Maurice Auguste Chevalier (; 12 September 1888 – 1 January 1972) was a French singer, actor and entertainer.
He is perhaps best known for his signature songs, including "
Livin' In The Sunlight", "
Valentine", "
Louise
Louise or Luise may refer to:
* Louise (given name)
Arts Songs
* "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005
* "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984
* "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013
* "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929
*"Louise", by Clan of ...
", "
Mimi", and "
Thank Heaven for Little Girls
"Thank Heaven for Little Girls" is a 1957 song written by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe and associated with Maurice Chevalier, its original performer. It opened and closed the 1958 film '' Gigi''. Alfred Drake performed the song in the 1 ...
" and for his films, including ''
The Love Parade
''The Love Parade'' is a 1929 American pre-Code musical comedy film, directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald, involving the marital difficulties of Queen Louise of Sylvania (MacDonald) and her consort, C ...
'', ''
The Big Pond
''The Big Pond'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code romantic comedy film based on a 1928 play of the same name by George Middleton and A.E. Thomas. The film was written by Garrett Fort, Robert Presnell Sr. and Preston Sturges, who provided the dialo ...
'', ''
The Smiling Lieutenant
''The Smiling Lieutenant'' is a 1931 American pre-Code musical comedy film directed by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert and Miriam Hopkins, and released by Paramount Pictures.
It was written by Samson Raphaelson and ...
'', ''
One Hour with You'' and ''
Love Me Tonight
''Love Me Tonight'' is a 1932 American pre-Code musical comedy film produced and directed by Rouben Mamoulian, with music by Rodgers and Hart. It stars Maurice Chevalier as a tailor who poses as a nobleman and Jeanette MacDonald as a princess ...
''. His trademark attire was a
boater
__NOTOC__
A boater (also straw boater, basher, skimmer, The English Panama, cady, katie, canotier, somer, sennit hat, or in Japan, can-can hat, suruken) is a semi-formal summer hat for men, which was popularised in the late 19th century and e ...
hat and tuxedo.
Chevalier was born in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. He made his name as a star of
musical comedy
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...
, appearing in public as a singer and dancer at an early age before working in menial jobs as a teenager. In 1909, he became the partner of the biggest female star in France at the time,
Fréhel
Fréhel (; born Marguerite Boulc'h; 13 July 1891 – 3 February 1951) was a French singer and actress.
Biography
Born in Paris to a poor and dysfunctional Breton family, Marguerite Boulc'h was a child left to a life on the streets in the sordid ...
. Although their relationship was brief, she secured him his first major engagement, as a mimic and a singer in ''l'Alcazar'' in
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
, for which he received critical acclaim by French theatre critics. In 1917, he discovered
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
and
ragtime
Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott ...
and went to
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, where he found new success at the
Palace Theatre.
After this, he toured the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, where he met the American composers
George Gershwin
George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...
and
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook.
Born in Imperial Russi ...
and brought the
operetta
Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...
''
Dédé'' to
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
in 1922. He developed an interest in acting and had success in ''Dédé''. When
talkies
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...
arrived, he went to
Hollywood in 1928, where he played his first American role in ''
Innocents of Paris''. In 1930, he was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Actor
The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. The ...
for his roles in ''The Love Parade'' (1929) and ''The Big Pond'' (1930), which secured his first big American hits, "
You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me
"You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me" is a 1930 popular song. The credits list music and lyrics as written by Sammy Fain, Irving Kahal, and Pierre Norman. Since Fain was primarily a music writer and Kahal a lyricist, it may be assumed that the m ...
" and "Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight".
In 1957, he appeared in ''
Love in the Afternoon'', which was his first Hollywood film in more than 20 years. In 1958, he starred with
Leslie Caron
Leslie Claire Margaret Caron (; born 1 July 1931) is a French-American actress and dancer. She is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award, two BAFTA Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards. She is one ...
and
Louis Jourdan
Louis Jourdan (born Louis Robert Gendre; 19 June 1921 – 14 February 2015) was a French film and television actor. He was known for his suave roles in several Hollywood films, including Alfred Hitchcock's ''The Paradine Case'' (1947), '' Lette ...
in ''
Gigi''. In the early 1960s, he made eight films, including ''
''Can-Can'''' in 1960 and ''
''Fanny'''' the following year. In 1970, he made his final contribution to the film industry where he sang the title song of the Disney film ''
The Aristocats
''The Aristocats'' is a 1970 American animated romantic musical comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and directed by Wolfgang Reitherman. The 20th Disney animated feature film, the film is based on a story by Tom McGowan and Tom Ro ...
''. He died in Paris, on 1 January 1972, from complications of a suicide attempt.
Early life
Chevalier was born on September 12, 1888 in Paris to Victor Charles Chevalier (1854-), a French house painter, and Joséphine (''née'' Van Den Bossche, 1852-1929) a lace-maker of Belgian (Flemish) descent. He had two brothers, Charles (1877-1938) and Paul (1884-1969). Victor, an alcoholic, deserted the family in 1896, leaving Joséphine to feed and take care of the children on her own; forced to work much longer hours, she was hospitalized for overwork in 1898. Charles, the eldest, took over some responsibilities but was married in 1900, leaving his mother to take care of Maurice and Paul on her own.
Paul was forced to find work, and eventually secured a job at a metal-engraving factory; the brothers became very close with their mother during this time, nicknaming her "''La Louque''", which Maurice would later name his
Marnes-la-Coquette
Marnes-la-Coquette () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. Located from the centre of Paris, the town is situated in the Hauts-de-Seine department on the departmental border with Yvelines between the Parc de Saint-Cloud and the ...
estate after. Determined to be an acrobat, Maurice left school aged ten but was convinced to abandon this after a severe injury. He tried a number of other jobs: a carpenter's apprentice, an electrician, a printer, and even as a doll painter. Chevalier was eventually able to hold down a job at a mattress factory, and became interested in performing; while daydreaming his finger was crushed in a machine and he was forced to stop working.
While recovering, in 1900, he offered his services as a performer to the skeptical owner of a nearby cafe. Chevalier performed his first song there, ''V'la Les Croquants'', although his performance was met with laughter as he had sung three octaves too high. Discouraged, Maurice returned home, where his mother and brother Paul encouraged him to continue practicing. He continued singing, unpaid, at the café until a member of the theatre saw him and suggested he try for a local musical. Chevalier got the part, and began to make a name as a mimic and a singer. His act in l'Alcazar in
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
was so successful, on his return to Paris he was met by an admiring crowd.
In 1909, he became the partner of the biggest female star in France,
Fréhel
Fréhel (; born Marguerite Boulc'h; 13 July 1891 – 3 February 1951) was a French singer and actress.
Biography
Born in Paris to a poor and dysfunctional Breton family, Marguerite Boulc'h was a child left to a life on the streets in the sordid ...
. However, due to her
alcoholism
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol (drug), alcohol that results in significant Mental health, mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognize ...
and
drug addiction
Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use of ...
, their liaison ended in 1911. Chevalier later said that he became addicted to
cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...
during this time, a habit he was able to quit because he had no access to the drug as a prisoner of war in World War I. After splitting with Fréhel, he then started a relationship with 36-year-old
Mistinguett
Mistinguett (, born Jeanne Florentine Bourgeois; 5 April 1873 – 5 January 1956) was a French actress and singer. She was at one time the highest-paid female entertainer in the world.
Early life
The daughter of Antoine Bourgeois, a 31-year- ...
at the
Folies Bergère
The Folies Bergère () is a cabaret music hall, located in Paris, France. Located at 32 Rue Richer in the 9th Arrondissement, the Folies Bergère was built as an opera house by the architect Plumeret. It opened on 2 May 1869 as the Folies Trév ...
,
where he was her younger dance partner; they eventually played out a public romance.
World War I
When
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
broke out, Chevalier was in the middle of his national service, already in the front line, where he was wounded by
shrapnel
Shrapnel may refer to:
Military
* Shrapnel shell, explosive artillery munitions, generally for anti-personnel use
* Shrapnel (fragment), a hard loose material
Popular culture
* ''Shrapnel'' (Radical Comics)
* ''Shrapnel'', a game by Adam C ...
in the back in the first weeks of combat and was taken as a
prisoner of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...
in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
for two years, where he learned English.
In 1916, he was released through the secret intervention of
Mistinguett
Mistinguett (, born Jeanne Florentine Bourgeois; 5 April 1873 – 5 January 1956) was a French actress and singer. She was at one time the highest-paid female entertainer in the world.
Early life
The daughter of Antoine Bourgeois, a 31-year- ...
's admirer,
King Alfonso XIII of Spain
Alfonso XIII (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941), also known as El Africano or the African, was King of Spain from 17 May 1886 to 14 April 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. He was a monarch from birth as his father, Alfo ...
, the only king of a neutral country who was related to both the British and German royal families.
In 1917, Chevalier became a star in le Casino de Paris and played before British soldiers and Americans.
He discovered
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
and
ragtime
Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott ...
and started thinking about touring the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. In the prison camp, he had studied English and had an advantage over other French artists. He went to
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, where he found new success at the
Palace Theatre, even though he still sang in
French.
Paris and Hollywood
After the war, Chevalier went back to Paris and created several songs still known today, such as "
Valentine" (1924). He played in a few pictures, including Chaplin's ''
A Woman of Paris
''A Woman of Paris'' is a feature-length American silent film that debuted in 1923. The film, an atypical drama film for its creator, was written, directed, produced and later scored by Charlie Chaplin. It is also known as ''A Woman of Paris: A ...
'' (1923),
a rare drama for Chaplin, in which his character of
The Tramp
The Tramp (''Charlot'' in several languages), also known as the Little Tramp, was English actor Charlie Chaplin's most memorable on-screen character and an icon in world cinema during the era of silent film. ''The Tramp'' is also the title of ...
does not appear, and made an impression in the
operetta
Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...
''
Dédé''. He met the American composers
George Gershwin
George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...
and
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook.
Born in Imperial Russi ...
and brought ''Dédé'' to
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
in 1922. The same year he met
Yvonne Vallée
Yvonne Vallée (February 21, 1899 – June 15, 1996) was a French people, French actress.
Life
She was born Marguerite Yvonne Vallee in Bordeaux in 1899. Vallée was the wife of Maurice Chevalier from 1927 to 1933. She died in Vallauris, France ...
, a young dancer, who became his wife in 1927.
When
Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films including '' The Thie ...
was on honeymoon in Paris in 1920, he offered him star billing with his new wife
Mary Pickford
Gladys Marie Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress and producer with a career that spanned five decades. A pioneer in the US film industry, she co-founde ...
, but Chevalier doubted his own talent for silent movies (his previous ones had largely failed). When sound arrived, he made his
Hollywood debut in 1928. He signed a contract with
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
and played his first American role in ''
Innocents of Paris''.
In 1930, he was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Actor
The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. The ...
for his roles in ''
The Love Parade
''The Love Parade'' is a 1929 American pre-Code musical comedy film, directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald, involving the marital difficulties of Queen Louise of Sylvania (MacDonald) and her consort, C ...
'' (1929)
and ''
The Big Pond
''The Big Pond'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code romantic comedy film based on a 1928 play of the same name by George Middleton and A.E. Thomas. The film was written by Garrett Fort, Robert Presnell Sr. and Preston Sturges, who provided the dialo ...
'' (1930). ''The Big Pond'' gave Chevalier his first big American hit songs: "
Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight
"Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight" is a popular song that was written by Al Sherman and Al Lewis for the 1930 film ''The Big Pond'' starring Maurice Chevalier, who made it famous. On March 22, 1930 Bing Crosby and the Paul White ...
" with words and music by
Al Lewis and
Al Sherman
Avrum Sherman (September 7, 1897 – September 16, 1973), pen name Al Sherman, was a Russian-American songwriter and composer active during the Tin Pan Alley era in American music history. Some of his most recognizable song titles include: "Yo ...
, plus "A New Kind of Love" (or "The Nightingales"). He collaborated with
film director
A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...
Ernst Lubitsch
Ernst Lubitsch (; January 29, 1892November 30, 1947) was a German-born American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; as ...
. He appeared in Paramount's all-star revue film ''
Paramount on Parade
''Paramount on Parade'' is a 1930 all-star American pre-Code revue released by Paramount Pictures, directed by several directors including Edmund Goulding, Dorothy Arzner, Ernst Lubitsch, Rowland V. Lee, A. Edward Sutherland, Lothar Mendes, Ot ...
'' (1930).
While Chevalier was under contract with Paramount, his name was so recognized that his passport was featured in the
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act that was successful in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in motion pictures from 1905 to 1949. Five of the Marx Brothers' thirteen feature films were selected by the American Film Institute (AFI) ...
film ''
Monkey Business'' (1931). In this sequence, each brother uses Chevalier's passport, and tries to sneak off the ocean liner where they were stowaways by claiming to be the singer—with unique renditions of "
You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me
"You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me" is a 1930 popular song. The credits list music and lyrics as written by Sammy Fain, Irving Kahal, and Pierre Norman. Since Fain was primarily a music writer and Kahal a lyricist, it may be assumed that the m ...
" with its line "If the nightingales could sing like you". In 1931, Chevalier starred in a musical called ''
The Smiling Lieutenant
''The Smiling Lieutenant'' is a 1931 American pre-Code musical comedy film directed by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert and Miriam Hopkins, and released by Paramount Pictures.
It was written by Samson Raphaelson and ...
'' with
Claudette Colbert
Claudette Colbert ( ; born Émilie Claudette Chauchoin; September 13, 1903July 30, 1996) was an American actress. Colbert began her career in Broadway productions during the late 1920s and progressed to films with the advent of talking pictures ...
and
Miriam Hopkins
Ellen Miriam Hopkins (October 18, 1902 – October 9, 1972) was an American actress known for her versatility. She first signed with Paramount Pictures in 1930.
Her best-known roles included a pickpocket in Ernst Lubitsch's romantic comedy '' T ...
.
Despite the disdain audiences held for musicals in 1931,
it proved a successful film.
In 1932, he starred with
Jeanette MacDonald
Jeanette Anna MacDonald (June 18, 1903 – January 14, 1965) was an American singer and Actor, actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (''The Love Parade'', ''Love Me Tonight'', ''The Merry Widow (1934 ...
in Paramount's film musical ''
One Hour With You'',
which became a success and one of the films instrumental in making musicals popular again. Due to its popularity, Paramount starred Maurice Chevalier in another musical called ''
Love Me Tonight
''Love Me Tonight'' is a 1932 American pre-Code musical comedy film produced and directed by Rouben Mamoulian, with music by Rodgers and Hart. It stars Maurice Chevalier as a tailor who poses as a nobleman and Jeanette MacDonald as a princess ...
'' (also 1932), and again co-starring Jeanette MacDonald.
It is about a tailor who falls in love with a princess when he goes to a castle to collect a debt and is mistaken for a baron. Featuring songs by
Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most ...
and
Lorenz Hart
Lorenz Milton Hart (May 2, 1895 – November 22, 1943) was an American lyricist and half of the Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart. Some of his more famous lyrics include " Blue Moon", " The Lady Is a Tramp", "Manhattan", "Bewitched, Both ...
, it was directed by
Rouben Mamoulian
Rouben Zachary Mamoulian ( ; hy, Ռուբէն Մամուլեան; October 8, 1897 – December 4, 1987) was an American film and theatre director.
Early life
Mamoulian was born in Tiflis, Russian Empire, to a family of Armenian descent. H ...
,
who, with the help of the songwriters, was able to put into the score his ideas of the integrated musical (a musical which blends songs and dialogue so the songs advance the plot).
It is considered one of the greatest film musicals of all time.
In 1934, he starred in the first sound film of the
Franz Lehár
Franz Lehár ( ; hu, Lehár Ferenc ; 30 April 1870 – 24 October 1948) was an Austro-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas, of which the most successful and best known is ''The Merry Widow'' (''Die lustige Witwe'').
Life ...
operetta ''
The Merry Widow
''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt t ...
'', one of his best-known films,
though he felt his role was too narrow and repetitive. He then signed with MGM for ''
The Man from the Folies Bergère'', his own favourite of his films. After a disagreement over his star-billing, he returned to France in 1935 to resume his music-hall career.
Even when he was the highest-paid star in Hollywood, Chevalier had a reputation as a penny-pincher. He later admitted that he was hesitant to spend money on things such as changing the blade of his razor as he had grown up in poverty, remarking that "poverty is a disease that can never be cured." When not playing around with young chorus-girls, he actually felt quite lonely, and sought the company of
Adolphe Menjou
Adolphe Jean Menjou (February 18, 1890 – October 29, 1963) was an American actor. His career spanned both silent films and talkies. He appeared in such films as Charlie Chaplin's ''A Woman of Paris'', where he played the lead role; Stanley K ...
and
Charles Boyer
Charles Boyer (; 28 August 1899 – 26 August 1978) was a French-American actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found his success in American fi ...
, also French, but both much better educated than Chevalier. Boyer in particular introduced him to art galleries and good literature, and Chevalier would try to copy him as the man of taste. But at other times, he would 'revert to type' as the bitter and impoverished street-kid he was at heart. When performing in English, he always put on a heavy French accent, although his normal spoken English was quite fluent and sounded more American.
In 1937, Chevalier married the dancer Nita Raya. He had several successes, such as his revue ''Paris en Joie'' in the Casino de Paris. A year later, he performed in ''Amours de Paris''. His songs remained big hits, such as "Prosper" (1935), "Ma Pomme" (1936) and "Ça fait d'excellents français" (1939).
World War II
Chevalier continued performing for as long as he could freely, retreating to the
free zone in the south of France with his
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
wife and her parents as well as some friends following the 1940 invasion by
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
Nazi
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
troops. During this time, patriotic songs such as "Ça sent si bon la France" and "Paris sera Toujours Paris" became popular, and he held charity balls and performed to raise money for resistance efforts. Chevalier consistently refused to perform for the
Vichy France
Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its ter ...
collaborators, and feigned illness, but eventually, out of fear for the safety of his wife and her parents, he reluctantly agreed to a deal. He refused to perform on the collaborating station
Radio Paris
Radio Paris was a French radio broadcasting company best known for its Axis propaganda broadcasts in Vichy France during World War II.
Radio Paris evolved from the first private radio station in France, called Radiola, founded by pioneering Frenc ...
, but agreed to perform for prisoners of war at the very camp in which he had been incarcerated during World War I. The performance was given in exchange for the release of ten French prisoners.
In 1942, Chevalier was named on a list of
French collaborators with Germany to be killed during the war, or tried after it.
That year he moved to La Bocca, near
Cannes
Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions I ...
, but returned to the capital city in September. In 1944 when
Allied
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
forces freed France, Chevalier was accused of collaboration.
The August 28, 1944, issue of ''
Stars and Stripes'', the daily newspaper of U.S. armed forces in the
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a Theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It commanded Army Ground For ...
, reported in error that "Maurice Chevalier Slain By
Maquis
Maquis may refer to:
Resistance groups
* Maquis (World War II), predominantly rural guerrilla bands of the French Resistance
* Spanish Maquis, guerrillas who fought against Francoist Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War
* The network ...
, Patriots Say". Even though he was acquitted by a French convened court, the English-speaking press remained hostile and he was refused a
visa
Visa most commonly refers to:
*Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company
** Visa Debit card issued by the above company
** Visa Electron, a debit card
** Visa Plus, an interbank network
*Travel visa, a document that allows ...
for several years. In a review of the 1969 Oscar-nominated documentary film about French collaboration
''Le chagrin et la pitié'' (''The Sorrow and the Pity''),
Simon Heffer
Simon James Heffer (born 18 July 1960) is an English historian, journalist, author and political commentator. He has published several biographies and a series of books on the social history of Great Britain from the mid-nineteenth century unti ...
draws attention to “a clip of Maurice Chevalier explaining, entirely dishonestly, to an anglophone audience how he had not collaborated.”
In his own country, however, he was still popular. In 1946, he split from Nita Raya and, at the age of 58, began writing his memoirs, which took many years to complete.
He started to collect and paint art, and acted in ''
Le silence est d'or (Man About Town)'' (1946) by
René Clair
René Clair (11 November 1898 – 15 March 1981), born René-Lucien Chomette, was a French filmmaker and writer. He first established his reputation in the 1920s as a director of silent films in which comedy was often mingled with fantasy. He wen ...
.
He toured throughout the United States and other parts of the world, then returned to France in 1948.
In 1944, he had participated in a Communist demonstration in Paris. He was therefore even less popular in the U.S. during the
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is the practice of making false or unfounded accusations of subversion and treason, especially when related to anarchism, communism and socialism, and especially when done in a public and attention-grabbing manner.
The term origin ...
period; in 1951, he was refused re-entry into the U.S. because he had signed the
Stockholm Appeal.
In 1949, he performed in Stockholm in a
Communist
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
benefit against
nuclear arms
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either nuclear fission, fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and nuclear fusion, fusion reactions (Thermonuclear weapon, thermonu ...
. Also in 1949, Chevalier was the subject of the first official
roast
Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least from an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting can enhance the flavor through caramelization ...
at the
New York Friars' Club
The Friars Club is a private club in New York City. Famous for its risqué roasts, the club's membership is composed mostly of comedians and other celebrities. Founded in 1904, it is located at 57 East 55th Street, between Park Avenue and Ma ...
, although celebrities had been informally "roasted" at banquets since 1910.
In 1952, he bought a large property in
Marnes-la-Coquette
Marnes-la-Coquette () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. Located from the centre of Paris, the town is situated in the Hauts-de-Seine department on the departmental border with Yvelines between the Parc de Saint-Cloud and the ...
, near Paris, and named it La Louque, as a homage to his mother's nickname. He started a relationship in 1952 with Janie Michels, a young divorcee with three children.
In 1954, after the McCarthy era abated, Chevalier was welcomed back in the United States. His first full American tour was in 1955, with
Vic Schoen
Victor Schoen (March 26, 1916 – January 5, 2000) was an American bandleader, arranger, and composer whose career spanned from the 1930s until his death in 2000. He furnished music for some of the most successful persons in show business inclu ...
as arranger and musical director. The
Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Holl ...
film ''
Love in the Afternoon'' (1957) with
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Recognised as both a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, t ...
and
Gary Cooper
Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...
,
was his first Hollywood film in more than 20 years.
[Introduction by Robert Osborne, ]Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasti ...
, 11 August 2009
In 1957, Chevalier was awarded The George Eastman Award, given by
George Eastman House
The George Eastman Museum, also referred to as ''George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography and Film'', the world's oldest museum dedicated to photography and one of the world's oldest film archives, opened to the public in 1949 in ...
for distinguished contribution to the art of film.
Chevalier appeared in the movie musical ''
Gigi'' (1958) with
Leslie Caron
Leslie Claire Margaret Caron (; born 1 July 1931) is a French-American actress and dancer. She is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award, two BAFTA Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards. She is one ...
and
Hermione Gingold
Hermione Ferdinanda Gingold (; 9 December 189724 May 1987) was an English actress known for her sharp-tongued, eccentric character.
Her signature drawling, deep voice was a result of nodules on her vocal cords she developed in the 1920s and e ...
, with whom he shared the song "I Remember It Well", and several
Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
films.
The success of ''Gigi'' prompted Hollywood to give him an
Academy Honorary Award
The Academy Honorary Award – instituted in 1950 for the 23rd Academy Awards (previously called the Special Award, which was first presented at the 1st Academy Awards in 1929) – is given annually by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Moti ...
that year for achievements in entertainment.
In 1957, he appeared as himself in an episode of ''
The Jack Benny Program
''The Jack Benny Program'', starring Jack Benny, is a radio-TV comedy series that ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th century American comedy. He played one role throughout his radio and televis ...
'' titled "Jack in Paris". He also appeared as himself in an episode of ''
The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'', titled "Lucy Goes to Mexico".
Final years
In the early 1960s, he toured the United States and between 1960 and 1963 made eight films, including
''Can-Can'' (1960) with
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
.
In 1961, he starred in the drama
''Fanny'' with
Leslie Caron
Leslie Claire Margaret Caron (; born 1 July 1931) is a French-American actress and dancer. She is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award, two BAFTA Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards. She is one ...
and
Charles Boyer
Charles Boyer (; 28 August 1899 – 26 August 1978) was a French-American actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found his success in American fi ...
, an updated version of
Marcel Pagnol
Marcel Paul Pagnol (; 28 February 1895 – 18 April 1974) was a French novelist, playwright, and filmmaker. Regarded as an auteur, in 1946, he became the first filmmaker elected to the Académie française. Although his work is less fashionable ...
's "Marseilles Trilogy".
In 1962, he filmed ''
Panic Button
A panic alarm is an electronic device that can easily be activated to request help during an emergency situation where danger to persons or property exists. It is designed to minimize time until assistance can arrive.
A panic alarm is freque ...
'' (not released until 1964), playing opposite
Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield (born Vera Jayne Palmer; April 19, 1933 – June 29, 1967) was an American actress, singer, nightclub entertainer, and ''Playboy'' Playmate. A sex symbol of the 1950s and early 1960s while under contract at 20th Century Fox, Man ...
. In 1965, at age 77, he made another world tour.
In 1967 he toured in
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
, again, the US, Europe and Canada, where he appeared as a special guest at
Expo 67
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It was a category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is considered to be one of the most su ...
. The following year, on October 1, 1968, he announced his farewell tour.
Historical newsreel footage of Chevalier appeared in the 1969
Marcel Ophüls
Marcel Ophuls (; born 1 November 1927) is a German-French documentary film maker and former actor, best known for his films ''The Sorrow and the Pity'' and '' Hôtel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie''.
Life and career
Ophuls was bo ...
documentary ''
The Sorrow and the Pity
''The Sorrow and the Pity'' (french: Le Chagrin et la Pitié) is a two-part 1969 documentary film by Marcel Ophuls about the collaboration between the Vichy government and Nazi Germany during World War II. The film uses interviews with a Germ ...
''. In a wartime short film near the end of the film's second part, he explained his disappearance during World War II, as rumors of his death lingered at that time, and he emphatically denied any collaboration with the Nazis. His theme song, "Sweepin' the Clouds Away", from the film ''
Paramount on Parade
''Paramount on Parade'' is a 1930 all-star American pre-Code revue released by Paramount Pictures, directed by several directors including Edmund Goulding, Dorothy Arzner, Ernst Lubitsch, Rowland V. Lee, A. Edward Sutherland, Lothar Mendes, Ot ...
'' (1930), was one of the film's theme songs and was played in the end credits of the second part.
In 1970, two years after his retirement, songwriters
Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman convinced him to sing the title song of the Disney film ''
The Aristocats
''The Aristocats'' is a 1970 American animated romantic musical comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and directed by Wolfgang Reitherman. The 20th Disney animated feature film, the film is based on a story by Tom McGowan and Tom Ro ...
'', which ended up being his final contribution to the film industry.
Death and burial
Chevalier suffered from bouts of depression throughout his adult life. On March 7, 1971, he attempted suicide by overdosing on
barbiturate
Barbiturates are a class of depressant drugs that are chemically derived from barbituric acid. They are effective when used medically as anxiolytics, hypnotics, and anticonvulsants, but have physical and psychological addiction potential as we ...
s. Rushed to the hospital, Chevalier was saved but suffered liver and kidney damage as a result of the drug. In the following months, he suffered memory lapses, chronic tiredness, and spent much of his time alone. On December 12, he fell ill and was taken to Paris's
Necker Hospital
Necker may refer to:
* Necker (surname)
* ''Necker'' (ship), several ships
* Neckerchief, cloth worn round the neck
* Necker cube, optical illusion
* Necker Island (Hawaii)
* Necker Island (British Virgin Islands)
* Necker–Enfants Malades Hospi ...
and placed on dialysis. By December 30, doctors announced his kidneys were no longer responding to dialysis. Too frail for a transplant, he underwent surgery as a last-ditch effort to save his life. It was unsuccessful; Chevalier died from a cardiac arrest following kidney surgery on New Year's Day 1972, aged 83.
He is interred in the cemetery of Marnes-la-Coquette in
Hauts-de-Seine
Hauts-de-Seine (; ) is a Departments of France, département in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region, Northern France. It covers Paris's western inner Banlieue, suburbs. It is bordered by Paris, Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne to the e ...
, outside Paris, France with his mother, "La Louque".
Chevalier has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
at 1651 Vine Street.
Author Michael Freedland later claimed in his 1981 biography of Chevalier that the actor Felix Paquet, who became close to Chevalier during the 1960s, cut off contact with all of his friends and family in hopes of securing access to his fortune. Freedland alleges that Paquet, eighteen years Chevalier's junior, intercepted mail and withheld information about Maurice's health in the months before his death.
Notable songs
* "Le beau gosse" (1908)
* "La madelon de la victoire" (1918)
* "Oh ! Maurice" (1919)
* "Je n'peux pas vivre sans amour" (1921)
* "Dans la vie faut pas s'en faire" (1921)
* "C'est Paris" (1923)
* “Les ananas” (1924)
* “Quand on est deux” (1924)
* "
Valentine" (1925)
* “Chacun son truc” (1926)
* "Dites-moi, ma Mère" (1927)
* "
Louise
Louise or Luise may refer to:
* Louise (given name)
Arts Songs
* "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005
* "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984
* "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013
* "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929
*"Louise", by Clan of ...
" (1929)
* "Paris je t'aime d'amour" (1930)
* "My Love Parade" (1930)
* "(Up On Top Of A Rainbow) Sweepin' The Clouds Away" (1930)
* "
You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me
"You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me" is a 1930 popular song. The credits list music and lyrics as written by Sammy Fain, Irving Kahal, and Pierre Norman. Since Fain was primarily a music writer and Kahal a lyricist, it may be assumed that the m ...
" (1930)
* "
Living In the Sunlight, Loving In the Moonlight
"Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight" is a popular song that was written by Al Sherman and Al Lewis for the 1930 film ''The Big Pond'' starring Maurice Chevalier, who made it famous. On March 22, 1930 Bing Crosby and the Paul Whi ...
" (1930)
* "My Ideal" (1930)
* “Hello beautiful!” (1931)
* “One hour with you” (1932)
* "
Isn't it Romantic" (1932)
* "
Mimi" (1932)
* “Oh ! That Mitzi” (1932)
* “Singing a happy song” (1935)
* "Donnez-moi la main" (1935)
* "Quand un Vicomte" (1935)
* "Prosper" (1935)
* “Dupont, Dubois, Durand” (1935)
* "Ma Pomme" (1936)
* "Le Chapeau de Zozo" (1936)
* "Y’a d’la joie" (1937)
* “L’amour est passé près de vous” (1937)
* "Ah ! si vous connaissez ma poule" (1938)
* “Ça s’est passé un Dimanche” (1939)
* "Il pleurait" (1939)
* "Ça fait d'excellents Français" (1939)
* “Appelez ça comme vous voulez” (1939)
* “Mimile” (1939)
* "
Paris sera toujours Paris" (1939)
* "Notre Espoir" (1941)
* “Toi… toi… toi…” (1941)
* “Ça sent si bon la France” (1941)
* “La chanson du maçon” (1941)
* "La Marche de Ménilmontant" (1942)
* “La symphonie des semelles en bois” (1942)
* “La fête a Neu-Neu” (1944)
* "Fleur de Paris" (1945)
* “La chanson populaire” (1945)
* “Quai de Bercy” (1946)
* "Place Pigalle" (1946)
* "Folies-Bergère" (1948)
* “Ça va… ça va !” (1948)
* “Mannekin-pis” (1949)
* “C’est fini” (1949)
* "Sur l'Avenue Foch" (1950)
* "L'objet" (1951)
* “Un télégramme” (1952)
* “Quand la bâtiment va…” (1953)
* "Demain j'ai vingt ans" (1954)
* “Deux amoureux sur un banc (1954)
* "Chapeau de paille" (1954)
* "
Thank Heaven For Little Girls
"Thank Heaven for Little Girls" is a 1957 song written by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe and associated with Maurice Chevalier, its original performer. It opened and closed the 1958 film '' Gigi''. Alfred Drake performed the song in the 1 ...
" (1958)
* "
I Remember It Well" (1958)
* "Ah ! Donnez m'en de la chanson" (1961)
* "
Enjoy It!" (1962)
* "Le twist du canotier" (1962)
* "Jolies mômes de mon quartier" (1962)
* “Moi, avec une chanson” (1962)
* "Au Revoir” (1965)
* “Le sous-marin vert” (1966)
* “Sourire aux lèvres” (1966)
* "I'm gonna shine today" (1967)
* "
Joi De Vivre" (1967)
* "
The Aristocats
''The Aristocats'' is a 1970 American animated romantic musical comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and directed by Wolfgang Reitherman. The 20th Disney animated feature film, the film is based on a story by Tom McGowan and Tom Ro ...
" (1970)
Selected filmography
* ''Par habitude'' (1911)
* ''Gonzague'' (1923) – Gonzague / Maurice
* ''Bad Boy'' (1923) – Le mauvais garçon
* ''Jim Bougne, boxeur'' (1923) – Maurice
* ''L'affaire de la rue de Lourcine'' (1923) – Lenglené
* ''Hello New York!'' (1928) – Himself
* ''
Innocents of Paris'' (1929) – Maurice Marney
* ''
The Love Parade
''The Love Parade'' is a 1929 American pre-Code musical comedy film, directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald, involving the marital difficulties of Queen Louise of Sylvania (MacDonald) and her consort, C ...
'' (1929) – Count Alfred Renard
* ''Paramount on parade'' (1930) – Himself
* ''
Paramount on Parade
''Paramount on Parade'' is a 1930 all-star American pre-Code revue released by Paramount Pictures, directed by several directors including Edmund Goulding, Dorothy Arzner, Ernst Lubitsch, Rowland V. Lee, A. Edward Sutherland, Lothar Mendes, Ot ...
'' (1930) – Apache – Episode 'Origin of the Apache' / 'Park in Paris' / Finale
* ''
The Big Pond
''The Big Pond'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code romantic comedy film based on a 1928 play of the same name by George Middleton and A.E. Thomas. The film was written by Garrett Fort, Robert Presnell Sr. and Preston Sturges, who provided the dialo ...
'' (1930) – Pierre Mirande
* ''
La grande mare
''The Big Pond'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code romantic comedy film based on a 1928 play of the same name by George Middleton and A.E. Thomas. The film was written by Garrett Fort, Robert Presnell Sr. and Preston Sturges, who provided the dialo ...
'' (1930) – Pierre Mirande
* ''
Playboy of Paris
''Playboy of Paris'' is a 1930 American pre-Code musical comedy film directed by Ludwig Berger and starring Maurice Chevalier, Frances Dee (in her film debut), and O.P. Heggie. It was based on a 1911 play '' The Little Cafe'' by Tristan Bernard ...
'' (1930) – Albert Loriflan
* ''Paramount en parade'' (1930)
* ''
The Little Cafe'' (1931) – Albert Lorifian
* ''
The Smiling Lieutenant
''The Smiling Lieutenant'' is a 1931 American pre-Code musical comedy film directed by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert and Miriam Hopkins, and released by Paramount Pictures.
It was written by Samson Raphaelson and ...
'' (1931) – Lt. Nikolaus 'Niki' von Preyn
* ''
Monkey Business'' (1931) – Himself (voice, uncredited)
* ''
One Hour with You'' (1932) – Dr. Andre Bertier
* ''
Make Me a Star'' (1932) – Himself (uncredited)
* ''
Love Me Tonight
''Love Me Tonight'' is a 1932 American pre-Code musical comedy film produced and directed by Rouben Mamoulian, with music by Rodgers and Hart. It stars Maurice Chevalier as a tailor who poses as a nobleman and Jeanette MacDonald as a princess ...
'' (1932) – Maurice
* ''
A Bedtime Story
''A Bedtime Story'' is a 1933 American pre-Code romantic comedy film starring Maurice Chevalier.
Plot
Chevalier plays a Parisian playboy who finds himself obliged to care for an abandoned baby. The film was directed by Norman Taurog and also st ...
'' (1933) – Monsieur Rene
* ''
The Way to Love'' (1933) – François
* ''L'amour guide'' (1933) – François
* ''
The Merry Widow
''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt t ...
'' (1934) – Prince Danilo
* ''La Veuve joyeuse'' (1935) – Danilo
* ''
Folies Bergère de Paris
''Folies Bergère de Paris'' is a 1935 American musical comedy film produced by Darryl Zanuck for 20th Century Films, directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Maurice Chevalier, Merle Oberon and Ann Southern. At the 8th Academy Awards, the “Str ...
'' (1935) – Eugene Charlier / Baron Fernand Cassini
* ''
The Beloved Vagabond'' (1936) – Gaston de Nerac 'Paragot'
* ''
With a Smile'' (1936) – Victor Larnois
* ''
The Man of the Hour
''The Man of the Hour'' (French: ''L'homme du jour'') is a 1937 French musical film directed by Julien Duvivier and starring Maurice Chevalier, Elvire Popesco and Josette Day.Mazdon & Wheatley p.35 The film was shot at the Joinville Studios, w ...
'' (1937) – Alfred Boulard / Himself
* ''
Break the News
''Break the News'' is the third studio album by Swedish singer Darin. It was released on 22 November 2006 in Sweden. The album reached the top of the Swedish Album Charts. Four singles were released from the album in Sweden with an additional ...
'' (1938) – François Verrier
* ''
Personal Column'' (1939) – Robert Fleury
* ''
Man About Town'' (1947) – Emile Clément
* ''
The King'' (1949) – The King Jean IV de Cerdagne
* ''Just Me'' (1950) – Maurice Vallier dit 'Ma Pomme'
* ''Jouons le jeu'' (1952) – Himself
* ''
Hit Parade
A hit parade is a ranked list of the most popular recordings at a given point in time, usually determined either by sales or airplay. The term originated in the 1930s; ''Billboard'' magazine published its first music hit parade on January 4, 1936 ...
'' (1953) – Himself – Singer
* ''
100 Years of Love'' (1954) – Massimo (segment "Amore 1954")
* ''
My Seven Little Sins
''My Seven Little Sins'' (french: J'avais sept filles, it, I sette peccati di papà), released in UK as ''I Had Seven Daughters'', is a 1954 French-Italian comedy film co-written and directed by Jean Boyer and starring Maurice Chevalier and Del ...
'' (1954) – Comte André de Courvallon
* ''
Love in the Afternoon'' (1957) – Claude Chavasse
* ''
Gigi'' (1958) – Honoré Lachaille
* ''
Count Your Blessings'' (1959) – Duc de St. Cloud
* ''
Can-Can'' (1960) – Paul Barriere
* ''
A Breath of Scandal
''A Breath of Scandal'' (released as ''Olympia'' in Italy) is a 1960 American/Italian international co-production romantic comedy-drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, based on the stage play ''Olympia'' by Ferenc Molnár. It stars Sophia Lore ...
'' (1960) – Prince Philip
* ''
Pepe
Pepe is a pet form of the Spanish name José (Josep). It is also a surname.
*
People
Mononyms
* Pepe (footballer, born 1935), real name José Macia, Brazilian footballer
*Pepe (footballer, born 1983), real name Képler Laveran Lima Ferreira ...
'' (1960) – Maurice Chevalier
* ''
Fanny'' (1961) – Panisse
* ''
Black Tights
''Black Tights'' (''1-2-3-4 ou Les Collants noirs'') is a 1961 French anthology film featuring four ballet segments shot in Technirama and directed by Terence Young.
The dances in the film were abridged versions of ballets created for the stage ...
'' (1961) – Himself – Presenter
* ''
Jessica'' (1962) – Father Antonio
* ''
In Search of the Castaways
''In Search of the Castaways'' (french: Les Enfants du capitaine Grant, lit=The Children of Captain Grant) is a novel by the French writer Jules Verne, published in 1867–68. The original edition, published by Hetzel, contains a number of ill ...
'' (1962) – Jacques Paganel
* ''
A New Kind of Love
''A New Kind of Love'' is a 1963 American romantic comedy film written, directed, and produced by Melville Shavelson and starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Frank Sinatra sings "You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me" over the opening credi ...
'' (1963) – Maurice Chevalier
* ''
Panic Button
A panic alarm is an electronic device that can easily be activated to request help during an emergency situation where danger to persons or property exists. It is designed to minimize time until assistance can arrive.
A panic alarm is freque ...
'' (1964) – Philippe Fontaine
* ''
I'd Rather Be Rich
''I'd Rather Be Rich'' is a 1964 romantic comedy film with musical aspects directed by Jack Smight, produced by Ross Hunter and starring Sandra Dee. The film focuses on a dying man who wishes to meet his granddaughter's fiancé, but he is unavail ...
'' (1964) – Philip Dulaine
* ''La chance et l'amour'' (1964) – Himself (segment "Les interviews-vérités")
* ''
Monkeys, Go Home!
''Monkeys, Go Home!'' is a 1967 American comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. The movie stars Maurice Chevalier, Dean Jones, and Yvette Mimieux. Aside from contributing to the soundtrack of Disney ...
'' (1967) – Father Sylvain (final film role)
*''
Aristocats
''The Aristocats'' is a 1970 American animated romantic musical comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and directed by Wolfgang Reitherman. The 20th Disney animated feature film, the film is based on a story by Tom McGowan and Tom R ...
'' (1970) - Theme song
See also
*
List of actors with Academy Award nominations
References
Bibliography
*
* Authorised by René and Lucette Chevalier
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
*
Photographs of Maurice ChevalierMaurice Chevalier's famous song "Valentine"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chevalier, Maurice
1888 births
1972 deaths
Male actors from Paris
Cabaret singers
French male film actors
French military personnel of World War I
French male musical theatre actors
Academy Honorary Award recipients
Cecil B. DeMille Award Golden Globe winners
Special Tony Award recipients
Recipients of the Croix de Guerre (France)
French comedy musicians
Imperial Records artists
French people of Belgian descent
French prisoners of war in World War I
World War I prisoners of war held by Germany
MGM Records artists
20th-century American male actors
Singers from Paris
Paramount Pictures contract players
Vaudeville performers
French expatriate male actors in the United States
20th-century French male actors
20th-century French comedians
20th-century French male singers