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Auction History Result

5a059 MAURICE CHEVALIER signed letter '59 saying that he hates Jerry Lewis & won't work with him!

Date Sold 11/15/2012
Sold For: Login or Register to see sold price.


An Original Vintage Autographed Letter (measures 8 1/4" x 10 1/2") with Telegram (Learn More)

Maurice Chevalier was a legendary entertainer who is known today for his wonderful French and American movies of the 1930s and 1940s (and his reemergence in the 1950s and 1960s in American movies). But for decades before that, he was a legendary stage performer in France. In 1909, when he was 21, he became the partner of 18 year old Frehel, who was a popular French singer and actress. They performed together (both on and off the stage) for two years, and then Chevalier left her for Mistinguett, a 36 year old French superstar, and they too performed on and off the stage, and a devastated Frehel tried to commit suicide and had drug and alcohol problems the rest of her life. Chevalier then became a major French solo act, and in the late 1920s, he started making movies, and he became an international star through the beginning of World War II. His career was tarnished during World War II when he was accused of collaborating with the Nazis, but he was forgiven after the war, and he resumed his wonderful career, especially with notable performances in Gigi and in some Walt Disney movies. Some of his movies include: Big Pond (nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award for this film), Love Me Tonight, Love in the Afternoon, Love Parade (nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award for this film), and The Smiling Lieutenant. He passed away in 1972 at the age of 83.
Important Added Info: Note that this item has been personally autographed (signed) by Maurice Chevalier! It has incredible content where he tells his friend and agent Paul Kohner that he has just seen Rock-a-Bye Baby with Jerry Lewis, and that he HATES how he acts, and that the only way he would do a movie with him is if he could be told to "calm down completely". He also mentions that when he does Can-Can, he wants Paul to be sure that he has "my share of good songs and scenes so that I am not at a disadvantage with the other stars". Chevalier sent this letter to Kohner on May 11, 1959, and that same day he sent him a Western Union telegram telling him not to sign Chevalier to the Jerry Lewis picture until after he received that letter, and that Western Union telegram is included with the letter in this auction (see our image). Note that this item comes from the estate of Paul Kohner, who had a remarkable life! Kohner was born in Czechoslovakia in 1902, and he was a journalist working at his father's newspaper. He came to Hollywood after interviewing Carl Laemmle, who gave him a job as a publicity man. He became the head of Universal's European department in Berlin, and returned to the U.S. in the early 1930s, and left Universal in 1938, becoming a publicity agent. Among his clients were some of the greatest film stars ever, including Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman, and also great directors such as John Huston and Billy Wilder. He had close personal friendships with many of his clients, and he saved every bit of correspondence and paper work from his agency! He was married to actress Lupita Tovar from 1932 until his death in 1988. Amazingly, after his death, few institutions showed interest in his immense files, and only a small amount ended up being saved, with a lot literally thrown away! Our consignor purchased the item offered here from Mr. Kohner's estate in 1989, and he has held it until now, when he has consigned several items from Mr. Kohner's estate to eMoviePoster.com, and each item is being auctioned separately.

Condition: very good. Both the telegram and the letter are in pretty nice condition!
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