Jean-Pierre Aumont (born Jean-Pierre Philippe Salomons; 5 January 1911 – 30 January 2001) was a French film and theatre actor. He was a matinée idol and a leading man during the 1930s, but his burgeoning career was interrupted by the Second World War. He served in the Free French Forces, and receiving both the Légion d'Honneur and the Croix de Guerre for his actions.

After the war, Aumont resumed his career, in Hollywood as well as his native France, typically playing suave romantic leads. In 1991, he received an Honorary César for his contributions to the French film industry.

Early life

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

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. 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. For his bravery during the fighting, Aumont received the Légion d'Honneur and the Croix de Guerre.

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.

Personal life

Aumont was married four times to three women. 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).

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

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.

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

Filmography

Film

+ Year Title Role Notes 1931 Jean de la Lune Alexandre (uncredited) Director: Jean Choux Checkmate Jacques Director: Roger Goupillières 1932 Should We Wed Them? Jim Director: Pierre Billon and Karel Lamač 1933 On the Streets Jacques Director: Victor Trivas La merveilleuse tragédie de Lourdes Georges Director: Henri Fabert Le voleur Fernand Lagardes Director: Maurice Tourneur Ève cherche un père Jacques de la Motte Director: Mario Bonnard 1934 A Day Will Come Henri de Langillier Director: Gerhard Lamprecht and Serge Véber Lake of Ladies Eric Heller Director: Marc Allégret Maria Chapdelaine Lorenzo Surprenant Director: Julien Duvivier 1935 Les yeux noirs Karpoff Director: Victor Tourjansky The Crew L'aspirant Jean Herbillon Director: Anatole Litvak Beautiful Days Pierre – le premier amoureux de Sylvie Director: Marc Allégret 1936 Taras Bulba André Boulba Director: Alexis Granowsky La Porte du large Pierre Villette Director: Marcel L'Herbier 1937 Cargaison blanche Henri Voisin Director: Georges Lacombe The Messenger Gilbert Rollin Director: Raymond Rouleau Bizarre, Bizarre Billy Director: Marcel Carné Maman Colibri Georges de Chambry Director: Jean Dréville 1938 The Woman from the End of the World Lt. Robert Jacquet Director: Jean Epstein Chéri-Bibi Raoul Palas Director: Léon Mathot Beautiful Star Jean-Pierre Director: Jacques de Baroncelli S.O.S. Sahara Paul Moutier Director: Jacques de Baroncelli Le Paradis de Satan Jean Larcher Director: Félix Gandéra Hôtel du Nord Pierre Director: Marcel Carné 1943 Assignment in Brittany Bertrand Corlay / Capt. Pierre Matard as Pierre Aumont. Director: Jack Conway The Cross of Lorraine Paul Dupré as Jean Pierre Aumont. Director: Tay Garnett 1946 Heartbeat Pierre de Roche as Jean Pierre Aumont. Director: Sam Wood 1947 Song of Scheherazade Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Director: Walter Reisch 1948 Affairs of a Rogue Prince Leopold Director: Alberto Cavalcanti 1949 Siren of Atlantis Andre St. Avit Director: Gregg G. Tallas Wicked City Eric Martin, alias Hans Norben Director: François Villiers Golden Arrow Andre Marchand Director: Gordon Parry 1950 The Happy Man Henri Perlis Director: Gilles Grangier The Straw Lover Stanislas Michodier Director: Gilles Grangier 1951 Revenge of the Pirates Enrico di Roccabruna Director: Primo Zeglio Last Meeting Michele Bonesi Director: Gianni Franciolini 1952 Wolves Hunt at Night Cyril Director: Bernard Borderie 1953 Lili Marc as Jean Pierre Aumont. Director: Charles Walters Koenigsmark Le précepteur Raoul Vignerte Director: Solange Térac The Sparrows of Paris Césarin Director: Maurice Cloche 1954 Royal Affairs in Versailles Cardinal de Rohan Director: Sacha Guitry Charge of the Lancers Capt. Eric Evoir Director: William Castle 1955 Napoléon Régnault de Saint-Jean d'Angély Director: Sacha Guitry Eighteen Hour Stopover Robert Vitrac Director: René Jolivet Mademoiselle from Paris Maurice Darnal Director: Walter Kapps 1956 Hilda Crane Prof. Jacques De Lisle Director: Philip Dunne 1957 The Seventh Sin Paul Duvelle Director: Ronald Neame 1959 John Paul Jones King Louis XVI Director: John Farrow 1960 The Enemy General Lionel Durand Director: George Sherman The Devil at 4 O'Clock Jacques as Jean Pierre Aumont. Director: Mervyn LeRoy 1961 The Blonde from Buenos Aires the Actor Director: George Cahan Le Puits aux trois vérités a spectator at the vernissage Director: François Villiers 1962 The Seven Deadly Sins the husband Segment: "L'Orgueuil". Director: Roger Vadim Una domenica d'estate Valerio Director: Giulio Petroni Carnival of Crime Mike Voray Director: George Cahan Five Miles to Midnight Alan Stewart Director: Anatole Litvak 1963 Portuguese Vacation Jean-Pierre Director: Pierre Kast 1969 Castle Keep Henri Tixier, Count of Maldorais Director: Sydney Pollack 1970 El coleccionista de cadáveres Claude Marchand Director: Santos Alcocer and Edward Mann 1971 Biribi Le général Daniel Moosmann L'Homme au cerveau greffé Le professeur Jean Marcilly Director: Jacques Doniol-Valcroze 1973 Day for Night Alexandre Director: François Truffaut 1974 Two Missionaries Monsignor Delgado Director: Franco Rossi 1975 The Happy Hooker Yves St Jacques Director: Nicholas Sgarro Cat and Mouse Monsieur Richard Director: Claude Lelouch Mahogany Christian Rosetti Director: Berry Gordy Catherine & Co. Marquis de Puisargue Director: Michel Boisrond 1977 Des journées entières dans les arbres Jacques – le fils préféré Director: Marguerite Duras 1978 Blackout Henri Lee Director: Eddy Matalon Two Solitudes Jean-Claude Tallard Director: Lionel Chetwynd 1979 Something Short of Paradise Jean-Fidel Milieu Director: David Helpern 1981 Allons z'enfants Commandant Félix Director: Yves Boisset 1982 Don't Look in the Attic Ugo Ressia Director: Carlo Ausino Difendimi dalla notte Giacomo Guerra Director: Claudio Fragasso 1983 Nana Count Muffat Director: Dan Wolman La java des ombres Monsieur Jean Director: Romain Goupil 1986 On a volé Charlie Spencer! Le héros, séq. Hôtel du Nord Director: Francis Huster 1987 Sweet Country Mr. Araya Director: Michael Cacoyannis 1988 À notre regrettable époux Alexandre Mouton-Sabrat, dit Moutonni Sabracco Director: Serge Korber 1991 Becoming Colette Captain Colette Director: Danny Huston A Star for Two Alphonse Director: Jim Kaufman 1992 Los mares del sur Marqués de Munt Director: Manuel Esteban Les enfants du diable Le curé Director: Claude Gaignaire 1994 Giorgino Sebastien Director: Laurent Boutonnat 1995 Jefferson in Paris D'Hancarville Director: James Ivory 1996 The Proprietor Franz Legendre Director: Ismail Merchant

Television

+ Year Title Role Notes 1966Flipper Guy Courtney Episode: "Dolphins Don't Sleep" 1979 Beggarman, Thief Jean Delacroix TV movie. Director: Lawrence Doheny 1980 The Memory of Eva Ryker Inspector Laurier TV movie. Director: Walter Grauman 1984 The Blood of Others Monsieur Blomart TV movie. Director: Claude Chabrol 1985 Le regard dans le miroir Vasco Pessoa TV miniseries. Director: Jean Chapot 1986SinsComte De Ville TV miniseries. Director: Douglas Hickox 1992 Counterstrike Jean-Jacques Truffaut Episode: "I Remember It Well"

References

External links

Jean-Pierre Aumont at Turner Classic Movies

(archived 2009)