Biography
Jean Dréville was a prolific French film director whose career spanned from the late 1920s to the late 1960s. Initially trained in advertising design and photography, he began his cinematic journey by publishing articles in film sections of newspapers like L'Intransigeant and Comœdia. Dréville directed his first film, Autour de L'Argent (1928), a documentary on the making of Marcel L'Herbier's L'Argent. His notable works include A Cage of Nightingales (1945), which inspired the 2004 film The Chorus, and The Battle of the Rails (1946), a realistic portrayal of French railway workers' resistance during World War II. Dréville's films are recognized for their narrative clarity and humanistic approach.
Directed 40
1970s
- 1971
Le Voyageur des siècles
Director
1960s
- 1969
The Leatherstocking Tales
Director
- 1966
The Sleeping Sentinel
Director
- 1965
Nights of Farewell
Director
- 1962
- 1960
Normandy - Neman
Director
1950s
- 1958
A Dog, A Mouse and a Sputnik
Director
The Lady and the Gipsy
Director
- 1957
The Suspects
Director
- 1955
Intermediate Landing in Paris
Director
- 1954
Queen Margot
Director
- 1952
Das Geheimnis vom Bergsee
Director
The Girl with the Whip
Director
- 1950
The Big Meeting
Director
1940s
- 1949
Return to Life
Director
- 1948
The Spice of Life
Director
Operation Swallow: The Battle for Heavy Water
Director
- 1947
Carbon Copy
Director
- 1946
- 1945
Hanged Man's Farm
Director
Les Cadets de l'océan
Director
A Cage of Nightingales
Director
- 1943
The Roquevillards
Director
- 1942
Business Is Business
Director
Annette and the Blonde Woman
Director
- 1940
President Haudecoeur
Director
1930s
- 1939
His Uncle from Normandy
Director
Savage Brigade
Assistant Director
- 1938
The Chess Player
Director
White Nights in Saint Petersburg
Director
- 1937
Mama Hummingbird
Director
Troïka sur la piste blanche
Director
- 1936
Les Petites Alliées
Director
Coup de vent
Director
- 1935
Touche-à-tout
Director
- 1934
A Man and His Woman
Director
Le Bonheur
Assistant Director
1920s
- 1929
Autour de l'argent
Director
Wrote 4
1940s
- 1943
The Roquevillards
Screenplay
- 1942
Annette and the Blonde Woman
Screenplay
1930s
- 1938
The Chess Player
Writer
- 1934
A Man and His Woman
Writer
Acted in 3
2010s
- 2017
Jean Dréville, l'aimant du cinéma
Lui-même
1950s
- 1957
The Suspects
Commentator (uncredited)
- 1955
Intermediate Landing in Paris
Movie
Other crew 2
1930s
- 1931
Romania, land of love
Cinematography
1920s
- 1929
Cagliostro
Technical Supervisor
Produced 1
1960s
- 1962
Edited 1
1930s
- 1934
A Man and His Woman
Editor
Appearances1
2010s
- 2019
1940: Taking over French Cinema
Self (archive footage)