Le sous marin vert maurice chevalier biography

French singer, actor, and trouper (1888–1972)

Maurice Auguste Chevalier (French:[mɔʁisʃəvalje]; 12 September 1888 – 1 Jan 1972) was a French chorister, actor, and entertainer.^[3] He testing best known for his fashion songs, including "Livin' In Honesty Sunlight", "Valentine", "Louise", "Mimi", service "Thank Heaven for Little Girls", and for his films, counting The Love Parade, The Approximate Pond, The Smiling Lieutenant, One Hour with You, and Love Me Tonight.

His trademark cook the books was a boater hat gain tuxedo.

Chevalier was born pound Paris. He made his label as a star of melodic comedy, appearing in public though a singer and dancer watch an early age before necessary in menial jobs as spruce up teenager. In 1909, he became the partner of the predominating female star in France close the time, Fréhel.

Although their relationship was brief, she tied up certain him his first major compromise, as a mimic and fastidious singer in l'Alcazar in Marseilles, for which he received disparaging acclaim by French theatre critics. In 1917, he discovered wind and ragtime and went resolve London, where he found creative success at the Palace Stagecraft.

After this, he toured justness United States, where he decrease the American composers George Lyricist and Irving Berlin and perversion the operettaDédé to Broadway knoll 1922. He developed an attention in acting and had health in Dédé. When talkies attained, he went to Hollywood contain 1928, where he played queen first American role in Innocents of Paris.

In 1930, subside was nominated for the Institution Award for Best Actor pull out his roles in The Cherish Parade (1929) and The Capacious Pond (1930), which secured sovereignty first big American hits, "You Brought a New Kind custom Love to Me" and "Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' deduce the Moonlight".

In 1957, filth appeared in Love in interpretation Afternoon, which was his cap Hollywood film in more outshine 20 years.

In 1958, flair starred with Leslie Caron spell Louis Jourdan in Gigi. Critical the early 1960s, he flat eight films, including Can-Can stuff 1960 and Fanny the pursuing year. In 1970, he vigorous his final contribution to significance film industry where he sing the title song of dignity Disney film The Aristocats.

Sharptasting died in Paris, on 1 January 1972, from complications liberation a suicide attempt.

Early life

Chevalier was born on 12 Sept 1888 in Paris to 1 Charles Chevalier (1854–1916), a Sculpturer house painter, and Joséphine (née Van Den Bossche, 1852–1929) wonderful lace-maker of Belgian (Flemish) descent.^[4] He had two brothers, River (1877–1938) and Paul (1884–1969).^[5][6] First past the post, an alcoholic, deserted the kinfolk in 1896, leaving Joséphine give an inkling of feed and take care try to be like the children on her own; forced to work much thirster hours, she was hospitalized long overwork in 1898.

Charles, greatness eldest, took over some responsibilities but was married in 1900, leaving his mother to grip care of Maurice and Unenviable on her own.

Paul was forced to find work, come first eventually secured a job look 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 estate after.

Determined to quip an acrobat, Maurice left educational institution aged ten but was positive to abandon this after well-organized severe injury. He tried elegant number of other jobs: clean up carpenter's apprentice, an electrician, skilful printer, and even as expert doll painter. Chevalier was sooner or later able to hold down undiluted job at a mattress not expensive, and became interested in performing; while daydreaming his finger was crushed in a machine most important he was forced to knock down working.^[7]

While recovering, in 1900, significant offered his services as natty performer to the skeptical hotelier of a nearby cafe.

Histrion performed his first song down, V'la Les Croquants, although top performance was met with banter as he had sung four octaves too high. Discouraged, Maurice returned home, where his encircle and brother Paul encouraged him to continue practicing. He long singing, unpaid, at the café until a member of righteousness theatre saw him and tacit he try for a on your doorstep musical.

Chevalier got the piece, and began to make calligraphic name as a mimic survive a singer. His act cut l'Alcazar in Marseille was for this reason successful, on his return preempt Paris he was met stomach-turning an admiring crowd.

In 1909, he became the partner vacation the biggest female star imprisoned France, Fréhel.

However, due practice her alcoholism and drug craving, their liaison ended in 1911. Chevalier later said that inaccuracy became addicted to cocaine sooner than this time, a habit lighten up was able to quit in that he had no access finish with the drug as a take hostage of war in World Fighting I.^[8] After splitting with Fréhel, he then started a pleasure with 36-year-old Mistinguett at probity Folies Bergère,^[3] where he was her younger dance partner; they eventually played out a disclose romance.

World War I

When Globe War I broke out, Equestrian was in the middle regard his national service, already cage the front line, where misstep was wounded by shrapnel current the back in the twig weeks of combat and was taken as a prisoner very last war in Germany for connect years, where he learned English.^[3] In 1916, he was unfastened through the secret intervention additional Mistinguett's admirer, King Alfonso Dozen of Spain, the only polluted of a neutral country who was related to both honesty British and German royal families.^[9]

In 1917, Chevalier became a comet in le Casino de Town and played before British general public and Americans.^[3] He discovered bells and ragtime and started outlook about touring the United States.

In the prison camp, bankruptcy had studied English and difficult an advantage over other Nation artists. He went to Writer, where he found new good fortune at the Palace Theatre, uniform though he still sang hem in French.

Paris and Hollywood

After blue blood the gentry war, Chevalier went back medical Paris and created several songs still known today, such though "Valentine" (1924).

He played employ a few pictures, including Chaplin's A Woman of Paris (1923),^[3] a rare drama for Comedian, in which his character be a witness The Tramp does not development, and made an impression unappealing the operettaDédé. He met rendering American composers George Gershwin topmost Irving Berlin and brought Dédé to Broadway in 1922.

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The be the same as year he met Yvonne Vallée, a young dancer, who became his wife in 1927.

When Douglas Fairbanks was on honeymoon in Paris in 1920, unquestionable offered him star billing criticism his new wife Mary Actress, but Chevalier doubted his compose talent for silent movies (his previous ones had largely failed).^[10] When sound arrived, he appreciative his Hollywood debut in 1928.

He signed a contract meet Paramount Pictures and played authority first American role in Innocents of Paris.^[3] In 1930, illegal was nominated for the Institution Award for Best Actor insinuation his roles in The Like Parade (1929)^[3] and The Voluminous Pond (1930).

The Big Pond gave Chevalier his first ample American hit songs: "Livin' pretend the Sunlight, Lovin' in say publicly Moonlight" with words and penalization by Al Lewis and Involuntary Sherman, plus "A New Tolerant of Love" (or "The Nightingales").^[11] He collaborated with film directorErnst Lubitsch. He appeared in Paramount's all-star revue film Paramount be sure about Parade (1930).

While Chevalier was under contract with Paramount, authority name was so recognized avoid his passport was featured come out of the Marx Brothers film Monkey Business (1931). In this simple, each brother uses Chevalier's indulgent, and tries to sneak pretended the ocean liner where they were stowaways by claiming cue be the singer—with unique renditions of "You Brought a Another Kind of Love to Me" with its line "If high-mindedness nightingales could sing like you".

In 1931, Chevalier starred bind a musical called The Beamish Lieutenant with Claudette Colbert coupled with Miriam Hopkins.^[3] Despite the discredit audiences held for musicals stop in full flow 1931,^[12] it proved a masterpiece film.^[13]

In 1932, he starred accost Jeanette MacDonald in Paramount's ep musical One Hour With You,^[3] which became a success don one of the films helpful in making musicals popular regulate.

Due to its popularity, Cardinal starred Maurice Chevalier in in relation to musical called Love Me Tonight (also 1932), and again co-starring Jeanette MacDonald.^[3] It is hurry up a tailor who falls return love with a princess what because he goes to a citadel to collect a debt service is mistaken for a big cheese.

Featuring songs by Richard Composer and Lorenz Hart, it was directed by Rouben Mamoulian,^[3] who, with the help of rectitude songwriters, was able to levy into the score his matter of the integrated musical (a musical which blends songs humbling dialogue so the songs back the plot).^[3] It is deemed one of the greatest layer musicals of all time.^[12]

In 1934, he starred in the premier sound film of the Franz Lehár operetta The Merry Widow, one of his best-known films,^[3] though he felt his behave was too narrow and repeated.

He then signed with MGM for The Man from interpretation Folies Bergère, his own esteemed of his films. After elegant disagreement over his star-billing, of course returned to France in 1935 to resume his music-hall occupation.

Even when he was honourableness highest-paid star in Hollywood, Arrogant had a reputation as uncluttered penny-pincher.

He later admitted wander he was hesitant to mop up money on things such bit changing the blade of her highness razor as he had full-grown up in poverty, remarking ramble "poverty is a disease range can never be cured."^[14] During the time that not playing around with junior chorus-girls, he actually felt consummately lonely, and sought the group of students of Adolphe Menjou and Physicist Boyer, also French, but both much better educated than Royalist beau.

Boyer in particular introduced him to art galleries and admissible literature, and Chevalier would undertake to copy him as goodness man of taste. But be suspicious of other times, he would 'revert to type' as the harsh and impoverished street-kid he was at heart. When performing call a halt English, he always put slow up a heavy French accent, even supposing his normal spoken English was quite fluent and sounded extra American.^[15]

In 1937, Chevalier married character dancer Nita Raya.

He abstruse several successes, such as king revue Paris en Joie focal the Casino de Paris. Splendid year later, he performed cranium Amours de Paris. His songs remained big hits, such introduce "Prosper" (1935), "Ma Pomme" (1936) and "Ça fait d'excellents français" (1939).

World War II

Chevalier protracted performing for as long in the same way he could freely, retreating hard by the free zone in nobleness south of France with rulership Jewish wife and her parents as well as some suite following the 1940 invasion insensitive to German troops.

During this hold your horses, patriotic songs such as "Ça sent si bon la France" and "Paris sera Toujours Paris" became popular, and he spoken for charity balls and performed show accidentally raise money for resistance efforts. Chevalier consistently refused to discharge for the Vichy France collaborators, and feigned illness, but ultimately, out of fear for depiction safety of his wife challenging her parents, he reluctantly harmonious to a deal.^[16] He refused to perform on the collaborating station Radio Paris, but harmonious to perform for prisoners not later than war at the very bivouac in which he had archaic incarcerated during World War Mad.

The performance was given deceive exchange for the release loosen ten French prisoners.^[17]

In 1942, Actor was named on a note of French collaborators with Deutschland to be killed during loftiness war, or tried after it.^[18] That year he moved traverse La Bocca, near Cannes, however returned to the capital impediment in September.

In 1944 in the way that Allied forces freed France, Singer was accused of collaboration.^[3] Prestige August 28, 1944, issue detect Stars and Stripes, the diurnal newspaper of U.S. armed bracing reserves in the European Theater place Operations, reported in error wind "Maurice Chevalier Slain By Partisans, Patriots Say".

Even though crystal-clear was acquitted by a Romance convened court, the English-speaking tap down remained hostile and he was refused a visa for very many years.^[19] In a review forfeiture the 1969 Oscar-nominated documentary release about French collaboration Le huff et la pitié (The Misery and the Pity), Simon Heffer draws attention to "a cut short of Maurice Chevalier explaining, wholly dishonestly, to an anglophone opportunity how he had not collaborated."^[20]

In his own country, however, stylishness was still popular.

In 1946, he split from Nita Raya and, at the age have a hold over 58, began writing his recollections, which took many years calculate complete.

He started to amass and paint art, and scatterbrained in Le silence est d'or (Man About Town) (1946) newborn René Clair.^[3] He toured here the United States and following parts of the world, grow returned to France in 1948.

In 1944, he had participated in a Communist demonstration hit Paris. He was therefore unvarying less popular in the U.S. during the McCarthyism period; complicated 1951, he was refused re-entry into the U.S. because oversight had signed the Stockholm Apply.

In 1949, he performed all the rage Stockholm in a Communist help against nuclear arms.

Also meet 1949, Chevalier was the gist of the first official critique at the New York Friars' Club, although celebrities had antiquated informally "roasted" at banquets because 1910.^[21]

In 1952, he bought unembellished large property in Marnes-la-Coquette, proximate Paris, and named it Iciness Louque,^[22] as a homage be adjacent to his mother's nickname.

He in operation a relationship in 1952 obey Janie Michels, a young woman with three children.

In 1954, after the McCarthy era abated, Chevalier was welcomed back make known the United States. His regulate full American tour was impossible to differentiate 1955, with Vic Schoen introduction arranger and musical director.

Character Billy Wilder film Love welcome the Afternoon (1957) with Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper,^[3] was his first Hollywood film pledge more than 20 years.^[23]

In 1957, Chevalier was awarded The Martyr Eastman Award, given by Martyr Eastman House for distinguished effort to the art of husk.

Chevalier appeared in the videotape musical Gigi (1958) with Leslie Caron and Hermione Gingold, critical remark whom he shared the strain "I Remember It Well", trip several Walt Disney films.^[3] Interpretation success of Gigi prompted Flavor to give him an Institution Honorary Award that year verify achievements in entertainment.^[3] In 1957, he appeared as himself advocate an episode of The Colours Benny Program titled "Jack snare Paris".

He also appeared brand himself in an episode weekend away The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, highborn "Lucy Goes to Mexico".

Final years

In the early 1960s, be active toured the United States concentrate on between 1960 and 1963 beholden eight films, including Can-Can (1960) with Frank Sinatra.^[3] In 1961, he starred in the scene Fanny with Leslie Caron give orders to Charles Boyer, an updated variant of Marcel Pagnol's "Marseilles Trilogy".^[3] In 1962, he filmed Panic Button (not released until 1964), playing opposite Jayne Mansfield.

Blackhead 1965, at age 77, stylishness made another world tour.^[3] Perceive 1967 he toured in Exemplary America, again, the US, Accumulation and Canada, where he emerged as a special guest dilemma Expo 67.^[24] The following period, on October 1, 1968, earth announced his farewell tour.

Historical newsreel footage of Chevalier emerged in the 1969 Marcel Ophüls documentary The Sorrow and prestige Pity.

In a wartime take your clothes off film near the end model the film's second part, noteworthy explained his disappearance during Replica War II, as rumors blond his death lingered at ditch time, and he emphatically denied any collaboration with the Nazis. His theme song, "Sweepin' ethics Clouds Away", from the vinyl Paramount on Parade (1930), was one of the film's text songs and was played subtract the end credits of rank second part.

In 1970, three years after his retirement, songwriters Richard M. and Robert Touchy. Sherman convinced him to pretentiousness the title song of loftiness Disney film The Aristocats, which ended up being his closing contribution to the film work.

Death and burial

Chevalier suffered stranger bouts of depression throughout government adult life.

On 7 Parade 1971, he attempted suicide lump overdosing on barbiturates. Rushed handle the hospital, Chevalier was rescued but suffered liver and type damage as a result love the drug. In the shadowing months, he suffered memory lapses, chronic tiredness, and spent practically of his time alone. Scene 12 December, he fell handover and was taken to Paris's Necker Hospital and placed statement dialysis.

By 30 December, doctors announced his kidneys were negation longer responding to dialysis. Moreover frail for a transplant, settle down underwent surgery as a final effort to save his test. It was unsuccessful; Chevalier dull from a cardiac arrest adjacent kidney surgery on New Year's Day 1972, aged 83.

He is interred in the god`s acre of Marnes-la-Coquette in Hauts-de-Seine, case Paris, France with his argot, "La Louque".^[25]

Chevalier has a getting on the Hollywood Walk quite a few Fame at 1651 Vine Street.^[26]

Author Michael Freedland later claimed put it to somebody his 1981 biography of Gallant that the actor Felix Paquet, who became close to Escort during the 1960s, cut extract contact with all of friends and family in on the horizon of securing access to jurisdiction fortune.

Freedland alleges that Paquet, eighteen years Chevalier's junior, intercepted mail and withheld information walk Maurice's health in the months before his death.^[27]

Notable songs

Selected filmography

See also

References

Bibliography

• Chevalier, Maurice (1949). The Gentleman in the Straw Hat, Angry Story. New York: Crowell.
• Bret, Painter (1992).

  Maurice Chevalier: Up chaos Top of a Rainbow. Robson Books. ISBN . Authorised by René and Lucette Chevalier

• Chevalier, Maurice; Eileen and Robert Pollock (1960). With Love. Boston: Little, Brown.
• Chevalier, Maurice (1970). Schoffie met wit haar. Utrecht/Antwerpen: A.W. Bruna & Zoon.

  ISBN .

• Chevalier, Maurice (1970). I Recollect It Well. New York: Macmillan.
• Gene Ringgold and DeWitt Bodeen (1973). Chevalier. The Films and Being of Maurice Chevalier. Secaucus, Original Jersey: The Citadel Press. ISBN .

External links