Adolphe Menjou
Adolphe Jean Menjou was an American actor. His career spanned both silent films and talkies. He appeared in such films as Charlie Chaplin's A Woman of Paris, where he played the lead role; Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory with Kirk Douglas; Ernst Lubitsch's The Marriage Circle; The Sheik with Rudolph Valentino; Morocco with Marlene Dietrich and Gary Cooper; and A Star Is Born with Janet Gaynor and Fredric March, and was nominated for an Academy Award for The Front Page in 1931.
Early life
Menjou was born on February 18, 1890, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to a French father, Albert Menjou, and an Irish mother from Galway, Nora. His brother, Henry Arthur Menjou, was a year younger. He was raised Catholic, attended the Culver Military Academy, and graduated from Cornell University with a degree in engineering. Attracted to the vaudeville stage, he made his movie debut in 1916 in The Blue Envelope Mystery. During World War I, he served as a captain in the United States Army Ambulance Service, for which he trained in Pennsylvania before going overseas.Career and stardom
After returning from the war, Menjou became a star in such films as The Sheik and The Three Musketeers. When he starred in 1923's A Woman of Paris, he solidified the image of a well-dressed man-about-town, and was voted Best Dressed Man in America nine times. In 1929, he attended the preview of Maurice Chevalier's first Hollywood film Innocents of Paris, and personally reassured Chevalier that he would enjoy a great future, despite the mediocre screenplay. His own career stalled with the coming of talkies, but in 1930, he starred in Morocco, with Marlene Dietrich. He was nominated for an Academy Award for The Front Page.Political beliefs
Menjou was a staunch Republican who equated the Democratic Party with socialism. He supported the Hoover administration's policies during the Great Depression. Menjou told a friend that he feared that if a Democrat won the White House, they "would raise taxes destroy the value of the dollar," depriving Menjou of a good portion of his wealth. He took precautions against this threat: "I've got gold stashed in safety deposit boxes all over town... They'll never get an ounce from me." In the 1944 presidential election, he joined other celebrity Republicans at a rally in the Los Angeles Coliseum, organized by studio executive David O. Selznick, to support the Dewey–Bricker ticket and Governor Earl Warren of California, who would be Dewey's running mate in 1948. The gathering drew 93,000, with Cecil B. DeMille as the master of ceremonies and short speeches by Hedda Hopper and Walt Disney. Despite the rally's large turnout, most Hollywood celebrities who took public positions supported the Roosevelt–Truman ticket.In 1947, Menjou cooperated with the House Committee on Un-American Activities saying that Hollywood "is one of the main centers of Communist activity in America". He added: "it is the desire and wish of the masters of Moscow to use this medium for their purposes" which is "the overthrow of the American government". Menjou was a leading member of the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, a group formed to oppose communist influence in Hollywood, whose other members included John Wayne, Barbara Stanwyck and her husband, actor Robert Taylor.
Because of his political leanings, Menjou came into conflict with actress Katharine Hepburn, with whom he appeared in Morning Glory, Stage Door, and State of the Union. Hepburn was strongly opposed to the HUAC hearings, and their clashes were reportedly instant and mutually cutting. During a government deposition, Menjou said, "Scratch a do-gooder, like Hepburn, and they'll yell, 'Pravda'." To this, Hepburn called Menjou "wisecracking, witty—a flag-waving super-patriot who invested his American dollars in Canadian bonds and had a thing about Communists." In his book Kate, Hepburn biographer William Mann said that during the filming of State of the Union, she and Menjou spoke to each other only while acting.
Later years and death
Menjou ended his film career with such roles as French General George Broulard in Stanley Kubrick's film Paths of Glory.In 1955, Menjou played Dr. Elliott Harcourt in "Barrier of Silence", episode 19 of the first season of the television series Science Fiction Theatre. He guest-starred as Fitch, with Orson Bean and Sue Randall as John and Ellen Monroe, in a 1961 episode, "The Secret Life of James Thurber", based on the works of American humorist James Thurber, in the CBS anthology series The DuPont Show with June Allyson. He also appeared in the Thanksgiving episode of NBC's The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford, which aired on November 22, 1956. His final film role was that of the town curmudgeon in Disney's Pollyanna.
Menjou died on October 29, 1963 of hepatitis in Beverly Hills, California. He is interred beside Verree at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
Personal life
Menjou was married to Verree Teasdale from 1934 until his death on October 29, 1963; they had one adopted son. He previously married Kathryn Carver in 1928; they divorced in 1934. A prior marriage to Kathryn Conn Tinsley also ended in divorce.In 1948, Menjou published his autobiography, It Took Nine Tailors.
Legacy
For his contributions to the motion picture industry, Menjou has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6826 Hollywood Boulevard.Cultural references
Because of Menjou's public support of HUAC, the propaganda of the German Democratic Republic often depicted their western opponents with Menjou-style moustaches, and it was considered a statement of political opposition to trim one's moustache that way. The style became a symbol for the resourceful criminal, and in Germany is still called :de::Menjou-Bärtchen|Menjou-Bärtchen. In German film and theatre, dubious men, opportunists, corrupt politicians, fraudulent persuaders, marriage impostors and other "slick" criminals often wear Menjou-Bärtchen. In real life, the style is often associated with opportunism.Salvador Dalí admired Adolphe Menjou.
He declared "la moustache d'Adolphe Menjou est surréaliste" and began offering fake mustaches from a silver cigarette case to other people with the words "Moustache? Moustache?" Moustache?"
One of the most famous photographs by the avant-garde photographer Umbo is titled "Menjou En Gros" ca. 1928.
Filmography
- The Acid Test as Extra
- The Man Behind the Door as Ringmaster
- A Parisian Romance as Julianai
- Nearly a King as Baron
- The Price of Happiness as Howard Neal
- The Habit of Happiness as Society Man
- The Crucial Test as Count Nicolai
- The Devil at His Elbow as Wilfred Carleton
- The Reward of Patience as Paul Dunstan
- Manhattan Madness as Minor Role
- The Scarlet Runner as Bit Part
- The Kiss as Pennington
- The Blue Envelope Mystery as Bit Part
- The Valentine Girl as Joe Winder
- Wild and Woolly
- The Amazons
- An Even Break as Bit Part
- The Moth as Teddy Marbridge / The Husband
- What Happened to Rosa as Reporter Friend of Dr. Drew
- The Faith Healer as Dr. Littlefield
- Courage as Bruce Ferguson
- Through the Back Door as James Brewster
- The Three Musketeers as Louis XIII
- Queenie as Count Michael
- The Sheik as Dr. Raoul de St. Hubert
- Head Over Heels as Sterling
- Arabian Love as Captain Fortine
- Is Matrimony a Failure? as Dudley King
- The Fast Mail as Cal Baldwin
- The Eternal Flame as Duc de Langeais
- Pink Gods as Louis Barney
- Clarence as Hubert Stein
- Singed Wings as Bliss Gordon
- The World's Applause as Robert Townsend
- Bella Donna as Mr. Chepstow
- Rupert of Hentzau as Count Rischenheim
- A Woman of Paris as Pierre Revel
- The Spanish Dancer as Don Salluste
- The Marriage Circle as Prof. Josef Stock
- Shadows of Paris as Georges de Croy, His Secretary
- The Marriage Cheat as Bob Canfield
- Broadway After Dark as Ralph Norton
- For Sale as Joseph Hudley
- Broken Barriers as Tommy Kemp
- Sinners in Silk as Arthur Merrill
- Open All Night as Edmund Durverne
- The Fast Set as Ernest Steel
- Forbidden Paradise as Chancellor
- A Kiss in the Dark as Walter Grenham
- The Swan as Albert von Kersten-Rodenfels
- Are Parents People? as Mr. Hazlitt
- as Tony Hamilton
- The King on Main Street as King Serge IV of Molvania
- The Grand Duchess and the Waiter as Albert Durant
- Fascinating Youth as Himself
- A Social Celebrity as Max Haber
- The Ace of Cads as Chappel Maturin
- The Sorrows of Satan as Prince Lucio de Rimanez
- Blonde or Brunette as Henri Martel
- Evening Clothes as Lucien d'Artois
- Service for Ladies as Albert Leroux
- A Gentleman of Paris as Marquis de Marignan
- Serenade as Franz Rossi
- A Night of Mystery as Captain Ferreol
- His Tiger Wife as Henri
- His Private Life as Georges St. Germain
- Marquis Preferred as Marquis d'Argenville
- Fashions in Love as Paul de Remy
- Soyons gais as Bob Brown
- Mon gosse de père as Jérome
- Amor audaz as Albert d'Arlons
- Mysterious Mr. Parkes as Courtenay Parkes
- Morocco as Monsieur La Bessiere
- New Moon as Governor Boris Brusiloff
- The Easiest Way as William Brockton
- Men Call It Love as Tony
- The Front Page as Walter Burns
- The Great Lover as Jean Paurel
- The Parisian as Jérome Rocheville
- Friends and Lovers as Captain Geoffrey Roberts
- Prestige as Capt. Remy Bandoin
- Wir schalten um auf Hollywood as Himself
- Forbidden as Bob
- Wives Beware as Maj. Carey Liston
- Bachelor's Affairs as Andrew Hoyt
- Diamond Cut Diamond as Dan McQueen
- The Night Club Lady as Police Commissioner Thatcher Colt
- A Farewell to Arms as Rinaldi
- The Circus Queen Murder as Thatcher Colt
- Morning Glory as Louis Easton
- The Worst Woman in Paris? as Adolphe Ballou
- Convention City as T.R. Kent
- Easy to Love as John
- Journal of a Crime as Paul Moliet
- The Trumpet Blows as Pancho Montes / Pancho Gomez
- Little Miss Marker as Sorrowful Jones
- The Great Flirtation as Stephan Karpath
- The Human Side as Gregory Sheldon
- The Mighty Barnum as Bailey Walsh
- Gold Diggers of 1935 as Nicolai Nicoleff
- Broadway Gondolier as Professor Eduardo de Vinci
- The Milky Way as Gabby Sloan
- Sing, Baby, Sing as Bruce Farraday
- Wives Never Know as J. Hugh Ramsey
- One in a Million as Tad Spencer
- A Star Is Born as Oliver Niles
- Café Metropole as Monsieur Victor
- One Hundred Men and a Girl as John Cardwell
- Stage Door as Anthony Powell
- The Goldwyn Follies as Oliver Merlin
- Letter of Introduction as John Mannering
- Thanks for Everything as J. B. Harcourt
- King of the Turf as Jim Mason
- Golden Boy as Tom Moody
- The Housekeeper's Daughter as Deakon Maxwell
- That's Right—You're Wrong as Stacey Delmore
- Turnabout as Phil Manning
- A Bill of Divorcement as Hilary Fairfield
- Road Show as Colonel Carleton Carroway
- Father Takes a Wife as Senior
- Roxie Hart as Billy Flynn
- Syncopation as George Latimer
- You Were Never Lovelier as Eduardo Acuña
- Hi Diddle Diddle as Col. Hector Phyffe
- Sweet Rosie O'Grady as Tom Moran
- Step Lively as Wagner
- Man Alive as Kismet
- Heartbeat as Ambassador
- The Bachelor's Daughters as Alexander Moody
- I'll Be Yours as J. Conrad Nelson
- Mr. District Attorney as Craig Warren
- The Hucksters as Mr. Kimberly
- State of the Union as Jim Conover
- My Dream Is Yours as Thomas Hutchins
- Dancing in the Dark as Melville Crossman
- To Please a Lady as Gregg
- The Tall Target as Colonel Caleb Jeffers
- Across the Wide Missouri as Pierre
- The Sniper as Police Lt. Frank Kafka
- Man on a Tightrope as Fesker
- Timberjack as 'Sweetwater' Tilton
- The Ambassador's Daughter as Senator Jonathan Cartwright
- Bundle of Joy as J.B. Merlin
- The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown as Arthur Martin
- Paths of Glory as Major General Georges Broulard
- I Married a Woman as Frederick W. Sutton
- Pollyanna as Mr. Pendergast
Radio appearances