Léon Zitrone

Léon Zitrone (25 November 1914 – 25 November 1995) was a Russian-born French journalist and television presenter.

Léon Zitrone
Zitrone in 1986
Born	(1914-11-25)25 November 1914 Petrograd, Russia
Died	25 November 1995(1995-11-25) (aged 81) Paris, France
Nationality	French
Education	École supérieure de journalisme de Paris
Occupation	Television journalist

Biography

Zitrone was born in Petrograd, Russia. He arrived in France with his family fleeing communism at the age of six. He graduated from the ESJ Paris. He began by training in scientific studies but his mastership of Russian, French, English and German gave him entrance in 1948 to the radio foreign broadcasting services of Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (RTF). In 1959, he joined the television activity of RTF. From 1961, he became news presenter, function he occupied for nearly 20 years, first until 1975, on the first French television channel (now TF1), then also on Antenne 2, the other public service channel. Jean-Pierre Elkabbach called him back in 1979. He then took charge of the news program during the week-end (his contract was established until 1 February 1981). He would come back for those news programs also during the Easter and Pentecost week-ends.

But Léon Zitrone's celebrity is due to the programs he presented or co-presented. He was host of the televised program Intervilles (French counterpart of Britain's It's a Knockout) with Guy Lux. He commented 6 times on the Tour de France, and he is remembered for his prodigious memory for names of riders. He presented the Olympics 8 times, commented the Eurovision Song Contest on 4 occasions and presented 16 Bastille Day military parades. Above all, he was the key-commenter for big events, such as weddings, burials or investitures of world's key figures, some thirty of them during the course of his career.

In 1978, following French singer Marie Myriam's victory the previous year, the Eurovision song contest took place in Paris. Léon Zitrone co-presented with Denise Fabre and made the presentation in English. He was the oldest host of the Eurovision Song Contest, aged 63.

In 1984, Zitrone took a leading role in the movie American Dreamer.

Death

He died from a cerebral hemorrhage on his 81st birthday, 25 November 1995, at the Val-de-Grâce hospital in Paris.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1959	Rue des prairies	Himself / En personne
1961	Leon Garros ishchet druga	Léon Garros
1961	Three Faces of Sin	En personne / Himself
1961	The President	Himself	Uncredited
1961	Cocagne	Himself
1962	The Gentleman from Epsom	En personne / Himself	Uncredited
1962	Portrait-robot	Himself
1963	The Bamboo Stroke
1963	Méfiez-vous, mesdames	Himself
1964	Dandelions by the Roots	Himself / La voix commentaire du tiercé	Voice, Uncredited
1965	Train d'enfer	Himself
1966	Le caïd de Champignol	Himself
1966	Un garçon, une fille. Le dix-septième ciel	Himself	Voice, Uncredited
1967	Live for Life	Le présentateur télé
1968	Pasha	Himself / En personne (commentateur hippique)	Uncredited
1968	Ho!	Himself / En personne	Uncredited
1969	Les gros malins
1969	Trois hommes sur un cheval	Un turfiste	Uncredited
1971	Macédoine	Zitrone	Uncredited
1972	Les intrus	Le journaliste
1974	Mariage	Lui-même
1975	Bons Baisers de Hong Kong	Espion français
1976	L'Année sainte	Récitant TV	Voice, Uncredited
1977	Drôles de zèbres	Le commentateur hippique
1978	Et vive la liberté!	Himself
1980	The Umbrella Coup	Le commentateur de la soirée	Voice
1980	La Boum	Himself
1982	Deux heures moins le quart avant Jésus-Christ
1983	Les Mots pour le dire	Le présentateur émission TV	Uncredited
1984	American Dreamer	Ivan Stranauvlitch
1985	Le mariage du siècle	commentateur	Voice, (final film role)

See also

• List of Eurovision Song Contest presenters
• Le Gentleman d'Epsom (film, 1962)