Pierre Olaf

Born Pierre-Olaf Trivier in Caudéran in the Gironde department of Bordeaux, he began his professional acting career on the stage in his late teens. He excelled in comedy roles; aided in that capacity by his small stature and an "owlish face". He first appeared in French cinema in his early 20s, beginning with the role of Sanchez in Marcel Aboulker's Le Trésor des Pieds-Nickelés (1950).{{cite book|page=522|title= Histoire du cinéma français encyclopédie des films, 1940-1950|author=Maurice Bessy, Raymond Chirat|year= 1986|chapter= Le Trésor des Pieds-Nickelés |publisher= Pygmalion}} Other French films he appeared in during his early career included Miquette et sa mère (1950),{{cite book|chapter= Miquette et sa mère |page=518|title= Histoire du cinéma français encyclopédie des films, 1940-1950|author=Maurice Bessy, Raymond Chirat|year= 1986|publisher= Pygmalion}} Trois femmes (1952),{{cite book|page=169|title= Musée du cinéma Henri Langlois: De l'expressionnisme allemand aux années cinquante|author=Henri Langlois, Huguette Marquand Ferreux|year=1991| publisher= Maeght}} Soyez les bienvenus (1953),{{cite book|page=192|title= Histoire du cinéma français encyclopédie des films, 1951-1955|author=Maurice Bessy, Raymond Chirat|year= 1987|chapter= Soyez les bienvenus|publisher= Pygmalion}} Mam'zelle Nitouche (1954),{{cite news|title= Cinéma français les années 50 : les longs métrages réalisés de 1950 à 1959|author=Jean-Charles Sabria|year=1987|publisher= Éd. du Centre Pompidou|page=1952}} and Ah ! les belles bacchantes (1954).{{cite book|page=341|title= Histoire du cinéma français encyclopédie des films, 1951-1955|author=Maurice Bessy, Raymond Chirat|year= 1987|chapter= Ah ! les belles bacchantes |publisher= Pygmalion}}

On the stage, Olaf was frequently used in the comedic musical revues of Robert Dhéry in Paris during his early career. The French director Jean Renoir cast Olaf as Roberto, a whistling pierrot, in his 1955 film French Cancan, after seeing his performance in Dhéry's 1954 Paris revue Jupon Volé.{{cite news|title= Legitimate: Plays Abroad - Jupon Vole|author=Mosk|work= Variety|volume=195|issue=4|date=30 June 1954|page=58}} Renoir became a close friend with Olaf during the making of this film, a friendship which lasted until Renoir's death in 1979.{{cite news|title=Pierre Olaf: Surreal world of a pierrot|author=Ronald Bergan|work=The Guardian|date=22 September 1995|page= 17}} Olaf starred as Philippe in Renoir's 1955 play Orvet at the Théâtre de la Renaissance.{{cite news|title=Legitimate: Shows Abroad - Orvet|author=Curt|work=Variety|volume=198|issue=10|date=11 May 1955|page=66}}

Of Dhéry musical reviews, the most highly regarded on the international stage was La Plume de Ma Tante; which was adapted for the West End's Garrick Theatre from its original French language Paris production by English songwriter Ross Parker.{{cite news|title=Legitimate: Shows Abroad - La Plume de ma Tante|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1955-11-09_200_10/page/58|author=Myro|work=Variety|volume=200|issue=10|date=Nov 9, 1955|page=58}} Premiering in London in 1955, the production ran for two and a half years before transferring to Broadway's Royale Theatre in 1958.{{cite news|title=Legitimate: Show on Broadway; la plume|work=Variety|volume=212|issue=12|date=19 November 1958|page=72}} Olaf portrayed multiple comedic roles in both the West End and Broadway productions, and was one of the production's main comedic talents. In 1957 he appeared on BBC Television in "Jack Hylton presents The Robert Dhéry Show" which included adaptations from the West End musical among other material by Dhéry.{{cite news|title=TV PAGE: TeleBriefs?|author=Gray, Andrew. The Stage (Archive: 1880-1959); London|issue=3,959|date=Feb 28, 1957|page=12}} The entire cast of La Plume de Ma Tante, including Olaf, was awarded a Special Tony Award in 1959.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_Zz_AwAAQBAJ&dq=Special+Tony+Award+la+plume&pg=PA329|title=The Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals|author=Dan Dietz|year=2014|page=329|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|isbn=9781442235052}}

Following the Broadway production of La Plume de Ma Tante closed in December 1960, Dhéry remained in the United States and took the part of Jacquot in the original Broadway production of Bob Merrill's Carnival! starring Anna Maria Alberghetti, Jerry Orbach, and Kaye Ballard. The musical premiered at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. for out of town tryout performances in March 1961.{{cite news|title=Legitimate: Shows Out of Town - Carnival!|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1961-03-15_222_3/page/66|author=Carp|work=Variety|volume=222|issue=3|date=Mar 15, 1961|page=66}} After further tryouts in Philadelphia, the production moved to Broadway's Imperial Theatre where it opened on April 12, 1961.{{cite news|title=Legitimate: Shows on Broadway - Carnival|author=Hobe|work=Variety|volume=222|issue=8|date=19 April 1961|page=70}} The part of Jacquot was a critical success for Olaf who received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical in 1962.{{cite book|page=229|title=The Tony Award Book: Four Decades of Great American Theater|author=Lee Alan Morrow|year=1987|publisher=Abbeville Press}} A review in Billboard magazine stated the following about his performance:

"The real showman of the group is Pierre Olaf, the great French clown from 'La Plume de Ma Tante'. Olaf contribute's 'Carnival's' most effective production number, a bright exhilarating turn titled 'Grand Imperial Cirque de Paris'."{{cite magazine|title=Carnival' Enchanting Musical|magazine=Billboard|volume=73|issue=16|date=24 April 1961|page=5}}

Olaf recorded the role of Jacquot on the 1961 original cast album of the musical.{{cite news|title=Music: Album Reviews|author=Gros|work=Variety|volume=222|issue=11|date=10 May 1961|page=74}} That Broadway cast recording reached No. 1 on the Billboard album chart, dated 17 July 1961.{{cite magazine|title=TOP LP's|magazine=Billboard|volume=73|issue=28|date=17 July 1961|page=38}} Olaf later reprised the role of Jacquot at New York City Center in 1968 with the New York City Center Light Opera Company.{{cite news|title=Legitimate: Show on Broadway|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1968-12-18_253_5/page/58|author=Hobe|work=Variety|volume=253|issue=5|date=December 18, 1968|page= 58}}{{cite news|title=CAPSULE REVIEWS: "CARNIVAL"|author=Zwerdling, Allen|work=Back Stage|volume=9|issue=51|date=December 20, 1968|page= 44}}

In late 1961 Olaf went to Hollywood to make his first appearances on American television and film; beginning with the role of a clown in a television adaptation of Leonid Andreyev's He Who Gets Slapped, starring Richard Basehart and Julie Harris.{{cite book|title=Blood on the Stage: Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery, and Detection: an Annotated Repertoire, 1900–1925|author=Amnon Kabatchnik|year=2008|page=251}} He portrayed the title role in the December 1961 television film The Enchanted Nutcracker, co-starring Carol Lawrence and Robert Goulet.{{cite news|title=Television Review: THE ENCHANTED NUTCRACKER|work=Variety|volume=225|issue=5|date=27 December 1961|page=27}} In 1962, he had a recurring role in comedy sketches in Perry Como's television program Kraft Music Hall.{{cite news|title=Television Reviews: PERRY COMO'S KRAFT MUSIC HALL|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1962-10-10_228_7/page/32|author=Kali|work=Variety|volume=228|issue=7|date=Oct 10, 1962|page=32}} In 1966, he portrayed the recurring role of Milan Petros in the television series The Trials of O'Brien. He portrayed roles in multiple television miniseries, including Lace (1984, as Serge),{{cite book|title=Movies Made for Television:The Telefeature and the Mini-series, 1964-1986|page=227|chapter=Lace|author=Alvin H. Marill|year= 1987|publisher=New York Zoetrope}} The Free Frenchman (1989, Georges Auget), and Around the World in 80 Days (1989, as Captain Rondicherry).{{cite news|title=Television, Cable & Radio: TELEVISION REVIEWS|work=Variety|volume=335|issue=1|date=26 April 1989|page= 200}}

His film roles include Jacquot in Wild and Wonderful (1964),{{cite news|title=Film Reviews: Wild And Wonderful|author=Tube|work=Variety|volume=234|issue=11|date=6 May 1964|page=6}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/06/11/archives/tony-curtis-comedy.html|title=Tony Curtis Comedy|author=Eugene Archer|work=The New York Times|date=11 June 1964}} Inspector Carnot in The Art of Love (1965),{{cite news|title=Film review: The Art of Love|work=Variety|volume=238|issue=12|date=12 May 1965|page= 6}} Petros in Too Many Thieves (1967),{{cite book|chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=4Eyv_3rSmfMC&q=pierre+olaf+too+many+thieves&pg=PA232|title= Great Cinema Detectives: Best Movies of Mystery, Suspense & Film Noir|author=John Howard Reid|year=2006|page=232|chapter=Too Many Thieves|publisher= Lulu.com|isbn= 9781847286857}} Dap in Camelot (1967),{{cite news|title=FEATURE REVIEW: 'Camelot'|work=Boxoffice|volume=92|issue=2|date=30 October 1967|page=33}} Chef in Don't Drink the Water (1969),{{cite news|title=Current Film Reviews: DON'T DRINK THE WATER|work=The Independent Film Journal|volume=64|issue=12|date=12 November 1969|page= 1138}} Cozzier in The Gamblers (1970),{{cite news|title=International: Glazier's 'Gamblers', Lensed in Yugo, Putting Fresh Focus on Dubrovnik|author=Alford, Walter|work=Variety|volume= 253|issue=2|date=November 27, 1968|page=30}}{{cite news|title=THE GAMBLERS|work=Variety|volume=256|issue=4|date=10 September 1969|page= 17}}{{cite news|title=FEATURE REVIEWS: THE GAMBLERS|work=Boxoffice|volume=96|issue=7|date=1 December 1969|page= A11}} Lacoste in Irish Whiskey Rebellion (1972),{{cite book|title=The International Film Index, 1895-1990: Directors' filmography and indexes|year=1991|editor=Alan Goble|publisher= Bowker-Saur}} a Courtier in Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers (1984),{{cite book|title=Science Fiction, Horror & Fantasy Film and Television Credits: Filmography|author=Harris M. Lentz|year=2001|publisher=McFarland & Company|page=955}} and the priest in American Dreamer (1984).{{cite book|title=Fischer Film Almanach 1991|year=1991|publisher=Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag|page=22}} He also starred in the 1966 Warner Brothers short film By the Sea.{{cite news|title=WB to Handle Tiger Films Short; Schoenfeld Another|work=Boxoffice|volume=90|issue=6|date=28 November 1966|page= 12}}

Olaf remained involved with theatre while venturing into television and film. He starred as Passepartout in the world premiere of Sig Herzig, Sammy Fain and Victor Young's musical adaptation of Around the World in Eighty Days at the Saint Louis Municipal Opera in June 1962.{{cite news|title=Legitimate: Stock Reviews - Around the World In 80 Days|author=Bob|work=Variety|volume=227|issue=4|date=20 June 1962|page=64}} That production co-starred Cyril Ritchard, and it transferred to the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri after its Saint Louis run the following August.{{cite news|title=Legitimate: Stock Having Salubrious Summer; Ont. Fest $67,114, 'Fanny' 53G, Pitt|work=Variety|volume=227|issue=11|date=8 August 1962|page=57}} In between those production, Olaf starred in Frank Lowe's stage adaptation of James Thurber's The 13 Clocks at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia in July 1962.{{cite news|title=Legitimate: Pierre Olaf's Wanderings|work=Variety|volume=227|issue=8|date=18 July 1962|page=55}}

Olaf was a featured entertainer at the 1964 New York World's Fair.{{cite news|title=Miscellany: Expo Execs Point to Many Showmen Who'll Insure a 'Fun' Fair in 1964|author=Green, Abel|work=Variety|volume=231|issue=11|date=7 August 1963|pages=2, 58}} That same year he returned to Broadway as Jerome Lahutte in Yves Jamiaque's play A Murderer Among Us, and appeared Off-Broadway as Ferdinand Goddard in Cy Young's That Hat!, a musical adaptation of the farce The Italian Straw Hat.{{cite news|title=Legitimate: Show on Broadway - A Murderer Among Us|work=Variety|volume=234|issue=6|date=1 April 1964|pages=80–81}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/03/26/archives/american-version-of-french-play-opens-loring-smith-olaf-and-bosley.html|title=American Version of French Play Opens; Loring Smith, Olaf and Bosley at Morosco|page=43|date=26 March 1964|work=The New York Times}}{{cite news|title=Legitimate: Off-B'way Review|author=Kenn|work=Variety|volume=236|issue=6|date=30 September 1964|page=64}} Neither work was well received, with critics blaming the scripts for not giving Olaf material to display his comedic talent.{{cite news|title=The Theater: 'That Hat!'; Musical Version of Old French Farce Opens|date=September 24, 1964|page=45|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/09/24/archives/the-theater-that-hat-musical-version-of-old-french-farce-opens.html}} In 1965 he starred as Raphael Bonnardon in the world premiere of Jean-Pierre Aumont's Madame Mousse with Molly Picon in the title role at the Westport Country Playhouse.{{cite news|title=Legitimate: Stock Reviews - Madame Mousse|work=Variety|volume=240|issue=1|date=25 August 1965|page= 50}}

In 1964, Olaf reunited with Robert Dhéry to make the film Allez France!, which screened in the United States two years later with the English language title The Counterfeit Constable.{{cite news|title=Film review: AIlez France|author=Mosk|work=Variety|volume=236|issue=13|date=18 November 1964|page=7}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1966/11/22/archives/screen-a-noisy-failurecounterfeit-constable-at-little-carnegie.html|title= Screen: A Noisy Failure:'Counterfeit Constable' at Little Carnegie|author=Bosley Crowther|date=22 November 1966|work=The New York Times}} He worked with Dhery again a decade later on Vos gueules, les mouettes!{{cite news|title=Film Reviews: Vos Gueules, Les Mouettes!|author=Mosk|work=Variety|volume=276|issue=13|date=6 November 1974|page=20}}

In 1970, he reunited with Renoir to make the 1970 television film-series The Little Theatre of Jean Renoir; portraying Gustave in "La Cireuse électrique".{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1974/05/03/archives/le-petit-theatre-de-jean-renoir-cest-merveilleux.html |work=The New York Times|title='Le Petit Theatre de Jean Renoir, C'est Merveilleux|author=Vincent CanBY|date=3 May 1974|page=46}}{{cite news|title=Pictures: Film Reviews - Le Petit Theatre De Jean Renoir|author=Mosk|work=Variety|volume=263|issue=9|date=14 July 1971|page= 20}} He was a featured interviewee in the 1993 documentary film on Renoir.{{cite news|title=Reviews: LONDON FEST - JEAN RENOIR|author=Elley, Derek|work=Variety|volume=353|issue=5|date=13 December 1993|page=39}}

In 1984, Olaf portrayed Bob Cratchit in a French language adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol for TF1 television.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JpvP1yPvsZoC&dq=Pierre+Olaf+Bob+Cratchit&pg=PA216|title=A Christmas Carol and Its Adaptations: A Critical Examination of Dickens's Story and Its Productions on Screen and Television|page=216|author=Fred Guida|year= 2006|publisher=McFarland & Company|isbn=9780786428403}} In 1985, he created the role of Abdul in the premiere of Sir Peter Ustinov’s play Comme de mal entendu at the Théâtre de la Madeleine.{{cite news|title=Legitimate: Shows Abroad - Comme De Mal Entendu|author=Curt|work=Variety|volume=320|issue=10|date=2 October 1985|page=152}}

In his latter years, Olaf lived in a small apartment in Montmartre, Paris which had window views that overlooked the Sacré-Cœur. He died in Paris on 16 September 1995, aged 67.

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0645870/ Pierre Olaf at IMDB]
• [https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/pierre-olaf-55072 Pierre Olaf at IBDB]

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Category:1928 births

Category:1995 deaths

Category:20th-century French male actors

Category:French male film actors

Category:French male musical theatre actors

Category:French male stage actors

Category:French male television actors

Category:Special Tony Award recipients