Mistinguett
Encyclopedia
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
actress
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and singer, whose birth name was Jeanne Bourgeois. She was at one time the best-paid female entertainer in the world. She inspired a fashion for long headresses
Headgear
Headgear, headwear or headdress is the name given to any element of clothing which is worn on one's head.Headgear serve a variety of purposes:...
and gowns, which became a staple of French music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
.
Biography
Jeanne Bourgeois originated from Enghien-les-BainsEnghien-les-Bains
Enghien-les-Bains is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the département of Val-d'Oise....
, Val-d'Oise, Île-de-France
Île-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
, France. At an early age she aspired to be an entertainer. She began as a flower seller
Flower seller
A flower seller, normally a woman, traditionally sells flowers on the street. Often the flowers are carried, in a basket for example. The subject matter has been a favorite of artists. The profession has mostly died out in countries like the United Kingdom, but still exists in others such as India....
in a restaurant in her hometown, singing popular ballads as she sold her flowers. When a song-writing acquaintance made up the name Miss Tinguette, Jeanne liked it. She made it her own by joining it together and eventually dropping the second S and the final E (Mistinguett).
Jeanne Bourgeois made her debut as Mistinguett at the Casino de Paris
Casino de Paris
The Casino de Paris, located at 16, rue de Clichy, in the 9th arrondissement is one of the well known music halls of Paris, with a history dating back to the 18th century. Contrary to what the name might suggest, it is a performance venue, not a gambling house...
in 1895 and went on to appear in venues such as the Folies Bergère, Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge is a cabaret built in 1889 by Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Olympia. Close to Montmartre in the Paris district of Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy in the 18th arrondissement, it is marked by the red windmill on its roof. The closest métro station is Blanche.The Moulin Rouge is...
and Eldorado. Her risque routines captivated Paris, and she went on to become the most popular French entertainer of her time and the highest paid female entertainer in the world. She incorporated flamboyance and a zest for the theatrical. In 1919 her legs were insured for 500,000 franc
Franc
The franc is the name of several currency units, most notably the Swiss franc, still a major world currency today due to the prominence of Swiss financial institutions and the former currency of France, the French franc until the Euro was adopted in 1999...
s. She had a long relationship with Maurice Chevalier
Maurice Chevalier
Maurice Auguste Chevalier was a French actor, singer, entertainer and a noted Sprechgesang performer. He is perhaps best known for his signature songs, including Louise, Mimi, Valentine, and Thank Heaven for Little Girls and for his films including The Love Parade and The Big Pond...
, 13 years her junior.
She first recorded her signature song "Mon Homme
Mon Homme
"Mon Homme" is a popular song known by its English translation, My Man. The song was originally composed by Jacques Charles, Channing Pollack, Albert Willemetz, and Maurice Yvain.-History:...
" in 1916. It was popularised under its English title "My Man" by Fanny Brice
Fanny Brice
Fanny Brice was a popular and influential American illustrated song "model," comedienne, singer, theatre and film actress, who made many stage, radio and film appearances and is known as the creator and star of the top-rated radio comedy series, The Baby Snooks Show...
, and has become a standard in the repertoire of numerous pop and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
singers.
During a tour of the United States, she was asked by Time magazine to explain her popularity. Her answer was: "It is a kind of magnetism. I say 'Come closer' and draw them to me."
Jeanne Bourgeois' career lasted more than 50 years. She died at the age of 80 and is buried in the Cimetiere Enghien-les-Bains
Enghien-les-Bains
Enghien-les-Bains is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the département of Val-d'Oise....
, Île-de-France, France.
Filmography
- Carosello del varietà (1955)
- Paris 1900Paris 1900 (film)Paris 1900 is a 1947 French documentary film directed by Nicole Védrès. It was entered into the 1947 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Claude Dauphin - Récitant / Narrator * Mistinguett* Monty Woolley - Narrator, US version...
(1947) - Rigolboche (1936) .... Lina Bourget
- L'Île d'amour (1928) ... aka Island of Love (International: English title)
- Mistinguett détective II (1917)
- Mistinguett détective (1917)
- Fleur de Paris (1916) .... Margot Panard et Mistinguett
- Sous la menace (1916)
- Chignon d'or (1916) .... Mistinguett ... aka The Gold Chignon (USA: literal English title)
- Doppia ferita, La (1915)
- Valse renversante, La (1914)
- Misérables – Époque 4: Cosette et Marius, Les (1913) .... Éponine
- Misérables – Époque 3: Cosette, Les (1913) .... Éponine
- Misérables – Époque 2: Fantine, Les (1913) .... Éponine Thénardier
- Misérables – Époque 1: Jean Valjean, Les (1913) .... Éponine Thénardier
- Glu, La (1913) .... Fernande, dite 'La Glu'
- Une bougie récalcitrante (1912)
- Parapluie, Le (1912)
- Vocation de Lolo, La (1912)
- À bas les hommes (1912)
- Bal costumé (1912)
- Coup de foudre, Le (1912)
- Folle de Penmarch, La (1912) .... Yvonne ... aka Folle de Pen-March, La (France)
- Moche, La (1912)
- L'Oubliée, L (1912)
- Un enfant terrible (1912)
- Clown et le pacha, Le (1911)
- Épouvante, L (1911) .... La star de music-hall ... aka Terror-Stricken (UK)
- Ruse de Miss Plumcake, La (1911) .... Miss Plumcake
- Timidités de Rigadin, Les (1910) .... La fiancée de Rigadin
- Ce bon docteur (1909)
- L'Enlèvement de Mademoiselle Biffin (1909)
- Un mari qui l'échappe belle (1909)
- Fiancée récalcitrante, La (1909)
- Fleur de pavé (1909)
- L'Empreinte ou La main rouge (1908)