"Valentine" is a song by French actor, cabaret singer and entertainer Maurice Chevalier. Its first public performance was in 1925. The song was strongly associated with him, and his imitators use it as "an instant identification symbol". Chevalier performed the song, in French, in two American movies, '' Innocents of Paris'' (1928) and ''

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), but to not offend American sensibilities the word tétons (breasts) was replaced with a mysterious ''piton'', which translates as peg or protuberance. "Piton" was needed for the rhyme scheme, but Chevalier always pointed to his nose at that moment in the song, to indicate what part of his lover's anatomy he was supposedly fondling.

History

In 1924, Maurice Chevalier was no longer a stranger to the public eye. His passionate love affair with the French songstress

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- ...

and "Dans la vie faut pas s'en faire" ("You mustn't worry so much in your life"), a song that became his first hit the following year, had brought him a certain notoriety. He felt he was at the dawn of a great career. Shortly after meeting his future wife Yvonne Vallée, he signed a three-year contract with to take part in three revues at the

Casino de Paris The Casino de Paris, located at 16, rue de Clichy, in the 9th arrondissement, is one of the well known music halls of Paris, with a history dating back to the 18th century. Contrary to what the name might suggest, it is a performance venue, not ...

. On November 28, 1925, Chevalier premiered a new revue titled ''Paris en fleurs'', in which he co-starred with Yvonne Vallée. The public hurried ''en masse'' to witness their love. Chevalier sang "Valentine", a song with somewhat risque lyrics – "imbued with café-concert spirit" – for the first time in this revue.Kirgener, p. 90. Many artists and observers consider that only Chevalier could sing this song while maintaining a certain properness of manner. For example,

Yves Montand Ivo Livi (), better known as Yves Montand (; 13 October 1921 – 9 November 1991), was an Italian-French actor and singer. Early life Montand was born Ivo Livi in Monsummano Terme, Italy, to Giovanni Livi, a broom manufacturer, Ivo held stron ...

has noted: ..and the charm of Maurice Chevalier arriving on stage ..he had extraordinary looks and class ..ref name="kirgener90"/> "Maurice often took songs that were trendy and that he imposed with his authentic geniality: one had to be a genius to impose "Valentine"!"Kirgener, p. 91. The public went to the Casino de Paris regularly just to hear this song. According to Dave DiMartino in his book ''Music in the 20th Century'', Chevalier's "rendition of lighthearted songs such as 'Valentine' ..seemed to conjure up the romantic feel of Paris".

Composition

Albert Willemetz Albert Willemetz (14 February 1887 – 7 October 1964) was a French librettist. Career Albert Willemetz was a prolific lyricist. He invented a new type of musical, with a humorous and "sexy" style. He was the author of more than 3000 songs, inc ...

and

Henri Christiné Henri Marius Christiné (27 December 1867 – 25 November 1941) was a French composer of Swiss birth. The son of a French Savoyard watchmaker, Christiné was born in Geneva, Switzerland. He began by teaching at the lycée in Geneva, while pur ...

wrote "Valentine" for Chevalier. The song starts off saying that you always remember your first lover. In the singer's case, her name was Valentine. In the chorus the singer describes her as having small feet, little breasts ("Elle avait des tout petits tétons") and a little chin. She also was "curly like a sheep". The song goes on to add (in translation) "She wasn’t the brightest/But in bed, that’s not important." The singer runs into her in the street many years later. He sees a woman who is as fat as a

hippopotamus The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extan ...

, has a double chin and "triple breasts". She runs up to him with an affectionate shout and throws her arms around his neck. He does not recognize her at all and asks "Excuse me, but who are you?" And she replies that she is Valentine. The last lines, sung ruefully, translate as "Oh poor little Valentine, that should not be allowed...not be allowed, no."

Later versions and performances

Chevalier performed the song in his first American movie, '' Innocents of Paris'' (1928), a musical comedy directed by Richard Wallace and starring Sylvia Beecher. He sang it again in the 1935 movie ''

'' (both in the American version directed by Roy Del Ruth and the French version directed by

Marcel Achard Marcel Achard (5 July 1899 – 4 September 1974) was a French playwright and screenwriter whose popular sentimental comedies Garzanti p. 3 maintained his position as a highly recognizable name in his country's theatrical and literary circles ...

).Vals, pages 208 and 209. In order not to shock the American public, the original lyrics: were modified as When Chevalier sang the word "piton", he pointed his finger at his nose to indicate what the ''piton'' was.

Notes

References

* Claudine Kirgener, ''Maurice Chevalier – Itinéraire d'un inconnu célèbre'', Vernal/Lebaud, 1988 * Marion Vidal et Isabelle Champion, ''Histoire des plus célèbres chansons du cinéma'', M. A. Éditions, 1990, 392 pages * François Vals, ''Maurice Chevalier'', Éditions Didier Carpentier, 2002, 252 pages

External links

{{Authority control 1925 songs Maurice Chevalier songs Songs with lyrics by Albert Willemetz