Chevalier, Maurice << shuh VAL yay or shuh val YAY, maw REES >> (1888-1972), was an internationally popular French motion-picture and stage performer. He earned fame both as a singer and actor and became known for his straw hat and his charming, light-hearted manner.
Maurice Auguste Chevalier was born on Sept. 12, 1888, in Paris. He made his professional debut in 1901 as a singing comedian in a Paris music hall. In 1909, he began performing in the Folies-Bergere, a famous French revue.
Chevalier made his American motion-picture debut in 1929 in the musical Innocents of Paris. Between 1929 and 1935, he starred in 11 other American film musicals. He introduced the songs “Louise” in Innocents in Paris and “Mimi” in Love Me Tonight (1932). Both songs became identified with him throughout his career. Chevalier’s later films include Gigi (1958), Fanny (1961), and In Search of the Castaways (1962). He died in Paris on Jan. 1, 1972.
