Léon Zitrone
Nacimiento : 1914-11-25, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Muerte : 1995-11-25
Historia
Léon Zitrone (25 November 1914 – 25 November 1995) was a Russian-born French journalist and television presenter.
Zitrone was born in Petrograd, Russia. He arrived in France with his family fleeing communism at the age of six. He graduated from the ESJ Paris. He began by training in scientific studies but his mastership of Russian, French, English and German gave him entrance in 1948 to the radio foreign broadcasting services of Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (RTF). In 1959, he joined the television activity of RTF. From 1961, he became news presenter, function he occupied for nearly 20 years, first until 1975, on the first French television channel (now TF1), then also on Antenne 2, the other public service channel. Jean-Pierre Elkabbach called him back in 1979. He then took charge of the news program during the week-end (his contract was established until 1 February 1981). He would come back for those news programs also during the Easter and Pentecost week-ends.
But Léon Zitrone's celebrity is due to the programs he presented or co-presented. He was host of the televised program Intervilles (French counterpart of Britain's It's a Knockout) with Guy Lux. He commented 6 times the Tour de France, and he is remembered for his prodigious memory for names of riders. He presented the Olympics for 8 times, commented the Eurovision Song Contest on 4 occasions and presented 16 Bastille Day military parades. Above all, he was the key-commenter for big events, such as weddings, burials or investitures of world's key figures, some thirty of them during the course of his career.
In 1978, following French singer Marie Myriam's victory the previous year, the Eurovision song contest took place in Paris. Léon Zitrone co-presented with Denise Fabre and made the presentation in English.
In 1984, Zitrone took a leading role in the movie American Dreamer.
He died from a cerebral hemorrhage on his 81st birthday, 25 November 1995, at the Val-de-Grâce hospital in Paris.
Source: Article "Léon Zitrone" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Self (archive footage)
In May 1974, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing became President of the Republic and wanted to bring about a new era of modernity. One of his first decisions was to break up the ORTF with the creation of three new television channels: TF1, Antenne 2 and FR3. Three new public channels but autonomous and competing. It is a race for the audience which is engaged then, and from now on the channels will make the war! This competition will give birth to a real golden age for television programs, with variety shows in the forefront. The stars of the song are going to invade the living rooms of the French for their biggest pleasure. This unedited documentary tells the story of the metamorphosis of this television of the early 1970s, between freedom of tone, scandals, political intrigues and programs that have become mythical.
Vigile
The romanticized life of Dorothée summarized in various sketches and songs.
Voix du commentateur (voice)
Princess Charlotte is scheduled to marry a boring duke, but before that event happens, Paul has taken a bet that he can seduce her. He does, profits from his act, and then falls in love with her. Meanwhile, the wedding with the duke is still planned, and it remains to be seen whether Paul will give in and give up.
Ivan Stranauvlitch
La vida de Cathy Palmer transita entre su realidad cotidiana -al cuidado de sus hijos, fruto de su relación con su protector marido Kevin- y sus fantasías, que pasan por vivir nuevas experiencias, a poder ser, diametralmente por las que ha transitado hasta le fecha. Este deseo acaba traduciéndose en su voluntad por presentarse a un concurso de escritura, en el que la ganadora podrá disfrutar de un fin de semana en París con todos los gastos pagados. El concurso consiste en emular el estilo literario de la escritora de best-sellers Rebecca Ryan. Al resultar vencedora, Cathy, contraviniendo los deseos de su esposo, viaja hasta la capital francesa. Pero durante el trayecto, la soñadora ama de casa sufre un accidente que la obliga a guardar cama en un hospital. Al despertar, Cathy parece no recordarse nada de los sucedido y empieza a adoptar la personalidad de su admirada Rebecca Ryan
Presenter of the circus games
Julio Cesar esta disfrutando de unas lujosas vacaciones en una colonia Romana en el norte de Africa, mientras en Roma estalla una gran revuelta obrera. Un mecanico de nombre Ben-Hur, se elige a si mismo como dirigente sindical, pero termina siendo detenido en una manifestacion publica. El gobernador le da a elegir entre un innoble fin en la arena o una oportunidad participando en un complot para matar a Cesar.
Himself
Vic tiene 13 años y es nueva en el instituto, pero pronto se hace amiga de Penélope. Las dos están ansiosas por encontrar un chico del que enamorarse; el problema es que los padres de Vic no la dejan todavía ir a fiestas. (FILMAFFINITY)
Race Commentator
Two unemployed men, heavily in debt due to losses at the racetrack, are hired by a criminal mastermind to harass the guests of a hotel he hopes to purchase at a below-market price in order to access a tunnel below the building that leads directly to a nearby bank.
Espion français
La Reina de Inglaterra ha sido secuestrada! los S.I.S. británicos solicitan al servicio secreto francés en busca de ayuda, que incluye cuatro torpes agentes secretos, y una señora de la limpieza. La persecución les llevará desde España a Hong Kong con muchos autos rotos, barcos y aviones a lo largo del camino.
lui-même
Four wedding anniversaries serve to chronicle the beginning and end of a thirty-year marriage.
Le journaliste
An esteemed surgeon, Charles Bernard, and his family are victims of a violent home invasion. When his young child is held for ransom, Charles must decide whether to comply or fight back.
Une personnalité
This film, which represents 7 years of shots on 5 continents, shows both the wonders of the wild world and the drama of its systematic destruction by man. Dramatic fights, scenes of tenderness and love, mingle with gags and documents never before presented on a screen.
Le présentateur télé
Robert Coster, un importante periodista de la televisión francesa, vive feliz con su mujer hasta que una noche, en un hotel, conoce a una joven modelo de la que se enamora y con la que mantiene un romance a espaldas de su mujer. (FILMAFFINITY)
lui-même
Robert Coster, un importante periodista de la televisión francesa, vive feliz con su mujer hasta que una noche, en un hotel, conoce a una joven modelo de la que se enamora y con la que mantiene un romance a espaldas de su mujer. (FILMAFFINITY)
Self (voice) (uncredited)
Himself
Antoine Donadieu es un agente secreto encargado de investigar la misteriosa muerte de un colega suyo que ha sido encontrado ahogado en la Costa Azul. La investigación lo lleva hasta una villa en la que viven unos terroristas. Donadieu logrará infiltrarse en sus filas para destruir sus malvados planes.
lui-même à la télévision (image d'archives)
Gaston Bellus, is the director of a textile house, and the research laboratory makes a sensational discovery: the elastic fabric. This new discovery is used to manufacture new modern stretchable bathing suits. His daughter Clementine, enters the beauty pageant to represent France for the swimsuit launch. But scandal ensues when the public soon discover, the photos of the event in which this new revolutionary material is completely invisible on photographs & live television.
Self
Charles Rouvier, a lawyer, is in jail for trying to save one of his clients, Hedwige. He decides to be revenged on women and his inmates teach him how to seduce and exploit them.As soon as he is released from prison he places a personal ad in a newspaper. This is how the newly self-appointed "cynical Don Juan" will meet three creatures: Florence, Gisèle and Henriette. Who will eat who?
Le journaliste télé
In this French murder mystery, a young journalist goes from a bad situation to much worse. He has been having problems in his relationship with his girlfriend, and one evening he goes out on a bender. Too drunk to remember how he got that way, he goes home to sleep it off. When he wakes up in the morning, he discovers that his hangover is the least of his problems -- he is now a suspect in a murder investigation. After getting back together with his girlfriend, he decides to hide out with a friend of his and let the heat cool down -- a big mistake, as he soon finds out.
acteur
Léon Garros
During World War II, the Frenchman Léon Garros and Boris Vaganov escape from the Nazi concentration camp. After 15 years, Léon, who became a journalist, and his friends came to the USSR to make a report and find Boris in the meantime. In Moscow he doesn't found, and for the sake of meeting with a friend, Garros has to travel around the country by car...
The foreigners are accompanied by Nikolai, the translator, who, in turn, is looking for his brother's runaway bride, Natasha.
