Lucien Édouard Noël, known professionally as Noël Noël, was a renowned French actor, screenwriter, and director, born on August 9, 1897, in the vibrant city of Paris. He initially gained recognition in the Parisian music halls and cabarets, where he created his iconic character, Adémaï Joseph, a lovable but hapless French soldier.
Noël's Adémaï character, with its endearing blend of clumsiness and innocence, soon transitioned to the big screen in the early 1930s. He continued to excel in both acting and writing/directing roles throughout his career, often collaborating with other top comedians. As a leftist cartoonist and skilled songwriter, Noël's personal values and ideals frequently found expression in his work.
Some of Noël's earliest starring roles include the comedy La prison en folie (1931),the dramatic Mistigri (1931) opposite Madeleine Renaud, the comedy Papa sans le savoir (1932),and the title role in Monsieur Albert (1932). He also appeared in the social comedy Mam'zelle Spahi (1934) and took on the popular Adémaï character in short films and feature films, including Adémaï et la nation armée (1932),Backbench (2014),Adémaï aviateur (1934) co-starring Fernandel, Passing Glory (1999) co-starring Michel Simon, and Adémaï bandit d'honneur (1943).
During World War II, Noël continued to star in escapist film vehicles, such as La famille Duraton (1939),Sur le plancher des vaches (1939),and A Cage of Nightingales (1945). In the 1950s and 1960s, he sporadically appeared as a character lead or support in films like the musical comedy La vie chantée (1951),which he also wrote and directed, La fugue de Monsieur Perle (1952),The French, They Are a Funny Race (1955),La terreur des dames (1956),The Gangsters (1957),Le septième ciel (1958) with Danielle Darrieux, Sputnik (1958),Messieurs les ronds de cuir (1959),Les vieux de la vieille (1960),and Jessica (1962) starring Maurice Chevalier and Angie Dickinson.
Noël's final film appearance was in the farcical comedy La sentinelle endormie (1966),which he also wrote, where he portrayed a doctor conspiring with royalists against Napoleon. Noël was married twice and passed away in France on October 4, 1989, at the age of 92.
