Film and vaudeville actor, born in Paris, France. He began as a child singer and dancer in small cafes, then danced at the Folies Bergères (190913). He often appeared with the revue singer and dancer Mistinguett. His first Hollywood film was The Innocents of Paris (1929), and 30 years later his individual, straw-hatted, bon-viveur personality, with his distinctive French accent, was still much acclaimed, as in the musical Gigi (1958). He received a special Academy Award in 1958.
Maurice Chevalier (September 12, 1888 – January 1, 1972) was a French actor and popular entertainer. Chevalier's signature songs included "Louise", "Mimi", and "Valentine."
Early life
He was born in Paris, France in 1888.
It was in 1901 that he first began in show business at the age of 13. Chevalier got a name as imitator and singer.
In 1909, he became the partner of the biggest female star in France at the time, Fréhel. Chevalier then started a relationship with the 36 year old Mistinguett at the Folies Bergére;
World War I
When in 1914 World War I broke out, Chevalier was called up for army service.
In 1917, he became a star in le Casino de Paris and played before a public of British soldiers and Americans.
Hollywood
After the war. Chevalier went back to Paris and created several famous songs that are still known today, such as ‘Valentine’ (1924). It was not a success and a Chevalier returned to France where he tried to commit suicide in 1924 because of this failure.
When sound made its entrée in the film world, Chevalier returned to Hollywood in 1928 and this time he became very successful. The Big Pond garnered Chevalier his first big American hit song, "Livin' In the Sunlight - Lovin' In the Moonlight" with words and music by Al Lewis and Al Sherman. While under contract with Paramount, Chevalier was featured in the Marx Brothers film Monkey Business (1931) when his passport was used by each brother in turn, trying to sneak off the ocean liner where they were stowaways. In 1931, Maurice Chevalier starred in a musical called The Smiling Lieutenant along with Claudette Colbert.
In 1932, he starred with Jeanette MacDonald in Paramount's classic film musical, One Hour With You which became a huge box-office success and became of the films instrumental in making musicals popular with the public once again. Due to its popularity, Paramount quickly starred Maurice Chevalier in another music called Love Me Tonight, which was also released in 1932 and also co-starred Jeanette MacDonald. Featuring songs by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, it was directed by Rouben Mamoulian, who, with the help of the songwriters, was able to put his ideas of the "integrated musical" (a musical which blends songs and dialogue seamlessly so that the songs seem to advance the plot).
In 1934, he starred in the first sound film version of the Franz Lehar operetta The Merry Widow, one of his best-known films.
In 1937, he divorced his wife and married the dancer Nita Raya. His songs remained big hits, such as Prosper (1935), Ma Pomme (1936) and Ça fait d'excellents français (1939)
World War II
During World War II. Chevalier kept performing for audiences, even German soldiers. (It must be stated that many Frenchmen at that time admired Pétain for his victories in World War I.) He moved to Cannes where he and his Jewish wife, Nita Raya, lived and where he gave several performances.
In 1941, he performed a new revue in the Casino de Paris: ‘Bonjour Paris’, which was another smash succes. Songs like ‘Ça sent si bon la France’ and ‘La Chanson du maçon’ became other new hits. The Nazis asked Chevalier if he wanted to perform in Berlin and sing for the collaborating radio station Radio-Paris.
In 1942 he returned to Bocca, near Cannes, but returned to the French capital city in September. In 1944 when the Allied forces freed France, Chevalier was accused of collaboration.
After the war
In his own country, however, he was still very popular.
He started to paint and collect things and acted in Le Silence est d' Or (1946) by René Clair.
In 1949, he performed in Stockholm in a communist benefit against nuclear arms.
In 1952, he bought a large property in Marnes-La-Coquette, Paris and named it ‘La Louque’, as a homage to his mother's nickname. Being a painter herself she encouraged Chevalier's artistic hobby.
In 1954 after McCarthy's downfall, Chevalier was welcomed back in the United States. He made a success in the Billy Wilder film Love in the Afternoon (1957) with Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper, and rediscovered his popularity with new audiences, appearing in the movie musical, Gigi (1958) with Leslie Caron and Hermione Gingold, with whom he shared the song ‘I Remember It Well’, and several Walt Disney films.
Final years
Chevalier continued to work up until very old age with energy and enthusiasm. In the early sixties, he toured the United States and between 1960 and 1963 he made eight films.
In 1965, at the age of 77 he made another world tour and visited again the US and other countries like South Africa.
In 1968, on October 1st, he announced his official farewell tour.
In 1970, he sang the title song of the Disney film The Aristocats.
Maurice Chevalier died on January 1, 1972, aged 83, and was interred in the cemetery of Marnes la Coquette in Hauts-de-Seine, France.
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