INTERVIEW WITH MAURICE CHEVALIER - SOUND

(23 Nov 1944)
Various shots, MS, SCU, & CU of Maurice Chevalier telling the mike how he didn't collaborate with the Germans, explaining exactly what did happen, finishing on saying that he hoped to soon be back in this country. He also sings a song. Song: I'M ON TOP OF A RAINBOW - NO MUSICAL ACCOMPANYMENT OR AUDIENCE.
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[@chucku00]

Now I know why English speaking people find French accent so attractive and elegant. Merci d'avoir été un de nos plus grands ambassadeurs Monsieur Chevalier.

[@maximem1033]

Maurice chevalier is the most important singer for me in France, I'm French

[@maximem1033]

@@woodstock6944 Where did you hear that???? That's not true, I've read his hole Biography and I can Guarantee you that this is totally wrong. And don't say that Mistingett is a fool, she was very intelligent and brave. Chevalier Sing " Y a de la joie" way before Trenet. Trenet is an exceptional singer, but Chevalier is and Will stay the king of the french Music hall. Maurice Chevalier and Mistinguett never accused him for being gay. That's horrible to say something like that you know ??

[@maximem1033]

@SavageArfad you are the only fool in the story my friend 😉

[@cayboulou]

C'était un collabo.

[@mak500]

@@cayboulou Non, justement c'est ce qu'il explique dans cette séquence !

[@jameshepburn4631]

Far fewer Americans know Charles Trenet than Chevalier due to the latter's film career but Trenet had a beautiful voice.I think his best known song is "La Mer", made famous in America by Bobby Darin as " Beyond The Sea'. Trenet was from Southern France and was swarthy with wavy dark hair. The Nazi Gestapo had their sights on him as they thought his real name was Netter and he was Jewish. Neither was true and Trenet avoided the concentration camps. (Sorry, I don't know French, is Mer la or le?)

[@petitelapin60]

This is wonderful! Love Maurice Chevalier. Thanks for sharing!

[@robbyosborne9708]

Maurice Chevalier sung the song during the opening credits for the Aristocats.

[@1943ofour]

Great footage. Thank you!

[@norcalridersf360]

This is also in the closing credits of “the sorrow and the pity”

[@cenutriox]

A true discovery this raw footage of Mr Chevalier.

[@lancebaker1374]

CORRECT!!! It is a discovery. This morning I discovered my toaster was unplugged.

[@michaelhuck]

Chevalier did sing in Germany in Alten-Grabow in the POW camp where he himself had been a POW in WW 1, he asked the Germans and got the release of 10 French POWs in return. He did protect his Jewish Girl friend and her Family. Pierre Dac who did not know anything what was going on accused him in Radio London falsely to be a collaborateur and there are still People who believe that obviously not knowing what they are Talking About. Chevalier had an offer by Lubitsch in 1940 to go to Hollywood again, Chevalier refused and said he will not leave his home Country during that horrible time. He was absolutely great and I would like to see those People who call this man a "collaborateur" in that difficult times and if they would have been so brave and protect Jews and make a deal with Germany to release Prisoners of war.

[@OlivierBETTI]

His Jewish girl friend was Nita Raya and his pianist at this time was Henri Betti.

[@paulphelps7809]

The world is a better place because of Maurice Chevalier.

[@amaurya7689]

love his french accent

[@amaurya7689]

@SavageArfad yes. Why this question Sir ?

[@spencersmith2798]

Wonderful…thanks for this very important post to further clear one of the 20th Century’s greatest performers of ugly baseless rumors.

[@speedracer2008]

🎶 Be our guest, be our guest, put our service to the test 🎶 Would have been awesome if Beauty and the Beast had been made in the 40’s and Chevalier voiced Lumiere.

[@YourSafeSpaceBoulder]

Love it

[@stevenormandin7214]

The real title of the song : "Sweeping the clouds away"...

[@Liquid_Alchemy]

A beautiful and tragic soul.

[@davemiller4721]

The collab theory may never be proven or disproven. Chevalier was one of the most charming men I have ever seen on film. Cary Grant was another. Throw in a young Henry Fonda as well, but the other two remained charming straight into their 80s.

[@lekmirn.hintern8132]

According to an excellent biography about him, it was false. Its origin was a piece published during the war in Life Magazine; the piece was written by Josephine Baker, who hated Chevalier (they had been rival stars in French music hall before the war). (Baker accused other people in the article as well, possibly other professional rivals too -- I read it years ago and don't remember now.) See Micheal Huck's post below, which is mostly correct. Chevalier may have been responsible for saving more lives than just his Jewish girlfriend's family, and he may have been of some help to the Resistance -- that much is uncertain. But what is 100% certain is that he was arrested by French Communists in 1945 thanks to these accusations, the charges were investigated, and he was completely cleared. Yet to this day there are people who think he was a collaborator. Josephine Baker should rot in hell for that.

[@FranzKafkaRockOpera]

@@lekmirn.hintern8132 Preposterous to extend this degree of generosity to Chevalier (regardless of the veracity of the accusations against him, nobody has ever claimed he actually resisted) while calling for Josephine Baker, who risked her life for France, to "rot in hell". You should really take a huge step back and examine the influences that led you to make such a morally repugnant statement.

[@lekmirn.hintern8132]

@@FranzKafkaRockOpera This is idiocy. Read some books. Start with "The Good Frenchman". Baker was a jealous creep who willfully blackened the name of an innocent man for no reason other than spite. THAT is "morally repugnant". (And didn't she also mistreat her own son? Not sure about that, but I believe I came across it somewhere.)

[@carolinecollett956]

The voices of peAce activists were drowned out past and the present as we brace ourselves

[@carolinecollett956]

All our ancestors died for land and control of currencies . That is the real tragedy our ancestors died and gave their lives for monarchy

[@cayboulou]

Collabo

[@pascalbretaire4163]

non

[@lekmirn.hintern8132]

See Michael Huck's post and mine as well.

[@pminner1]

This should be calling "Let me sing my way out of trouble'. He was a Nazi collaborator. That's it, and that's all. Josephine Baker never had to make one of these now did she?

[@lekmirn.hintern8132]

See Michael Huck's post and mine as well. Josephine Baker, who is responsible for your misapprehension, spent the war in the U.S.... spreading lies.

[@TheSealOfTheRose]

Ridiculous comparison