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Maurice Chevalier

Maurice Auguste Chevalier (French: [moʁis ʃəvalje]; 12 September 1888 – 1 January 1972) was a French singer, actor and entertainer. He is perhaps 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 1909, 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 critics. In 1917, he discovered jazz and ragtime and went to London, where he found new success at the Palace Theatre.

After this, he toured the United States, where he met the American composers George Gershwin and Irving Berlin and brought the operetta Dédé to Broadway in 1922. He developed an interest in acting and had success in Dédé. When talkies arrived, he went to Hollywood in 1928, where he played his first American role in Innocents of Paris. In 1930, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his roles in The Love Parade (1929) and The Big Pond (1930), which secured his first big American hits, "You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me" and "Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight".

In 1957, he appeared in Love in the Afternoon, which was his first Hollywood film in more than 20 years. In 1958, he starred with Leslie Caron and Louis Jourdan in Gigi. In the early 1960s, he made eight films, including Can-Can in 1960 and Fanny the following year. In 1970, he made his final contribution to the film industry where he sang the title song of the Disney film The Aristocats. He died in Paris, on 1 January 1972, from complications of a suicide attempt.

Birth and Death Data: Born September 12, 1888 (Paris), Died January 1, 1972 (Paris)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1926 - 1952

Roles Represented in DAHR: baritone vocal, lyricist, songwriter

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 101-125 of 132 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia (U.K.) WL1050 10-in. 5/4/1928 Gonna get a girl Pierre Chagnon ; Maurice Chevalier Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia (U.K.) WL1051 10-in. 5/4/1928 Oui papa Pierre Chagnon ; Maurice Chevalier Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia (U.K.) WL1253 10-in. 10/5/1928 Mon p'tit Tom Pierre Chagnon ; Maurice Chevalier Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia (U.K.) WL1254 10-in. 10/5/1928 Ça m'est égal Pierre Chagnon ; Maurice Chevalier Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia (U.K.) WL1255 10-in. 10/5/1928 Si j'étais demoiselle... Pierre Chagnon ; Maurice Chevalier Male vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia (U.K.) WL1256 10-in. 10/5/1928 'S wonderful Pierre Chagnon ; Maurice Chevalier Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia (U.K.) CL8088 10-in. 2/26/1946 Rapsodie d'un soir André Claveau ; Faustin Jeanjean Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia (U.K.) CL8110 10-in. 3/20/1946 Ça fait chanter les français Jo Charrier ; Francine Claudel ; Jacques Hélian Orchestre ; Zappy Max Vocal trio, with instrumental ensemble lyricist  
Columbia (U.K.) CL8868 10-in. 9/13/1950 Ça va, ça va! Peters Sisters ; Jacques-Henry Rys Female vocal trio, with instrumental ensemble lyricist  
Decca FO 2190 10-in. August 1948 Pour vivre heureux Maurice Chevalier vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca FO 2191 10-in. August 1948 Mine, mine Maurice Chevalier vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca FO 2192 10-in. August 1948 Just one of those things Maurice Chevalier vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca FO 2193 10-in. August 1948 But beautiful Maurice Chevalier vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca FO 2194 10-in. August 1948 C'est encore en France Maurice Chevalier vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca FO 2195 10-in. August 1948 Une pipe sur le piano Maurice Chevalier vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca FO 2196 10-in. August 1948 I'm looking over a four leaf clover Maurice Chevalier vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca FO 2197 10-in. August 1948 A pipe on the piano Maurice Chevalier vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca FO 2208 10-in. September 1948 Folies Bergere Maurice Chevalier vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca FO 2209 10-in. September 1948 Le tueur affamé Maurice Chevalier vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca FO 2210 10-in. September 1948 Je viens d'épouser la marquise Maurice Chevalier vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca FO 2211 10-in. September 1948 Bien s'aimer Maurice Chevalier vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca FO 2212 10-in. September 1948 J'ai du ciel dans mon chapeau Maurice Chevalier vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca FO 2213 10-in. September 1948 Ca va .. ça va Maurice Chevalier vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca FO 2321 10-in. late 1948 Comme ci, comme ça Maurice Chevalier vocalist, baritone vocal  
Decca FO 2322 10-in. late 1948 [Unknown title(s)] Maurice Chevalier vocalist, baritone vocal  
(Results 101-125 of 132 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Chevalier, Maurice," accessed November 21, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103151.

Chevalier, Maurice. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103151.

"Chevalier, Maurice." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 21 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103151

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