Guy Maurice Lux (21 June 1919 – 13 June 2003) was a French TV host and producer best known for his 1961 creation of the game show Intervilles and its numerous spinoffs.[1] During his 40 year career, he produced, directed, hosted, and wrote more than 40 television shows.[2]
Due in part to the economic conditions in post-war France, Lux had difficulty finding buyers for his songs.[6][8][5][3] In the 1940s, he ran a hardware store in Asnières-sur-Seine, where he would set up games for his customers to play, especially during the Tour de France.[5] He did not start working in media until 1952.[3]
Television career
Lux hosted his first game show, Contact, in 1960. This show would later become La roue tourne, which he hosted alongside Jean-Francois Chiappe and Marina Gray in 1960-1964.[5][3] Another significant game show he hosted was Intervilles in 1962-1964, 1970-1971, 1973, and 1985-1991, almost the entire time with Léon Zitrone, Simone Garnier, and Claude Savarit. This show was based on the Italian programme Campanile sera and later inspired the British show It's a Knockout.[4][2][3] He created and hosted the spinoffs Jeux sans frontières (all-Europe competition), Interneige (continuation of Jeux sans frontières), Intercontinents (international competition), Interglace (winter competitions), and Interchallenges.[4][2][5][9] He also hosted Ring Parade and its sequel Système 2 and the popular variety show Le Schmilblick,[9][6][2][5] which popularized the word schmilblick, similar to the English thingamajig.[citation needed] He created and produced the shows La Classe, La Une est à vous, Succès fous, Capitale d'un soir, and L'Or à l'appel as well.[5][3][9]
Though he mainly worked with television, he appeared, oftentimes as a fictionalized version of himself, in several films, including Clémentine chérie (1964), Bang Bang (1967), Les fous du stade (1972), Comme sur des roulettes (1977), and Le Bourreau des cœurs (1983).[5] He also wrote and composed the song "A la queue leu leu" which was sung by André Bézu, and recorded a comedy song called "Le Tango d'Intervilles" with co-host Léon Zitrone.[5][10] In 2021, Lux and Zitrone were featured in the documentary Les Duos mythiques de la television as one of France's legendary duos.[11][12] He wrote and directed Drôles de zèbres in 1977 and in 1980 created his own production company, People Production.[5]
He retired from his television career in 1993, due largely to his age and the new talent available elsewhere.[5][13]
Personal life
Lux was known to enjoy betting on horses, so much so that there is now a race called Prix Guy Lux et Léon Zitrone held in Paris.[14][15][3]Sophie Darel, with whom he worked for 15 years on a number of shows, described him as "very anxious" and angry because of it, though she still had affection for him since his violent outbursts lasted only briefly.[13][16][17] In 1994, Lux started Pas d'enfants sans vacances (English: No child without vacation), which takes children from families who cannot afford vacations over the summer holidays to the beach and/or countryside.[18][5][3][19]
Lux married Paulette Lisle in 1942 and the couple had two children: Christiane (1942-1964) and Michel (1943-present).[4] Christiane died in a car accident in 1964 and Lux and his wife raised her 3-month old son, Jean-Christophe Lauduique, in her place.[4] Jean-Christophe and actress Ariane Séguillon are parents to Dorian Lauduique of the French DJ duo Ofenbach.[20][21] Jean-Christophe released music under the name Christophe Jenac in the 1980s.[4]
Lux had at least two extramarital affairs during his marriage to Paulette, resulting in four illegitimate children, three of which he never publicly acknowledged.[21][4] Pierre, mothered by actress and TV host Vonny.[21][4] He had another daughter, Laura-Charlotte, with actress Muriel Montossey. This was revealed following Laura-Charlotte's death on 26 May 1993 at 16 months old, when her death certificate, which included Lux's name, was published in newspapers and tabloids across France.[22][21]
Lux died on 13 June 2003 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. He is buried in Saint-Gratien Cemetery in Val-d'Oise alongside his wife Paulette and daughter Christiane.[4][14]
