Armand Dutertre

Armand Dutertre (17 July 1854 – 31 May 1932) was a French and Polish actor.

He was born Bolesław Camille Plucinski in Lublin, Poland (then part of the Russian Empire) and died in Nice, France.

Boleslaw Kamil Plucinski professionally known as Armand Dutertre was a silent movie and theater actor. Born in Lublin on 17 July 1854, his father, Apolinary Plucinski, was a Polish insurgent, on of the organizers of the national uprising in Lublin in January 1863. It was also the reason which forced Plucinski's family to move to Paris. After having arrived in Prais, Apolinary Plucinski started working as a professor in Polish school. Young Boleslaw had a great opportunity to be educated in two languages and two cultures. He began his acting lessons very early; he was formed by the great actors from La comedy Française, what was his highest reference. During his career he made a lot of notable production in Odeon Theatre (Paris), Theatre de Batignolles (Paris), Fantasies-Parisienne Theatre (Paris), but also in the theatre in Reims, Brussels, Nice.

Armand Dutertre- his pseudonym in France as an actor- played in 35 silent movies. Among his numerous roles, his favourite was the one of the priest in "Le Roman d'un Mousse" (1914). It was one of Léonce Perret's movies with whom Dutertre made thirteen films. The most successful film in his career was "The Garden of Allah" (1927) directed by Rex Ingram, one of the most important movie director of this epoch. The film was created in Cairo and Nice and had an international success with very good reviews.

After many great performances and because of his talent, he was nominated as a director in the Theater in Cairo. The repertoire composed by Dutertre was only including the most valuable texts. He was also a director of Theatre in Brussels. Then he moved to Nice where he worked as an acting teacher and founded the Conservatory of Nice where he has worked for fifteen years as professor of declamation.

Boleslaw Kamil Plucinski all his life was connected with the Association of Polish Students in Polish School in Paris. He was invited to animate many events Polish culture events. He was always satisfied to participate; he was born in a patriotic family and he always maintained his Polish identity.

Plucinski was married twice and had two children. Unfortunately, both of them died before him. His first wife, Marie Plucinska (Brzezicka) was a Polish pianist. The rest of his life he spent with Marie-Jeanne who cared from him until his death. Despite his impressive career, Plucinski spent the last of his years in poverty. and at the end of his life, when he was sick and really tired, he was motivated to perform some poetry recitals in America. Unluckily the disease suddenly worsened, causing a renal crisis. He did not survive the operation and died on May 31, 1932.

He was interred at the Cimetière du Grand Jas in Cannes.