- Was not happy with the coming of sound, in cinema, as it could, he thought, undermine the complex language constructed by the silent cinema over the last three decades.
- Was involved with both the Surrealist and Dadaist movements.
- Made his reputation with visual comedies and socio/political satires, examining the mores of the middle- and upper-classes in France. Although he made sojourns to both Britain and the US, he was happiest working in his native country, where he felt less subjected to studio interference. Nonetheless, he is highly regarded for two of his Hollywood films: the whimsical comedy I Married a Witch (1942), for which he effectively discovered latent comedic talents in his star Veronica Lake; and And Then There Were None (1945), which is considered one of the most faithful adaptations of an Agatha Christie thriller.
- Was a volunteer ambulance driver during World War I.
- President of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1974
- In 1960 he was the first member of the Académie Française elected as a director (Marcel Pagnol, elected in 1946, was also a writer).
- When Clair first arrived at Universal, he wanted to do a picture with W.C. Fields and Deanna Durbin. The studio did not think it was a good idea, and Clair did "Flame of New Orleans.".
- Brother of Henri Chomette.
- Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume One, 1890-1945". Pages 131-137. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1987.
- Profiled in "Encyclopedia of French Film Directors" by Philippe Rege (Scarecrow Press).
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