He was born in
Rouen, but spent most of his childhood at
Le Havre, and moved to
Paris in 1917. His first works show the influence of the
Surrealists. He was the owner of a profitable advertising firm, but sold it in order to devote his time to writing plays. Encouraged by
Charles Dullin, he wrote in a wide range of styles and enjoyed great success from the mid-1930s. His later work is usually grouped with that of the
Existentialists. He flirted with
communism during the 1920s and criticized capitalism in his play
Boulevard Durand. During the Nazi occupation of France, he participated in the clandestine
French Resistance, an experience which he celebrated in
Les Nuits de la colère. He was a member of the
Académie Goncourt, and a library in his home town is named after him. ==Plays==