French film star gets jail for altercations

AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France -- Samy Naceri, a star of the Oscar-nominated French film ''Days of Glory,'' was sentenced to four months in prison Friday for violent behavior against nightclub bouncers and for insulting a police officer.

Naceri, 45, has had frequent run-ins with the law. He is serving a six-month sentence for making racial slurs against a police officer. In one case, Naceri was convicted of violence against bouncers at an Aix-en-Provence nightclub. The court sentenced him to nine months in prison, with six of those suspended.

In another case, Naceri was convicted of insulting two guards at a medical center where he was taken after overdosing of medication. The court ordered him to spend one month in prison and pay a $6,560 fine. In both cases, Naceri must pay damages.

Naceri's lawyer, Francoise Cotta, said the French actor hoped to make a new start after his prison time.

The cast of ''Days of Glory" shared best actor honors at Cannes last spring. (The movie opens Friday in Chicago.) The film, about North African soldiers in France's colonial army, is up for nine French Cesar Awards and is nominated for best foreign language film at the Oscars.

AP