Maurice Auguste Chevalier was a French actor, cabaret singer, dancer, and entertainer. He is perhaps best known for his signature songs, including his first American hit "Livin' In The Sunlight", "Valentine", "Louise", "Mimi", and "Thank Heaven for Little Girls". His film work included The Love Parade (1929), The Big Pond (1930), Love Me Tonight (1932), Love in the Afternoon (1957), Gigi (1958), Can-Can {1960), and Fanny (1961).
His trademark attire was a boater hat, which he always wore on stage with a tuxedo.
Disney Films[]
For Disney, he played the roles of Jacques Paganel in In Search of the Castaways (1962) and Father Sylvain in Monkeys, Go Home! (1967). His final contribution to the film industry before his death in 1972 was singing the title song of the Disney animated feature film The Aristocats (1970), which he came out of retirement to record. He was also caricatured by Joe Grant in the Mickey Mouse short Mickey's Gala Premier (1933).
Years after his death, Chevalier was the inspiration for Lumiere in the 1991 Disney animated feature film Beauty and the Beast. Lumiere's voice and facial features were based on Chevalier's, and his personality on the suave ladies' man he was known for playing onscreen. Lumiere even wears an extinguisher tilted like Chevalier's trademark boater.
Death[]
Chevalier died in Paris of kidney failure, on New Year's Day 1972, aged 83, and was interred in the cemetery of Marnes-la-Coquette in Hauts-de-Seine, outside Paris, France.
He was posthumously named a Disney Legend in 2002.
Roles[]
(In Search of the Castaways)
(Monkeys, Go Home!)
Gallery[]
