Biography
Charles Spaak (1903–1975) was a Belgian screenwriter who worked extensively in French cinema. Born in Brussels, he moved to Paris in 1928 and began his career as secretary to director Jacques Feyder, contributing to the adaptation of Les Nouveaux Messieurs (1929). He went on to write or co-write screenplays for many notable films of the 1930s, including Carnival in Flanders (1935), La Belle Équipe (1936), The Lower Depths (1936) and Grand Illusion (1937).
Spaak collaborated frequently with directors such as Feyder, Julien Duvivier, Jean Grémillon and Jean Renoir. His later credits include Panic (1946), Thérèse Raquin (1953) and Cartouche (1962). He held a doctorate in law from the University of Brussels, served as president of the French screenwriters' guild and was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour. He was the son of dramatist Paul Spaak and brother of politician Paul-Henri Spaak; his daughters Catherine Spaak and Agnès Spaak both became actresses.
