Charles Prince Seigneur (27 April 1872 â€" 18 July 1933) was a
French-born film actor and comedian, best known for his screen persona
"Rigadin" in numerous short slapstick comedies. He was also known as
"Moritz" in Germany, "Whiffles" in England and the US, and "Tartufini"
in Italy. He was the second biggest film star in the world in the
years leading up to World War I, just behind his rival Max Linder.
Prince's "Rigadin" character was similar to Linder's "Max" in that
they were both upper-class dandys that were constantly getting into
trouble with authority figures and love interests. Prince began his
acting career on the stage and was hired by Pathé Frères in 1908. He
made over 200 films as "Rigadin" from 1909 until 1920. By 1920 his
popularity had faded and he played supporting roles in a handful of
films in the 1920s and 1930s. Two of his Rigadin shorts, Rigadin
Directeur de Cinéma and Rigadin et le Chien de la Baronne, were
preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2010.In 1900 he married
Aimée Campton, an English dancer working in Paris Their only daughter
was Renée Petitdemange (1901-1993). The couple divorced in April
1905Prince's great-grandson is French film director Cris Ubermann.
French-born film actor and comedian, best known for his screen persona
"Rigadin" in numerous short slapstick comedies. He was also known as
"Moritz" in Germany, "Whiffles" in England and the US, and "Tartufini"
in Italy. He was the second biggest film star in the world in the
years leading up to World War I, just behind his rival Max Linder.
Prince's "Rigadin" character was similar to Linder's "Max" in that
they were both upper-class dandys that were constantly getting into
trouble with authority figures and love interests. Prince began his
acting career on the stage and was hired by Pathé Frères in 1908. He
made over 200 films as "Rigadin" from 1909 until 1920. By 1920 his
popularity had faded and he played supporting roles in a handful of
films in the 1920s and 1930s. Two of his Rigadin shorts, Rigadin
Directeur de Cinéma and Rigadin et le Chien de la Baronne, were
preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2010.In 1900 he married
Aimée Campton, an English dancer working in Paris Their only daughter
was Renée Petitdemange (1901-1993). The couple divorced in April
1905Prince's great-grandson is French film director Cris Ubermann.
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