Jean Moncorgé, la face cachée de Jean Gabin
June 2010
On November 15, 1976, a legend of French cinema passed away. The public was deeply moved, as Jean Gabin was such an integral part of the collective memory. Born in 1904, the star had played every role, from the young leading man in Gueule d'amour to the tough guy in Touchez pas au grisbi to the retiree in Le Chat. But what do we really know about the private life of this popular star, whose modesty condemned him to silence? Behind the face of the "lovable rogue" and "tough guy" lay a man with his flaws, worries, and wounds. You will discover how Petty Officer Moncorgé found himself among the soldiers storming Adolf Hitler's hideout at the end of the war. How did the man who, throughout his life, dreamed of being recognized as a farmer, end up being taken hostage by 600 farmers on his estate in Orne?
