It was enough to listen to his beautiful accent of Marseille to think that we were walking on the Canebière or in the garrigues of Provence.
Jean Panisse, the actor who played a stormy peasant in the original version of
Manon des Sources
(1952) by Marcel Pagnol, died on the night of December 31 to January 1.
He was 92 years old.
To read also: A summer with Pagnol: Manon or the revenge of a blonde
According to our colleagues from
France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
, the Marseille actor died in the retirement home in the Marseille city where he lived.
A few days earlier, he had been admitted to the hospital run by Professor Raoult, after having tested positive for Covid-19.
Read also: A summer with Pagnol: Ugolino, awful, dirty and nasty
The ease, the good-naturedness, the humor, even his surname which recalled the legendary card game of Raimu and his friends at the Bar de la Marine, everything at Jean Panisse evoked Marseille where he was born on March 17, 1928.
Marseillais par excellence
His career began precisely with a master stroke.
In 1952 Marcel Pagnol had the happy idea of entrusting him with the role of Eliacin, a peasant as colorful as he was obstinate, who "wants his water because he has paid for it".
The scene where he belches with rage in front of Raymond Pellegrin and Fernand Sardou, who try to make him right, is a small masterpiece of composition.
From now on this talented actor will become an indispensable supporting role which will benefit from his verve no less than fifty films.
In
Do not get angry
(1966), Georges Lautner entrusted him with an earthy character of "guns" receiver, which Jean Panisse once again made unforgettable.
Several times also, he gave the reply to Louis de Funès.
The first time in
Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez
(1964), where he plays an unlucky restaurateur and then in
Sur un Arbre Perché
(1971) in which he perfectly wears the dress of a sergeant.
Jean Panisse will also have played twice alongside Jean-Paul Belmondo: in
L'Homme de Rio
in 1964 and of course in
Borsalino
by Jacques Deray, which told the story of the two great Marseille thugs.
Mayrig
by Henri Verneuil in 1991 was his last film.
The screenplay recounted the arrival and life of an Armenian family in Marseille.
Marseille ... the great passion of Jean Panisse.
"I want my water"
, the famous scene by Jean Panisse alias the peasant Eliacin in
Manon des Sources
by Marcel Pagnol in 1952
