Mistinguett
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Mistinguett (April 5, 1875 – January 5, 1956 from Enghien-les-Bains, Val-d'Oise, Île-de-France, France) was a French actress and singer, with the birth name of Jeanne Bourgeois.
Biography
At an early age Jeanne Bourgeois aspired to be an entertainer. She began as a flower-seller in a restaurant in her home-town, 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 in 1895, and appeared also in shows as the Folies Bergère, Moulin Rouge, and Eldorado. Her risqué 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. In 1919 her legs were insured for the then astounding amount of 500,000 francs.
She had a long relationship with the much younger Maurice Chevalier but it was for other more torrid love affairs that she became legendary.
She first recorded her signature song 'Mon Homme' in 1916. It was popularised under its English title 'My Man' by Fanny Brice and has become a standard in the repertoire of numerous pop and jazz 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 over fifty years. She died at the age of 80 and is buried in the Cimetiere Enghien-les-Bains, Île-de-France, France. Her biographer David Bret (The Mistinguett Legend, Robson Books, 1992) has written an as yet unperformed musical stage play about Mistinguett, with new adaptations of her songs.
Filmography
- Carosello del varietà (1955)
- 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)
