Lino Ventura

Biography

Lino Ventura was an Italian-born actor whose character work made him a beloved figure in French cinema from the 1950s through the 1980s. Born in Parma, Italy, and raised in Paris, he worked as a professional wrestler and was a European champion in 1950. Jacques Becker, looking for gangster types, cast the inexperienced Ventura as a villain opposite Jean Gabin in Touchez Pas au Grisbi (1954); Gabin encouraged him to continue acting. Ventura often played gangsters alongside Gabin in later films, and in the 1960s he became known as a tough presence who could move between light comedy and dark drama. He portrayed criminals in Le Deuxième Souffle (1966), a Resistance fighter in Army of Shadows (1969), crime boss Vito Genovese in The Valachi Papers (1972), and corrupt police chief Tiger Brown in The Threepenny Opera (1963). His Jean Valjean in Les Misérables (1982) earned a Cesar nomination. He died in 1987.

Movie Career

Films: 20
Career span: 28 years1954 to 1982

Genres

Drama65%, 13 films
Crime60%, 12 films
Comedy35%, 7 films
Action20%, 4 films
Adventure15%, 3 films

First and latest

Lino Ventura movies on Netflix

Spy, Stand Up1982IMDb rating 6.6as Sébastien Grenier
Sunday Lovers1980IMDb rating 5.4as François Quérole (sketch 'La méthode française')
The Medusa Touch1978IMDb rating 6.9as Detective-inspector Brunel
Illustrious Corpses1976IMDb rating 7.3as Inspector Amerigo Rogas
The French Detective1975IMDb rating 6.8as Commissioner Verjeat
Money Money Money1972IMDb rating 6.9as Lino Massaro
The Valachi Papers1972IMDb rating 6.4as Vito Genovese
Army of Shadows1969IMDb rating 8.1as Philippe Gerbier
The Last Adventure1967IMDb rating 7.0as Roland
Le Deuxième Souffle1966IMDb rating 7.9as Gustave 'Gu' Minda
Let's Not Get Angry1966IMDb rating 6.6as Antoine Beretto
The Wise Guys1965IMDb rating 6.9as Laurent Dannecker
Greed in the Sun1964IMDb rating 7.0as Hervé Marec dit 'Le plouc'
The Great Spy Chase1964IMDb rating 6.8as Francis Lagneau
Monsieur Gangster1963IMDb rating 7.7as Fernand Naudin
The Threepenny Opera1963IMDb rating 5.3as 'Tiger' Brown
The Devil and the Ten Commandments1962IMDb rating 6.6as Garigny
The Big Risk1960IMDb rating 7.4as Abel Davos
Maigret Sets a Trap1958IMDb rating 7.2as Inspecteur Torrence
Touchez Pas au Grisbi1954IMDb rating 7.6as Angelo Fraiser

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Army of Shadows1969 Drama, Waras Philippe Gerbier
IMDb rating 8.130K votes
Le Deuxième Souffle1966 Crime, Dramaas Gustave 'Gu' Minda
IMDb rating 7.97.5K votes
Monsieur Gangster1963as Fernand Naudin
IMDb rating 7.77.2K votes
The Medusa Touch1978as Detective-inspector Brunel
IMDb rating 6.98.6K votes
The Big Risk1960as Abel Davos
IMDb rating 7.45.2K votes
Touchez Pas au Grisbi1954as Angelo Fraiser
IMDb rating 7.69.8K votes
The Valachi Papers1972as Vito Genovese
IMDb rating 6.45.2K votes
The Last Adventure1967as Roland
IMDb rating 7.04.5K votes

Most often with

Georges Lautner directed three of these films, Jean-Pierre Melville two and Robert Enrico two. Eight actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Bernard Blier

Claude Rich

Michel Constantin

Paul Crauchet

Philippe Castelli

Paul MeurisseGeorges LautnerDirector, 3 films

Jean-Pierre MelvilleDirector, 2 filmsRobert EnricoDirector, 2 films

Films together

Bernard Blier3 films together, 1963 to 1964
Bernard Blier's page
- Greed in the Sun1964IMDb rating 7.0Ventura as Hervé Marec dit 'Le plouc'Blier as Mitch-Mitch
- The Great Spy Chase1964IMDb rating 6.8Ventura as Francis LagneauBlier as Eusebio Cafarelli
- Monsieur Gangster1963IMDb rating 7.7Ventura as Fernand NaudinBlier as Raoul Volfoni
Claude Rich3 films together, 1962 to 1975
Claude Rich's page
- The French Detective1975IMDb rating 6.8Ventura as Commissioner VerjeatRich as Judge Delmesse
- Monsieur Gangster1963IMDb rating 7.7Ventura as Fernand NaudinRich as Antoine Delafoy
- The Devil and the Ten Commandments1962IMDb rating 6.6Ventura as GarignyRich as Le diable - Voix Off (non crédité)
Michel Constantin3 films together, 1965 to 1966
Michel Constantin's page
- Le Deuxième Souffle1966IMDb rating 7.9Ventura as Gustave 'Gu' MindaConstantin as Alban
- Let's Not Get Angry1966IMDb rating 6.6Ventura as Antoine BerettoConstantin as Jeff
- The Wise Guys1965IMDb rating 6.9Ventura as Laurent DanneckerConstantin as Skida
Paul Crauchet3 films together, 1965 to 1969
Paul Crauchet's page
- Army of Shadows1969IMDb rating 8.1Ventura as Philippe GerbierCrauchet as Felix Lepercq
- The Last Adventure1967IMDb rating 7.0Ventura as RolandCrauchet as L'assureur
- The Wise Guys1965IMDb rating 6.9Ventura as Laurent DanneckerCrauchet as Pelissier, accountant
Philippe Castelli3 films together, 1963 to 1966
Philippe Castelli's page
- Let's Not Get Angry1966IMDb rating 6.6Ventura as Antoine Beretto
- The Great Spy Chase1964IMDb rating 6.8Ventura as Francis LagneauCastelli as Istanbul hotel receptionist
- Monsieur Gangster1963IMDb rating 7.7Ventura as Fernand NaudinCastelli as Le tailleur
Paul Meurisse3 films together, 1963 to 1969
Paul Meurisse's page
- Army of Shadows1969IMDb rating 8.1Ventura as Philippe GerbierMeurisse as Luc Jardie
- Le Deuxième Souffle1966IMDb rating 7.9Ventura as Gustave 'Gu' MindaMeurisse as Commissaire Blot
- Monsieur Gangster1963IMDb rating 7.7Ventura as Fernand NaudinMeurisse as commandant Théobald Dromard, dit « Le Monocle »
Georges LautnerDirector, 3 films, 1963 to 1966
- Let's Not Get Angry1966IMDb rating 6.6Ventura as Antoine Beretto
- The Great Spy Chase1964IMDb rating 6.8Ventura as Francis Lagneau
- Monsieur Gangster1963IMDb rating 7.7Ventura as Fernand Naudin
Jean-Pierre MelvilleDirector, 2 films, 1966 to 1969
- Army of Shadows1969IMDb rating 8.1Ventura as Philippe Gerbier
- Le Deuxième Souffle1966IMDb rating 7.9Ventura as Gustave 'Gu' Minda
Robert EnricoDirector, 2 films, 1965 to 1967
- The Last Adventure1967IMDb rating 7.0Ventura as Roland
- The Wise Guys1965IMDb rating 6.9Ventura as Laurent Dannecker
Also three films together2 more actors
- Louis BugetteLe Deuxième Souffle (1966), Greed in the Sun (1964) and Maigret Sets a Trap (1958)
- Mick BessonThe Last Adventure (1967), Let's Not Get Angry (1966) and The Wise Guys (1965)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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IMDbFilmography (opens another site)