Yves Montand
Known for Acting · 124 credits
- Born
- 1921-10-13
- Died
- 1991-11-09
- Place of birth
- Monsummano Terme, Pistoia, Tuscany, Italy
- Also known as
- Ivo Livi · Yves Livi · Yves Montant · ایو مونتان
Biography
Ivo Livi (13 October 1921 – 9 November 1991), better known as Yves Montand, was an Italian-born French actor and singer. He is said to be one of France's greatest 20th-century artists.
Montand was born Ivo Livi in Stignano, a small village in the hills of Monsummano Terme, Italy, to Giovanni Livi, a broom manufacturer. Montand's mother Giuseppina Simoni was a devout Catholic. The family left Italy for France in 1923 following fascist Benito Mussolini's rise to power. He grew up in Marseille, where, as a young man, he worked in his sister's beauty salon (Salon de Coiffure), as well as later on the docks. He began a career in show business as a music-hall singer. In 1944, he was discovered by Édith Piaf in Paris; she made him part of her act.
Montand achieved international recognition as a singer and actor, starring in many films. He is recognised for crooner style songs, with those about Paris becoming instant classics. He was one of the best known performers at Bruno Coquatrix's Paris Olympia music hall, and toured with musicians including Didi Duprat. In October 1947, he sang "Mais qu'est-ce que j'ai?" (music by Henri Betti and lyrics by Édith Piaf) at the Théâtre de l'Étoile. Betti also asked him to sing "C'est si bon" but Montand refused. Following the success of the recording of this song by the Sœurs Étienne in 1948, he decided to record it. Montand was also very popular in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, where he did a concert tour in 1956-57.
During his career, Montand acted in American motion pictures as well as on Broadway. He was nominated for a César Award for Best Actor in 1980 for I comme Icare and again in 1984 for Garçon! In 1986, after his international box-office draw power had fallen off considerably, the 65-year-old Montand gave one of his best remembered performances, as the scheming uncle in Jean de Florette, co-starring Gérard Depardieu, and Manon des Sources (both 1986), co-starring Emmanuelle Béart. The film was a worldwide critical hit and revived Montand's profile in the United States, where he made an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman.
In 1951, he married Simone Signoret, and they co-starred in several films throughout their careers. The marriage was, by all accounts, fairly harmonious, lasting until her death in 1985, although Montand had a number of well-publicised affairs, notably with American actress Marilyn Monroe, with whom he starred in one of her final films, Let's Make Love. He was the stepfather to Signoret's daughter from her previous marriage, Catherine Allégret.
Known For
TV Shows (21)
Spécial cinéma
1974
as Self / Self (archive footage)
Apostrophes
1975
as Self
Champs-Elysées
1982
as Self
What's My Line?
1950
as Self - Mystery Guest
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
1975
as Self
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948
as Self
Le Grand Échiquier
1972
as Self / Self - Main Guest
Bambi
1948
as Self
The Oscars
1953
as Self
Numéro un
1975
as Self
Discorama
1959
as Self
Ciné regards
1978
as Self
Victoires de la musique
1985
as Self
Cinépanorama
1956
as Self
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
1956
as Self
Stars 90
1990
as Self
Cérémonie des César
1976
as Self - President
Einer wird gewinnen
1964
as Self
Reflets de Cannes
1954
as Self
À bout portant
1968
as Self
La Joie de vivre
1952
as Self - Guest
Movies (103)
J'ai tout donné
1972
as Self
La Menace
1977
as Henri Savin
Les Deux mémoires
1974
as Self
The Wages of Fear
1953
as Mario Livi
Let's Make Love
1960
as Jean-Marc Clement / Alexander Dumas
Hollywood Invasion
2011
as archive footage
Le Cercle Rouge
1970
as Jansen
Django Reinhardt
1957
as Narrator (voice)
Is Paris Burning?
1966
as Sgt. Marcel Bizien
Napoleon
1955
as Lefebvre
Manon of the Spring
1986
as César Soubeyran, aka "le Papet"
Jean de Florette
1986
as César Soubeyran, aka 'le Papet'
All Fired Up
1982
as Victor Valance
Delusions of Grandeur
1971
as Blaze, Don Sallust's valet
Z
1969
as Z
Rotterdam-Europoort
1966
as Narrator (French version) (voice)
Cesar and Rosalie
1972
as César
My Geisha
1962
as Paul Robaix
State of Siege
1972
as Philip Michael Santore
Grand Prix
1966
as Jean-Pierre Sarti
Paris Still Sings!
1951
as Self
Choice of Arms
1981
as Noel Durieux
Goodbye Again
1961
as Roger Demarest
The Red Inn
1951
as Singing Commentator (voice)
The Witches of Salem
1957
as John Proctor
Star Without Light
1946
as Pierre
Waiter!
1983
as Alex, head waiter
Marilyn Monroe: In The Movies
2012
The Incredible Mr. Piccoli
2017
as Self - Actor (archive footage)
Morceaux de Cannes
2021
Marguerite of the Night
1955
as M. Léon
Claude Sautet, Romy, Yves, Michel et les autres
2017
as Self (archive footage)
Lovers Like Us
1975
as Martin
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
1970
as Dr. Marc Chabot
Special Section
1975
as Un milicien
The Sleeping Car Murders
1965
as L'inspecteur Grazzi
Police Python 357
1976
as Inspecteur Marc Ferrot
The Lovely Month of May
1963
as Narrator (French version) (voice)
Trintignant by Trintignant
2021
as Self (archive footage)
Womanlight
1979
as Michel Follin
I... for Icarus
1979
as Henri Volney
The War Is Over
1966
as Diego Mora / Carlos / Domingo
Nostalgia for the Future
2026
as Self (Archive footage)
Romy, A Free Woman
2022
as archive footage
Vive la crise !
1984
as Self / Self - Presenter
Live for Life
1967
as Robert Colomb
Tout Va Bien
1972
as Him, Jacques
IP5: The Island of Pachyderms
1992
as Léon Marcel
Yves Montand is Singing
1957
as Self
The Confession
1970
as Gérard
Sanctuary
1961
as Candy Man
The Law
1959
as Matteo Brigante
Three Seats for the 26th
1988
as Yves Montand
The Big Operator
1976
as Morland
Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still
1974
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Mr. Freedom
1969
as Capt. Formidable (uncredited)
Paris Is Always Paris
1951
as Yves Montand
The Devil by the Tail
1969
as Le baron César Maricorne
Good Morning, Mr. Orwell
1984
as Self
The Wide Blue Road
1957
as Giovanni Squarciò
The Anatomy of Love
1954
as Vasco
One Night... a Train
1968
as Mathias
Men and Wolves
1957
as Ricuccio
Rush - Voyage à Moscou
1990
as Self
Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe
2012
as Self (archive footage)
Jean-Louis Trintignant - Mystérieux et insaisissable
2022
Pushing the Limit: The Making of Grand Prix
2006
as Self (archive footage)
Marilyn, a woman of today
2022
as archive footage
A Grin Without a Cat
1977
as Narrator (voice)
The End of a Beautiful Epoch
2015
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Making 'The Misfits'
2002
as Self (archive footage)
Gates of the Night
1946
as Jean Diego
Netchayev is Back
1991
as Pierre Marroux
Chance and Violence
1974
as Laurent Bermann
Roads to the South
1978
as Jean Larrea
Comiques de toujours (Vol. 1 à 4)
2009
as Self (archive footage)
Heroes and Sinners
1955
as Michel Rivière
Les Enfoirés - Les Enfoirés en chœur de 1985 à aujourd'hui
2014
Deneuve, la reine Catherine
2022
as Self (archive footage)
Marilyn, dernières séances
2008
as Self(archive footage)
T'es fou Marcel
1974
as Self
Vincent, Francois, Paul and the Others
1974
as Vincent, entrepreneur
Lost Souvenirs
1950
as Raoul, street singer (segment "Le violon")
Rendez-vous de l'espérance
1950
as Self
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Singer
1974
as Self
Il était une fois... Vincent, François, Paul et les autres
2011
as Self (archive footage)
Le Parti du cinéma
2021
as Self (archive footage)
The Wind Rose
1957
as Yves (archive footage)
Grand Prix: Challenge of the Champions
1966
as Self
The Idol
1948
as Fontana
Signoret and Montand, Monroe and Miller: Two couples in Hollywood
2020
as Self(archive footage)
The Son
1973
as Ange Orahona
Un matin comme les autres
1956
as Yves
The Force of Destiny
2017
as Self
Les Rois de la comédie
2023
as Self (archive footage)
A Butterfly in the Night
1976
as Voz
Dans les coulisses: le tournage de 'Trois Places pour le 26'
2013
as Self (Archive Footage)
Premier mai
1958
as Jean Meunier
Montand
1994
as Self (archive footage)
You Speak of Prague: The Second Trial of Artur London
1971
as Self - Interviewee
Mitterrand, président culturel
2021
as Self (archive footage)
1958: Those Who Said No
2018
as Self (archive footage)
One Minute for One Image
1983
as Self - Narrator
About Yves Montand
Ivo Livi (13 October 1921 – 9 November 1991), better known as Yves Montand, was an Italian-born French actor and singer. He is said to be one of France's greatest 20th-century artists. Montand was born Ivo Livi in Stignano, a small village in the hills of Monsummano Terme, Italy, to Giovanni Livi, a broom manufacturer. Montand's mother Giuseppina Simoni was a devout Catholic. The family left Italy for France in 1923 following fascist Benito Mussolini's rise to power. He grew up in Marseille, where, as a young man, he worked in his sister's bea… With 124 credits spanning from 1946 to 2026, Yves Montand has appeared in 103 films and 21 TV shows.
Fans searching for Yves Montand movies, Yves Montand filmography, or the latest projects starring Yves Montand can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Yves Montand Movies
- J'ai tout donné (1972) — as Self
- La Menace (1977) — as Henri Savin
- Les Deux mémoires (1974) — as Self
- The Wages of Fear (1953) — as Mario Livi
- Let's Make Love (1960) — as Jean-Marc Clement / Alexander Dumas
Where to Watch Yves Montand Films
Most Yves Montand movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Yves Montand, check our movies catalogue and browse page.