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Paul Misraki (28 January 1908 – 29 October 1998)^[1] was a French composer of popular music and film scores. Over the course of over 60 years, Misraki wrote the music to 130 films,^[2] scoring works by directors like Jean Renoir, Claude Chabrol, Jacques Becker, Jean-Pierre Melville, Jean-Luc Godard, Henri-Georges Clouzot, Orson Welles, Luis Buñuel and Roger Vadim.

For his work, he was made a Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur.

Biography and film career

Born Paul Misrachi^[3] in Constantinople, Ottoman Empire (now Istanbul, Turkey) into a French Jewish family of Italian descent, Misraki showed an early aptitude for music. He went to Paris to study classical composition, and by the 1930s had become an established jazz pianist, arranger, and writer of popular songs; around this time he began composing film scores, with his first known work being for Jean Renoir's first sound film, On purge bébé (Baby's Laxative, 1931), for which he was not credited.

Like Renoir, Misraki fled France during the World War II German occupation. After a brief stay in Argentina, Misraki ended up in Hollywood, where he composed the music to all of Renoir's American films. After the war, Misraki returned to France, working busily throughout the 1950s, a period when he was routinely scoring half a dozen or more films a year. These included numerous films by Yves Allégret and Jean Boyer, as well as two films by Jacques Becker, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (Ali Baba et les 40 voleurs, 1954) and Montparnasse 19 (1958) and Orson Welles' Mr. Arkadin (1955). The 1960s saw Misraki slow down slightly, writing only 2–3 scores a year. During this period, he worked with many of the leading French directors of the period, including Jean-Luc Godard on Alphaville (1965), Jean-Pierre Melville on Le Doulos (1963) and Claude Chabrol, for whom he scored several films.

Misraki composed intermittently throughout the last two decades of his life. He composed his last score at age 85;^[4] by this point he had been working almost exclusively in television for several years. He died of natural causes at age 90 in Paris.

Career as composer of popular songs

Misraki first found acclaim as a composer and lyricist of popular songs. His first hit was 1935's "Tout va très bien madame la marquise [fr]," and during his careers in France, America and Argentina he wrote successful songs in French, English and Spanish. In 1998, at the age of 90 years, Misraki collaborates with Singer Raquel Bitton on her American tribute to his songs in a CD entitled In a Jazzy mood.

Other interests

Outside music, Misraki was interested in religion, Ufology and extraterrestrial life. Misraki was an early proponent of the ancient astronaut hypothesis. In 1962 Misraki published his book Les Extraterrestres in France^[5] which was later reprinted in English under the title of Flying Saucers Through The Ages in 1965,^[6] he first published the book under the pen name of Paul Thomas as he believed that if his real identity was revealed, his reputation as a musician might be damaged; however, he later revealed his identity, and a number of American editions of the book were published under his real name. In the book, Misraki claimed that angels from the Bible were aliens, that the Bible and other ancient texts are filled with many UFO flying saucer sightings, and that throughout human history there was intervention from extraterrestrial aliens. Misraki was also one of the first authors to suggest that apparitions may be UFO related phenomena.^[7]

Ufologist Jacques Vallée studied some of Misraki's UFO theories and visited Misraki in Paris in September 1962 to discuss them with him, in his journals Vallée described Misraki as a "deeply reflective man" and a "religious scholar".^[8]

Misraki was also a supporter of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and his theory of omega point, and wrote a number of papers on his work.^[9]

Selected filmography

References

^ Eric Pace (2 November 1998). "Paul Misraki, 90, a Composer of Songs and Soundtracks". The New York Times. p. B 11. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
^ Paul Misraki
^ Paul Misraki: 1908-1998
^ Vérité en face, La (1993) (TV)
^ Profile of Paul Misraki in UFOs in the 1980s by Jerome Clark, Apogee Books, 1990
^ Flying Saucers Through the Ages, Paul Misraki (Paul Thomas), Tandem, G. Gibbons (Translator), new edition 1973, ISBN 978-0-426-12722-2
^ Profile for Paul Misraki at UFO updates
^ Jacques Vallee, Forbidden science: journals, 1957-1969, 1993, p. 60
^ "INITIATION À "LA PENSÉE DE TEILHARD"" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-06-11. Retrieved 2011-05-25.

External links

Maria from Bahia on YouTube

[1] Eric Pace (2 November 1998). "Paul Misraki, 90, a Composer of Songs and Soundtracks". The New York Times. p. B 11. Retrieved 15 April 2022.

[2] Paul Misraki

[3] Paul Misraki: 1908-1998

[4] Vérité en face, La (1993) (TV)

[5] Profile of Paul Misraki in UFOs in the 1980s by Jerome Clark, Apogee Books, 1990

[6] Flying Saucers Through the Ages, Paul Misraki (Paul Thomas), Tandem, G. Gibbons (Translator), new edition 1973, ISBN 978-0-426-12722-2

[7] Profile for Paul Misraki at UFO updates

[8] Jacques Vallee, Forbidden science: journals, 1957-1969, 1993, p. 60

[9] "INITIATION À "LA PENSÉE DE TEILHARD"" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-06-11. Retrieved 2011-05-25.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|French composer}}
-'''Paul Misraki''' (28 January 1908 – 29 October 1998) was a French composer of popular music and [[film music|film scores]]. Over the course of over 60 years, Misraki wrote the music to 130 films,<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006201/ Paul Misraki]</ref> scoring works by directors like [[Jean Renoir]], [[Claude Chabrol]], [[Jacques Becker]], [[Jean-Pierre Melville]], [[Jean-Luc Godard]], [[Henri-Georges Clouzot]], [[Orson Welles]], [[Luis Buñuel]] and [[Roger Vadim]].
+{{Moresources|date=May 2024}}
-[[File:Paul Misraki.jpg|thumb|Paul Misraki, Composer]]
+[[File:Misraki Harcourt 1948.jpg|thumb|Photograph of Paul Misraki from 1948|alt=]]
+'''Paul Misraki''' (28 January 1908 &ndash; 29 October 1998)<ref>{{cite news |author1=Eric Pace |title=Paul Misraki, 90, a Composer of Songs and Soundtracks |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/02/arts/paul-misraki-90-a-composer-of-songs-and-soundtracks.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=15 April 2022 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2 November 1998 |page=B 11}}</ref> was a French composer of popular music and [[film music|film scores]]. Over the course of over 60 years, Misraki wrote the music to 130 films,<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006201/ Paul Misraki]</ref> scoring works by directors like [[Jean Renoir]], [[Claude Chabrol]], [[Jacques Becker]], [[Jean-Pierre Melville]], [[Jean-Luc Godard]], [[Henri-Georges Clouzot]], [[Orson Welles]], [[Luis Buñuel]] and [[Roger Vadim]].
 For his work, he was made a [[Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur]].
 ==Biography and film career==
-Born Paul Misrachi<ref>[http://www.jazzhouse.org/gone/lastpost2.php3?edit=920543541 Paul Misraki: 1908-1998]</ref> in [[Constantinople]], [[Ottoman Empire]] (now [[Istanbul]], [[Turkey]]) into a French [[Jewish]] family of Italian descent, Misraki showed an early aptitude for music. He went to [[Paris]] to study classical composition, and by the 1930s had become an established [[jazz pianist]], [[music arranger|arranger]], and writer of popular songs; around this time he began composing film scores, with his first known work being for [[Jean Renoir]]'s first [[sound film]], ''[[On purge bébé]]'', for which he was uncredited.
+Born '''Paul Misrachi'''<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20051215203632/http://www.jazzhouse.org/gone/lastpost2.php3?edit=920543541 Paul Misraki: 1908-1998]</ref> in [[Constantinople]], [[Ottoman Empire]] (now [[Istanbul]], [[Turkey]]) into a French [[Jewish]] family of Italian descent, Misraki showed an early aptitude for music. He went to [[Paris]] to study classical composition, and by the 1930s had become an established [[jazz pianist]], [[music arranger|arranger]], and writer of popular songs; around this time he began composing film scores, with his first known work being for [[Jean Renoir]]'s first [[sound film]], ''[[On purge bébé]]'' (''Baby's Laxative'', 1931), for which he was not credited.
-Like Renoir, Misraki fled France during the [[World War II]] [[Occupation of France by Nazi Germany|German occupation]]. After a brief stay in [[Argentina]], Misraki ended up in [[Hollywood]], where he composed the music to all of Renoir's American films. After the war, Misraki returned to France, working busily throughout the 1950s, a period when he was routinely scoring half a dozen or more films a year. These included numerous films by [[Yves Allégret]] and [[Jean Boyer (director)|Jean Boyer]], as well as two films by Jacques Becker (''{{Interlanguage link multi|Ali Baba et les quarante voleurs|fr|3=Ali Baba et les Quarante Voleurs (film, 1954)}}'' and ''[[Montparnasse 19]]'') and [[Orson Welles]]' ''[[Mr. Arkadin]]''.
+Like Renoir, Misraki fled France during the [[World War II]] [[Occupation of France by Nazi Germany|German occupation]]. After a brief stay in [[Argentina]], Misraki ended up in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]], where he composed the music to all of Renoir's American films. After the war, Misraki returned to France, working busily throughout the 1950s, a period when he was routinely scoring half a dozen or more films a year. These included numerous films by [[Yves Allégret]] and [[Jean Boyer (director)|Jean Boyer]], as well as two films by [[Jacques Becker]], ''[[Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1954 film)|Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves]]'' (''Ali Baba et les 40 voleurs'', 1954) and ''[[Montparnasse 19]]'' (1958) and [[Orson Welles]]' ''[[Mr. Arkadin]]'' (1955).
-The 1960s saw Misraki slow down slightly, writing only 2-3 scores a year. During this period, he worked with many of the leading French directors of the period, including [[Jean-Luc Godard]] (on ''[[Alphaville (film)|Alphaville]]''), Jean-Pierre Melville (on ''[[Le Doulos]]'') and [[Claude Chabrol]], for whom he scored several films.
+The 1960s saw Misraki slow down slightly, writing only 2–3 scores a year. During this period, he worked with many of the leading French directors of the period, including [[Jean-Luc Godard]] on ''[[Alphaville (film)|Alphaville]]'' (1965), [[Jean-Pierre Melville]] on ''[[Le Doulos]]'' (1963) and [[Claude Chabrol]], for whom he scored several films.
 Misraki composed intermittently throughout the last two decades of his life. He composed his last score at age 85;<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0227760/ Vérité en face, La (1993) (TV)]</ref> by this point he had been working almost exclusively in television for several years. He died of natural causes at age 90 in [[Paris]].
@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 ===Career as composer of popular songs===
 Misraki first found acclaim as a composer and lyricist of popular songs. His first hit was 1935's "{{Interlanguage link multi|Tout va très bien madame la marquise|fr|3=Tout va très bien madame la marquise (chanson)}}," and during his careers in France, America and Argentina he wrote successful songs in French, English and Spanish.
-In 1998, at the age of 90 years, Misraki collaborates with Singer Raquel Bitton on her American  tribute to his songs in a CD entitled "In a Jazzy mood".
+In 1998, at the age of 90 years, Misraki collaborates with Singer Raquel Bitton on her American  tribute to his songs in a CD entitled ''In a Jazzy mood''.
 ===Other interests===
-Outside music, Misraki was interested in [[religion]], [[Ufology]] and [[extraterrestrial life]]. Misraki was an early proponent of the [[ancient astronaut]] hypothesis. In 1962 Misraki published his book ''Les Extraterrestres'' in France<ref>Profile of Paul Misraki in UFOs in the 1980s by Jerome Clark, Apogee Books, 1990</ref> which was later reprinted in English under the title of ''Flying Saucers Through The Ages'' in 1965,<ref>Flying Saucers Through the Ages, Paul Misraki (Paul Thomas), Tandem, G. Gibbons (Translator), new edition 1973, {{ISBN|978-0-426-12722-2}}</ref> he first published the book under the pen name of ''Paul Thomas'' as he believed that if his real identity was revealed, his reputation as a musician might be damaged; however, he later revealed his identity, and a number of American editions of the book were published under his real name. In the book, Misraki claimed that [[angels]] from the [[Bible]] were [[Extraterrestrial life|aliens]], that the Bible and other ancient texts are filled with many UFO [[flying saucer]] sightings, and that throughout human history there was intervention from extraterrestrial aliens. Misraki was also one of the first authors to suggest that [[apparitional experience|apparitions]] may be UFO related phenomena.<ref>[http://ufoupdateslist.com/1998/nov/m06-012.shtml Profile for Paul Misraki at UFO updates]</ref> The Ufologist [[Jacques Vallée]] studied some of Misraki's UFO theories and visited Misraki in [[Paris]] in September 1962 to discuss them with him, in his journals Vallée described Misraki as a "deeply reflective man" and a "religious scholar".<ref>Jacques Vallee, Forbidden science: journals, 1957-1969, 1993, p. 60</ref>
+Outside music, Misraki was interested in [[religion]], [[Ufology]] and [[extraterrestrial life]]. Misraki was an early proponent of the [[ancient astronaut]] hypothesis. In 1962 Misraki published his book ''Les Extraterrestres'' in France<ref>Profile of Paul Misraki in UFOs in the 1980s by Jerome Clark, Apogee Books, 1990</ref> which was later reprinted in English under the title of ''Flying Saucers Through The Ages'' in 1965,<ref>Flying Saucers Through the Ages, Paul Misraki (Paul Thomas), Tandem, G. Gibbons (Translator), new edition 1973, {{ISBN|978-0-426-12722-2}}</ref> he first published the book under the pen name of Paul Thomas as he believed that if his real identity was revealed, his reputation as a musician might be damaged; however, he later revealed his identity, and a number of American editions of the book were published under his real name. In the book, Misraki claimed that [[angels]] from the [[Bible]] were [[Extraterrestrial life|aliens]], that the Bible and other ancient texts are filled with many UFO [[flying saucer]] sightings, and that throughout human history there was intervention from extraterrestrial aliens. Misraki was also one of the first authors to suggest that [[apparitional experience|apparitions]] may be UFO related phenomena.<ref>[http://ufoupdateslist.com/1998/nov/m06-012.shtml Profile for Paul Misraki at UFO updates]</ref>
+Ufologist [[Jacques Vallée]] studied some of Misraki's UFO theories and visited Misraki in [[Paris]] in September 1962 to discuss them with him, in his journals Vallée described Misraki as a "deeply reflective man" and a "religious scholar".<ref>Jacques Vallee, Forbidden science: journals, 1957-1969, 1993, p. 60</ref>
-Misraki was also a supporter of [[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin]] and his theory of [[omega point]], and wrote a number of papers on his work.<ref>[http://www.teilhard.org/panier/1_fichiers/formation1.MISRAKI.pdf INITIATION À "LA PENSÉE DE TEILHARD"]</ref>
+Misraki was also a supporter of [[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin]] and his theory of [[omega point]], and wrote a number of papers on his work.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.teilhard.org/panier/1_fichiers/formation1.MISRAKI.pdf |title=INITIATION À "LA PENSÉE DE TEILHARD" |access-date=2011-05-25 |archive-date=2020-06-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611195438/http://www.teilhard.org/panier/1_fichiers/formation1.MISRAKI.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 == Selected filmography ==
+{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
+* ''[[American Love (film)|American Love]]'' (1931)
+* ''[[Coralie and Company]]'' (1934)
 * ''[[Moutonnet]]'' (1936)
+* ''[[Claudine at School (film)|Claudine at School]]'' (1937)
+* ''[[The House Opposite (1937 film)|The House Opposite]]'' (1937)
 * ''[[Return at Dawn]]'' (1938)
-* ''[[Beautiful Star]]'' (1938)
+* ''[[Chéri-Bibi (1938 film)|Chéri-Bibi]]'' (1938)
+* ''[[Beautiful Star (1938 film)|Beautiful Star]]'' (1938)
 * ''[[I Was an Adventuress (1938 film)|I Was an Adventuress]]'' (1938)
+* ''[[Whirlwind of Paris]]'' (1939)
+* ''[[Place de la Concorde (1939 film)|Place de la Concorde]]'' (1939)
+* ''[[The Duraton Family]]'' (1939)
+* ''[[Prince Bouboule]]'' (1939)
+* ''[[Beating Heart (film)|Beating Heart]]'' (1940)
 * ''[[Seven Women (1944 film)|Seven Women]]'' (1944)
 * ''[[Devil and the Angel]]'' (1946)
+* ''[[Loves, Delights and Organs]]'' (1947)
+* ''[[Are You Sure? (film)|Are You Sure?]]'' (1947)
 * ''[[Christmas with the Poor]]'' (1947)
+* ''[[All Roads Lead to Rome (1949 film)|All Roads Lead to Rome]]'' (1949)
 * ''[[Thirst of Men]]'' (1950)
+* ''[[The Prize (1950 film)|The Prize]]'' (1950)
+* ''[[They Are Twenty]]'' (1950)
 * ''[[Dr. Knock]]'' (1951)
+* ''[[Dirty Hands (1951 film)|Dirty Hands]]'' (1951)
+* ''[[Savage Triangle]]'' (1951)
+* ''[[Young Love (film)|Young Love]]'' (1951)
+* ''[[Crazy for Love]]'' (1952)
+* ''[[Desperate Decision]]'' (1952)
 * ''[[The Man in My Life (film)|The Man in My Life]]'' (1952)
 * ''[[Women of Paris]]'' (1953)
-* ''[[The Other Side of Paradise (film)|The Other Side of Paradise]]'' (1953)
+* ''[[Napoleon Road]]'' (1953)
 * ''[[Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1954 film)|Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves]]'' (1954)
 * ''[[The Women Couldn't Care Less]]'' (1954)
+* ''[[Queen Margot (1954 film)|Queen Margot]]'' (1954)
 * ''[[Mr. Arkadin]]'' (1955)
+* ''[[The Little Rebels]]'' (1955)
+* ''[[Stopover in Orly]]'' (1955)
+* ''[[My Priest Among the Poor]]'' (1956)
+* ''[[The Lebanese Mission]]'' (1956)
+* ''[[Fernandel the Dressmaker]]'' (1956)
+* ''[[And God Created Woman (1956 film)|And God Created Woman]]'' (1956)
+* ''[[A Bomb for a Dictator]]'' (1957)
+* ''[[Sénéchal the Magnificent]]'' (1957)
 *''[[Women Are Weak|Three Murderesses]]'' (1958)
+* ''[[The Gendarme of Champignol]]'' (1959)
+* ''[[Women Are Like That (1960 film)|Women Are Like That]]'' (1960)
 * ''[[We Will Go to Deauville]]'' (1962)
 * ''[[Alphaville (film)|Alphaville]]'' (1965)
+* ''[[Attack of the Robots]]'' (1966)
 * ''[[Sept hommes et une garce]]'' (1967)
+* ''[[Juliette and Juliette]]'' (1974)
 * ''[[The Porter from Maxim's (1976 film)|The Porter from Maxim's]]'' (1976)
+{{div col end}}
 ==References==
@@ Line 50: / Line 87: @@
 ==External links==
+{{commonscat}}
 * {{YouTube|0Vtt_Hxjhc4|Maria from Bahia}}
@@ Line 55: / Line 93: @@
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Misraki, Paul}}
-[[Category:French film score composers]]
-[[Category:Male film score composers]]
-[[Category:Ancient astronaut speculation]]
 [[Category:1908 births]]
 [[Category:1998 deaths]]
-[[Category:People from Istanbul]]
+[[Category:Musicians from Istanbul]]
-[[Category:Pseudohistorians]]
+[[Category:French film score composers]]
+[[Category:French male film score composers]]
+[[Category:French operetta composers]]
+[[Category:French people of Italian-Jewish descent]]
 [[Category:Turkish emigrants to France]]
 [[Category:Turkish Jews]]
-[[Category:French Jews]]
+[[Category:Converts to Roman Catholicism from Judaism]]
-[[Category:French people of Italian descent]]
+[[Category:Ancient astronauts proponents]]
+[[Category:Pseudohistorians]]
 [[Category:Ufologists]]
-[[Category:20th-century historians]]
+[[Category:20th-century French historians]]
-[[Category:20th-century composers]]
+[[Category:20th-century French composers]]
-[[Category:20th-century French musicians]]
+[[Category:20th-century French male musicians]]
-[[Category:French operetta composers]]

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