Denys de La Patellière
French film director and scriptwriter (1921–2013)

Denys de La Patellière (8 March 1921 in Nantes, France – 21 July 2013) was a French film director and scriptwriter. He also directed Television series.
He died in 2013 at the age of 92.
Biography
The son of an officer, Denys de La Patellière was preparing for the entrance exam to the Military School of Saint-Cyr. During World War II, he enlisted in the Liberation Army. At the end of the conflict, he made a career in cinema. His brother-in-law, who worked for the Cinema Organizing Committee, helped him enter the Buttes-Chaumont laboratory as a cinematographic developer worker.
Subsequently, he became an editor for the news journal of the press company Les Actualités françaises.
Filmography as director
1955 : The Aristocrats, with Pierre Fresnay
1956 : The Wages of Sin, with Danielle Darrieux, Jean-Claude Pascal, Jeanne Moreau
1957 : The Ostrich Has Two Eggs, with Pierre Fresnay
1957 : Retour de manivelle, with Michèle Morgan, Daniel Gélin, Peter van Eyck, Bernard Blier
1958 : The Possessors, with Jean Gabin, Jean Desailly, Pierre Brasseur, Bernard Blier
1959 : Rue des prairies, with Jean Gabin, Marie-José Nat, Claude Brasseur
1959 : Eyes of Love, with Danielle Darrieux and Jean-Claude Brialy
1961 : Taxi for Tobruk, with Lino Ventura, Charles Aznavour, Hardy Krüger and Maurice Biraud
1962 : Emile's Boat, with Lino Ventura, Annie Girardot, Michel Simon and Pierre Brasseur
1963 : Destination Rome, with Charles Aznavour, Serena Vergano and Marisa Merlini
1964 : God's Thunder, with Jean Gabin, Lilli Palmer, Michèle Mercier, Robert Hossein
1964 : Marco the Magnificent, with Horst Buchholz, Anthony Quinn, Orson Welles, Omar Sharif, Elsa Martinelli, Akim Tamiroff
1966 : The Upper Hand, with Jean Gabin, George Raft, Gert Fröbe, Nadja Tiller, Mireille Darc
1966 : Father's Trip, with Fernandel
1966 : Black Sun, with Daniel Gélin, Michèle Mercier, Valentina Cortese
1968 : Darling Caroline, with France Anglade, Vittorio De Sica, Bernard Blier, Charles Aznavour, Gert Fröbe, Jean-Claude Brialy, Karin Dor
1968 : Le tatoué, with Jean Gabin and Louis de Funès
1972 : Le Tueur, with Jean Gabin, Fabio Testi, Bernard Blier, Gérard Depardieu
1973 : Forbidden Priests, with Robert Hossein, Claude Jade
1980 : Le Comte de Monte-Cristo, with Jacques Weber (TV)
1990 : Paparoff se dédouble, with Michel Constantin, Pascale Petit (TV)
1992 : Diamond Swords, with Caroline Goodall, Jason Flemyng
Filmography as scenarist
La Tour, prends garde !
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Denys de La Patellière” as french film director and scriptwriter (1921–2013). Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
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The entry’s evidential value lies in the named roles, institutions and publications that can be tested against primary documentation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 10, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1190057. The first chronological checks are 1921, 2013, 1955 and 1956.
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