Édouard Molinaro

Directing

Édouard Molinaro

Born May 13, 1928 · Bordeaux, Gironde, France

Died December 7, 2013 · aged 85

He was born in Bordeaux, Gironde. He is best known for his comedies with Louis de Funès (Oscar, etc.), My Uncle Benjamin (with Jacques Brel and Claude Jade), Dracula and Son (with Christopher Lee), and the Academy Award-nominated La Cage aux Folles (with Michel Serrault and Ugo Tognazzi). Molinaro was active as a director until a few years before his death, although he had almost exclusively been…

Known For

The BirdcageThe Birdcage · 1996
The Birdcage
7.01996
MovieComedyRomance
A gay cabaret owner and his drag queen partner agree to put up a false heterosexual front so that their son can introduce them to his fiancée's conservative parents.
HibernatusHibernatus · 1969
Hibernatus
6.71969
MovieComedyScience Fiction
Hubert de Tartas' life becomes a complete muddle when his wife's grandfather is unearthed after having spent 65 years in frozen hibernation in the polar circle. After being de-frosted, the Hibernating Man believes it is still the beginning of the century. Nothing is spared to keep that illusion alive. At the end of his rope, Hubert blurts out the truth and takes the man from Edwardian times on a crazy spree through an ultramodern Twentieth Century.
La Cage aux FollesLa Cage aux Folles · 1978
La Cage aux Folles
6.81978
MovieComedy
Two gay men living in St. Tropez have their lives turned upside down when the son of one of the men announces he is getting married. They try to conceal their lifestyle and their ownership of the drag club downstairs when the fiancée and her parents come for dinner.
Les Enfants Terribles du CinémaLes Enfants Terribles du Cinéma · 2011
Les Enfants Terribles du Cinéma
10.02011
MovieDocumentary
The documentary "Les Enfants terribles du cinéma" (The Terrible Children of Cinema) tells the little-known story of one of the crossroads of cinephilia, *OBJECTIF 49*, which culminated in the organization of the Biarritz Festival of Cursed Films during the summer of 1949. This festival was initiated by Jean Cocteau, then at the height of his cinematic career. In Biarritz, films deemed "cursed" were screened because they had not yet found an audience or had been banned by censors. This selection offered a radically different vision of cinema from that of other festivals, such as Cannes. An entire generation of active filmmakers was celebrated: René Clément, Robert Bresson, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, Eric Rohmer...
PalacePalace · 1985
Palace
4.81985
MovieWarComedy
1944. Lucien, a fighter in the Free French Forces, is taken prisoner by the Germans. He is sent to a prison camp and then becomes a pianist in a palace.
Bad RonaldBad Ronald · 1992
Bad Ronald
9.01992
MovieThriller
A teenager, Ronald, unintentionally causes the death of a young girl on a beach. So that the police do not find him, his mother locks him in a cubicle, under the stairs of the house. On her death, the house was rented to an English family.
Dracula and SonDracula and Son · 1976
Dracula and Son
5.81976
MovieFantasyComedy
With angry villagers driving them away from their castle in Transylvania, Dracula and his son Ferdinand head abroad. Dracula ends up in London, England where he becomes a horror movie star exploiting his vampire status. His son, meanwhile, is ashamed of his roots and ends up a night watchman in Paris, France where he falls for a girl. Naturally, tensions arise when father and son are reunited and both take a liking to the same girl.
The Count of Monte CristoThe Count of Monte Cristo · 1954
The Count of Monte Cristo
6.71954
MovieAdventureDrama
Young sailor Edmond Dantès is wrongfully imprisoned, escapes, finds treasure, and reinvents himself as the wealthy Count of Monte Cristo to exact revenge on those who betrayed him.

Movies

The BirdcageThe Birdcage · 1996
The Birdcage
7.01996
MovieComedyRomance
A gay cabaret owner and his drag queen partner agree to put up a false heterosexual front so that their son can introduce them to his fiancée's conservative parents.
HibernatusHibernatus · 1969
Hibernatus
6.71969
MovieComedyScience Fiction
Hubert de Tartas' life becomes a complete muddle when his wife's grandfather is unearthed after having spent 65 years in frozen hibernation in the polar circle. After being de-frosted, the Hibernating Man believes it is still the beginning of the century. Nothing is spared to keep that illusion alive. At the end of his rope, Hubert blurts out the truth and takes the man from Edwardian times on a crazy spree through an ultramodern Twentieth Century.
La Cage aux FollesLa Cage aux Folles · 1978
La Cage aux Folles
6.81978
MovieComedy
Two gay men living in St. Tropez have their lives turned upside down when the son of one of the men announces he is getting married. They try to conceal their lifestyle and their ownership of the drag club downstairs when the fiancée and her parents come for dinner.
Les Enfants Terribles du CinémaLes Enfants Terribles du Cinéma · 2011
Les Enfants Terribles du Cinéma
10.02011
MovieDocumentary
The documentary "Les Enfants terribles du cinéma" (The Terrible Children of Cinema) tells the little-known story of one of the crossroads of cinephilia, *OBJECTIF 49*, which culminated in the organization of the Biarritz Festival of Cursed Films during the summer of 1949. This festival was initiated by Jean Cocteau, then at the height of his cinematic career. In Biarritz, films deemed "cursed" were screened because they had not yet found an audience or had been banned by censors. This selection offered a radically different vision of cinema from that of other festivals, such as Cannes. An entire generation of active filmmakers was celebrated: René Clément, Robert Bresson, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, Eric Rohmer...
PalacePalace · 1985
Palace
4.81985
MovieWarComedy
1944. Lucien, a fighter in the Free French Forces, is taken prisoner by the Germans. He is sent to a prison camp and then becomes a pianist in a palace.
Bad RonaldBad Ronald · 1992
Bad Ronald
9.01992
MovieThriller
A teenager, Ronald, unintentionally causes the death of a young girl on a beach. So that the police do not find him, his mother locks him in a cubicle, under the stairs of the house. On her death, the house was rented to an English family.
Dracula and SonDracula and Son · 1976
Dracula and Son
5.81976
MovieFantasyComedy
With angry villagers driving them away from their castle in Transylvania, Dracula and his son Ferdinand head abroad. Dracula ends up in London, England where he becomes a horror movie star exploiting his vampire status. His son, meanwhile, is ashamed of his roots and ends up a night watchman in Paris, France where he falls for a girl. Naturally, tensions arise when father and son are reunited and both take a liking to the same girl.
The Count of Monte CristoThe Count of Monte Cristo · 1954
The Count of Monte Cristo
6.71954
MovieAdventureDrama
Young sailor Edmond Dantès is wrongfully imprisoned, escapes, finds treasure, and reinvents himself as the wealthy Count of Monte Cristo to exact revenge on those who betrayed him.
Male HuntMale Hunt · 1964
Male Hunt
6.51964
MovieComedyRomance
A few stories about marriage and its problems. Antoine is about to marry Gisèle. His friend Julien, an established bachelor, desperately tries to convince him not to do it, recounting his own painful experiences.
Arsène Lupin vs. Arsène LupinArsène Lupin vs. Arsène Lupin · 1962
Arsène Lupin vs. Arsène Lupin
6.01962
MovieComedy
André Laroche, an industrialist, has just passed away. Face to his grave, as he is being buried, Anne de Vierne, the wife of a magistrate, confesses to her son François that Laroche was in fact Lupin and that he is his natural child. But he is not the gentleman thief's only offspring! Lupin had indeed another son by a housemaid, Gérard Dagmar, a dancer, magician and - occasionally - burglar. Which complicates the task of François who, to respect the last wishes of the testator, has gone in search of the treasure of Poldavia. For he keeps finding Gérard on his way and his efforts are constantly thwarted by his half-brother. Will Gérard prevent François from becoming the worthy successor to their father or will the two young men decide to join forces? That is the question.
La Femme abandonnéeLa Femme abandonnée · 1992
La Femme abandonnée
5.51992
MovieDramaRomance
Tired of Parisian life, Louis de Nueil settles in a provincial village to rest from his hectic life. But he quickly gets bored. He then meets Fanny de Lussange, as beautiful as she is mysterious. The young man decides to court Fanny.
The Seven Deadly SinsThe Seven Deadly Sins · 1962
The Seven Deadly Sins
5.81962
MovieComedy
Seven directors each dramatize one of the seven deadly sins in a short film. In "Anger," a domestic argument over a fly in the Sunday soup escalates into nuclear war. In "Sloth," a movie star would rather pay someone to tie his shoe than bend over to do it himself, and he can't be bothered to accept a starlet's sexual favors. In "Gluttony," a peasant family on its way to the funeral of a relative who died from indigestion stops regularly to eat and drink en route, arriving in time to eat some more. In "Greed," a high-class prostitute refunds the price of a cadet's lottery ticket. In "Pride," an unfaithful wife finds reason to reform. And so on through lust and envy.
The Miracle of St. AnneThe Miracle of St. Anne · 1950
The Miracle of St. Anne
1950
MovieComedy
Series of rushes about cripples appearing in a Bible epic who are cured by a starlet playing Saint Anne.
OscarOscar · 1967
Oscar
7.31967
MovieComedy
This film originated as a play in Paris. The story focuses on the one-day adventures of Bertrand Barnier played with a genius of French cinema, Louis de Funes. In the same morning he learns that his daughter is pregnant, an employee stole a large amount of money from his company, his maid is about to resign in order to marry a wealthy neighbor and his body builder is interested in marrying his daughter. The seemingly complicated story-line is full of comedy or errors and some of the most hilarious mime scenes of the French cinema.
Agent 38-24-36Agent 38-24-36 · 1964
Agent 38-24-36
5.81964
MovieComedyRomance
A Russian spy is assigned to steal sensitive information from NATO about military mobilisation. Without much intelligence of his own, the distrusted Soviet intelligence agent needs all the help he can get from his 'talented' partner Penelope Lightfeather as they scatter around the French countryside for secret rendezvous while trying to avoid being caught by counterintelligence agents and distrustful communist operatives.
My Uncle BenjaminMy Uncle Benjamin · 1969
My Uncle Benjamin
6.11969
MovieComedyHistory
Benjamin is in love with Manette, the innkeeper's beautiful daughter, but she has no intention of giving in to the young doctor until she sees the marriage contract, and marriage does not fit in with Benjamin's spirit of independence. For the same reason he resists the efforts of his sister Bettine to marry him off to Arabelle, the daughter of old Dr. Minxit. Benjamin does agree to go and meet the girl. But that evening his sister finds him at the inn together with Manette, who is arrested by her father. So she decides to go with Benjamin herself. But as result of an incident with the fat Marquis puts paid to the expedition. Benjamin is subjected by the Marquis to a humiliating practical joke. Benjamin is determined to got his revenge. He succeeds thanks to the gorgeous Vicomte Hector de Pont-Cassé, who also helps Manette with her problems against her father. But Benjamin is now arrested by the Marquis...
To Commit a MurderTo Commit a Murder · 1967
To Commit a Murder
5.01967
MovieCrime
A writer gets wrapped up in espionage.
A Pain in the AssA Pain in the Ass · 1973
A Pain in the Ass
7.01973
MovieComedyDrama
Ralf Milan, a hitman, arrives in Montpellier to kill an important witness. He checks in a hotel without knowing that his neighbour has become neurotic after his wife left him.
The Hurried ManThe Hurried Man · 1977
The Hurried Man
5.81977
MovieDrama
Art collector Pierre Niox rushes through life, lives a frantic life, does everything in full speed -- searching for and acquiring works of art or real estate, marrying or even dying -- and in total disregard for any kind of morality. His misdeeds finally turn on him and destroy him.
The Hostage GangThe Hostage Gang · 1973
The Hostage Gang
6.31973
MovieDrama
Barely out of the psychiatric hospital where he went to seek care, Gilbert Nodier commits several assaults to have some money.
The Irony of ChanceThe Irony of Chance · 1974
The Irony of Chance
5.61974
MovieDramaWar
A series of events beginning during the German occupation of France showing what might have happened if one thing had gone differently. The premise concerns the assassination of a German officer by a young member of the Resistance.
Sunday LoversSunday Lovers · 1980
Sunday Lovers
5.81980
MovieRomanceComedy
A sex comedy anthology containing four stories, each from a different country (England, France, USA and Italy). "An Englishman's Home" "The French Method" "Armando's Notebook" "Skippy"
La Cage aux Folles IILa Cage aux Folles II · 1980
La Cage aux Folles II
6.01980
MovieComedy
In a move to make his partner, Renato, jealous, the flamboyant Albin waits in a local cafe - dressed as a woman - hoping to be picked up. But Albin gets more than he bargains for when the fly he catches in his web is actually a spy, who uses him as an unwitting courier of secret microfilm. Now on the run from ruthless agents, Albin and Renato flee to Italy where they attempt to hide out on a farm, with Albin posing as Renato's wife. Can Albin escape the deadly pursuit of these relentless spies or does he have to sustain this charade - as a woman - forever?
When the Pheasants PassWhen the Pheasants Pass · 1965
When the Pheasants Pass
6.61965
MovieComedy
Arsène Baudu and Hyacinthe, a pair of small-time crooks, fall prey to Alexandre Larsan-Bellac, who involves them (against their will) in high-profile swindling, but their success is quite limited. For starters they are deceived by Mrs. Paterson, a charming widow. Later on, Ribeiro, a Portuguese contractor and former victim of the two crooks, traces them and forces them to work on one of his building sites for damages. Just then, Larsan-Bellac resurfaces with plans to lure Ribeiro once again. —Guy Bellinger

TV Shows

Les Rendez-vous du dimancheLes Rendez-vous du dimanche · 1975
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
6.01975
Series
A talk show presented by Michel Drucker
Midi trenteMidi trente · 1972
Midi trente
6.01972
Series
DiscoramaDiscorama · 1959
Discorama
8.01959
Series
CinépanoramaCinépanorama · 1956
Cinépanorama
8.71956
SeriesDocumentaryFamily
30 millions d'amis30 millions d'amis · 1976
30 millions d'amis
6.21976
SeriesDocumentary
Love at First SightLove at First Sight · 1992
Love at First Sight
6.51992
SeriesDrama
Les Grandes FamillesLes Grandes Familles · 1989
Les Grandes Familles
10.01989
SeriesDrama
A clear-cut and ruthless depiction of the French ruling class between the two World Wars. Whether it's the circles of literature, medicine, journalism, theater or politics, the trait is fierce and portraits without concession.
ClaudineClaudine · 1978
Claudine
4.91978
SeriesDrama
A coming-of-age miniseries based on the well-known "Claudine" stories by the French bisexual actor and author Sidonie Gabrielle Colette.
Au bon beurreAu bon beurre · 1981
Au bon beurre
1981
SeriesDrama
La Veuve rougeLa Veuve rouge · 1983
La Veuve rouge
1983
SeriesDrama