean Marais, Louis Jouvet, Juliette Gréco, Lino Ventura, Corinne Calvet, Anouk Aimée, and Jean Gabin; to name a few.
He directed Darrieux in several films, and accompanied her to Hollywood in 1938 while she signed a Universal Pictures contract. He took the opportunity to observe how Hollywood made films, and returned to France with these techniques in hand. Decoin was one of the more prolific directors of his time. Decoin was married four times. His second marriage was to actress and singer Danielle Darrieux. He had two sons; Jacques Decoin (1928–1998) and Didier Decoin who was also a prominent screenwriter.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Acting (3 movies)
Directing (49 movies)

The Truth About Bebe Donge
1952

At the Grand Balcony
1949

Strangers in the House
1942

Razzia
1955

Between Eleven and Midnight
1949

Clockface Cafe
1947

Not Guilty
1947

The Cat
1958

Devil's Daughter
1946

An Evening at the Music Hall
1956

The Affair of the Poisons
1955

The Cat Shows Her Claws
1960

The London Man
1943

The Iron Mask
1962

Love and Desire
1951

The Scheming Women
1954

Burning Fuse
1957

Monelle
1948

The Lovers of the Pont Saint-Jean
1947

Atomic Agent
1959

Beating Heart
1940

License to Kill
1964

The Lovers of Toledo
1953

Anyone Can Kill Me
1957

Abused Confidence
1937

Toboggan
1934

One Step to Eternity
1954

Where the Truth Lies
1962

Too Many Lovers
1957

The Green Domino
1935

Her First Affair
1941

Too Late to Love
1959

Pariahs of Glory
1964

The Virgin Bride
1937

Paris Incident
1950

The Benefactor
1942

The Blue Ones of the Sky
1933

The Oil Sharks
1933

Return at Dawn
1938

I Am with You
1943

Inside a Girls' Dormitory
1953

Casablanca, Nest of Spies
1963
I Will Love You Always
1933

Love Marriage
1942

The Pavements of Paris
1961

Tender and Violent Elisabeth
1960

Clara de Montargis
1951

The Secrets of the Bed
1954

Love and the Frenchwoman
1960

