Watch Henri Verneuil Videos

Henri Verneuil (15 October 1920 - 11 January 2002) was a French-Armenian playwright and filmmaker, who enjoyed a successful career in France. Henri Verneuil was born Ashod Malakian to Armenian parents in Rodosto, East Thrace, Turkey. In the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide when Ashod was a little child his family fled to France and settled in Marseille. He later recounted his childhood experience in the novel Mayrig, which he dedicated to his mother and made into a 1991 film with the same name, which was followed by a sequel, 588 Rue Paradis, the following year. In 1947 Henri Verneuil... MORE

Henri Verneuil (15 October 1920 - 11 January 2002) was a French-Armenian playwright and filmmaker, who enjoyed a successful career in France. Henri Verneuil was born Ashod Malakian to Armenian parents in Rodosto, East Thrace, Turkey. In the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide when Ashod was a little child his family fled to France and settled in Marseille. He later recounted his childhood experience in the novel Mayrig, which he dedicated to his mother and made into a 1991 film with the same name, which was followed by a sequel, 588 Rue Paradis, the following year. In 1947 Henri Verneuil managed to convince the established European film actor Fernandel to appear in his first film. Later he also directed other movie stars including Jean Gabin, Alain Delon, Lino Ventura (all together acting for him in "Le clan des siciliens" in 1969 ), Jean-Paul Belmondo ("Le Corps de mon ennemi" in 1976 and other films), Omar Sharif, Claudia Cardinale and Michèle Morgan. He was awarded a César in 1996. He died at Bagnolet in 2002. LESS