There is only one historical Charlot left.
Gérard Filippelli, alias "Phil", the big hairy and funny stakes of the band, died Tuesday at the Argenteuil hospital (Val-d'Oise).
Hospitalized for a week, he was killed on Tuesday by cancer at the age of 78.
This pure Parisian, born in the 14th arrondissement, lived in the neighboring town, in Bezons (Val-d'Oise), and had enjoyed a sweet retirement since the death of Gérard Rinaldi in 2012. He did not participate in the reformations of the Charlots , nor to the Age Tendre tours, but continued to play the guitar with his friend Luis Rego.
Of the merry team of musicians and actors, which was as popular and funny in the 1970s as the band in Fifi is today, only the mustached Jean Sarrus remains, who now lives in Auvergne.
"A mad lover of music"
His phone kept ringing on Wednesday.
"Where to start," he breathes when he finally picks up the phone.
We spent fifty years together!
Phil was a mad music lover and an excellent guitarist.
It was carelessness and kindness.
We had a lot of fun together.
"
Their meeting dates back to 1966. “We rehearsed under the cinema the Grand Rex with Gérard Rinaldi and Luis Rego and we were missing a guitarist,” says Jean Sarrus, bassist.
In the group that rehearsed before us, we noticed a certain "Phil", who cut the lights when his singer sang out of tune.
He was offered to join us.
Together, we became Les Problèmes and we recorded Antoine's records
(Editor's note: including the famous “Elucubrations”)
then accompanied him on stage.
"
Zany comedies and kindly "itchy"
In the 1970s, Problèmes became the Charlots and movie stars, who made France laugh with wacky comedies and gently "scratching".
Christian Fechner produces, Claude Zidi realizes.
Their films "Les Bidasses en folie" (1971), "Les Fous du stade" (1972), "Le Grand Bazar" (1973) and "Les Charlots contre Dracula" (1980) hit the mark: up to 7.7 million spectators.
“It was crazy, yes,” smiles Jean Sarrus.
But the funniest part was that it worked all over the world, because the dialogue was sparse and straightforward.
Suddenly, easy to translate.
We traveled a lot, we visited all the big cities in India.
It was funny to see yourself speaking in Thai, Hindi, Chinese.
"
In a tape with variable geometry, they continued to turn in the 1980s, "The Charlots in delirium", "The Charlots against Dracula", "The Return of the bidasses in madness", but knew a slow decline until the last one. film, "Le retour des Charlots", in 1992. They also toured as musicians until the departure of Gérard Fillipelli, in 1996. Their last appearance dates back to 2008, in "Vivement Dimanche" by Michel Drucker.
“But Phil has always played the guitar,” says Jean Sarrus.
He steered with Luis Rego and he took care of his cats.
He was a handyman and had made a cane to feed them from a distance.
"Jean Sarrus and Jean-Guy Fechner, who has been an intermittent member of the group, are preparing a return" in the style of the Charlots ".
We can bet that they will wink at their friend "Phil" in their album.
