Sacha Pitoëff (born Alexandre Pitoëff;[1] 11 March 1920 – 21 July 1990) was a Swiss-born French actor and stage director.[2]

Sacha Pitoëff
Pitoëff in Anastasia (1956)
Born
Alexandre Pitoëff[1]

(1920-03-11)11 March 1920
Geneva, Switzerland
Died21 July 1990(1990-07-21) (aged 70)
Paris, France
NationalityFrench
EducationLycée Pasteur
Théâtre de l'Athénée
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
Years active1952–1980
SpouseLuce Garcia-Ville
Parent(s)Georges Pitoëff
Ludmilla Pitoëff

Early life and education

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Pitoëff was born in Geneva, Switzerland, on 11 March 1920, the son of Russian-born parents Ludmilla (née Smanova) and Georges Pitoëff. Both of his parents were born in the city of Tbilisi (in modern-day Georgia), then a part of the Russian Empire. The Pitoëffs were prominent actors in France, Georges was a founding member of the Cartel des Quatre (Group of Four), a group including Louis Jouvet, Charles Dullin, and Gaston Baty, dedicated to rejuvenating the French theatre.[3]

Sacha graduated from Lycée Pasteur in Neuilly-sur-Seine, outside Paris. He studied acting and stage direction under Jouvet at the Théâtre de l'Athénée.

Career

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Stage career

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During World War II, the younger Pitoëff followed his mother back to Switzerland, where he played his earliest roles. After the war he returned to Paris, becoming general manager at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord. He made his directorial debut with a 1950 staging of Uncle Vanya, which proved both a critical and commercial success.

He became a fixture of Parisian theatre in the 1960s, becoming the director of his own troupe. His repertoire included works by Jean Genet, Eugène Ionesco, Hugo Claus, Robert Musil, Anna Langfus and Anton Chekhov. With Romy Schneider, he staged The Seagull, Uncle Vanya and Three Sisters at Théâtre de l'Œuvre.

In 1967, he achieved his greatest success with a well-regarded production of Luigi Pirandello's Henry IV, which he directed and starred in, with Claude Jade.

Film acting

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Pitoëff (on the left) with Ingrid Bergman, Akim Tamiroff and Yul Brinner in Anastasia (1956).

Pitoëff played his first film role in 1952, in the omnibus film The Seven Deadly Sins. Appearing in over 50 films, he is probably best known for his performance in Alain Resnais's enigmatic Last Year at Marienbad (1960), as the unnamed man who may or may not be Delphine Seyrig's husband.

He was featured in roles of various sizes in such films as Henri-Georges Clouzot's Les Espions (1957), Peter Ustinov's Lady L (1965), René Clément's Is Paris Burning? (1966), and Jacques Demy's Donkey Skin (1970). He also appeared in several Hollywood productions, including Anatole Litvak's Anastasia (1956) and The Night of the Generals (1967), Mark Robson's The Prize (1963) and Dick Clement's To Catch a Spy (1971).

Toward the end of his acting career, he began appearing in horror films. His final role was as the bookseller Kazanian in Dario Argento's Inferno (1980).

For the last ten years of his life, Pitoëff was a professor at the National School of Theatre Arts and Techniques (ENSATT) in Lyon, where his students included Gérard Depardieu, Jean-Roger Milo and Niels Arestrup.

Personal life and death

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Pitoëff was married to French actress Luce Garcia-Ville, until her death by suicide in 1975. He had two siblings, actress Svetlana Pitoëff and writer Aniouta Pitoeff.

His height and distinctively-gaunt, lanky appearance may have been a consequence of Marfan syndrome.

Having suffered from depression in the final years of his life, he died in Paris at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital on 21 July 1990, at the age of 70.[1]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Director Notes
1952 The Seven Deadly Sins Pianist Claude Autant-Lara Segment: "Pride"
1954 Rasputin Police Chief Georges Combret
1956 Anastasia Pyotr Ivanovich Petrovin Anatole Litvak
1957 La Polka des menottes Eugène Raoul André
Les Espions Léon Henri-Georges Clouzot
1958 A Tale of Two Cities Gaspard Ralph Thomas Uncredited
That Night Shakespearean Actor Maurice Cazeneuve
The Gambler Afpley Claude Autant-Lara
1960 Bouche cousue Jo Jean Boyer
1961 Captain Fracasse Matamore Pierre Gaspard-Huit
The Three Musketeers John Felton Bernard Borderie
Last Year at Marienbad The Second Man Alain Resnais
1962 La Poupée Alexandre Sayas Jacques Baratier
La Dénonciation Commissioner Malferrer Jacques Doniol-Valcroze
1963 The Prize Daranyi Mark Robson
1965 Lady L Revolutionary Peter Ustinov
1966 Is Paris Burning? Frédéric Joliot-Curie René Clément
1967 The Night of the Generals Dr. Lipinski Anatole Litvak
1968 L'écume des jours Pharmacist Charles Belmont
La louve solitaire Saratoga Edouard Logereau
1969 The Pleasure Pit Calzo André Cayatte
1970 The Ball of Count Orgel Prince Naroumouf Marc Allégret
Donkey Skin Prime Minister Jacques Demy
1971 To Catch a Spy Stefan Dick Clement
1972 Escape to the Sun Menahem Golan
Le journal d'un suicidé Jailer Stanislav Stanojevic
1975 La guerre du pétrole n'aura pas lieu Essaan Souheil Ben-Barka
1978 Dossier 51 Minerve 1 (voice) Michel Deville
1979 Subversion The President Stanislav Stanojevic
1980 Patrick Still Lives Dr. Herschel Mario Landi
Inferno Kazanian Dario Argento

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1955 Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion Bartender Episode: "Camel Race"
Sherlock Holmes Constable Smith / Morgue Attendant / Gustav 3 episodes
1967 Au théâtre ce soir Antonio Fabrizzi Episode: "Le système Fabrizzi", also director
Lagardère Prince Gonzague 6 episodes
Henri IV Henri TV movie, also director
1969 Une soirée au bungalow Northover TV movie
La cravache d'or 12 episodes
1970 Le fauteuil hanté Eliphas de la Nox TV movie
1972 Schulmeister, espion de l'empereur Dangberg Episode: "Schulmeister contre Schulmeister"
Comme il vous plaira Jacques de Boys TV movie
Antigone Tiresias
Graf Luckner Dr. Morgan Episode: "Der Jazzsänger"
1973 Byron libérateur de la Grèce ou Le jardin des héros Baron de Blaquiere TV movie
Incident à Vichy Prince von Berg
Arsène Lupin Ignateff Episode: "L'écharpe de soie rouge"
1974 Graf Yoster Professor Ourbiche Episode: "Die Feuer-Probe"
Des lauriers pour Lila Professor Hassman 5 episodes
Notre correspondant à Madras Jim Sieger TV movie
1975 Les grands détectives Arkabad Episode: "Nick Carter: Mission secrète"
1976 La poupée sanglante Dr. Sahib Khan 6 episodes
Le château des Carpathes Gortz TV movie
1977 The Magical World of Disney Sergeant Episodes: "Barry of the Great St. Bernard (Parts 1 & 2)"
The New Avengers Kerov Episodes: "K Is for Kill (Parts 1 & 2)"
1979 La maréchale d'Ancre Samuel TV movie
1980 Louis XI, un seul roi pour la France Drunk
1981 Les amours des années folles The Abbot Episode: "La femme qui travaille"

Partial stage credits

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Year Title Venue Director Notes
1939 An Enemy of the People Théâtre des Mathurins Georges Pitoëff
The Lady of the Camellias
1951 Vogue la galère Théâtre de la Madeleine Georges Douking
1953 L'Épouse injustement soupçonnée Théâtre des Noctambules Himself
Dolorès au balcon
1953 Le Gardien des oiseaux
1955 Andréa ou la fiancée du matin Théâtre de l'Œuvre
Three Sisters
1956 The Lower Depths
1959 Uncle Vanya Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
1960 Three Sisters Théâtre de l'Alliance française
1961 The Seagull Théâtre Moderne
1962 Ivanov
1963 Le système Fabrizzi
1964 Uncle Vanya
1965 Comme un oiseau
The Cherry Orchard
1967 The Seagull
1967-68 Henry IV
1968 Der schwarze schwan
1969 Uncle Vanya
The Caretaker Jean-Laurent Cochet
1970 Henry IV Himself
Three Sisters Théâtre des Célestins Himself
1971 The Caretaker Théâtre des Célestins Jean-Laurent Cochet
Tour
1972 L'Impromptu de Paris Bellac Festival Edmond Tamiz
1973 Le Borgne Théâtre de l'Athénée Michel Fagadau
1976 La Tour Théâtre Récamier Antoine Bourseiller

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Family tree of Alexandre PITOËFF". Geneanet. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  2. ^ Foucart, Yvan (2008). Dictionnaire des comédiens français disparus. Mormoiron: Éditions cinéma. p. 1185. ISBN 978-2-9531-1390-7.
  3. ^ Jomaron, Jacqueline (1979). Georges Pitoëff Metteur En Scène. Lausanne, Switzerland: L'age D'homme.
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