Léon Zitrone
Léon Zitrone (25 November 1914 – 25 November 1995) was a Russian-born French journalist and television presenter.
Zitrone was born in Petrograd, Russia. He arrived in France with his family fleeing communism at the age of six. He graduated from the ESJ Paris. He began by training in scientific studies but his mastership of Russian, French, English and German gave him entrance in 1948 to the radio foreign broadcasting services of Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (RTF). In 1959, he joined the television activity of RTF. From 1961, he became news presenter, function he occupied for nearly 20 years, first until 1975, on the first French television channel (now TF1), then also on Antenne 2, the other public service channel. Jean-Pierre Elkabbach called him back in 1979. He then took charge of the news program during the week-end (his contract was established until 1 February 1981). He would come back for those news programs also during the Easter and Pentecost week-ends.
But Léon Zitrone's celebrity is due to the programs he presented or co-presented. He was host of the televised program Intervilles (French counterpart of Britain's It's a Knockout) with Guy Lux. He commented 6 times the Tour de France, and he is remembered for his prodigious memory for names of riders. He presented the Olympics for 8 times, commented the Eurovision Song Contest on 4 occasions and presented 16 Bastille Day military parades. Above all, he was the key-commenter for big events, such as weddings, burials or investitures of world's key figures, some thirty of them during the course of his career.
In 1978, following French singer Marie Myriam's victory the previous year, the Eurovision song contest took place in Paris. Léon Zitrone co-presented with Denise Fabre and made the presentation in English.
In 1984, Zitrone took a leading role in the movie American Dreamer.
He died from a cerebral hemorrhage on his 81st birthday, 25 November 1995, at the Val-de-Grâce hospital in Paris.
Source: Article "Léon Zitrone" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Known For | Acting |
---|---|
Most Rating | 2.036 |
Birthday | 1914-11-25 |
Place of Birth | Saint Petersburg, Russia |
Also Known As |
1987
Dorothée Show
0/0
The romanticized life of Dorothée summarized in various sketches and songs.
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Dorothée Show
1974
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5.4/7
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1985
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5.4/23
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Marriage of the Century
1967
Live for Life
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1964
Clémentine chérie
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Clémentine chérie
1970
Let Them Live!
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Let Them Live!
1977
Drôles de zèbres
3.1/6
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Drôles de zèbres
1961
Cocagne
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Cocagne
1962
Assassin's Check
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Assassin's Check
1959
Rue de Paris
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1982
Quarter to Two Before Jesus Christ
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Quarter to Two Before Jesus Christ
1971
La Lucarne magique
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La Lucarne magique
1961
Three Faces of Sin
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Three Faces of Sin
1983
Les mots pour le dire
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Les mots pour le dire
1972
Menace
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La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président
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Les gros malins
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Les gros malins
1963
Be Careful Ladies
5.5/2
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Be Careful Ladies
1966
The Boss of Champignol
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The Boss of Champignol
1972
J'ai tout donné
8/1
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J'ai tout donné
1984
American Dreamer
6.2/22
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American Dreamer
1963
The Bamboo Stroke
3.3/3
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The Bamboo Stroke
1966
Seventeenth Heaven
5/3
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Seventeenth Heaven
1965
Operation Double Cross
3/2
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Operation Double Cross
1964
Actualités télérévisées
0/0
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Actualités télérévisées
1961
Leon Garros Is Looking for His Friend
10/1
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Leon Garros Is Looking for His Friend
1967
Live for Life
6.3/17
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Live for Life
1980
The Party
6.61/1106
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1975
From Hong Kong with Love
4.7/16
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