Richard Francoeur

Richard Francœur, born Albert-Raoul Richard on March 3, 1894, in Paris (4th arrondissement), passed away on January 26, 1971, in Paris (19th arrondissement). His artistic life was characterized by an exceptional contribution to French dubbing.

He first made a name for himself on the stage, starring in “Le Vertige” by Charles Méré, alongside André Brulé and Jean Toulout. He then gravitated towards the Grand Guignol for years, honing his skills, sometimes as the lead actor in over-the-top plays. From the 1930s, he moved to the Odéon Theater, then to the Variétés Theater.

It took nearly 10 more years to see him appear in his first film. Indeed, Richard Francœur appeared in about thirty films between 1939 and 1963, ranging from Rules of the Game to Light-Fingered George.

But what kept him so busy? He left his mark in the field of dubbing, lending his voice to many iconic Hollywood actors from the early days of talking cinema, including Gary Cooper, Herbert Marshall, Clark Gable, George Sanders, and many others. As a dubbing actor, during the nazi occupation, he found himself deprived of American film opportunities. He then dubbed German films, including the Nazi film Jew Süss, where he played the title role alongside Raymond Rognoni.

Richard Francœur lent his voice to the character of Prof in the French dubbing of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1962. His interpretation was inspired by that of actor Roy Atwell, and he had to stutter almost constantly. He even sang “The Washing Song” as Doc, when the dwarfs are bathing.