Pierre Vernier, Rocambole made him a star

Passed away this week at the age of 93, as discreetly as he lived, Pierre Vernier began, in the 1950s, in the heart of “the Conservatory band”and established unwavering bonds of friendship with Jean-Paul Belmondo. He was thus naturally present in most of his films, for a few scenes, or sometimes many more. This complicity gave him the image of a “second role” of French cinema, even if during a career spanning seven decades, he played more than 200 characters while regularly being one of the headliners, particularly in the theater.

“We know his face, but not necessarily his name”we said about him, at the time of tributes. A generation remembers it perfectly: the one which, in the mid-1960s, passionately followed Swiss rolla soap opera broadcast every evening, at 7:40 p.m., on the first and only television channel, then in black and white. The ratings do not yet exist but the public surveys or the study of the mail are clear and definitive. The quality of the script, the dialogues and the direction, but also, and above all, the interpretation of Pierre Vernier are unanimously praised by critics. Thanks to the character of Rocambole, a “barrier prowler” repented, transformed into the most skillful of vigilantes, he becomes a star of the emerging small screen. He does not derive the slightest personal glory from it, quite the contrary: he is only doing his job. He continues more than ever to display a natural modesty, as confirmed by the report broadcast in 1964 in Beyond the screenwhich Madelen invites you to discover or rediscover.

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Great supporting role in French cinema, actor Pierre Vernier has died at 93

He recounts his beginnings, evokes his learning of fencing and judo, essential for the authenticity of the role, as well as a passion for horses born from the first gallops the day after trials which allowed him to be hired. Originally, the contract provided for the filming, in six months, of 26 episodes entitled The mysterious inheritance. Inspired by a novel by Ponson du Terrail, published in the form of a serial in a 19th century daily newspaper, Louis Falavigna and Anne-Marie Salerne begin by writing a scenario and dialogues where the twists and turns are permanent and the suspense total until the last images: the diabolical Sir Williams, masterfully played by Jean Topart, will try everything to marry a young and rich heiress, Hermine de Beaupreau, and seize her fortune. Rocambole enters the dance to stop him. Jean-Pierre Decourt, one of the pioneers of series production, then adds his touch. In order for each scene to be interpreted with absolute classical rigor, he chose to hire big names in the theater, including René Clermont, Pierre Santini, Francine Bergé and Michel Beaune, another member of the Bande du Conservatoire, who died too soon.

The success was such that two other seasons were filmed immediately: The stranglers where Thugs, a sect of worshipers of the goddess Kali, from India, find themselves manipulated by Sir Williams, and The beautiful gardener where Rocambole wonders about the disappearance of those who tried to unravel the secret of Countess Porovna, who cultivates very strange plants. Once again, Sir Williams is there. A fourth season is considered, but Vernier and Topart decide to abandon a costume which, they think, risks sticking to them until the end of their careers.

Broadcast several times on public channels, released on video cassette then on DVD, now available on platforms, Swiss roll deserves to be seen again by the oldest and discovered by their children and grandchildren. It is the symbol of an era when producers and channel directors did not hesitate to break the bank in order to give a quality project the best chance of success. Shooting images in period costumes in a setting from the past did not pose the slightest problem. A time that viewers over the age of 20 cannot, unfortunately, experience.