Gratien Gélinas

Gratien Gélinas

Born: December 8, 1909
Died: March 16, 1999
in Saint-Tite, Québec, Canada
Gratien Gélinas (December 8, 1909 – March 16, 1999) was a Canadian writer, playwright, actor, director, producer and administrator who is considered one of the founders of modern Canadian theatre and film.

His major works include Tit-Coq (1948), Bousille et les Justes (1959), and Hier, les enfants dansaient (1968). He also wrote a series of satirical revues known as the Fridolinades.

The Fridolinades revues, consisting of comic sketches, songs, and monologues, were named for the often-featured character Fridolin. A poor boy from Montreal, he wore a tri-colour Canadiens hockey jersey, knee socks, and suspenders. While not quite joual, the French he spoke was reflective of what a person would hear on the streets of Montreal, which made it stand out in sharp contrast to the continental French being spoken in most other theatres. Fridolin's boundless optimism in the face of constant disappointment came to emblemize the Quebec spirit of "survivance", and made him one of the first distinctly Canadian heroes of the stage. His success was considerable: Gélinas was declared by an adoring public to be the first playwright "de chez nous" (from our place).

Gélinas' play Hier, les enfants dansaient (Yesterday the Children were Dancing) takes place entirely in one night. Based in 1966, it revolves around the tumultuous politics in Quebec around that time though its characters are entirely fictitious. Pierre Gravel is debating whether or not to accept a prominent position within the Liberal party. Throughout the course of the play, Gravel's sons, André and Larry, admit that they are active members of the separatist party and responsible for the bombs that had been threatening the city and destroying historical landmarks.

Gélinas also founded the Comédie-Canadienne, which was active until 1972.

In 1967, Gélinas was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Companion in 1989. In 1985, he was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec. He received an honorary doctorate from the Royal Military College of Canada in St-Jean in 1989.

He married Huguette Oligny in 1973 and is the grandfather of actor and pop singer Mitsou Gélinas, MusiquePlus veejay, writer and actor Abeille Gélinas, and writer Anne-Marie Sicotte who has written the biography "Gratien Gélinas : la ferveur et le doute", published by the Éditions Québec/Amérique in 1995 et 1996. After his death in 1999, he was entombed at the Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery in Montreal. The Library and Archives Canada contains sound recordings and transcriptions of Anne-Marie Sicotte's interview with Gelinas.

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

Movies for Gratien Gélinas...

Les Tisserands du pouvoir 2, la révolte
Title: Les Tisserands du pouvoir 2, la révolte
Character: Jean-Baptiste à 86 ans
Released: December 16, 1988
Type: Movie
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Les Tisserands du pouvoir
Title: Les Tisserands du pouvoir
Character: Jean-Baptiste at 86
Released: October 21, 1988
Type: Movie
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The Canadian Conspiracy
Title: The Canadian Conspiracy
Released: June 8, 1986
Type: Movie
A mockumentary illustrating a supposed conspiracy to infiltrate American culture through employing Canadians in the U.S. entertainment industry.
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Agnes of God
Title: Agnes of God
Character: Father Martineau
Released: September 13, 1985
Type: Movie
When a dead newborn is found, wrapped in bloody sheets, in the bedroom wastebasket of a young novice, psychiatrist Martha Livingston is called in to determine if the seemingly innocent novice, who knows nothing of sex or birth, is competent enough to stand trial for the murder of the baby.
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Cordélia
Title: Cordélia
Character: Judge Bosse
Released: February 7, 1980
Type: Movie
In a little village at the end of the 1890's, a young woman offends all the 'right-thinking' villagers by allowing men in her house in the absence of her husband. When he is found dead, all of the suspicion is directed towards the liberal woman. She is judged more for her morality then for the crime she is accused of. Her culpability is still a subject of debate today.
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Title: Le Grand Échiquier
Character: Self
Released: January 12, 1972
Type: TV
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Red the Half Breed
Title: Red the Half Breed
Character: Frederic
Released: March 26, 1970
Type: Movie
A half-cast used cars salesman wants anything from the white society and is ready to do anything to get it. But when he is accused of murdering his half-sister who was killed with his rifle, he flees to an indian village. He doesn't feel any more at home there than in the white city. He decides to go back to find and punish the killer.
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Fred Barry comédien
Title: Fred Barry comédien
Character: Self
Released: January 1, 1959
Type: Movie
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Title: First Performance
Released: October 3, 1956
Type: TV
First Performance is a Canadian dramatic television series which aired on CBC Television from 1956 to 1958.
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Tit-Coq
Title: Tit-Coq
Character: Tit Coq
Released: February 20, 1953
Type: Movie
After returning home from war, an ill-tempered young soldier must deal with his sweetheart having married another man.
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Montreal by Night
Title: Montreal by Night
Character: Self
Released: January 1, 1947
Type: Movie
This short film showcases the city of Montreal on a summer's night. What was once a small Indian village is presented as a pot-pourri of contrasting sights and sounds. It is North America's second largest port and, after Paris, the world's largest French-speaking city. With its warehouses, offices, homes, clubs and amusement parks, the city serves as a bright backdrop for a happy couple out on the town.
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Fridolinons
Title: Fridolinons
Character: Fridolin / Various roles
Released: October 14, 1945
Type: Movie
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La Dame aux Camélias, la vraie
Title: La Dame aux Camélias, la vraie
Character: Fridolin
Released: January 1, 1942
Type: Movie
The film was produced and directed by Gratien Gélinas, who also plays the lead role of Fridolin, and who also wrote the screenplay. It is of course a parody of the novel by Alexandre Dumas fils, La dame aux camélias . As the press noted in 1942: “…the work is a real revenge of Quebec popular culture on French classical culture” or even “ Fridolin sticks his tongue out at France!”. The film is like a bomb. We must not forget that at the time of the premiere, Gratien Gélinas was one of the most influential authors in the province. His plays were performed in French in Quebec, and in English across Canada.