Polaire

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Polaire, Algerian-French dancer, photo from around 1905

Polaire , née Émilie Marie Bouchaud (born May 14, 1874 in Algiers , Algeria , † October 14, 1939 in Champigny-sur-Marne ) was an Algerian-French dancer, singer and actress.

biography

In 1891 Polaire began her career as a singer in the Jardin de Paris . She was a model for the sculptor Rupert Carabin and several of his works bear her features. Her extreme wasp waist became her trademark. Quote: When she took off her black silk cloak last night, she deliberately did it slowly and deliberately in order to keep her audience in suspense for as long as possible, as should be the case with the unveiling of such a unique peculiarity, and the women in attendance caught their breath Enthusiasm. A 14-inch tape measure was handed out with the evening program, which read: This is Polaire's waist size. And how big is yours?

A song that was written especially for her began like this: Quand j'débutais au music-hall, / ma taille tenait dans un faux-col. (literally: when I started in the music hall, my waist fit into the collar of a man's shirt ), a statement that resulted in some gallantry, George Herriot z. B. offered her a diamond-studded belt if she would make this claim on his shirt collar. Prior to her appearance at the London Coliseum in 1915, her manager William Hammerstein put one of her 14-inch corsets on display in a corner of the theater and told the press that the waist was a gift from the gods .

In her autobiography (Polaire par elle même, 1933) she writes that her waist was naturally so narrow, the less wasp-like appearance in the photos from before her great career began, she explains that she had padded out to look more human-like .

On January 22, 1902, she made her debut as an actress at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens and celebrated great success with her interpretation of Claudine in her friend Colette's play Claudine à Paris .

In 1908 she began to appear in operettas and took part in several performances at the Théâtre des Capucines . The American theater agent Willie Hammerstein brought Polaire to New York in June 1910 and had her announced at the Victoria Theater as The ugliest woman in Paris with the smallest waist in the world . In New York Polaire celebrated great success with the play Le Visiteur . Her dance scenes with an Apache , which were a novelty , were particularly emphasized . Polaire was seen in the American film The Sparrow and in the German drama Halbwelt .

In 1911, Polaire played the leading role in the silent films "Lebensfreude" and "Zouza" by Reinhard Bruck . The recordings took place in Düsseldorf.

Until the early 1920s she played in various pieces. From 1923 several recordings were made with Polaire, which sold very well. In 1933, her memoir Polaire par elle-même was published .

At the age of 65, Polaire died on October 14, 1939 in Champigny-sur-Marne ( Département Val-de-Marne ) and found her final resting place in the local cemetery l'Ancien Cimetière du Center .

Discography

  • Tchike Tchike (Scotto) - Odéon 75143 - 1923
  • Pour être heureux (Yvain) - Odéon 75143 - Matrice K1-510 - 1923
  • Allo! Chéri (Boyer-Stamper) - Pathé 4970 - Matrice 2485 - May 8, 1918
  • Pour être heureux (Yvain) - Aérophone - No. 1467-1920
  • La glu (Richepin-Fragerole) - Aérophone - No. 1468-1920
  • Nocturne (Nozière) - Gramophone K-5798 - Matrice BS 4432-1 et 4433-2 - 1929
  • La glu (Richepin-Fragerole) - Polydor 521531 - Matrice 2170 BK - 1929
  • Le p'tit Savoyard - Polydor 521531 - Matrice 2170 BK - 1929
  • Le train du rêve (Aubret-Lenoir) - Parlophone 22716 - Matrice Pa 106124-2 - 1930
  • Le premier voyage (Lenoir) - Parlophone 22716 - Matrice Pa 106165-2 - 1930
  • La prière de la Charlotte (arr.Warms) - Cristal 6263 - Matrice CP 2082 et 2083 - 1936

literature

  • Polaire: Polaire par elle-même , autobiography, Figuière, Paris, 1933
  • Brygida M. Ochaim, Claudia Balk: Variety dancers around 1900. From sensual intoxication to modern dance, exhibition by the German Theater Museum in Munich, October 23, 1998– January 17, 1999. , Stroemfeld, Frankfurt / M. 1998, ISBN 3-87877-745-0
  • Éric Walbecq: Jean Lorrain, Colette, Willy et Polaire. Correspondance et souvenirs , DuLérot, Tusson 2005

Web links

Commons : Polaire (actress)  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Detailed biography (French)
  2. ^ Mlle Polaire , in Rhein und Düssel (No. 46) of November 11, 1911
  3. ↑ knerger.de: The grave of Polaire
personal data
SURNAME Polaire
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bouchaud, Emilie-Marie
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Algerian-French ballet dancer, singer and actress
DATE OF BIRTH May 14, 1874
PLACE OF BIRTH Algiers
DATE OF DEATH October 14, 1939
Place of death Champigny-sur-Marne