Jean-Pierre Aumont
Jean-Pierre Aumont (
January 5,
1911 �"
January 29,
2001) was a
French actor.
Born in
Paris, France as
Jean-Pierre Philippe Salomons to Alexandre Salomons, owner of
La Maison du Blanc (a
linen department store) and Suzanne Cahen; his mother's uncle was well-known stage actor
Georges Berr. [
1] His father, whose family came from
Holland, was
Jewish and his mother came from a French Catholic family. Aumont began studying drama at the
Paris Conservatory, following his mother, at the age of sixteen. His professional stage debut occurred at the age of 21. 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 Infernal (
The Infernal Machine) was released in
1934.
However, right when his film and stage career began rising quickly,
World War II broke out. Aumont stayed in France until
1942, when he realized that because of his
Jewish ancestry, he would be forced to flee from the
Nazi forces. He first fled to an unoccupied portion of
Vichy territory, before moving, first to
New York City, then
Hollywood to further his film career.
He began working with
MGM; however, he was not content with staying in the safe
United States while his fellow countrymen were fighting for their lives in
Europe. Therefore, after finishing his film
The Cross of Lorraine (which was highly liked by certain Resistance leaders, including
Charles de Gaulle), he joined the
Free French.
After the completion of the film, Aumont was sent to
North Africa, where he participated in
Operation Torch, specifically in the country of
Tunisia. Then, he moved with the Allied armies through
Italy and
France. Through the war, he was wounded twice. The first was on a mission with his brother. However, the second was more serious. Aumont's
Jeep was blown up near a landmined bridge, and French Brigadier General Diégo-Charles-Joseph Brosset, commander of the 1st Free French Division, was killed. Because of his bravery during the fighting, Aumont received the
Legion d'Honneur and the
Croix de Guerre.
While in Hollywood, though, Aumont married
Maria Montez, a
Dominican actress. She was known as the "Queen of Technicolor", and their marriage was very happy; however, she tragically drowned
September 7,
1951, in the family's villa at
Suresnes, France. They had one daughter Maria Christine "Tina" Aumont in 1946.
Aumont kept working after his wife's death, though, starring as the magician in the extremely successful film,
Lili with
Leslie Caron.
In
1956, he married
Italian actress
Marisa Pavan, star of various films including
The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit. The couple starred in one film together
John Paul Jones, where Pavan played the romantic interest of the lead, while Aumont
cameoed as
King Louis XVI. However, the couple divorced in
1962, but rejoined a short while later. They had two children: Jean-Claude and Patrick, and lived a rather happy life.
Aumont continued working with various famous actors and
directors. In the
1960s, he starred in various
Broadway productions.
He starred in many films throughout the latter half of the
20th century, and one of his more recent works was released in
1989,
A Tale of Two Cities.
Two years afterward, he was decorated with the cross of
Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres, and in
1992, he received an honorary
César Award.
Aumont was also a distinguished
author, although the English translations of his works were sub-par.
When he died in 2001 of a
heart attack at the age of 90, Jean-Pierre Aumont was one of the most distinguished and famous French actors of the 20th century.
He is interred in the
Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.
*
The Proprietor (1996) - Franz Legendre
*
Jefferson in Paris (1995) - D'Hancarville
*
Giorgino (1994) - Sebastien
*
Mares del sur, Los (1992) - Marqués de Munt
*
Becoming Colette (1991) - Captain
*
A Star for Two (1991) - Actor
*
The Free Frenchman (1989) - Edmond de Roujay
*
À notre regrettable époux (1988) - Alexandre Mouton-Sabrat, dit Moutonni Sabracco
*
Sweet Country (1987) - Mr. Araya
*
On a volé Charlie Spencer! (1986) - Le héros, séq. Hôtel du Nord
*
The Blood of Others (1984) - M. Blomart
*
Java des ombres, La (1983) - Monsieur Jean
*
Don't Look in the Attic (1982) - Actor
*
Nana (1982) - Count Muffat
*
Allons z'enfants (1981) - Commandant Félix
*
Something Short of Paradise (1979) - Jean-Fidel Mileau
*
Two Solitudes (1978) - Jean-Claude Tallard
*
Blackout (1978) - Henri
*
Entire Days in the Trees (1976) - Le fils
*
Catherine & Co. (1975) - Marquis de Puisargue
*
Mahogany (1975) - Christian Rosetti
*
Cat and Mouse (1975) - Monsieur Richard
*
The Happy Hooker (1975) - Yves St. Jacques
*
Turn the Other Cheek (1974) - Delgado
*
Day for Night (1973) - Alexandre
*
Biribi (1971) - General
*
Man with the Transplanted Brain (1971) - Jean Marcilly
*
Blind Man's Bluff (1970) - Claude Marchand
*
Castle Keep (1969) - The Count of Maldorais
*
Portuguese Vacation (1963) - Jean-Pierre
*
Five Miles to Midnight (1962) - Alan Stewart
*
The Seven Deadly Sins (1962) - Le mari (segment "L'Orgueuil")
*
Carnival of Crime (1962) - Mike Voray
*
Always on Sunday (1962) - Actor
*
The Devil at 4 O'Clock (1961) - Jacques (as Jean Pierre Aumont)
*
The Blonde from Buenos Aires (1961) - Actor
*
Puits aux trois vérités, Le (1961) - Un invité au vernissage
*
The Enemy General (1960) - Durand
*
John Paul Jones (1959) - King Louis XVI
*
The Seventh Sin (1957) - Paul Duvelle
*
Hilda Crane (1956) - Prof. Jacques De Lisle
*
Mademoiselle from Paris (1955) - Maurice Darnal
*
Napoléon (1955) - Régnault de Saint-Jean d'Angély
*
Royal Affairs in Versailles (1954) - Le cardinal de Rohan
*
Charge of the Lancers (1954) - Capt. Eric Evoir
*
Dix-huit heures d'escale (1954) - Robert
*
Koenigsmark (1953) - Raoul Vignerte
*
Lili (1953) - Marc (as Jean Pierre Aumont)
*
Wolves Hunt at Night (1952) - Cyril
*
Moineaux of Paris (1952) - Césarin
*
The Straw Lover (1951) - Stanislas Michodier
*
Last Meeting (1951) - Michele Bonesi
*
Revenge of the Pirates (1951) - Enrico di Roccabruna
*
Homme de joie, L' (1950) - Henri Perlis
*
Wicked City (1949) - Eric Martin, alias Hans Norben, Writer
*
The Gay Adventure (1949) - Andre Marchand
*
Siren of Atlantis (1949) - André St. Avit
*
Affairs of a Rogue (1948) - Prince Leopold
*
Song of Scheherazade (1947) - Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
*
Heartbeat (1946) - Pierre de Roche
*
The Cross of Lorraine (1943) - Paul Dupré
*
Assignment in Brittany (1943) - Bertrand Corlay/Capt. Pierre Matard
*
Three Hours (1939) - Paul Marchand
*
S.O.S. Sahara (1939) - Paul Moutier
*
Hôtel du Nord (1938) - Pierre
*
Belle étoile (1938) - Jean-Pierre
*
Satan's Paradise (1938) - Jean Larcher
*
Bizarre, Bizarre (1937) - Billy, le laitier
*
Woman Racket (1937) - Henri Voisin
*
Chéri-Bibi (1937) - Raoul Palas
*
La femme du bout du monde (1937) - Lt. Jacquet
*
Maman Colibri (1937) - Georges de Chambry
*
The Messenger (1937) - Gilbert Rollin
*
The Great Temptation (1936) - Pierre Villette
*
Tarass Boulba (1936) - André Boulba
*
Flight Into Darkness (1935) - Jean Herbillon
*
Yeux noirs, Les (1935) - Karpoff
*
Beaux jours, Les (1935) - Pierre
*
Maria Chapdelaine (1934) - Lorenzo Surprenant
*
Ladies Lake (1934) - Eric Heller
*
Voleur, Le (1934) - Fernand Lagardes
*
Dans les rues (1933) - Jacques
*
Ève cherche un père (1933) - Jacques de la Motte
*
Merveilleuse tragédie de Lourdes, La (1933) - Georges
*
Un jour viendra (1933) - Henri de Langillier
*
Should We Wed Them? (1932) - Jim
*
Jean de la Lune (1931) - Alexandre
*
Échec et mat (1931) - Jacque
*
Photos* Jean-Pierre Aumont Page[
2]
