Pierre Desproges

Pierre Desproges

Born: May 9, 1939
Died: April 18, 1988
in Pantin, Seine-Saint-Denis, France
Pierre Desproges (9 May 1939 – 18 April 1988) was a French humorist. He was born in Pantin, Seine-Saint-Denis. According to himself, he made no significant achievements before the age of 30. From 1967 to 1970, he worked as: life insurance salesman, opinion pool investigator, "lonely hearts" columnist, horse racing forecaster, and sales manager for a styrofoam beam company.

From 1970 to 1976, he worked for the newspaper L'Aurore. Starting in 1975, he became a "reporter" on Le petit rapporteur (The Little Snitch), a satirical TV show hosted by Jacques Martin. He caught the public's attention with unconventional interviews of celebrities, among them novelists Françoise Sagan or Jean-Edern Hallier.

He appeared for the first time on stage at the Olympia theater during a Thierry Le Luron show. Among other things, he became very famous for his Chroniques de la haine ordinaire (Chronicles of Ordinary Hatred), a 1986 radio show.

In the 1980s, he appeared daily on Le tribunal des flagrants délires (a pun on the French term "flagrant délit" meaning red-handed), a comedy show where celebrities were judged in mock-trials. Desproges held the part of the prosecutor for more than two years, a part for which his verve, his scathing humour and his literary erudition were ideally suited.

In 1982, he created La minute nécessaire de Monsieur Cyclopède, a series of shorts for TV, where he played an omniscient professor. He answered to metaphysical and nonsensical questions such as "How to make King Louis XVI fireproof?", proved that Beethoven was not deaf but stupid, and explained why the improbable encounter between the Venus de Milo and Saint Exupéry's 'Petit Prince' was a fiasco. Each episode ended with the catchphrase: "Étonnant, non?" ("Astonishing, isn't it?")

In 1984, he had his first stand-up show at the Théâtre Fontaine. In 1986, his second stand-up, Pierre Desproges se donne en spectacle was presented at the Théâtre Grévin. He started work on a third stand-up, and the drafts were ultimately published in 2010.

In 1987, doctors discovered he had inoperable lung cancer in an advanced stage, and his relatives, in agreement with the doctors, decided to hide the condition from him, so he could spend his final days quietly. He died in 1988, from a disease he had bitterly laughed at time and time again, often saying "I won't have cancer: I'm against it". He is buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. His epitaph reads: "Pierre Desproges est mort d'un cancer, étonnant, non?" ("Pierre Desproges died of cancer, astonishing, isn't it?"). ...

Source: Article "Pierre Desproges" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Movies for Pierre Desproges...

L'Âge d'or de la pub
Title: L'Âge d'or de la pub
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: June 2, 2023
Type: Movie
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Title: Il était une fois Champs-Élysées
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: December 21, 2022
Type: TV
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Les Pieds dans la mayonnaise : Les Irrévérencieux des années 70
Title: Les Pieds dans la mayonnaise : Les Irrévérencieux des années 70
Character: Self - actor
Released: February 26, 2022
Type: Movie
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La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président
Title: La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: January 7, 2022
Type: Movie
In May 1974, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing became President of the Republic and wanted to bring about a new era of modernity. One of his first decisions was to break up the ORTF with the creation of three new television channels: TF1, Antenne 2 and FR3. Three new public channels but autonomous and competing. It is a race for the audience which is engaged then, and from now on the channels will make the war! This competition will give birth to a real golden age for television programs, with variety shows in the forefront. The stars of the song are going to invade the living rooms of the French for their biggest pleasure. This unedited documentary tells the story of the metamorphosis of this television of the early 1970s, between freedom of tone, scandals, political intrigues and programs that have become mythical.
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Les 60 ans du one-man-show
Title: Les 60 ans du one-man-show
Character: Self
Released: January 31, 2020
Type: Movie
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Pierre Desproges, une plume dans le culte
Title: Pierre Desproges, une plume dans le culte
Character: Pierre Desproges
Released: April 15, 2018
Type: Movie
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Le Tribunal Des Flagrants Délires
Title: Le Tribunal Des Flagrants Délires
Character: Le procureur
Released: November 24, 2009
Type: Movie
Le Tribunal des flagrants délires was a comedy show where celebrities were judged in mock-trials. Desproges held the part of the prosecutor for more than two years, a part for which his verve, his scathing humour and his literary erudition were ideally suited.
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Comiques de toujours (Vol. 1 à 4)
Title: Comiques de toujours (Vol. 1 à 4)
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: October 13, 2009
Type: Movie
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Pierre Desproges: Je ne suis pas n'importe qui...
Title: Pierre Desproges: Je ne suis pas n'importe qui...
Character: Pierre Desproges
Released: December 22, 2008
Type: Movie
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Desproges est vivant
Title: Desproges est vivant
Released: April 9, 1998
Type: Movie
It is with a semblance of chronology and to the rhythm of Antoine De Caunes' not unpleasant voice-over that we are told the story of this unusual troublemaker, who, with his extraordinary ease of writing, put the competition light years away in the 1980s. A mini-documentary that reminds us, if it were necessary, that intellectual buffoonery died with Pierre Desproges.
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Pierre Desproges se donne en spectacle
Title: Pierre Desproges se donne en spectacle
Character: Self
Released: December 7, 1993
Type: Movie
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Pierre Desproges au théâtre Grévin
Title: Pierre Desproges au théâtre Grévin
Character: Pierre Desproges
Released: January 1, 1986
Type: Movie
Recorded at the Grévin Sketches Theater: Intro, The psychotic neurotic, The artist released, IQ 130, Keep Sakharov, The stacks, The hangers, The Jews, Rachid, The wonder, The elevator, I want to kill someone , Ondine
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Triple sec
Title: Triple sec
Released: January 1, 1986
Type: Movie
A César award nominated short comedy.
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Pierre Desproges - Tout seul en Scène
Title: Pierre Desproges - Tout seul en Scène
Character: Pierre Desproges
Released: April 12, 1985
Type: Movie
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Pierre Desproges au théâtre Fontaine
Title: Pierre Desproges au théâtre Fontaine
Character: Pierre Desproges
Released: January 1, 1984
Type: Movie
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Procès de Jean Carmet
Title: Procès de Jean Carmet
Character: Le procureur
Released: February 10, 1983
Type: Movie
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L'indispensable encyclopédie de monsieur Cyclopède
Title: L'indispensable encyclopédie de monsieur Cyclopède
Released: November 29, 1982
Type: Movie
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Tribunal des flagrants délires : Patrick Poivre d'Arvor
Title: Tribunal des flagrants délires : Patrick Poivre d'Arvor
Character: Le procureur
Released: October 28, 1982
Type: Movie
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Tribunal des flagrants délires : Jean-Marie Le Pen
Title: Tribunal des flagrants délires : Jean-Marie Le Pen
Character: Le procureur
Released: September 27, 1982
Type: Movie
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Title: La Minute nécessaire de monsieur Cyclopède
Character: Pierre Desproges
Released: July 5, 1982
Type: TV
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Title: Merci Bernard
Released: April 4, 1982
Type: TV
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Title: Champs-Elysées
Character: Self
Released: January 16, 1982
Type: TV
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Droit de Réponse
Title: Droit de Réponse
Character: Self
Released: December 12, 1981
Type: Movie
"Droit de Réponse" (Right of Reply) is a French debate program broadcast between December 12, 1981 and September 19, 1987 on the TF1 channel, presented by Michel Polac and produced by Maurice Dugowson. Broadcast live on a weekly basis, on Saturdays from 8.30 p.m., the right of reply has been the source of many controversies, due to the various speakers who have come to present their point of view on the show (which leads to famous scandals , remained in the memory of viewers), but also for the variety and relevance of the topics covered, which ensured the success of the program on the air for several years. On French television, this program is considered by some observers as a “pioneer program in terms of controversy-show or clash, in modern language”.
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Signé Furax
Title: Signé Furax
Character: Le présentateur TV
Released: April 1, 1981
Type: Movie
The notorious and mysterious criminal Furax steals France's famous monuments, replacing them with replicas.
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Title: Minichronique
Character: Le prêtre
Released: December 20, 1976
Type: TV
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Title: Minichronique
Character: Bertin
Released: December 20, 1976
Type: TV
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Title: Minichronique
Character: le présentateur
Released: December 20, 1976
Type: TV
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Title: Les Jeux de 20 heures
Character: Self
Released: March 22, 1976
Type: TV
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Title: 30 millions d'amis
Character: Self
Released: January 6, 1976
Type: TV
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Title: Numéro un
Character: Self
Released: April 5, 1975
Type: TV
A French variety show.
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Title: Le Petit Rapporteur
Character: Self - Panelist
Released: January 19, 1975
Type: TV
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Title: Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
Character: Self
Released: January 12, 1975
Type: TV
A talk show presented by Michel Drucker
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Title: Apostrophes
Character: Self
Released: January 10, 1975
Type: TV
Apostrophes was a live, weekly, literary, prime-time, talk show on French television created and hosted by Bernard Pivot. It ran for fifteen years (724 episodes) from January 10, 1975, to June 22, 1990, and was one of the most watched shows on French television (around 6 million regular viewers). It was broadcast on Friday nights on the channel France 2 (which was called "Antenne 2" from 1975 to 1992). The hourlong show was devoted to books, authors and literature. The format varied between one-on-one interviews with a single author and open discussions between four or five authors.
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Title: Midi Première
Character: Self
Released: January 6, 1975
Type: TV
Midi Première is a French variety show presented by Danièle Gilbert, directed by Jacques Pierre and broadcast from January 6, 1975 until January 1, 1982 on TF1. The program was generally broadcast between 12:15 p.m. and 12:55 p.m., then giving way to the 1:00 p.m. TV news. However, the broadcast schedule could change, depending on the guests, and the setting where the recording of the program was shot. Certain performances by artists who have become cult like the one where Ringo jostles with a demonstrator in interpretation (1977), that of Dalida with the title There is always a song with the soundtrack that does not start, twice, at the right speed (1978), Claude François and his Clodettes, who, in the provinces, are unable to join "the set" in order to interpret his song, the latter being taken by the crowd of delirious fans (summer 1977) . The group Supertramp performed there with the title "Dreamer" on March 8, 1975.
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Comiques de toujours (Vol. 3 & 4)
Title: Comiques de toujours (Vol. 3 & 4)
Released: December 31, 1969
Type: Movie