Jacques Deray Artwork valuations, appraisals and auction estimates

Jacque Deray was born in Lyon in 1929. He entered the world of entertainment as an actor: at 19 he moved to Paris and studied dramaturgy. Read the full biography

Jacque Deray was born in Lyon in 1929. He entered the world of entertainment as an actor: at 19 he moved to Paris and studied dramaturgy. Two and a half years later he made his film and theater debut. After realizing that he has no talent as an actor, he decides to go behind the camera. In 1952 he began to collaborate on directing with authors such as Marcel Camus, Jean Boyer, Gilles Grangier, Henri Verneuil, Jules Dassin and Luis Buñuel. He made his directorial debut in 1960 with "Le gigolò" with Alida Valli. He gradually became passionate about thrillers to the point of being nicknamed the Hitchcock of French cinema. Deray gives the genre his own personal interpretation, focusing on the protagonists rather than the situations. He made numerous detective films, directing, among others, Romy Schneider in "The Pool" (1968), Alan Deloin - with whom he made ten films including "Borsalino" (1970) and "Borsalino and Co." (1974) - and Lino Ventura. For his contribution to French cinema, Deray was awarded various awards including the Legion of Honour. He died after a serious illness, at the age of 74, in his home.