Albert Dieudonné
A French actor forever immortalized by a single, towering role: embodying Napoleon Bonaparte for the cinematic ages in Abel Gance's epic.
1889–1976 (age 87)·French actor, screenwriter, film director, and novelist·Birthday: November 26·The Lost Generation
Biography
Albert Dieudonné lived a life in the arts—writing, directing, and performing on stage and screen—but history remembers him for one monumental incarnation. He was the chosen face of Abel Gance's ambitious 1927 silent film 'Napoléon,' a role he pursued with a passion that bordered on obsession. Dieudonné didn't just play the emperor; he felt a profound, almost mystical connection to the part, studying his subject relentlessly to capture his essence from youthful fervor to imperial grandeur. The performance, set against Gance's revolutionary technical experiments, remains a landmark. While he continued to work in film and publish novels, he never escaped the long shadow of the Corsican general. In a poignant echo of his most famous character, Dieudonné's later years were marked by a struggle for recognition, yet his place in film history was secured by that one brilliant, defining act of possession.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Albert was born in 1889, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Albert Was Born
The biggest hits of 1889
Albert's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1889Born
Eiffel Tower opens in Paris
President: Benjamin Harrison
1894Started school
President: Grover Cleveland
1902Became a teenager
The eruption of Mount Pelee kills 30,000 in Martinique
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1905Could drive
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1907Could vote
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1910Turned 21
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1919Turned 30
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1929Turned 40
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1939Turned 50
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1949Turned 60
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1959Turned 70
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 80
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1976Died at 87
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
Key Achievements
- Delivered the definitive silent-era performance as Napoleon Bonaparte in Abel Gance's groundbreaking 1927 film 'Napoléon.'
- Authored several novels, including 'The Triumph of the Will,' which explored themes of destiny and power.
- Worked as both a screenwriter and film director in the French cinema of the 1920s and 1930s.
Did You Know?
He was so dedicated to the role of Napoleon that he reportedly carried a bust of the emperor with him for years.
He wrote a novel about Napoleon, further demonstrating his lifelong fascination with the historical figure.
Abel Gance's 'Napoléon' featured innovative wide-screen techniques and rapid editing that were far ahead of their time.
“I am not playing Napoleon; I have become him.”
