Charles Boyer

Charles Boyer (28 August 1899 – 26 August 1978) was a French-American actor whose career spanned more than 80 films from 1920 to 1976. Trained in drama, he began on the stage but rose to fame in American cinema during the 1930s. His performances in romantic dramas like *The Garden of Allah* (1936), *Algiers* (1938), and *Love Affair* (1939), as well as the mystery-thriller *Gaslight* (1944), earned high praise. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor four times. Boyer also made a guest appearance as himself on the CBS sitcom *I Love Lucy*.

Boyer was born in Figeac, Lot, France, to Augustine Louise Durand and Maurice Boyer, a merchant. A shy boy from a small town, he first encountered movies and theatre at age eleven. During World War I, he performed comic sketches for soldiers while working as a hospital orderly. He briefly studied at the Sorbonne and waited for an opportunity to train at the Paris Conservatory. Moving to the capital to finish his education, he instead focused on a theatrical career. In 1920, his quick memory earned him a chance to replace the lead in the stage production *Aux jardins de Murcie*, and he succeeded. After appearing in the play *La Bataille*, he became an overnight theatre star. Throughout the 1920s, he played charming, charismatic roles on stage and in silent films.

His first film was *L'homme du large* (1920), directed by Marcel L'Herbier. He took roles in *Chantelouve* (1921), *Le grillon du foyer* (1922), and *Esclave* (1922), initially acting in films only for money and finding supporting parts unsatisfying. With the arrival of sound, his deep voice turned him into a romantic star. He returned to theatre for several years before reappearing on screen in *Infernal Circle* (1928), *Captain Fracasse* (1929), and *La barcarolle d'amour* (1930).

MGM first brought Boyer to Hollywood to play the Chester Morris role in the French version of *The Big House* (1930), titled *Révolte dans la prison* (1931). He then took a small role at Paramount in *The Magnificent Lie* (1931) with Ruth Chatterton, directed by Berthold Viertel—his first English-speaking part. He returned to MGM for *Le procès de Mary Dugan* (1931), the French version of *The Trial of Mary Dugan* (1929). He appeared in *Tumultes* (1932) for director Robert Siodmak, then in the English-language film *The Man from Yesterday* (1932) with Claudette Colbert at Paramount, again directed by Viertel. He also had a choice small role in Jean Harlow's *Red-Headed Woman* (1932) at MGM.

Back in France, he starred in *F.P.1 Doesn't Answer* (1932), *Moi et l'impératrice* (1933), *Les Amoureux* (1933) (also known as *The Sparrowhawk*), and *La bataille* (1933) with Annabella. The last was also filmed in an English-language version called *The Battle*, with Merle Oberon replacing Annabella and Boyer reprising his role. He appeared in *The Only Girl* (1933) with Lilian Harvey and performed on the Paris stage in *Le Bonheur*, another success—it would be his last Parisian stage appearance. He returned to Hollywood for *Caravan* (1934) with Loretta Young at Fox, and also starred in the French-language version *Caravane* with Annabella. In France, he starred in *Liliom* (1934), directed by Fritz Lang, his first classic. He appeared in the English-language film *Thunder in the East* (1934) and in France starred in *Le bonheur* (1934), reprising his stage performance for director Marcel L'Herbier.

Boyer co-starred with Claudette Colbert in the psychiatric drama *Private Worlds* (1935) for Walter Wanger at Paramount, then signed a five-year contract with Wanger. He romanced Katharine Hepburn in *Break of Hearts* (1935) for RKO, and Loretta Young in *Shanghai* (1935) for Wanger. He became an international star with *Mayerling* (1936), co-starring Danielle Darrieux and directed by Anatole Litvak, playing Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria. Back in Hollywood, he teamed with Marlene Dietrich in *The Garden of Allah* (1936) for David O. Selznick. He and Dietrich were reunited on *I Loved a Soldier* (1936) for director Henry Hathaway at Paramount, but the film was abandoned. He paired with Jean Arthur in *History Is Made at Night* (1937) for Wanger, and with Greta Garbo in *Conquest* (1937) at MGM, where he played Napoleon Bonaparte. His fee for the latter was $150,000, but due to retakes he earned $450,000. He briefly returned to France to make *Orage* (1938) opposite Michèle Morgan for director Marc Allégret. Back in Hollywood, he had the lead in *Tovarich* (1937) with Colbert, directed by Litvak.

In 1938, he landed his famous role as Pepe le Moko, the thief on the run in *Algiers*, an English-language remake of the French film *Pepe le Moko* with Jean Gabin, produced by Wanger. Although Boyer never said to co-star Hedy Lamarr "Come with me to the Casbah" in the movie, the line appeared in the trailer. It stuck with him thanks to generations of impressionists and Looney Tunes parodies. His role as Pepe Le Moko was already world-famous when animator Chuck Jones based the character of Pepé Le Pew, the romantic skunk introduced in 1945, on Boyer and his performance. Boyer's vocal style was also parodied on *Tom and Jerry* cartoons, notably when Tom tried to woo a female cat. He made three films with Irene Dunne: *Love Affair* (1939) at RKO, *When Tomorrow Comes* (1939) at Universal, and *Together Again* (1944) at Columbia.