Jacques B. Brunius (born Jacques Henri Cottance, 16 September 1906 – 24 April 1967) was a French actor, director and writer, who was born in Paris and died in Exeter, UK.[1] He was cremated in Sidmouth, with a tribute by Mesens.[2]

Jacques Brunius

Assistant director to Luis Buñuel on L'Âge d'or, he appeared in more than 30 movies, using several alternate names: Jacques Borel, J.B. Brunius, Jacques-Bernard Brunius, Jacques Brunius, Brunius, J.B.Brunius.[3] He acted in many of the early, more political, movies of his friend Jean Renoir. During World War II he broadcast from England to France over Radio Londres.[4] He married French-English actress Cecile Chevreau in 1951.[5] Their son Richard was born in 1956.[citation needed]

Member of the surrealist group in France and then in England, with his friend E.L.T. Mesens, Conroy Maddox, Ithell Colquhoun, Simon Watson Taylor and Roland Penrose.[citation needed] Brunius attacked Toni del Renzio, who was married to Colquhoun and who was attempting to reanimate an inactive English group in 1942–3.[citation needed] Brunius' countersigned the tract Idolatry and Confusion, which condemned and mocked del Renzio unjustifiably. In reality, Mesens feared a takeover of the group leadership by del Renzio.[citation needed]

He never missed an opportunity to defend surrealism, and participated in many a radio show.[6][7] In 1959, he undertook a vigorous defense of the poetic valor of nursery rhymes.[citation needed]

The text was published by John Lyle in Transforma(c)tion n°7 under the title Language and lore of children.[dead link]

Filmography edit

Actor edit

Director edit

  • 1953: The Blakes Slept Here
  • 1952: Brief City
  • 1952: To The Rescue
  • 1951: The Changing Face of Europe (3rd segment: "Somewhere to Live")
  • 1939: Violons d'Ingres (also as writer and editor)
  • 1936: La Vie est à nous (a.k.a. The People of France) (also as writer and editor)

Assistant director edit

  • 1930: L'Âge d'or (a.k.a. The Golden Age), dir. Luis Buñuel.
  • 1929: Le Requin

Radio Producer edit

  • 1954 February 7 : Le docteur Miracle, two operas by Bizet and Lecocq, BBC Third Programme
  • 1966 Christmas Day : Special Day on Lewis Carroll, France Culture

References edit

  1. ^ "Jacques Brunius". BFI. Archived from the original on February 5, 2017.
  2. ^ Levy, Silvano; Maddox, Conroy (13 March 2019). The Scandalous Eye: The Surrealism of Conroy Maddox. Liverpool University Press. ISBN 9780853235590 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ "L' Âge d'or (1930)". BFI. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016.
  4. ^ Stourton, Edward (2017). Auntie's War: the BBC during the Second World War. London: Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-857-52332-7.
  5. ^ "Jacques B. Brunius papers, 1929-1967 2617". www.libraries.psu.edu.
  6. ^ "The Critics". 9 October 1959. p. 22 – via BBC Genome.
  7. ^ "In Defence of Surrealism". 26 August 1960. p. 31 – via BBC Genome.

External links edit