René Ranson is considered one of the greatest inheritors of the Russian ballet tradition. He worked for the Folies Bergère from 1924 to 1932, as well as for a plethora of other European and American theatres, and for several film studios. A member of the Club des Cent, he also participated in the Bal de l'Opéra and the Bal des Quat'z'arts, and was one of the founders of the Montmartre des artistes. During the Resistance, he drew for the underground press of which he was a member.