Image of Maurice Chevalier

Maurice Chevalier

Maurice Chevalier's first working job was as an acrobat, until a serious accident ended that career. He turned his talents to singing and acting, and made several short films in France. During World War I he enlisted in the French army. He was wounded in battle, captured and placed in a POW camp by the Germans. During his captivity he learned English from fellow prisoners. After the war he returned to the film business, and when "talkies" came into existence, Chevalier traveled to the US to break into Hollywood. In 1929 he was paired with operatic singer/actress Jeanette MacDonald to make The Love Parade (1929). Although Chevalier was attracted to the beautiful MacDonald and made several passes at her, she rejected him firmly, as she had designs on actor Gene Raymond, who she eventually married). He did not take rejection lightly, being a somewhat vain man who considered himself quite a catch, and derided MacDonald as a "prude". She, in turn, called him "the quickest derrière pincher in Hollywood". They made three more pictures together, the most successful being Love Me Tonight (1932). In the late 1930s he returned to Europe, making several films in France and England. World War II interrupted his career and he was dogged by accusations of collaboration with the Nazi authorities occupying France, but he was later vindicated. In the 1950s he returned to Hollywood, older and gray-headed. He made Gigi (1958), from which he took his signature songs, "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" and "I Remember it Well". He also received a special Oscar that year. In the 1960s he made ke a few more films, and in 1970 he sang the title song for Walt Disney's The AristoCats (1970). This marked his last contribution to the film industry. Date of Death 1 January 1972, Paris, France  (cardiac arrest after surgery for a kidney problem)


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Born:
Sep 12, 1888 In Paris, France
Movie/TV Credits:
71
First Appeared:
In the movie The Dwarf Kingdom of Lilliput Versus Gigas the Tall, Prince of the Giants 1914-10-18
Latest Project:
Movie L'Âge d'or de la pub 2023-06-02
Known For
Poster of Count Your Blessings
Poster of Break the News
Poster of With a Smile
Poster of A Bedtime Story
Filmography
Movie L'Âge d'or de la pub Self (archive footage) 2023-06-02
Movie Les Trésors de Marcel Pagnol Self (archive footage) 2019-06-05
Movie Michel Legrand, sans demi-mesure Self (archive footage) 2018-12-25
Movie Operator Officer Espinosa 2015-08-21
Movie Chita Rivera: A Lot Of Livin' To Do Self (archive footage) 2015-11-06
Movie Complicated Women Self (archive footage) 2003-05-06
Movie Backflash FBI agent #3 2002-01-22
Movie Going Hollywood: The '30s (archive footage) 1984-01-01
Movie That's Entertainment, Part II (archive footage) 1976-05-16
Movie That's Entertainment! (archive footage) 1974-06-21
Movie The Men Who Made the Movies: Vincente Minnelli Self (archive footage) 1973-01-01
Movie The Sorrow and the Pity Himself 1971-04-14
Movie Monkeys, Go Home! Father Sylvain 1967-02-08
Series ABC Stage 67 Unknown 1966-09-14
Movie The Love Goddesses (archive footage) 1965-03-03
Movie Hollywood My Home Town Self (archive footage) 1965-12-31
Movie Panic Button Phillippe 1964-04-10
Movie Chance at Love 1964-12-30
Movie I'd Rather Be Rich Philip Dulaine 1964-08-25
Movie A New Kind of Love Self 1963-10-10
Movie Jessica Father Antonio 1962-04-19
Movie In Search of the Castaways Jacques Paganel 1962-12-01
Movie Fanny Panisse 1961-06-28
Movie Black Tights Himself / Narrator 1961-09-07
Movie Can-Can Paul Barriere 1960-03-09
Movie A Breath of Scandal Prince Philip 1960-03-16
Movie Pepe Maurice Chevalier 1960-12-21
Movie Count Your Blessings Duc de St. Cloud 1959-04-23
Movie Gigi Honoré Lachaille 1958-05-15
Series Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Unknown 1958-10-06
Movie Love in the Afternoon Claude Chavasse 1957-05-29
Series The Dinah Shore Chevy Show Unknown 1956-10-05
Movie 100 Years of Love Massimo (segment "Amore 1954") 1954-02-25
Movie J'avais sept filles Comte André de Courvallon 1954-11-29
Series The Oscars Unknown 1953-03-19
Movie Schlagerparade himself 1953-11-03
Series This Is Your Life Unknown 1952-10-01
Movie Just Me Maurice Vallier dit 'Ma Pomme' 1950-11-15
Movie A Royal Affair The King 1949-12-14
Series The Ed Sullivan Show Unknown 1948-06-20
Movie Paris Nineteen Hundred Self (archive footage) 1948-02-25
Movie Silence Is Golden Emile Clément 1947-05-21
Movie Personal Column Robert Fleury 1939-12-05
Movie Break the News François Verrier 1938-01-02
Movie The Man of the Day Alfred Boulard 1937-01-02
Movie Le Vagabond bien-aimé Gaston de Nerac 1936-05-08
Movie The Beloved Vagabond Gaston de Nerac 'Paragot' 1936-08-24
Movie With a Smile Victor Larnois 1936-12-03
Movie Folies Bergère Eugene Charlier / Baron Fernand Cassini 1935-02-22
Movie Folies Bergère Eugene Charlier / Baron Cassini 1935-05-09
Movie The Merry Widow Count Danilo 1934-11-02
Movie A Bedtime Story Monsieur Rene 1933-04-22
Movie The Way to Love François 1933-10-20
Movie One Hour with You Dr. Andre Bertier 1932-03-23
Movie Make Me a Star Self (uncredited) 1932-07-01
Movie Love Me Tonight Maurice 'Baron' Courtelin 1932-08-18
Movie The Little Cafe Albert Lorifian 1931-01-20
Movie The Stolen Jools Maurice Chevalier 1931-04-04
Movie The Smiling Lieutenant Lt. Nikolaus 'Niki' von Preyn 1931-08-01
Movie Monkey Business Himself (voice) 1931-09-19
Movie The House That Shadows Built (archive footage) 1931-07-08
Movie The Love Parade Count Alfred Renard 1930-01-18
Movie Paramount on Parade Apache 1930-04-22
Movie Playboy of Paris Albert Loriflan 1930-10-18
Movie The Big Pond Pierre Mirande 1930-05-03
Movie Galas de la Paramount Self (from original version) 1930-07-31
Movie Innocents of Paris Maurice Marney 1929-01-02
Movie Gonzague Gonzague / Maurice 1923-01-23
Movie Jim Bougne, boxeur Maurice 1923-06-15
Movie Une soirée mondaine Momo 1917-02-02
Movie The Dwarf Kingdom of Lilliput Versus Gigas the Tall, Prince of the Giants 1914-10-18