Maurice chevalier biography
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Maurice Chevalier
Born in Paris, France, Maurice Auguste Chevalier ( – ) humbly began his career performing in the theaters of suburban slums and second-rate resorts. His suave manner and half-speaking style of singing, tillsammans with his trademark tilted straw hat gained him international fame as a stage personality, and he became known as “the most popular Frenchman in the world.”
He was imprisoned as a POW in World War I. When he was released, he moved to Paris where he paired up with vaudeville star Mistinguett at the Follies Bergere. Their act soon became a renowned success, propelling Chevalier into a celebrity in France and the cabaret community. Adored by the public, he began acting in Hollywood films such as Silence is Golden and more famously Gigi in the s with Leslie Caron. Chevalier used an intentionally thick French accent, teasingly insinuating songs, and his suave, sophisticated demeanor to captivate international audiences, transforming him into an iconocla
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The Good Frenchman: The True Story of the Life & Times of Maurice Chevalier
The highpoint is the discussion of Maurice's experience in Occupied France. MC was apolitical, and just tried to keep his head down, his mouth shut, and sing and dance. This got him labeled a "Nazi Sympathizer" and creeps like Josephine Baker (who MC had helped) came out of the wood work during WW II to lie and slander him. Needless to say, his efforts to help Jewish friends went completely urewarded.
At one point, after the "Liberation" a group of French Communists tried to murder him. Behr shows how the Anglo-American press had no compunction about printing false rumors and false stories of MC's "Collaboration" and attacking him as a Nazi. None of which was true. One's reminded of PG Wodehouse.
Eventually, MC's name was cleared and he went on to do films like Gigi and Love in the Afternoon.
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Maurice Chevalier
French singer, actor, and entertainer (–)
Maurice Auguste Chevalier (French:[mɔʁisʃəvalje]; 12 September – 1 January ) was a French singer, actor, and entertainer.[3] He is best known for his signature songs, including "Livin' In The Sunlight", "Valentine", "Louise", "Mimi", and "Thank Heaven for Little Girls", and for his films, including The Love Parade, The Big Pond, The Smiling Lieutenant, One Hour with You, and Love Me Tonight. His trademark attire was a boater hat and tuxedo.
Chevalier was born in Paris. He made his name as a star of musical comedy, appearing in public as a singer and dancer at an early age before working in menial jobs as a teenager. In , he became the partner of the biggest female star in France at the time, Fréhel. Although their relationship was brief, she secured him his first major engagement, as a mimic and a singer in l'Alcazar in Marseille, for which he received critical acclaim by French theatre