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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 51-75 of 128 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor PBS-90002 10-in. 2/11/1935 You took the words right out of my mouth Maurice Chevalier Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor PBS-90003 10-in. 2/11/1935 Ce que j'allais dire Maurice Chevalier Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor CBVE-094589 10-in. before 7/1/1952 Place pigalle Nila Cara Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble lyricist  
Victor D7FB-0278 10-in. 4/22/1947 Quai de bercy Maurice Chevalier ; Henri René Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal, lyricist  
Victor D7FB-0279 10-in. 4/22/1947 Quai de bercy Maurice Chevalier ; Henri René Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal, lyricist  
Victor D7FB-0280 10-in. 4/22/1947 Vingt ans Maurice Chevalier ; Henri René Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal, songwriter  
Victor D7FB-0281 10-in. 4/22/1947 Vingt ans Maurice Chevalier ; Henri René Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal, songwriter  
Victor D7FB-0878 10-in. 5/19/1947 A Bercelone Maurice Chevalier ; Henri René Orchestra Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal, songwriter  
Victor D7FB-0879 10-in. 5/19/1947 You're in my dreams Maurice Chevalier ; Henri René Orchestra Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor D7FB-0880 10-in. 5/19/1947 Valentine Maurice Chevalier ; Henri René Orchestra Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal, lyricist  
Victor D7FB-0881 10-in. 5/19/1947 Valentine Maurice Chevalier Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal, lyricist  
Gramophone 0LA1507 10-in. 2/10/1937 Y a d'la joie Marcel Carivan ; Maurice Chevalier Male vocal solo with orchestra vocalist, baritone vocal  
Gramophone 0LA2814 10-in. 11/3/1938 Ah! si vous connaissiez ma poule Marcel Carivan ; Maurice Chevalier Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal  
Gramophone BK3064 10-in. 11/28/1930 Maurice Chevalier medley Maurice Chevalier ; Jack Hylton Orchestra Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal  
Gramophone BK3065 10-in. 11/28/1930 Maurice Chevalier medley Maurice Chevalier ; Jack Hylton Orchestra Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal  
Gramophone 0LA3187 10-in. 7/7/1939 Mon Amour Maurice Chevalier Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal  
Gramophone 0LA3905 10-in. 3/12/1942 La symphonie des semelles de bois Maurice Chevalier ; Raymond Legrand Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble lyricist, vocalist, baritone vocal  
Gramophone 0LA4339 10-in. 3/29/1945 Au paradis Maurice Chevalier ; Jacques Hélian Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal, lyricist  
Gramophone 0LA4843 10-in. 2/25/1947 Pour les amants Maurice Chevalier ; Jacques Hélian Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor (Canada) [ViC cat 150091-B] 10-in. before 3/1/1949 Au printemps dans les squar's a Paris Maurice Chevalier Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor (Canada) [ViC cat 150126-B] 10-in. before 12/13/1947 Un tout p'tit peu Maurice Chevalier Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, baritone vocal  
Victor (Canada) [ViC cat 56-5200-B] 10-in. before 9/20/1950 La Barbe Walter Eiger ; Jacques Normand Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble lyricist  
Columbia (U.K.) WL291 10-in. 10/26/1926 Si vous êtes... Maurice Chevalier ; Clément Doucet ; Yvonne Vallée ; Jean Wiener Female-male vocal duet, with piano duet vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia (U.K.) WL292 10-in. 10/26/1926 Quand je suis chez toi Maurice Chevalier ; Clément Doucet ; Yvonne Vallée ; Jean Wiener Female-male vocal duet, with piano duet vocalist, baritone vocal  
Columbia (U.K.) WL293 10-in. 10/26/1926 Mon cœur Maurice Chevalier ; Clément Doucet ; Yvonne Vallée ; Jean Wiener Female-male vocal duet, with piano duet vocalist, baritone vocal  
(Results 51-75 of 128 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Chevalier, Maurice," accessed May 2, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103151.

Chevalier, Maurice. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 2, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103151.

"Chevalier, Maurice." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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