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Jean-Pierre Aumont

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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
​
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(m. 1938; div. 1940)​
​
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(m. 1943; died 1951)​
​
(m. 1956)​
Children3, including Tina Aumont

Jean-Pierre Aumont (born Jean-Pierre Philippe Salomons; 5 January 1911 – 30 January 2001) was a French actor as well as holder of the Légion d'Honneur and the Croix de Guerre for his World War II military service.[1]

Early life

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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

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At age 16, Aumont began studying drama at the Paris Conservatory, where his mother also studied. His professional stage debut occurred at the age of 19.[1] 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 began. 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, California 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.[citation needed] For his bravery during the fighting, Aumont received the Légion d'Honneur and the Croix de Guerre.[2]

After the war, Aumont quickly resumed his movie career, starring with Ginger Rogers in Heartbeat (1946) and as the magician in Lili (1953) with Leslie Caron. He worked with a number of prominent theatre director and stars, including his (then) wife Maria Montez. In the mid-1950s, Aumont began working in 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 later 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.[3]

Personal life

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Pavan and Aumont in 1965

Aumont was married four times to three women.[1] His first wife was French actress Blanche Montel, to whom he was married from 1938 to 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 villa in Suresnes. Montez and Aumont had one child, a daughter, Tina (1946–2006).[4]

In 1955, Aumont was dating Grace Kelly at the time she first met Prince Rainier III of Monaco.[5][6]

In 1956, Aumont married Italian actress Marisa Pavan. The couple starred in John Paul Jones (1959), in which Pavan played the romantic interest of the lead, and 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.[5][6]

Death

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Jean-Pierre Aumont died 30 January 2001 of a heart attack in Gassin, France, aged 90, and was cremated.[2]

Filmography

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Aumont at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival
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 The Woman from the End of the World 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 The Happy Man 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

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Jean Pierre Aumont". Turner Classic Movies. Turner Classic Movies, Inc. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Jean Pierre Aumont". 30 January 2001. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  3. ^ Riding, Alan (31 January 2001). "Jean-Pierre Aumont, Film Star And Stage Hero, Dies at 90". The New York Times. p. A19. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  4. ^ Oliver, Myrna (31 January 2001). "Jean-Pierre Aumont; Suave French Actor in Movies, TV". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  5. ^ a b Haugland, H. Kristina (2006). Grace Kelly: Icon of Style to Royal Bride. Yale University Press. p. 966. ISBN 978-0-300-11644-1. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  6. ^ a b "Grace's Riviera Romance". Life. 30 May 1955. pp. 14–15. ISSN 0024-3019. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
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