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IMDbPro

Eddie Constantine(1913-1993)

  • Actor
  • Cinematographer
  • Composer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Eddie Constantine
A U.S. secret agent is sent to the distant space city of Alphaville where he must find a missing person and free the city from its tyrannical ruler.
Play trailer1:27
Alphaville (1965)
1 Video
48 Photos
Iconic American-born singer and actor in international films since the 1950s. Born in L.A. to Russian immigrant parents, Constantine studied voice in Vienna. He returned to the US, where his singing career wavered and he found work as a film extra. Constantine first achieved fame in Paris, where he launched a successful career as a popular singer under the tutelage of Édith Piaf. On screen from 1953, his tough guy manner was put to good use in French imitations of Humphrey Bogart films, several of which featured Peter Cheyney's no-nonsense, hard-hitting private detective, Lemmy Caution. In 1965 Jean-Luc Godard appropriated both Constantine and the Caution character for Alphaville (1965), a futuristic, parodic homage to the detective genre. The tough guys that craggy-faced Constantine played were ideals derived from the already stylized and ritualized world of G-men and private eyes found in American movies. Filmmakers of the New German Cinema resurrected Constantine and his persona; notably, Rainer Werner Fassbinder cast him as the laconic star of the film-within-the-film in Beware of a Holy Whore (1971). Constantine also appeared in a number of German TV dramas in the 70s and 80s and, late in life, reprised his most famous role in Godard's Germany Year 90 Nine Zero (1991).
BornOctober 29, 1913
DiedFebruary 25, 1993(79)
BornOctober 29, 1913
DiedFebruary 25, 1993(79)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank

Photos48

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Known for

Eddie Constantine and Anna Karina in Alphaville (1965)
Alphaville
7.0
  • Lemmy Caution
  • 1965
The Long Good Friday (1980)
The Long Good Friday
7.5
  • Charlie
  • 1980
Cet homme est dangereux (1953)
Cet homme est dangereux
5.9
  • Lemmy Caution
  • 1953
Germany Year 90 Nine Zero (1991)
Germany Year 90 Nine Zero
6.9
  • Lemmy Caution
  • 1991

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor



  • L'agence
    • Released
    • TV Series
    • 1989



  • Jean-Marc Barr and Lars von Trier in Dimension 1991-2024 (2010)
    Dimension 1991-2024
    4.7
    Video
    • 2010
  • Three Shake-a-Leg Steps to Heaven (1993)
    Three Shake-a-Leg Steps to Heaven
    3.5
    • Don Fabrizzi
    • 1993
  • Eddie Constantine and Dick Rude in Tokyo Holiday (1991)
    Tokyo Holiday
    • Mr. Light
    • 1991
  • Germany Year 90 Nine Zero (1991)
    Germany Year 90 Nine Zero
    6.9
    • Lemmy Caution
    • 1991
  • Jean-Marc Barr in Europa (1991)
    Europa
    7.5
    • Colonel Harris
    • 1991
  • Europa, abends (1989)
    Europa, abends
    • Mr. Hardayle
    • 1989
  • Eddie Constantine in Le retour de Lemmy Caution (1989)
    Le retour de Lemmy Caution
    4.8
    TV Movie
    • Lemmy Caution
    • 1989
  • Thomas Fritsch and Thekla Carola Wied in Rivalen der Rennbahn (1989)
    Rivalen der Rennbahn
    6.7
    TV Series
    • Herr Belmont
    • 1989
  • Raymond Souplex in Les cinq dernières minutes (1958)
    Les cinq dernières minutes
    7.9
    TV Series
    • John Kenneth Morton
    • 1988
  • Helsinki Napoli All Night Long (1987)
    Helsinki Napoli All Night Long
    6.2
    • Old Gangster
    • 1987
  • Pehavý Max a strasidlá (1987)
    Pehavý Max a strasidlá
    7.3
    • Alojz
    • 1987
  • Martin Hreben and Gerhard Karzel in Frankenstein's Aunt (1987)
    Frankenstein's Aunt
    7.7
    TV Series
    • Alois - Water Spirit
    • 1987
  • Inge Meysel and Richard Hirzel in Roncalli (1986)
    Roncalli
    6.6
    TV Series
    • Weißclown Pablo
    • 1986–1987
  • Honor Thy Father (1986)
    Honor Thy Father
    4.3
    TV Movie
    • Alideo
    • 1986
  • Makaroni Blues (1986)
    Makaroni Blues
    5.4
    • Lemmy Caution
    • 1986

Cinematographer



  • Eddie und Lutz
    Short
    • Cinematographer
    • 1979

Composer



  • Incognito (1958)
    Incognito
    5.3
    • Composer
    • 1958

Videos1

Re-release Trailer
Trailer 1:27
Re-release Trailer

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative names
    • Eddi Constantine
  • Height
    • 5′ 9½″ (1.77 m)
  • Born
    • October 29, 1913
    • Los Angeles, California, USA
  • Died
    • February 25, 1993
    • Wiesbaden, Hesse, Germany(heart attack)
  • Spouses
      Maya Faber-JansenMarch 23, 1979 - February 25, 1993 (his death, 1 child)
  • Children
      Barbara Constantine
  • Other works
    Print ad for French hats (1963)
  • Publicity listings
    • 2 Biographical Movies
    • 3 Print Biographies
    • 1 Interview
    • 3 Articles
    • 2 Pictorials
    • 22 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    His most famous character Lemmy Caution appeared in twelve films (in between the 1950's and 1990's) and in one TV miniseries.
  • Nickname
    • Sinatra of the Seine

FAQ11

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  • How did Eddie Constantine die?
  • How old was Eddie Constantine when he died?

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