Jean Dréville

Known for: Directing
Born: September 20, 1906, Vitry-sur-Seine, Val-de-Marne, France
Died: March 5, 1997
Movies: 46

Jean Dréville was a prolific French film director whose career spanned from the late 1920s to the late 1960s. Initially trained in advertising design and photography, he began his cinematic journey by publishing articles in film sections of newspapers like L'Intransigeant and Comœdia. Dréville directed his first film, Autour de L'Argent (1928), a documentary on the making of Marcel L'Herbier's L'Argent. His notable works include A Cage of Nightingales (1945), which inspired the 2004 film The Chorus, and The Battle of the Rails (1946), a realistic portrayal of French railway workers' resistance during World War II. Dréville's films are recognized for their narrative clarity and humanistic approach.

Best-Known Movies

6.2

Carbon Copy

1947

7.5

A Cage of Nightingales

1945

6.4

Return to Life

1949

5.4

Operation Swallow: The Battle for Heavy Water

1948

6.0

The Seven Deadly Sins

1952

5.8

Hanged Man's Farm

1945

5.2

Normandy - Neman

1960

5.8

The Spice of Life

1948

5.6

Lafayette

1962

7.1

Queen Margot

1954

Filmography

2019	1940: Taking over French Cinema	Self (archive footage)
2017	Jean Dréville, l'aimant du cinéma	Lui-même
1982	Cinématon XVI	N°155
1957	The Suspects	Commentator (uncredited)
1955	Intermediate Landing in Paris

Directing, Writing & Producing

1966	The Sleeping Sentinel	Director
1965	Nights of Farewell	Director
1962	Lafayette	Director, Producer
1960	Normandy - Neman	Director
1958	A Dog, A Mouse and a Sputnik	Director
1958	The Lady and the Gipsy	Director
1957	The Suspects	Director
1955	Intermediate Landing in Paris	Director
1954	Queen Margot	Director
1953	Endless Horizons	Director
1952	Das Geheimnis vom Bergsee	Director
1952	The Girl with the Whip	Director
1952	The Seven Deadly Sins	Director
1950	The Big Meeting	Director
1949	Return to Life	Director
1948	The Spice of Life	Director
1948	Operation Swallow: The Battle for Heavy Water	Director
1947	Carbon Copy	Director
1946	Tainted	Director
1945	Hanged Man's Farm	Director
1945	Les Cadets de l'océan	Director
1945	A Cage of Nightingales	Director
1943	Tornavara	Director
1943	The Roquevillards	Director, Screenplay
1942	Business Is Business	Director
1942	Annette and the Blonde Woman	Screenplay, Director
1940	President Haudecoeur	Director
1939	His Uncle from Normandy	Director
1938	The Chess Player	Director, Writer
1938	White Nights in Saint Petersburg	Director
1937	Mama Hummingbird	Director
1937	Troïka sur la piste blanche	Director
1936	Les Petites Alliées	Director
1936	Coup de vent	Director
1935	Touche-à-tout	Director
1934	A Man and His Woman	Director, Writer
1934	Trois pour cent	Director
1932	Candy Apple	Director
1932	Creosote	Director
1930	Physiopolis	Director
1929	Autour de l'argent	Director

Data from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.