Home > Maurice Chevalier

It was in 1901 that he first began in show business. He was singing at a cafe for free when a well-known member of the theater saw him and suggested that he try out for a local musical. He did, got the part, and the rest is history.

In 1909 he became the partner of the biggest female star in France at the time, Mistinguett at the Folies Bergère: they were eventually to become long-time lovers. During World War I, he entered the armed services, was shot in the back, won the Croix de Guerre and became a prisoner of war.

After the war he became popular in Britain, and began a film career. At this time, he also made his first attempt at a career on Broadway, but this came to a grinding halt when he had to give up performing for several months because of a mental breakdown. By 1929Centuries: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s Years: 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 See also 1929 in aviation 1929 in film 1929 in literature 1929 in mu he had recovered and moved to Hollywood, where he landed his first American film role in Innocents of Paris . In 19301930 is the common year starting on Wednesday. see link for calendar) Events January-February January 6 The first diesel-engine automobile trip is completed ( Indianapolis, Indiana, to New York City). January 27 Miguel Primo de Rivera resigns January 30 G, Chevalier was nominated for the Academy Award for Best ActorThe Academy Award for Best Actor is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are actors and actresses. The winners are chosen b, for two roles: The Love ParadeThe Love Parade is a 1929 musical comedy film. The plot concerns the romantic difficulties of Queen Louise of Sylvania ( Jeanette MacDonald) and her new husband, Count Alfred ( Maurice Chevalier). The film was written by Guy Bolton and Ernest Vajda, from and The Big PondThe Big Pond is a 1930 romantic comedy film starring Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert, George Barbier, Marion Ballou and Andree Corday. The movie was adapted by Garrett Fort, Robert Presnell Sr. and Preston Sturges from the play by George Middleton an.

He returned to France in 1935Events January January 1 Italian colonies of Tripoli and Kyrenaika are joined together as Libya January 7 World War II: Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French foreign minister Pierre Laval conclude agreement in which each power undertakes not to oppo, and spent most of World War IIWorld War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the world's nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. The war was fough in seclusion, though he made brief appearances, on one occasion as part of a prisoner exchange. After the war it was rumored that he had been a collaborator, though these rumours were later disproved.

By the 1950s and 1960s, he rediscovered his popularity with new audiences, appearing in the movie musical, Gigi ( 1958) with Leslie Caron and several Walt Disney films.

Chevalier's trademark was a casual straw hat, which he always wore on stage with his tuxedo. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1651 Vine Street.

Maurice Chevalier died on January 1, 1972 and was interred in the Cemetery of Marnes la Coquette , Hauts-de-Seine, France.