Zappy Max

Dynamic Zappy Max was one of the most popular radio hosts in France and Belgium from the 1950's until the 1970's. He worked for Radio Luxembourg (now RTL) and Radio Monte Carlo (RMC); his partner was Mr. Champagne. He also appeared in several French films, often as himself. Zappy Max is the pseudonym of Maxime Doucet, who was born in Paris in 1921. His father gave him a passion for the music-hall. There he began his career as a singer with the orchestra of Jacques Hélian, with whom he remained for three years. He then advanced to radio, where he hosted game shows such as Quitte ou double (Double or Nothing) and Crochet radiophonique for Radio Circus, with whom he traveled all over France and Belgium. He did several radio serials: Vas-y Zappy (Go Zappy), Ça va bouillir (It Will Boil) and C'est parti mon Zappy (It's Gone My Zappy). His work at Radio Luxembourg ended in 1966 when it became RTL, but continued his radio career at Radio Monte Carlo (RMC) by hosting the game Quitte ou double (Double or Nothing) again from 1974 until 1982/1983. Zappy Max performed in plays and in several films, making his film debut with a bit part in the anthology film Souvenirs perdus/Lost Souvenirs (1950, Christian Jacque) and appeared as himself in Quitte ou Double/Double or Nothing (1952, Robert Vernay). He had his first leading role in the comedy Faites-Moi Confiance/Trust Me (1954, Gilles Grangier). His other films include Les Chiffoniers d'Emmaüs/The Chiffoniers Emmaus (1955, Robert Darène) with Dany Carrel, Les lumières du soir/The Evening Lights (1956, Robert Vernay) with Gaby Morlay, and Printemps à Paris/Spring in Paris (1957, Jean-Claude Roy) starring Dominique Boschero. His last film appearance was in the drama Outremer/Overseas (1990, Brigitte Roüan) with Nicole Garcia. Zappy Max published his memoirs in Ça va bouillir/It Will Boil! (2000) and in L'âge d'or de la radio/ The Golden Age of Radio (2004). He was awarded the Prix Jean Nohain in 2005. A comedy entitled Zappy Max: ça va bouillir/Zappy Max: It's Going to Boil was written by Maurice Tillieux for the journal Pilote in 1959, and was republished in 2010 by Editions de l'Élan. That year Max also published a new book about his passion for the music-hall: Mes GEANTS du music-hall/My GIANTS of the Music-Hall. Indefatigable, he announced a new book, Mes Z d'or... Mémoires d'un cinéphile My Golden Z ... Memoirs of a film buff, with portraits of his favorite actors.