Young Clément Mary, originally named after his father, was born on July 18, 1905, in Paris' 6th arrondissement. At the age of five, his father, Abélard Mary, took him and his brother to the Gaumont studio to promote themselves as extras. Abélard, an actor who had become a down-on-his-luck clown due to his gambling and furniture trade, hoped to relive his own acting career through his children. His gamble paid off, as they were hired for the peplum "Les Derniers Jours de Babylone."
Young Clément's natural playfulness, histrionic acting, and street talk quickly caught the attention of producer-director Louis Feuillade. Feuillade designed a series around him, the Bébé series, in which he would play the lead role. Over the next two years, Clément appeared in 74 Bébé comedies, showcasing his ability to charm both actors and technicians. His character often found himself in difficult situations, such as being a spoiled brat, but he also demonstrated his good heart by helping those in distress.
As the series' popularity soared, Abélard's wealth increased, but his son's acting career was not immune to the effects of his father's money hunger. Abélard bought a small cinema in Ménilmontant, which he named Bébé-Cinéma, and hoped to establish a franchise with Gaumont. However, this move was met with resistance from Feuillade, who was already frustrated with Abélard's self-promotion and constant demands for raises for his son.
As Clément grew older, his cuteness as a child actor began to fade, and he was eventually replaced by another young actor, Bout-de-Zan, in the film "Bébé adopte un petit frère." Abélard took Gaumont to court, but the court ruled that the breach of contract was justified, and Mary was allowed to continue acting at Pathé's subsidiary Eclectic Films. However, it was no match for Gaumont's Bout-de-Zan.
As a young man, Clément Mary attempted professional boxing but eventually returned to acting. He took acting lessons with Lucien Guitry and joined stage tours under the name René Duclos. He later debuted in French sound cinema with bit parts and eventually changed his name to René Dary. His breakthrough role came in the film "Le Révolte," where he played an anarchist sailor.
Dary went on to specialize in tough, taciturn sailors who hid their true generosity under a tough exterior. He continued to act in films throughout the 1940s and 1950s, including "Carrefour des enfants perdus" and "Touchez pas au grisbi!" In the 1960s, he found success on stage and in television dramas. Clément Mary/Bébé/René Dary passed away on October 9, 1974, in Plan-de-Cuques, Bouche-du-Rhône.
