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

Early life and education 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.

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

Stage career

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

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

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.

Filmography

Film Year TitleRole Director Notes1952The Seven Deadly SinsPianistClaude Autant-LaraSegment: "Pride"1954RasputinPolice ChiefGeorges Combret1956AnastasiaPyotr Ivanovich PetrovinAnatole Litvak1957La Polka des menottesEugèneRaoul AndréLes EspionsLéonHenri-Georges Clouzot1958A Tale of Two CitiesGaspard Ralph ThomasUncreditedThat NightShakespearean ActorMaurice CazeneuveThe GamblerAfpleyClaude Autant-Lara1960Bouche cousueJoJean Boyer1961Captain FracasseMatamorePierre Gaspard-HuitThe Three MusketeersJohn FeltonBernard BorderieLast Year at MarienbadThe Second Man Alain Resnais1962La PoupéeAlexandre SayasJacques BaratierLa DénonciationCommissioner MalferrerJacques Doniol-Valcroze1963The PrizeDaranyiMark Robson1965Lady LRevolutionaryPeter Ustinov1966Is Paris Burning?Frédéric Joliot-CurieRené Clément1967The Night of the GeneralsDr. LipinskiAnatole Litvak1968L'écume des joursPharmacistCharles BelmontLa louve solitaireSaratogaEdouard Logereau1969The Pleasure PitCalzoAndré Cayatte1970The Ball of Count OrgelPrince NaroumoufMarc AllégretDonkey SkinPrime MinisterJacques Demy1971To Catch a SpyStefanDick Clement1972Escape to the SunMenahem GolanLe journal d'un suicidéJailerStanislav Stanojevic1975La guerre du pétrole n'aura pas lieuEssaanSouheil Ben-Barka1978Dossier 51Minerve 1 (voice)Michel Deville1979Subversion The PresidentStanislav Stanojevic1980Patrick Still LivesDr. HerschelMario LandiInfernoKazanianDario Argento

Television Year TitleRole Notes1955Captain Gallant of the Foreign LegionBartenderEpisode: "Camel Race"Sherlock HolmesConstable Smith / Morgue Attendant / Gustav3 episodes1967Au théâtre ce soirAntonio FabrizziEpisode: "Le système Fabrizzi", also directorLagardère Prince Gonzague6 episodesHenri IVHenriTV movie, also director1969Une soirée au bungalowNorthoverTV movieLa cravache d'or12 episodes1970Le fauteuil hantéEliphas de la NoxTV movie1972Schulmeister, espion de l'empereurDangbergEpisode: "Schulmeister contre Schulmeister"Comme il vous plairaJacques de BoysTV movieAntigoneTiresiasGraf LucknerDr. MorganEpisode: "Der Jazzsänger"1973Byron libérateur de la Grèce ou Le jardin des hérosBaron de BlaquiereTV movieIncident à VichyPrince von BergArsène LupinIgnateffEpisode: "L'écharpe de soie rouge"1974Graf YosterProfessor OurbicheEpisode: "Die Feuer-Probe"Des lauriers pour LilaProfessor Hassman5 episodesNotre correspondant à MadrasJim SiegerTV movie1975Les grands détectivesArkabadEpisode: "Nick Carter: Mission secrète"1976La poupée sanglanteDr. Sahib Khan6 episodesLe château des CarpathesGortzTV movie1977The Magical World of DisneySergeantEpisodes: "Barry of the Great St. Bernard (Parts 1 & 2)"The New AvengersKerovEpisodes: "K Is for Kill (Parts 1 & 2)"1979La maréchale d'AncreSamuelTV movie1980Louis XI, un seul roi pour la FranceDrunk1981Les amours des années folles The AbbotEpisode: "La femme qui travaille"

Partial stage credits Year TitleVenue Director Notes1939An Enemy of the PeopleThéâtre des MathurinsGeorges PitoëffThe Lady of the Camellias1951Vogue la galèreThéâtre de la MadeleineGeorges Douking1953L'Épouse injustement soupçonnéeThéâtre des NoctambulesHimselfDolorès au balcon1953Le Gardien des oiseaux1955Andréa ou la fiancée du matinThéâtre de l'ŒuvreThree Sisters1956The Lower Depths1959Uncle VanyaThéâtre des Champs-Élysées1960Three SistersThéâtre de l'Alliance française1961The SeagullThéâtre Moderne1962Ivanov1963Le système Fabrizzi1964Uncle Vanya1965Comme un oiseauThe Cherry Orchard1967The Seagull1967-68Henry IV1968Der schwarze schwan1969Uncle VanyaThe CaretakerJean-Laurent Cochet1970Henry IVHimselfThree SistersThéâtre des CélestinsHimself1971The CaretakerThéâtre des CélestinsJean-Laurent CochetTour1972L'Impromptu de ParisBellac FestivalEdmond Tamiz1973Le BorgneThéâtre de l'AthénéeMichel Fagadau1976La TourThéâtre RécamierAntoine Bourseiller

References

External links