Family, fans and stars including Alain Delon, bid farewell to French actor Belmondo

Record ID: 1636283

  • Title: Family, fans and stars including Alain Delon, bid farewell to French actor Belmondo
  • Date: 10th September 2021
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 10, 2021) (REUTERS) HEARSE CARRYING ACTOR JEAN-PAUL BELMONDO'S COFFIN ARRIVING AT SAINT-GERMAIN-DES-PRES CHURCH ACTOR, ALAIN DELON, GREETING CROWD, TALKING TO SECURITY AIDE DELON TURNING AROUND CHURCH DELON WITH HIS SON ANTHONY, WAVING AND WALKING TOWARDS CHURCH BELMONDO'S FAMILY OUTSIDE CHURCH PRIESTS WAITING AT CHURCH DOORS BELMONDO'S FAMILY OUTSIDE CHURCH BELMONDO'S GRANDSONS, INCLUDING ALESSANDRO (MASKED, ON LEFT) AND VICTOR (WHO PUTS ON MASK), STANDING OUTSIDE CHURCH PALLBEARERS CARRYING BELMONDO'S COFFIN OUT OF HEARSE AND INTO CHURCH / PRIESTS LEADING PROCESSION CANNES FILM FESTIVAL DIRECTOR, THIERRY FREMAUX, ARRIVING WITH ACTOR, CHARLES GERARD, AND OTHER GUESTS ACTOR-DIRECTOR, PIERRE RICHARD, ARRIVING ACTRESS-SINGER, VERONIQUE JANNOT, ARRIVING FANS WATCHING JOURNALISTS OUTSIDE CHURCH
  • Embargoed: 24th September 2021 10:44
  • Keywords: Alain Delon Jean Paul Belmondo New Wave actor church cinema coffin funeral
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE
  • City: PARIS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Europe
  • Reuters ID: LVA001EU501FR
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: PLEASE NOTE: EDIT 2134-FRANCE-BELMONDO/TRIBUTE CONTAINS AUDIO SOUNDBITE OF DELON, REACTING TO BELMONDO'S DEATH / EDITS 4159-PEOPLE-BELMONDO/TRIBUTE-UPDATE AND 4227-PEOPLE-BELMONDO/TRIBUTE-PARISIANS HAVE IMAGES AND VOX-POPS FROM INVALIDES WHERE PEOPLE VISITED BELMONDO'S COFFIN
    Steadying himself on a crutch, veteran French film star Alain Delon made a rare public appearance on Friday (September 10) at the funeral of a fellow giant of French cinema, Jean-Paul Belmondo, who died on Monday (September 6) at the age of 88.
    Belmondo, a charismatic actor who often performed his own daring stunts, switched from existential New Wave roles in the 1960s to mainstream films and became one of France's most beloved comedy and action heroes.
    Family members and film figures - including Delon and actor-director Pierre Richard - gathered in the Saint-Germain-des-Pres church in central Paris for the funeral, a day after a national tribute led by President Emmanuel Macron.
    Delon, 85, stayed for some time in front of the church, where he was applauded by Belmondo fans massed outside.
    On Tuesday (September 7), Delon told Europe 1 radio that he was devastated by his great contemporary's death.
    Through Thursday (September 9) evening and well into the night, fans braved mixed sunshine and rain to pay their last respects to Belmondo. They queued for hours to be allowed to access the closed casket tribute set up in the sprawling courtyard of Les Invalides military museum, following the tribute ceremony.
    Some fans, such as server Marc Barrois who had served Belmondo at a Paris restaurant, took time off work to pay tribute to the film star.
    "I think it's my duty to come, to bid him a last farewell," said Barrois, who said he had served Belmondo calf's head, a typical French dish.
    Fans applauded as Delon's coffin was taken inside the church.
    "He was one of France's greatest (actors) - now there's only Alain Delon remaining. Then, we'll have no one else," said another fan, Marie.
    (Production: Antony Paone, Lucien Libert, Michaela Cabrera)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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