Guy Mauffette (1915-2005)

Radio above All
Guy Mauffette’s physique as a young lead combined with his moon-shaped face earned him major roles in theatre from the age of 17. His lively voice led him to radio work on Radio-Canada, where he spent most of his career, both as director (Un homme et son péché) and host (Le cabaret du soir qui penche), and where he gave full reign to his talent.

A Man Who Knew How to Talk to Women
Mauffette worked on the first feature-length film in Quebec of note, Le père Chopin (Fedor Ozep, 1945), in which he played the medical student who “learned about life in the city” and who scandalised his fellow country-dwellers by jazzing up Chopin. His romance with his childhood friend, a beautiful schoolteacher, was depicted in a sober manner.

After playing the role of Noiraud, a somewhat simple-minded village-dweller, in Le curé du village (Paul Gury, 1949), he landed a lead part in Les lumières de ma ville (Jean-Yves Bigras, 1950), that of a writer who finds the love of his life when he leaves a scheming singer. Finally, he played a supporting role in Son copain (Jean Devaivre, 1950).

After a rich period between 1945 and 1953, Quebec cinema entered a downturn. When it returned to strength a decade later, a new generation of actors had arrived on the scene and no one brought Mauffette back in front of the camera.