Maurice Chevalier

Recognized by the nickname "the French Al Jolson," Maurice Chevalier counted among the era's most cherished performers of songs and dances before World War II. Entering the world on September 12, 1888, in Paris as the youngest of nine siblings, he left school at age eleven and began work first as an apprentice engraver, then as a factory laborer. He subsequently took up acrobatics in a circus, yet serious injuries prompted a shift to vocal performances in Paris cafes and music halls; although his singing voice carried limited strength, his sharp comedic timing more than offset that shortcoming, and he soon emerged as one of France's leading entertainers, frequently sharing stages with the notorious Minstinguett at the Folies-Bergere. His first screen appearance came in the 1908 silent comedy Trop Crédule, after which additional film parts accumulated until he enlisted with the French troops in World War I; captured by German forces, he remained a prisoner of war from 1914 to 1916, during which time fellow inmates taught him English. For his military service he later received the Croix de Guerre.

Following his release he resumed both screen work and appearances on the cabaret circuit; wearing his signature straw boater and bow tie, he introduced "Valentine" in 1925, a number that stayed closely linked to him throughout his professional life. Upon hearing that sound films had arrived, he moved to Hollywood in 1928; the next year he made his American debut in Innocents of Paris, which brought attention to the song "Louise." He next journeyed to New York for engagements backed by Duke Ellington, then returned to Hollywood to star opposite Jeanette MacDonald in Ernst Lubitsch's successful The Love Parade, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Together Chevalier and MacDonald completed four pictures, the most popular being Rouben Mamoulian's 1932 Love Me Tonight, which featured several new Rodgers & Hart compositions including "Mimi" and "Isn't It Romantic."

His cheerful charm and polished elegance turned him into a leading romantic figure, yet he suddenly departed Hollywood in 1935 after objecting to second billing on a project; back in Europe he reestablished himself as a global star and quickly regained his position atop the cabaret scene while continuing to appear in assorted motion pictures. When World War II began he hesitated to perform in Nazi-occupied territories, agreeing only in 1941 to sing in Germany provided a number of French prisoners of war were freed. These arrangements eventually prompted accusations of collaboration with the Nazis, though he was ultimately cleared of the charges. In the late 1940s he created a one-man stage production that toured London and later the United States; after the 1950 film Le Roi he attempted another American return but was barred from entry for having signed the anti-nuclear Stockholm Appeal.

After several years out of public view, he made an unexpected Hollywood comeback in 1957 with Billy Wilder's Love in the Afternoon; the following year he starred in Gigi, whose Lerner & Loewe score supplied two enduring numbers, "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" and "I Remember It Well," the latter performed with Hermione Gingold. In 1959 he received an honorary Oscar for "contributions to the world of entertainment for more than half a century." He shared the screen with Frank Sinatra and Louis Jourdan in 1960's Can-Can, yet after Fanny the next year he accepted progressively smaller parts, most often portraying fatherly figures. Following the 1967 family comedy Monkeys, Go Home!, he stepped away from the screen, though his vocal performance of the title song for the 1970 Disney animated feature The Aristocats marked his final Hollywood credit; he passed away at his Paris residence on January 1, 1972.