The eye of the INA: Jean Carmet, the thirst for life of a great actor

Having died 30 years ago, Jean Carmet left the image of a great actor but also of a bon vivant. His love of his native Touraine and the wines associated with it are part of his legend. The images that Madelen invites you to discover or rediscover are particularly moving. He returns to the school of his youth, in Bourgueil, and shows that the adult he has become remains more than ever a child who, until his departure, carefully cultivated his thirst for life.

He left his mark on cinema, in particular with Dupont la joie, but also on television for four decades. A young actor then at the head of a cabaret under the “Pot-au-feu” brand, he regularly participated in La Boîte à sel, the first singer-songwriter show in the history of the small screen. He then gave the reply to his friend Pierre Tchernia with whom, far from the cameras, he laughed a lot, particularly during the “Cake Game”, which they had invented. They would spot a pastry shop with an unappealing storefront, go in and order éclairs, tarts or rum babas which they would enjoy in front of the boss, congratulating her on the quality of her work. They didn't think a word about it, had great difficulty finishing the parts, but they managed to do so for the pleasure of seeing the face of their interlocutor, not understanding what was happening to her.

Passionate about what he called his “Bondieuseries”, Carmet did not fail to show the friends he received, a country confessional, acquired at a high price, of which he was particularly proud. The sound of trains on the rails also made him dream. It marked his childhood so much that between two film shoots, he regularly went to the Saint-Lazare station, where, after shaving in the toilets, he bought tickets for anywhere, boarding of the first departing car. This eternal wanderer drove directors crazy by taking advantage of a break during filming to knock on a stranger's door, attracted by the smell of cooking coming from an open window. Each time, he was recognized and welcomed with open arms, like a family friend. He shared a leg or a saddle of hare, starting a conversation, which continued until an assistant managed to find his trace. He then returned, almost with regret, to the plateau.

Francis Blanche was also her friend, despite a prank which, for Carmet, turned into a nightmare. One day in the 1960s, Blanche announced on the radio that he had found a doctor who could make any hiccup disappear. In the process, he gives Carmet's phone number. For two months, in a time when answering machines did not exist, the ringtone rang day and night, and every time he picked up, he heard a “Hello, doctor,” followed by a “hiccup.”

In Bourgueil, the actor evokes Michel Audiard. Their total brotherhood only experienced a temporary fracture when the dialogue writer accepted the Legion of Honor, which, in Carmet's eyes, was not admissible from a right-wing anarchist.

This fantasy should not make us forget the immense actor that he was, well beyond the supporting roles that were entrusted to him. Césars have rewarded him for Les Misérables and Merci pour la vie. There is also a mini-series, in which he has the leading role and in which he proves exceptional: The double life of Théophraste Longuet. Three episodes directed by Yannick Andréi which deserve to be rebroadcast today.