Jacques Prévert
He captured the heart of everyday Paris with his playful, accessible poetry and penned the screenplay for one of cinema's most beloved classics.
1900–1977 (age 77)·French poet and screenwriter·Birthday: February 4·The Lost Generation
Biography
Jacques Prévert was the people's poet, a wordsmith who turned the cadences of Parisian street talk into art. Rejecting the surrealism of his early associates, he crafted verses that were deceptively simple, full of wit, rebellion, and tender observation, which were later set to music and became national anthems of the everyday. His parallel career in cinema was just as impactful. As a screenwriter for director Marcel Carné, he helped define the poetic realist genre, infusing gritty stories with a haunting, romantic spirit. Their collaboration peaked with 'Les Enfants du Paradis,' a monumental film made under Nazi occupation that stands as a towering testament to art's resilience. Prévert's published collections sold in the millions, ensuring his words remained on the lips of schoolchildren and lovers long after his death.
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.
Jacques was born in 1900, 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 Jacques Was Born
The biggest hits of 1900
Jacques's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1900Born
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1905Started school
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1913Became a teenager
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1916Could drive
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Could vote
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1921Turned 21
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1930Turned 30
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1940Turned 40
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 50
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 60
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 70
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1977Died at 77
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
Key Achievements
- Wrote the screenplay for 'Les Enfants du Paradis' (1945), often cited among the greatest films ever made.
- His poetry collections, like 'Paroles,' achieved massive commercial success and became staples in French education.
- Was a central screenwriter in the French poetic realist film movement of the 1930s and 1940s.
- Many of his poems were set to music by Joseph Kosma and performed by iconic singers like Yves Montand.
Did You Know?
He was expelled from school multiple times as a youth for his rebellious nature.
He collaborated extensively with the artist Marc Chagall on theatrical projects.
He had a famous dislike for authority, the military, and organized religion, themes common in his work.
“Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it.”
