Person · Director and actor · Active 1908–1963
Jean Cocteau
1889–1963, Maisons-Laffitte
French director and actor, born in Maisons-Laffitte. Nominated twice for the BAFTA Award for Best Film. Directed seven films on this site, including Beauty and the Beast (1946), Orpheus (1950) and Testament of Orpheus (1960). Among the 22 actors and directors Jean Cocteau shares films with on this site, the most frequent are Jean Marais (5 films), Charles Aznavour (2) and Juliette Gréco (2).
His final film, Le Testament d'Orphée (The Testament of Orpheus) (1960), featured appearances by Picasso and matador Luis Miguel Dominguín, along with Yul Brynner, who also helped to finance the film.
Jean Cocteau · authors · CC BY-SA 4.0
In their own words
Film will only become an art when its materials are as inexpensive as pencil and paper.
As quoted in The Super 8 Book (1975) by Lenny Lipton (ed. Chet Roaman); also in Aesthetic Aspects of Recent Experimental Film (1980) by Barry Walter Moore… · Wikiquote: Jean Cocteau · authors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Partners by shared films
Who Jean Cocteau made films with
Directors
One film together
Cast
- 5Jean Marais actorBeauty and the Beast, Les Parents terribles, The Eagle with Two Heads and 2 more
- 2Charles Aznavour actorC'est arrivé à 36 chandelles, Testament of Orpheus
- 2Juliette Gréco actressOrpheus, C'est arrivé à 36 chandelles
One film together
Co-directors
One film together
Co-stars
One film together
Other regulars
Films in this guide
Best known
- Beauty and the Beast 1946director, screenwriter
- Orpheus 1950director, screenwriter
- Testament of Orpheus 1960director, actor, screenwriter
- The Blood of a Poet 1932director, screenwriter
- Les Enfants Terribles 1950actor, screenwriter
- The Black Crown 1951screenwriter
1930s
- The Blood of a Poet (1932)director, screenwriter
1940s
- La Malibran (1944)actor
- Beauty and the Beast (1946)director, screenwriter
- Les Parents terribles (1948)director, actor, screenwriter
- Ruy Blas (1948)screenwriter
- The Eagle with Two Heads (1948)director, screenwriter
1950s
- Les Enfants Terribles (1950)actor, screenwriter
- Orpheus (1950)director, screenwriter
- The Black Crown (1951)screenwriter
- Venom and Eternity (1951)actor
- 8 × 8: A Chess Sonata in 8 Movements (1957)director
- C'est arrivé à 36 chandelles (1957)actor
1960s
- Testament of Orpheus (1960)director, actor, screenwriter
- La Princesse de Clèves (1961)screenwriter
- Thomas the Impostor (1964)screenwriter