Maurice Chevalier

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Maurice Chevalier (around 1920)
Maurice Chevalier (1929)
Maurice Chevalier (1968)
Signature of Maurice Chevalier

Maurice Auguste Chevalier (born September 12, 1888 in Paris , † January 1, 1972 ibid; actually Maurice-Edouard Saint-Léon Chevalier ) was a French actor and chanson singer . Maurice Chevalier became famous with stage appearances in Paris, London and New York. In the course of his film career he made over 50 films, mostly in the role of the elegant gentleman. His best known songs include Louise , Mimi , Valentine and Thank Heaven for Little Girls . From the 1960s on, he also appeared in some of Walt Disney's films , with whom he became a close friend.

Life

Raised the son of an unemployed painter, Chevalier was already performing in Parisian cafés at the turn of the century. Through his chanson program with many dance performances, he gained increasing popularity and appeared in ever larger and more popular music halls . In 1909 he made his debut in the Folies Bergère , where he appeared for a few years with Mistinguett , with whom he also lived for a time. Already in the pre-war period he played in the first films, under the direction of and alongside Max Linder . During the First World War he did military service in the 35th Infantry Regiment , was wounded and was taken prisoner by Germany. The relationships of his colleague Mistinguett ensured his early return from captivity in 1916; However, he did not enter into a permanent professional or private bond with her. In the following years he became one of the most successful entertainers of his time. In 1924 he recorded Valentine , one of the most popular songs of the 1920s. In the 1920s he took part in several films by Henri Diamant-Berger . In 1928 Chevalier went to the United States and played there in several operetta films by Ernst Lubitsch . He is considered one of the highest paid actors of these years. In 1934 he returned to France, where he appeared in clubs and occasionally also starred in a few films. In 1939 he had his first dramatic role without singing and dancing in Robert Siodmak's Girls Trader . His record recording of Charles Trenet's Ya d'la Joie about the boring Eiffel Tower became a huge hit in 1937.

During the Second World War , Chevalier appeared in German camps in front of French prisoners of war, for which he was heavily criticized after the war. In 1947 he went on tour through the United States for the first time after the war. After starring in Billy Wilder's film Ariane in the afternoon as the film father of Audrey Hepburn in 1957 , he stayed in Hollywood again for several years. The following year he was the narrator in Vincente Minnelli's Gigi and celebrated his greatest box office success. The film received nine Academy Awards in 1959, including Best Picture of the Year. In the following years he worked in several musical adaptations and in some Disney films. Chevalier's last appearance in front of a large audience was on October 26, 1968 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées . In 1970 Maurice Chevalier sang the theme song for the drawn Disney musical Aristocats .

Maurice Chevalier died on New Year's Day 1972 at the age of 83 and was buried in the Marnes-la-Coquette cemetery , outside Paris.

Trademark

Maurice Chevalier sang in a slightly smoky voice and usually appeared elegantly dressed. His trademarks were the straw hat and the walking stick, with his appearances in the US sound film, his unmistakable accent was added as a further distinguishing mark. With his appearances Chevalier shaped the image of the charming and elegant French and found his role model as a cosmopolitan French lover. In the films after 1957 he was the gallant grand master, commenting on events, as in Gigi, or the friendly elderly gentleman as in the Disney films.

Filmography (selection)

Awards

Autobiography

  • My happy life. Memories. (Bravo Maurice! - Mome à cheveux blanc) . Rowohlt, Reinbek near Hamburg 1973, ISBN 3-499-11613-8 .

literature

Web links

Commons : Maurice Chevalier  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bock, page 161
  2. ^ Knerger.de: The grave of Maurice Chevalier
  3. ↑ Kay Less : The film's great personal dictionary . The actors, directors, cameramen, producers, composers, screenwriters, film architects, outfitters, costume designers, editors, sound engineers, make-up artists and special effects designers of the 20th century. Volume 2: C - F. John Paddy Carstairs - Peter Fritz. Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-89602-340-3 , p. 59.
personal data
SURNAME Chevalier, Maurice
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Chevalier, Maurice-Edouard Saint-Léon (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French actor and chanson singer
DATE OF BIRTH September 12, 1888
PLACE OF BIRTH Paris , France
DATE OF DEATH January 1, 1972
Place of death Paris , France