Maurice Chevalier

This is the first full-length biography of one of the most famous and controversial entertainers of the 20th century. Passionate, egotistical, driven by a desire to become the most beloved performer in the world, Maurice Chevalier was the epitome of suave Gallic charm. Despite his long career in the public eye, little was ever revealed about the private life of the man whose trademarks were a rakishly tilted straw hat and a carefully nurtured accent. Michael Freedland tells in lively detail the story of Chevalier's life from the beginnings of his career at age twelve singing off-color ditties in cafés. His first big break, a job with the Folies-Bergère, also led him into a long, stormy affair with Mistinguett, "the girl with the million-franc legs." Wounded in World War I, Chevalier learned English in a German POW camp. During the twenties in Paris, Chevalier rose to incredible popular success in nightclubs and films. By the 1930s he was a major Hollywood figure before returning to France in 1935 to make several films there. Accused of collaborating with the Nazis during World War II, Chevalier eventually cleared his name and won a new generation of admirers in the fifties and sixties with such films as Gigi and Fanny. This book presents a fascinating portrait of a highly charismatic performer.--Adapted from dust jacket.