Jean-Pierre Aumont

Jean-Pierre Aumont (born Jean-Pierre Philippe Salomons; 5 January 1911 – 30 January 2001) was a French actor, and holder of the Légion d'Honneur and the Croix de Guerre for his World War II military service.

Jean-Pierre Aumont
Aumont in 1959
Born
Jean-Pierre Philippe Salomons

(1911-01-05)5 January 1911
Paris, France
Died30 January 2001(2001-01-30) (aged 90)
Gassin, France
OccupationActor
Years active1931–1996
Spouses
(m. 1938; div. 1940)
    (m. 1943; died 1951)
      (m. 1956)
      Children3, including Tina Aumont

      Early life

      Aumont was born Jean-Pierre Philippe Salomons in Paris, the son of Suzanne (née Cahen; 1885–1940), an actress, and Alexandre Salomons, owner of La Maison du Blanc (a linen department store). His mother's uncle was well-known stage actor Georges Berr (died 1942). His father was from a Dutch Jewish family; his mother's family were French Jews. Aumont's younger brother was the noted French film director François Villiers.

      Career

      At age 16 Aumont began studying drama at the Paris Conservatory, where his mother had also studied. His professional stage debut occurred at the age of 19. His film debut came one year later, when Jean de la Lune (Jean of the Moon) was produced in 1931.

      However, his most important, career-defining role came in 1934, when Jean Cocteau's play, La Machine infernale (The Infernal Machine), was staged. While his film and stage career began rising quickly, World War II broke out. Aumont remained in France until 1942, when he realized that as a Jew he would have to flee the Nazis. He migrated from the unoccupied zone of Vichy France to New York City, then to Hollywood to pursue his film career. He began working for MGM, but after finishing The Cross of Lorraine, he joined the Free French Forces. He was sent to North Africa, where he participated in Operation Torch in Tunisia. He then moved with the Allied armies through Italy and France. He was wounded twice. The first was on a mission with his brother; the second was more serious. Aumont's Jeep was blown up near a land-mined bridge. General Diego Brosset, commander of the 1st Free French Division, to whom Aumont was aide de camp, was killed. For his bravery during the fighting, Aumont received the Légion d'Honneur and the Croix de Guerre.

      After the war, Aumont quickly resumed his movie career, starring opposite Ginger Rogers in Heartbeat (1946), and as the magician in Lili (1953) with Leslie Caron, among many other roles. He worked with a number of prominent directors and stars, including his (then) wife Maria Montez. In the mid-1950s, Aumont began working in the new medium of television, appearing on several anthology programs, such as Robert Montgomery Presents and as a guest on the show What's My Line?. In the 1960s and 1970s, he appeared in various theater productions, including the musicals Tovarich with Vivien Leigh, Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, South Pacific, and Gigi.

      One of his last acting performances was in A Tale of Two Cities (1989). Two years later, in 1991, aged 80, he received an honorary César Award as well as being decorated with the cross of Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres.

      Personal life

      Pavan and Aumont in 1965

      Aumont was married four times to three women. His first wife was French actress Blanche Montel, to whom he was married for two years (1938–1940), ultimately divorcing. While in Hollywood, Aumont married Maria Montez, a Dominican actress. She was known as the Queen of Technicolor, and their marriage was very happy. However, Montez drowned in her bathtub on 7 September 1951 after suffering an apparent heart attack at the family's Suresnes villa. Montez and Aumont had one child, a daughter, Tina (1946–2006).

      In 1955, Aumont was dating Grace Kelly at the time she first met Prince Rainier III of Monaco.[1][2]

      In 1956, Aumont married Italian actress Marisa Pavan. The couple starred in one film together, John Paul Jones (1959), in which Pavan played the romantic interest of the lead, while Aumont appears as King Louis XVI. They divorced, but later remarried and remained together until his death. Aumont and Pavan had two sons, Jean-Claude and Patrick.[3][4]

      Death

      Jean-Pierre Aumont died in 2001 of a heart attack in Gassin, France, aged 90, and was cremated.

      Filmography

      Unknown photographer. 'Jean-Pierre Aumont in "Lac aux Dames"' 1934
      Year Title Role Director Notes
      1931 Jean de la Lune Alexandre Jean Choux Uncredited
      Checkmate Jacques Roger Goupillières
      1932 Should We Wed Them? Jim Pierre Billon and Karel Lamac
      1933 On the Streets Jacques Victor Trivas
      La merveilleuse tragédie de Lourdes Georges Henri Fabert
      Le voleur Fernand Lagardes Maurice Tourneur
      Ève cherche un père Jacques de la Motte Mario Bonnard
      1934 A Day Will Come Henri de Langillier Gerhard Lamprecht and Serge Veber
      Lake of Ladies Eric Heller Marc Allégret
      Maria Chapdelaine Lorenzo Surprenant Julien Duvivier
      1935 Les yeux noirs Karpoff Viktor Tourjansky
      The Crew L'aspirant Jean Herbillon Anatole Litvak
      Beautiful Days Pierre – le premier amoureux de Sylvie Marc Allégret
      1936 Taras Bulba André Boulba Alexis Granowsky
      La Porte du large Pierre Villette Marcel L'Herbier
      1937 Cargaison blanche Henri Voisin Georges Lacombe
      The Messenger Gilbert Rollin Raymond Rouleau
      Bizarre, Bizarre Billy Marcel Carné
      Maman Colibri Georges de Chambry Jean Dréville
      1938 La femme du bout du monde Lt. Robert Jacquet Jean Epstein
      Chéri-Bibi Raoul Palas Léon Mathot
      Beautiful Star Jean-Pierre Jacques de Baroncelli
      S.O.S. Sahara Paul Moutier Jacques de Baroncelli
      Le Paradis de Satan Jean Larcher Félix Gandéra
      Hôtel du Nord Pierre Marcel Carné
      1943 Assignment in Brittany Bertrand Corlay / Capt. Pierre Matard Jack Conway (as Pierre Aumont)
      The Cross of Lorraine Paul Dupré Tay Garnett (as Jean Pierre Aumont)
      1946 Heartbeat Pierre de Roche Sam Wood (as Jean Pierre Aumont)
      1947 Song of Scheherazade Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Walter Reisch
      1948 Affairs of a Rogue Prince Leopold Alberto Cavalcanti
      1949 Siren of Atlantis Andre St. Avit Gregg G. Tallas
      Wicked City Eric Martin, alias Hans Norben François Villiers
      Golden Arrow Andre Marchand Gordon Parry
      1950 L'Homme de joie Henri Perlis Gilles Grangier
      The Straw Lover Stanislas Michodier Gilles Grangier
      1951 La Vendetta del corsaro Enrico di Roccabruna Primo Zeglio
      Last Meeting Michele Bonesi Gianni Franciolini
      1952 Wolves Hunt at Night Cyril Bernard Borderie
      1953 Lili Marc Charles Walters (as Jean Pierre Aumont)
      Koenigsmark Le précepteur Raoul Vignerte Solange Térac
      The Sparrows of Paris Césarin Maurice Cloche
      1954 Royal Affairs in Versailles Cardinal de Rohan Sacha Guitry
      Charge of the Lancers Capt. Eric Evoir William Castle
      1955 Napoléon Régnault de Saint-Jean d'Angély Sacha Guitry
      Eighteen Hour Stopover Robert Vitrac René Jolivet
      Mademoiselle from Paris Maurice Darnal Walter Kapps
      1956 Hilda Crane Prof. Jacques De Lisle Philip Dunne
      1957 The Seventh Sin Paul Duvelle Ronald Neame
      1959 John Paul Jones King Louis XVI of France John Farrow
      1960 The Enemy General Lionel Durand George Sherman
      The Devil at 4 O'Clock Jacques Mervyn LeRoy (as Jean Pierre Aumont)
      1961 The Blonde from Buenos Aires the Actor George Cahan
      Le Puits aux trois vérités a spectator at the vernissage François Villiers
      1962 The Seven Deadly Sins the husband Roger Vadim (segment "L'Orgueuil")
      Una domenica d'estate Valerio Giulio Petroni
      Carnival of Crime Mike Voray George Cahan
      Five Miles to Midnight Alan Stewart Anatole Litvak
      1963 Portuguese Vacation Jean-Pierre Pierre Kast
      1969 Castle Keep Henri Tixier, Count of Maldorais Sydney Pollack
      1970 El coleccionista de cadáveres Claude Marchand Santos Alcocer and Edward Mann
      1971 Biribi Le général Daniel Moosmann
      L'Homme au cerveau greffé Le professeur Jean Marcilly Jacques Doniol-Valcroze
      1973 Day for Night Alexandre François Truffaut
      1974 Two Missionaries Monsignor Delgado Franco Rossi
      1975 The Happy Hooker Yves St Jacques Nicholas Sgarro
      Cat and Mouse Monsieur Richard Claude Lelouch
      Mahogany Christian Rosetti Berry Gordy
      Catherine & Co. Marquis de Puisargue Michel Boisrond
      1977 Des journées entières dans les arbres Jacques – le fils préféré Marguerite Duras
      1978 Blackout Henri Lee Eddy Matalon
      Two Solitudes Jean-Claude Tallard Lionel Chetwynd
      1979 Something Short of Paradise Jean-Fidel Milieu David Helpern
      Beggarman, Thief Jean Delacroix Lawrence Doheny TV movie
      1980 The Memory of Eva Ryker Inspector Laurier Walter Grauman TV movie
      1981 Allons z'enfants Commandant Félix Yves Boisset
      1982 Don't Look in the Attic Ugo Ressia Carlo Ausino
      Difendimi dalla notte Giacomo Guerra Claudio Fragasso
      1983 Nana Count Muffat Dan Wolman
      La java des ombres Monsieur Jean Romain Goupil
      1984 The Blood of Others Monsieur Blomart Claude Chabrol
      1985 Le regard dans le miroir Vasco Pessoa Jean Chapot TV miniseries
      1986 On a volé Charlie Spencer! Le héros, séq. Hôtel du Nord Francis Huster
      1987 Sweet Country Mr. Araya Michael Cacoyannis
      1988 À notre regrettable époux Alexandre Mouton-Sabrat, dit Moutonni Sabracco Serge Korber
      1991 Becoming Colette Captain Colette Danny Huston
      A Star for Two Alphonse Jim Kaufman
      1992 Los mares del sur Marqués de Munt Manuel Esteban
      Les enfants du diable Le curé Claude Gaignaire
      1994 Giorgino Sebastien Laurent Boutonnat
      1995 Jefferson in Paris D'Hancarville James Ivory
      1996 The Proprietor Franz Legendre Ismail Merchant (final film role)

      References

      1. Haugland, H. Kristina (2006). Grace Kelly: Icon of Style to Royal Bride. Yale University Press. pp. 966–. ISBN 978-0-300-11644-1. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
      2. "Grace's Riviera Romance". LIFE. Time Inc. 30 May 1955. pp. 14–15. ISSN 0024-3019. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
      3. H. Kristina Haugland (2006). Grace Kelly: Icon of Style to Royal Bride. Yale University Press. p. 966. ISBN 978-0-300-11644-1. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
      4. Time Inc (30 May 1955). LIFE. Time Inc. pp. 15–. ISSN 0024-3019. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
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