Yves Montand
Ivo Livi (13 October 1921 – 9 November 1991), better known as Yves Montand, was an Italian-born French actor and singer. He is said to be one of France's greatest 20th-century artists.
Montand was born Ivo Livi in Stignano, a small village in the hills of Monsummano Terme, Italy, to Giovanni Livi, a broom manufacturer. Montand's mother Giuseppina Simoni was a devout Catholic. The family left Italy for France in 1923 following fascist Benito Mussolini's rise to power. He grew up in Marseille, where, as a young man, he worked in his sister's beauty salon (Salon de Coiffure), as well as later on the docks. He began a career in show business as a music-hall singer. In 1944, he was discovered by Édith Piaf in Paris; she made him part of her act.
Montand achieved international recognition as a singer and actor, starring in many films. He is recognised for crooner style songs, with those about Paris becoming instant classics. He was one of the best known performers at Bruno Coquatrix's Paris Olympia music hall, and toured with musicians including Didi Duprat. In October 1947, he sang "Mais qu'est-ce que j'ai?" (music by Henri Betti and lyrics by Édith Piaf) at the Théâtre de l'Étoile. Betti also asked him to sing "C'est si bon" but Montand refused. Following the success of the recording of this song by the Sœurs Étienne in 1948, he decided to record it. Montand was also very popular in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, where he did a concert tour in 1956-57.
During his career, Montand acted in American motion pictures as well as on Broadway. He was nominated for a César Award for Best Actor in 1980 for I comme Icare and again in 1984 for Garçon! In 1986, after his international box-office draw power had fallen off considerably, the 65-year-old Montand gave one of his best remembered performances, as the scheming uncle in Jean de Florette, co-starring Gérard Depardieu, and Manon des Sources (both 1986), co-starring Emmanuelle Béart. The film was a worldwide critical hit and revived Montand's profile in the United States, where he made an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman.
In 1951, he married Simone Signoret, and they co-starred in several films throughout their careers. The marriage was, by all accounts, fairly harmonious, lasting until her death in 1985, although Montand had a number of well-publicised affairs, notably with American actress Marilyn Monroe, with whom he starred in one of her final films, Let's Make Love. He was the stepfather to Signoret's daughter from her previous marriage, Catherine Allégret.
Montand's only child, a son named Valentin, by his second wife, Carole Amiel (b. 1960), was born in 1988. In a paternity suit that caused commotion across France, another woman accused Montand of being the father of her daughter and went to court to obtain a DNA sample from him. Montand refused, but the woman persisted even after his death. In a court ruling that made international headlines, the woman won the right to have Montand exhumed and a sample taken. The results indicated that he was not the girl's biological father.
He supported left-wing causes during the 1950s and 1960s, and attended Communist festivals and meetings. ...
Source: Article "Yves Montand" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
Photos
Movies (104)
Nostalgia for the Future
2026 · Self (archive footage)
Les Rois de la comédie
2023 · Self (archive footage)
Romy, A Free Woman
2022 · archive footage
Marilyn, a woman of today
2022 · archive footage
Deneuve, la reine Catherine
2022 · Self (archive footage)
Jean-Louis Trintignant - Mysterious and Elusive
2022
Trintignant by Trintignant
2021 · Self (archive footage)
Morceaux de Cannes
2021
Mitterrand, président culturel
2021 · Self (archive footage)
Le Parti du cinéma
2021 · Self (archive footage)
Signoret and Montand, Monroe and Miller: Two couples in Hollywood
2020 · Self(archive footage)
1958: Those Who Said No
2018 · Self (archive footage)
The Force of Destiny
2017 · Self
Claude Sautet, Romy, Yves, Michel et les autres
2017 · Self (archive footage)
The Incredible Mr. Piccoli
2017 · Self - Actor (archive footage)
The End of a Beautiful Epoch
2015 · Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Les Enfoirés - Les Enfoirés en chœur de 1985 à aujourd'hui
2014
Dans les coulisses: le tournage de 'Trois Places pour le 26'
2013 · Self (Archive Footage)
Marilyn Monroe: In The Movies
2012
Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe
2012 · Self (archive footage)
Il était une fois... Vincent, François, Paul et les autres
2011 · Self (archive footage)
Comiques de toujours (Vol. 1 à 4)
2009 · Self (archive footage)
Marilyn, dernières séances
2008 · Self(archive footage)
Pushing the Limit: The Making of Grand Prix
2006 · Self (archive footage)
Making 'The Misfits'
2002 · Self (archive footage)
Montand
1994 · Self (archive footage)
IP5: The Island of Pachyderms
1992 · Léon Marcel
Netchayev is Back
1991 · Pierre Marroux
Rush - Voyage à Moscou
1990 · Self
Three Seats for the 26th
1988 · Yves Montand
Manon of the Spring
1986 · César Soubeyran, aka "le Papet"
Jean de Florette
1986 · César Soubeyran, aka 'le Papet'
Vive la crise !
1984 · Self / Self - Presenter
Good Morning, Mr. Orwell
1984 · Self
Waiter!
1983 · Alex, head waiter
One Minute for One Image
1983 · Self - Narrator
All Fired Up
1982 · Victor Valance
Choice of Arms
1981 · Noel Durieux
I... for Icarus
1979 · Henri Volney, Associate Producer
Womanlight
1979 · Michel Follin
Roads to the South
1978 · Jean Larrea
A Grin Without a Cat
1977 · Narrator (voice)
La Menace
1977 · Henri Savin
The Big Operator
1976 · Morland
Police Python 357
1976 · Inspecteur Marc Ferrot
A Butterfly in the Night
1976 · Voz
Lovers Like Us
1975 · Martin
Special Section
1975 · Un milicien
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Singer
1974 · Self
Vincent, Francois, Paul and the Others
1974 · Vincent, entrepreneur
Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still
1974 · Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Les Deux mémoires
1974 · Self
Chance and Violence
1974 · Laurent Bermann
T'es fou Marcel
1974 · Self
The Son
1973 · Ange Orahona
State of Siege
1972 · Philip Michael Santore
Cesar and Rosalie
1972 · César
J'ai tout donné
1972 · Self
Tout Va Bien
1972 · Him, Jacques
Delusions of Grandeur
1971 · Blaze, Don Sallust's valet
You Speak of Prague: The Second Trial of Artur London
1971 · Self - Interviewee
Le Cercle Rouge
1970 · Jansen
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
1970 · Dr. Marc Chabot
The Confession
1970 · Gérard
Z
1969 · Z
The Devil by the Tail
1969 · Le baron César Maricorne
Mr. Freedom
1969 · Capt. Formidable (uncredited)
One Night... a Train
1968 · Mathias
Live for Life
1967 · Robert Colomb
Grand Prix
1966 · Jean-Pierre Sarti
Grand Prix: Challenge of the Champions
1966 · Self
Is Paris Burning?
1966 · Sgt. Marcel Bizien
The War Is Over
1966 · Diego Mora / Carlos / Domingo
Rotterdam-Europoort
1966 · Narrator (French version) (voice)
The Sleeping Car Murders
1965 · L'inspecteur Grazzi
The Lovely Month of May
1963 · Narrator (French version) (voice)
My Geisha
1962 · Paul Robaix
Goodbye Again
1961 · Roger Demarest
Sanctuary
1961 · Candy Man
Let's Make Love
1960 · Jean-Marc Clement
The Law
1959 · Matteo Brigante
Premier mai
1958 · Jean Meunier
The Wide Blue Road
1957 · Giovanni Squarciò
The Witches of Salem
1957 · John Proctor
Yves Montand is Singing
1957 · Self
The Wind Rose
1957 · Yves (archive footage)
Men and Wolves
1957 · Ricuccio
Django Reinhardt
1957 · Narrator (voice)
Un matin comme les autres
1956 · Yves
Marguerite of the Night
1955 · M. Léon
Heroes and Sinners
1955 · Michel Rivière
Napoleon
1955 · Lefebvre
Air of Paris
1954 · Songs
The Anatomy of Love
1954 · Vasco
The Wages of Fear
1953 · Mario Livi
Paris Still Sings!
1951 · Self
Paris Is Always Paris
1951 · Yves Montand
The Red Inn
1951 · Singing Commentator (voice)
Lost Souvenirs
1950 · Raoul, street singer (segment "Le violon")
Rendez-vous de l'espérance
1950 · Self
The Idol
1948 · Fontana
Gates of the Night
1946 · Jean Diego
Star Without Light
1946 · Pierre
la loi
· Matteo Brigante
TV shows (21)
Stars 90
1990 · Self
Victoires de la musique
1985 · Self
Champs-Elysées
1982 · Self
Ciné regards
1978 · Self
Cérémonie des César
1976 · Self - President
Numéro un
1975 · Self
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
1975 · Self
Apostrophes
1975 · Self
Spécial cinéma
1974 · Self, Self (archive footage)
Le Grand Échiquier
1972 · Self, Self - Main Guest
À bout portant
1968 · Self
Einer wird gewinnen
1964 · Self
Discorama
1959 · Self
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
1956 · Self
Cinépanorama
1956 · Self
Reflets de Cannes
1954 · Self
The Oscars
1953 · Self
La Joie de vivre
1952 · Self - Guest
What's My Line?
1950 · Self
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948 · Self
Bambi
1948 · Self