Victor Francen (born Victor Franssens; 5 August 1888 – 18 November 1977) was a Belgian-born actor with a long career in French cinema and in Hollywood. Biography Francen was born in 1888 in Tienen, the son of a chief of police. According to Russian sources, he attended opera classes in Odessa before 1914. Was already well known in Russian empire before 1914. Postcards with his portraits were printed and sold. He worked in trade in Belgium before settling in Paris where he trained in dramatic art under Paul Mounet. His stage career in the 1920s included appearances in plays by Henri Bernstein, Georges Bataille and Edmond Rostand which took him all over the world. After three appearances in silent films, he played the Prophet in Abel Gance's film La Fin du monde (The End of the World) (1931) and established his career as a leading man in French films. In 1940, he was introduced to American films by Charles Boyer and appeared in Hold Back the Dawn (1941), The Tuttles of Tahiti (1942), Ten Gentlemen from West Point (1942), Tales of Manhattan (1942), Mission to Moscow (1943), Madame Curie (1943), The Desert Song (1943), In Our Time (1944), Passage to Marseille (1944), The Mask of Dimitrios (1944), The Conspirators (1944), Confidential Agent (1945), San Antonio (1945), Devotion (1946), Night and Day (1946), The Beast with Five Fingers (1946), The Beginning or the End (1947), To the Victor (1948), Hell and High Water (1954). He was married three times, his last marriage to the actress Mary Marquet. He died in 1977 in Saint-Cannat, Bouches-du-Rhône, France. Complete filmography Le doute (1921) – Le jeune écrivain Pierre Aubry Crépuscule d'épouvante (1921) – Michel Fortin La neige sur les pas (1923) – Marc Romenay La Fin du monde (End of the World) (1931) – Martial Novalic L'aiglon (The Eaglet) (1931) – Flambeau Après l'amour (When Love Is Over) (1931) – Pierre Meyran Ariane, jeune fille russe (1932) – Constantin Mélo (The Dreamy Mouth) (1932) – Marcel, l'amant Les ailes brisées (1933) – Fabrège Le velour (1933) – Richard Voisin L'Aventurier (1934) – Étienne Ranson Le chemineau (1935) – Le chemineau / The Vagabond Veille d'armes (1935) – Captain de Corlaix La porte du large (1936) – Commandant Villette Le roi (The King) (1936) – Le roi Jean IV de Cerdagne – en visite à Paris Nuits de feu (Nights of Fire) (1937) – Fedor