Maurice Chevalier's Own Story

MAURICE CHEVALIERS OWN STORY As fold to PERCY CUDLIPP LONDON NASH GRAYSON LIMITED First Publish Denmber 1930 THE STAND ROCHBSTVft MAURICE CHEVALIER IN THE LOVE PARADE By Courtesy of Paramount Pictures. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE i EARLY DAYS AND ODD JOBS . . 13 ii MISTINGUETTS PROPHECY ... 22 in SOLDIER AND PRISONER OF WAR . 31 iv MARY PICKFORDS OFFER ... 40 v MARRIAGE AND FIRST VISIT TO HOLLY WOOD 48 vi FACING THE CAMERAS ... 57 vn IMPRESSIONS OF FAMOUS FILM STARS . 66 vin TRIUMPH 77 ix LONDONS REMARKABLE WELCOME . 85 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS facing page MAURICE CHEVALIER IN THE LOVE PARADE . . . . . . FRONTISPIECE MAURICE CHEVALIER AND HIS MOTHER . . 14 MAURICE CHEVALIER OUTSIDE HIS VILLA. . 16 MAURICE CHEVALIER AND YVONNE VALLEE AT HOME . . . . . . . . . . 24 THE FOLIES BERGERE, THE FAMOUS PARIS MUSIC-HALL, WHERE MAURICE CHEVALIER MADE HIS FIRST APPEARANCE . . . . 26 MAURICE CHEVALIER ON THE STAGE AT THE CASINO DE PARIS . . . . . . . . 30 MAURICE CHEVALIER ON THE STAGE AT THE FOLIES BERG RE . . . . . . . . 32 MADEMOISELLE MISTINGUETT . . . . 4o MAURICE CHEVALIER, DAVID DURAND AND SYLVIA BEECHER IN INNOCENTS OF PARIS 48 MAURICE CHEVALIER IN THE INNOCENTS OF PARIS 56 MAURICE CHEVALIER AND JEANETTE MAC DONALD IN THE LOVE PARADE . . 58 9 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Facing MAURICE CHEVALIER AND YVONNE VALLE WITH DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS, WHO SAW THEM OFF FROM PARIS TO LOS ANGELES 62 MAURICE CHEVALIER AND CLAUDETTE COLBERT IN THE BIG POND . . . . 64 MAURICE CHEVALIER AND FRANK LYON IN THE BIG POND 72 MAURICE CHEVALIER WITH ins WIFE, AC KNOWLEDGING THE CHEERS OF THE ENOR MOUS CROWD THAT GATHERED TO SEE HIM AT VICTORIA, NOVEMBER 28ra, 1930 . . 80 MAURICE CHEVALIER. PRESS DAY AT THE HOTEL 88 10 PREFACE DOMINIONTHEATRE. TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD, LONDON, W. I 11 MAURICE CHEVALIERS OWN STORY CHAPTER I EARLY DAYS AND ODD JOBS To a taxi-driver in Cannes I said I wish to go to the home of M. Maurice Chevalier at La Bocca. Do you know it At first he did not answer. Instead, he turned to a friend who was lounging near by and remarked in tones of gentle satire Ecoutez-le done Monsieur is asking whether one knows the home of Maurice Chevalier They both laughed sympathetically. Then, as he held wide the door of his vehicle for me to climb in, the taxi-driver explained Pardon but it is as though one approached Monsieur in the streets of London to inquire the address of the King of England 13