Robert Margat, alias “Roro de Fouras” has the same lightness as a 14-year-old teenager. It was at this age that he moved to Fouras (Charente-Maritime) with his grandfather and never left. They settled there as oyster farmers. Several years later, in September 1966, the filming of “Adventurers” (directed by Robert Enrico with Alain Delon and Lino Ventura) begins not far from his home.
Roro knew the owner of the motor boat rented by the production and by this happy coincidence, he becomes captain of the star. The mission was only supposed to last a few days but “they didn’t want me to leave anymore, they were happy with me, so I continued for a month.” Fouras, Fort Boyard or Ile-d’Aix: Roro takes them everywhere. So many opportunities for the three men to become friends. It must be said that Alain Delon and Roro are almost the same age: 28 years old for the captain of the ship, three years older for the actor. Lino Ventura, on the other hand, is older and is approaching his fifties during this shoot.
silly jokes
Because the three men had bonded, Roro de Fouras had fun trapping Alain Delon, while the latter was showing off. The anecdote is delivered Maryze Bessaguet, author of “La Rochelle makes its cinema”, in which she retraces all the films that have been shot in Charente-Maritime. While writing her book, Roro confided in her: “At the time, Alain Delon was very coveted by the women who waited for him on the quay of Île-d’Aix. Alain Delon therefore liked to get up from the boat before it came to a stop, so that the sea was rough.” One morning, Roro decides to be a little mischievous: “He explains to Lino Ventura, also on the boat, the joke he is preparing. When he has barely arrived at the dock, Alain Delon will get up, he will reverse a little brutally, to bring down the celebrity or at least, water it well.”
And that is exactly what is happening. Roro reminds Alain Delon of having warned him: he had to wait for the boat to come to a complete stop before getting up! The story goes that the handsome wet man showed no resentment and that his condition made Lino Ventura laugh a lot.
A seducer and a fighter
“Alain Delon was more pretentious than Ventura. With him, we heckled.“Here is another memory of Roro: the day Lino Ventura challenged him to wrestling.”I take it, I belt it, I knock it over with its legs in the air… Then afterwards, it made me do 1.50m jumps! I didn’t know he was a wrestling champion.”
These memories that he remembers with great pleasure, Roro has more difficulty sharing them : “I don’t like it very much. I was a simple guy.” Alain Delon also had him gave his phone number to perhaps see him again one day in Paris. And although the outstretched hand was not taken and the few photos Roro had were misplaced, he has fond memories of that friendship.
By Maud Lafaye, France Blue La Rochelle