Philippe Clay (7 March 1927 – 13 December 2007), born Philippe Mathevet, was a French mime artist, singer, and actor.
He was known for his tall and slim silhouette (he was 1.90 m tall) and for performing songs by Charles Aznavour, Claude Nougaro, Jean-Roger Caussimon, Boris Vian, Serge Gainsbourg, Jean Yanne, Léo Ferré, Jacques Datin, Jean-Claude Massoulier or Bernard Dimey. He sang “La Complainte des Apaches” for the TV series Les Brigades du Tigre, written by Henri Djian and composed by Claude Bolling.
As an actor, he appeared in several films (Bell, Book and Candle) and television movies. One of his famous roles is in the Jean Renoir film, French Cancan, where he played Casimir le Serpentin (a character inspired by Valentin le désossé). His largest role in an American film was in Shanks, making particular use of his mime background co-starring with the master mime Marcel Marceau (as Marceau's brother-in-law who spends much of the film re-animated from the dead as a pantomime figure, moving like a marionette).
Born in the 14th arrondissement of Paris (Gare Montparnasse area), Philippe is the son of Gustave Mathevet and his wife, Marthe Jeannot,[1] originally from Auvergne. He is a student at a school run by the Brothers of the Christian Schools.
During World War II, the family took refuge in Auvergne. In 1943, at the age of 16, he joined a resistance group.
After the Liberation (1944), he enlisted in the French army and fought up to Germany. It was then that he discovered his talent for acting, entertaining his comrades with small performances.
Upon his return to France, he decided to make it his profession. His mother enrolled him in the National Conservatory of Dramatic Art, where he learned voice projection and the art of mime. He was cast in roles as a tall, lanky character. He was eventually expelled for indiscipline.
He performed in several plays at the Théâtre de Chaillot.
In 1949, almost despite himself—as friends had signed him up without his knowledge—Philippe won the "Espoirs et Vedettes 49" singing contest held at the Parisian bar "À la colonne de la Bastille." His performance was convincing enough that he was offered a tour in Normandy under the name "Phil Clay," chosen by the producer, which was later adapted to "Philippe Clay."
He was then offered a show in Morocco. He went to the Raoul Breton publishing house and set off on tour with "a suitcase full of songs," including several by Charles Aznavour, who was still relatively unknown. He spent the next three years in French North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia).
He returned to Paris in 1953 and performed at Les Trois Baudets and La Fontaine des Quatre Saisons. During this period, he frequented the jazz cellars of Saint-Germain-des-Prés and became friends with Jacques Prévert, Boris Vian, and Serge Gainsbourg.
From 1957 to 1962, he headlined four times at the Olympia, did numerous tours abroad, and achieved his greatest successes with songs like Les Voyous, Festival d'Aubervilliers, and Le Danseur de Charleston.
In 1964, he performed a few duets with Serge Gainsbourg.
In film, he portrayed Casimir the Serpentine (a character evoking Valentin the Boneless) in Jean Renoir's French Cancanand Clopin, the leader of the Court of Miracles, in Jean Delannoy's Notre-Dame de Paris.
From 1966 onward, he appeared in numerous TV films, particularly those by Jean Kerchbron, Jean-Christophe Averty, Jean Delannoy, Édouard Molinaro, Marion Sarraut, Josée Dayan, and Franck Appréderis, among others, and starred alongside Carlos in the series Le JAP.
After a career slump, he made a comeback in 1971 with songs like Mes Universités and La Quarantaine, in response to the May '68 movement. This anti-establishment repertoire marked him politically to the right, and in the following decade, he joined the RPR, a party founded by Jacques Chirac.
In 1975, he starred in Monte-Cristo, a musical by Eddy Marnay with music by Michel Legrand. This production, staged at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and directed by Maurice Jacquemont, did not meet the anticipated success.
He is also known for his performance of La Complainte des Apaches, the theme song for the series Les Brigades du Tigre, orchestrated by Claude Bolling.
Philippe Clay also sang Marseille, Le Cerisier de ma maison, Je t'aime, and others.
He was married to actress Maria Riquelme (1930–2019). They had three children: Patricia, Xavier, and Philippe, the latter of whom passed away in 1992.
He owned the Château de Villiers in Cerny (Essonne) as well as the Cité Monthiers in the 9th arrondissement of Paris.
Philippe Clay died of a heart attack on December 13, 2007 at his residence in Issy-les-Moulineaux, at the age of 80.
His funeral took place on December 19 at the crematorium of Père-Lachaise Cemetery (20th arrondissement of Paris), where he was cremated. The ceremony was attended by several figures from the entertainment world, including singers Charles Aznavour and Marcel Amont, actors Smaïn and Ginette Garcin, as well as the mayor of Issy-les-Moulineaux and former deputy André Santini. His ashes were later scattered at a family home in Brittany.
He was survived by his wife, actress María Riquelme, and their son.[2]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Rome Express | Un employé des wagons-lits | ||
| 1952 | Le crime du Bouif | |||
| 1955 | French Cancan | Casimir le Serpentin | ||
| 1956 | La vie est belle | Le pasteur | ||
| 1956 | The Hunchback of Notre Dame | Clopin Trouillefou | ||
| 1957 | C'est arrivé à 36 chandelles | Himself | Uncredited | |
| 1957 | Nathalie | Adolphe Faisant, dit "Coco la Girafe" | ||
| 1958 | En bordée | Bailladrisse / Yves Biadrix | ||
| 1958 | Toto in Prias | Il maître d'hotel | ||
| 1958 | Bell, Book and Candle | French Singer at the Zodiac Club | ||
| 1959 | Drôles de phénomènes | La maître d'hôtel Barns | ||
| 1959 | The Road to Shame | Tom | ||
| 1959 | The Bureaucrats | Letondu | ||
| 1959 | La Nuit des traqués | Taretta | ||
| 1960 | Les Canailles | Carlo Sarotti | ||
| 1960 | Touchez pas aux blondes | L'inspecteur Al Wheeler | ||
| 1961 | Dans l'eau qui fait des bulles | Jean-Louis Preminger | Voice | |
| 1962 | Musketeers of the Sea | Gosselin | ||
| 1965 | Man from Cocody | Renaud Lefranc | ||
| 1966 | Sale temps pour les mouches | Pierre Mazaud, dit 'Félix' | ||
| 1967 | Les têtes brûlées | Prêcheur | ||
| 1970 | Pour un sourire | Nicolas | ||
| 1971 | Armiamoci e partite! | Generale McMaster | ||
| 1972 | Pas folle la guêpe | Jack Bromfield | ||
| 1972 | Les joyeux lurons | L'abbé Larivière | ||
| 1973 | L'insolent | Dargnac | ||
| 1974 | The Three Musketeers | Richelieu | Voice | |
| 1974 | Shanks | Mr. Barton | ||
| 1982 | Deux heures moins le quart avant Jésus-Christ | Le héraut | ||
| 1983 | Salut la puce | Rigodo-Cartecolin, un marionnettiste | ||
| 1983 | A Good Little Devil | Le juge | ||
| 1986 | Catherine | Barnabé | TV series | |
| 1993 | Die Wildnis | Peasant | ||
| 1995 | Krim | Eugène | ||
| 1995 | La Rivière Espérance | Majordome | TV mini-series | |
| 1998 | Les cachetonneurs | The Aristocrat | ||
| 1998 | Lautrec | Auguste Renoir | ||
| 1999 | Tuvalu | Karl | ||
| 2003 | Là-haut, un roi au-dessus des nuages | L'aumônier de Saint-Louis-des-Invalides |