Israel Constantine (born Edward Israel Constantinowsky; October 29, 1913 – February 25, 1993), known as Eddie Constantine, was an American singer, actor and entertainer who spent most of his career in France. He became well-known to film audiences for his portrayal of secret agent Lemmy Caution and other, similar pulp heroes in French B-movies of the 1950s and 1960s.
His celebrity and status as something of a pop icon saw him work with prominent arthouse directors like Jean-Luc Godard (as Caution in Alphaville and Germany Year 90 Nine Zero), Rainer Werner Fassbinder (as himself in Beware of a Holy Whore 1971 and also World on a Wire), Agnès Varda, Rosa von Praunheim, Lars von Trier, William Klein and Mika Kaurismäki.
Early life Constantine was born Edward Israel Constantinowsky in Los Angeles, California to Jewish immigrant parents, a Russian father and Polish mother; his father was a jeweler. He later changed his name to Israel Constantine.
In pursuit of a singing career, he went to Vienna for voice training. However, when he returned to the United States, his career failed to take off, and he started taking work as a film extra.
Career Having failed to make a career in the United States, Constantine returned to Europe in the early 1950s and started singing and performing in Paris cabarets. He was noticed by Edith Piaf, who cast him in the musical La p'tite Lili. Constantine also helped Piaf with translations for her 1956 album La Vie en Rose/Édith Piaf Sings In English and so he has songwriting credits on the English versions of some of her most famous songs (especially "Hymne à l'amour"/"Hymn to Love").
In the 1950s, Constantine was a star in France because of his role as the hard-boiled detective/secret agent Lemmy Caution (from Peter Cheyney's novels) in a series of French B-pictures, including La môme vert-de-gris (1953), This Man Is Dangerous (1953), Je suis un sentimental (1955), Lemmy pour les dames (1961) and Your Turn, Darling (1963).
He was hired by the Rank Organisation to play the lead in SOS Pacific but it was not a big success.
When not playing Lemmy Caution, Constantine often played a character that was still typically a suave-talking, seductive, smooth guy although he often played that for laughs. He turned his accent and perceived American cockiness to advantage in such roles, and he later described his film persona as having been "James Bond before James Bond".Eddie Constantine biography at cinemapassion.com
One of his best remembered later roles was as the visiting Mafia boss Charlie in the British gangster film The Long Good Friday (1980), a rare English-speaking role.
One of his most notable roles was in Jean-Luc Godard's Alphaville (1965), in which he reprised (to a more radical end) the role of Lemmy Caution, in a departure from the style of his other films. His box-office appeal in France waned in the mid-1960s. Having married a German television producer, he eventually relocated to Germany, where he worked as a character actor, appearing in German television dramas as well as film. Constantine later claimed that he had never taken his acting career seriously, as he considered himself to be a singer by trade, and that he had been an actor strictly for the money. In 1982 he appeared in Rosa von Praunheim's film Red Love. He worked with several other directors including Godard and Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and his last notable film appearance was in Lars von Trier's Europa in 1991. He had taken up the part of Lemmy for the last time that year, in Godard's experimental film Germany Year 90 Nine Zero.
Personal life
Constantine was married three times: to Helene Musil (1942-1976, divorced), with whom he had three children; Dorothea Gibson (1977, divorced); and the film producer Maya Faber-Jansen (1979–1993, Constantine's death), with whom he had one child.
Death Constantine died of a heart attack on February 25, 1993 in Wiesbaden, Germany, aged 79. His remains were cremated and remanded to Paris.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Director Notes1953Egypt by ThreeNickVictor Stoloff(third episode)La môme vert-de-gris Lemmy CautionBernard Borderie This Man Is Dangerous Jean Sacha1954Dames Don't CareBernard Borderie Franco CesariVittorio CottafaviYours Truly, BlakeLarry BlakeJean Laviron1955Give 'em HellJohnny JordanJohn BerryJe suis un sentimentalBarney MorganJohn BerryLemmy CautionPierre Chevalier1956Monsieur HowardDimitri KirsanoffUncredited Folies-Bergère Bob WellingtonHenri DecoinMan and ChildFred BarkerRaoul Andrécameo appearanceRalph Baum1957Et par ici la sortieEddieWilly RozierUncreditedEddie F. MorganCes dames préfèrent le mamboBurt BrickfordBernard BorderieLes TruandsJim EspositoCarlo Rim1958Bob StanleyEddie PetersenWerner KlinglerPassport to ShameJohnny McVeyAlvin Rakoff1959Du rififi chez les femmesInterpol Agent WilliamsAlex Joffé The Treasure of San Teresa (Hot Money Girl)Larry BrennanAlvin RakoffSOS PacificMark ReisnerGuy Green1960Bombs on Monte CarloCaptain Eddie CronenGeorg Jacoby Women Are Like That Lemmy CautionBernard BorderieJack of SpadesPatrickYves Allégret RavishingHimselfRobert LamoureuxUncredited cameoJohn Lewis / John JarvisPierre Montazel1961Eddie MacAvoyDestination FuryFelice EspositoGiorgio BianchiJacksonGuy Lefranc1962Napoléon "Naps" DuboisClaude de GivrayThe Seven Deadly Sinscameo appearanceJean-Luc Godard(segment "La paresse")Lemmy pour les damesLemmy CautionBernard BorderieCléo from 5 to 7Man with HoseAgnès VardaUncredited cameoLykke og kronecameo appearanceColbjørn Helander and Stein Saelen Good Luck, CharlieCharlieJean-Louis RichardEddieNous irons à DeauvilleFriend of Pin-Up GirlFrancis RigaudUncredited cameo1963Jeff Gordon, Secret AgentJeff GordonRaoul AndréBobby CaraoRaoul AndréTela de arañaEddie RossJosé Luis MonterYour Turn, DarlingLemmy CautionBernard Borderie1964HimselfFranz AntelHow Do You Like My Sister?HimselfMichel BoisrondLet the Shooters ShootJeff GordonGuy LefrancNick Carter va tout casserNick CarterHenri Decoin Lucky JoLucky JoMichel Deville1965Ces dames s'en mêlentJeff GordonRaoul AndréMike WarnerMarcel OphulsCent briques et des tuiles Le consommateur au barAlphavilleLemmy CautionJean-Luc GodardJe vous salue, mafia!Rudy HambergRaoul LévyNick Carter and Red ClubNick Carter1966Attack of the RobotsAl PereiraJesus Franco1968 ()Dan LeytonJesus FrancoCousin LemmyRaoul AndréÀ tout casserRicJohn Berry1969EddieRaymond LeboursierLions LoveHimselfAgnès Varda1971Beware of a Holy WhoreHimselfRainer Werner FassbinderProfessorUlli Lommel1973Geen paniekBill SilkstockingKo Koedijk1974EddieJacques Bral1975Souvenir of GibraltarFather JoHenri XhonneuxFrank CabotUlli Lommel1977BloedverwantenPriestWim LindnerLe Couple témoinDr. GoldbergWilliam Klein1978It Lives AgainDr. ForrestLarry Cohen1979The Third GenerationPeter LurzRainer Werner FassbinderTicket of No Return (Bildnis einer Trinkerin)KüstlerUlrike Ottinger1980Exit... nur keine PanikPoigrardFranz NovotnyPanic TimeLemmy CautionUdo LindenbergCar-nappingpolice officer LarouxWigbert WickerThe Long Good FridayCharlieJohn Mackenzie1981Die AlptraumfrauLothar LambertTango durch DeutschlandEddieLutz MommartzNeigePierrotJuliet Berto et Jean-Henri RogerFreak OrlandoSäulenheiligerUlrike Ottinger1982Red LovePawel PawlowitschRosa von PraunheimBoxofficeHugh BarrenJosef Bogdanovitch1983Gregori UstinovOttokar Runzethe bar proprietorPatrick ChaputBeppo BourbonTorsten Emrich1984Flight to BerlinHimselfChristopher PetitSammyMariano LaurentiLemmy CautionPeter PatzakSeifenblasenAlfred Ninaus1985Seifenblasencameo appearanceBoy PappaPim de la Parra1986Lemmy CautionBela Csepesanyi1987Freckled Max and the SpooksAlojzJuraj JakubiskoHelsinki Napoli All Night LongOld GangsterMika Kaurismäki1989Europa, abendsMr. HardayleClaudia Schröder1991EuropaColonel HarrisLars von TrierGermany Year 90 Nine ZeroLemmy CautionJean-Luc GodardWilliam WrightNaoki Nagao1993Don FabrizziAndy Bausch2010DimensionN/ALars von TrierUnfinished; filmed between 1990-97
Television Year Title Role Director Notes1970MalatestaMalatestaPeter LilienthalTV movieEine Rose für JaneBossHans W. Geißendörfer1971SupergirlPartygast bei PolonskyRudolf Thome1973World on a WireMan in carRainer Werner Fassbinder1976Raid on EntebbeCapt. Michel BacosIrvin Kershner TV movie1984Rambo ZamboHarry1986RoncalliPabloMichael Mackenroth1987Frankenstein's AuntAlois - Water SpiritJuraj Jakubisko7 episodes1989Le retour de Lemmy CautionLemmy CautionJosée DayanTV movie References
External links
Eddie Constantine at Uni France