Jean-Pierre Aumont


Jean-Pierre Aumont was a French actor, and holder of the Legion d'Honneur and the Croix de Guerre for his World War II military service.

Early life

Aumont was born Jean-Pierre Philippe Salomons in Paris, the son of Suzanne, an actress, and Alexandre Salomons, owner of La Maison du Blanc. His mother's uncle was well-known stage actor George Berr. 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. Aumont began studying drama at the Paris Conservatory at age 16; his mother had also studied there. His professional stage debut occurred at the age of 19. His film debut came one year later, when Jean de la Lune was produced in 1931.

Career

However, his most important, career-defining role came in 1934, when Jean Cocteau's play, La Machine infernale, was staged. While his film and stage career began rising quickly, World War II broke out. 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 France Vichy, to New York City, then to Hollywood to pursue his film career. He began working with MGM; however, 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 moved with the Allied armies through Italy and France. During the war, 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 Legion d'Honneur and the Croix de Guerre.
After the war, Aumont quickly resumed his movie career, starring opposite Ginger Rogers in Heartbeat, and as the magician in the classic film Lili with Leslie Caron, among many other roles. He worked with a number of prominent directors and stars, including his wife Maria Montez. In the mid-1950s, Aumont began working in the new medium of 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 last acting performances was in A Tale of Two Cities. 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 for two years, 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 Suresnes villa. Montez and Aumont had one child, a daughter, Tina.
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 one film together, John Paul Jones, in which Pavan played the romantic interest of the lead, while 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 in 2001 of a heart attack in Gassin, France, aged 90, and was cremated.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleDirectorNotes-
1931Jean de la LuneAlexandreJean ChouxUncredited-
1931Échec et matJacquesRoger Goupillières-
1932Should We Wed Them?JimPierre Billon and Karel Lamac-
1933On the StreetsJacquesVictor Trivas-
1933La merveilleuse tragédie de LourdesGeorgesHenri Fabert-
1933Le voleurFernand LagardesMaurice Tourneur-
1933Ève cherche un pèreJacques de la MotteMario Bonnard-
1934A Day Will ComeHenri de LangillierGerhard Lamprecht and Serge Veber-
1934Lake of LadiesEric HellerMarc Allégret-
1934Maria ChapdelaineLorenzo SurprenantJulien Duvivier-
1935Les yeux noirsKarpoffViktor Tourjansky-
1935L'ÉquipageL'aspirant Jean HerbillonAnatole Litvak-
1935Les Beaux JoursPierre - le premier amoureux de SylvieMarc Allégret-
1936Taras BulbaAndré BoulbaAlexis Granowsky-
1936La Porte du largePierre VilletteMarcel L'Herbier-
1937Cargaison blancheHenri VoisinGeorges Lacombe-
1937The MessengerGilbert RollinRaymond Rouleau-
1937Bizarre, BizarreBillyMarcel Carné-
1937Maman ColibriGeorges de ChambryJean Dréville-
1938La femme du bout du mondeLt. Robert JacquetJean Epstein-
1938Chéri-BibiRaoul PalasLéon Mathot-
1938Beautiful StarJean-PierreJacques de Baroncelli-
1938S.O.S. SaharaPaul MoutierJacques de Baroncelli-
1938Le Paradis de SatanJean LarcherFélix Gandéra-
1938Hôtel du NordPierreMarcel Carné-
1943Assignment in BrittanyBertrand Corlay / Capt. Pierre MatardJack Conway-
1943The Cross of LorrainePaul DupréTay Garnett-
1946HeartbeatPierre de RocheSam Wood-
1947Song of ScheherazadeNikolai Rimsky-KorsakovWalter Reisch-
1948Affairs of a RoguePrince LeopoldAlberto Cavalcanti-
1949Siren of AtlantisAndre St. AvitGregg G. Tallas-
1949Wicked CityEric Martin, alias Hans NorbenFrançois Villiers-
1949Golden ArrowAndre MarchandGordon Parry-
1950L'Homme de joieHenri PerlisGilles Grangier-
1950The Straw LoverStanislas MichodierGilles Grangier-
1951La Vendetta del corsaroEnrico di RoccabrunaPrimo Zeglio-
1951Last MeetingMichele BonesiGianni Franciolini-
1952Wolves Hunt at NightCyrilBernard Borderie-
1953LiliMarcCharles Walters-
1953KoenigsmarkLe précepteur Raoul VignerteSolange Térac-
1953The Sparrows of ParisCésarinMaurice Cloche-
1954Royal Affairs in VersaillesCardinal de RohanSacha Guitry-
1954Charge of the LancersCapt. Eric EvoirWilliam Castle-
1955NapoléonRégnault de Saint-Jean d'AngélySacha Guitry-
1955Dix-huit heures d'escaleRobert VitracRené Jolivet-
1955Mademoiselle de ParisMaurice DarnalWalter Kapps-
1956Hilda CraneProf. Jacques De LislePhilip Dunne-
1957The Seventh SinPaul DuvelleRonald Neame-
1959John Paul JonesKing Louis XVI of FranceJohn Farrow-
1960The Enemy GeneralLionel DurandGeorge Sherman-
1960The Devil at 4 O'ClockJacquesMervyn LeRoy-
1961The Blonde from Buenos Airesthe ActorGeorge Cahan-
1961Le Puits aux trois véritésa spectator at the vernissageFrançois Villiers-
1962The Seven Deadly Sinsthe husbandRoger Vadim-
1962Una domenica d'estateValerioGiulio Petroni-
1962Carnival of CrimeMike VorayGeorge Cahan-
1962Five Miles to MidnightAlan StewartAnatole Litvak-
1963Portuguese VacationJean-PierrePierre Kast-
1969Castle KeepHenri Tixier, Count of MaldoraisSydney Pollack-
1970El coleccionista de cadáveresClaude MarchandSantos Alcocer and Edward Mann-
1971BiribiLe généralDaniel Moosmann-
1971L'Homme au cerveau grefféLe professeur Jean MarcillyJacques Doniol-Valcroze-
1973Day for NightAlexandreFrançois Truffaut-
1974Two MissionariesMonsignor DelgadoFranco Rossi-
1975The Happy HookerYves St JacquesNicholas Sgarro-
1975Cat and MouseMonsieur RichardClaude Lelouch-
1975MahoganyChristian RosettiBerry Gordy-
1975Catherine & Co.Marquis de PuisargueMichel Boisrond-
1977Des journées entières dans les arbresJacques - le fils préféréMarguerite Duras-
1978BlackoutHenri LeeEddy Matalon-
1978Two SolitudesJean-Claude TallardLionel Chetwynd-
1979Something Short of ParadiseJean-Fidel MilieuDavid Helpern-
1979Beggarman, ThiefJean DelacroixLawrence DohenyTV movie-
1980The Memory of Eva RykerInspector LaurierWalter GraumanTV movie-
1981Allons z'enfantsCommandant FélixYves Boisset-
1982Don't Look in the AtticUgo RessiaCarlo Ausino-
1982Difendimi dalla notteGiacomo GuerraClaudio Fragasso-
1983NanaCount MuffatDan Wolman-
1983La java des ombresMonsieur JeanRomain Goupil-
1984The Blood of OthersMonsieur BlomartClaude Chabrol-
1985Le regard dans le miroirVasco PessoaJean ChapotTV mini series
1986On a volé Charlie Spencer!Le héros, séq. Hôtel du NordFrancis Huster-
1987Sweet CountryMr. ArayaMichael Cacoyannis-
1988À notre regrettable épouxAlexandre Mouton-Sabrat, dit Moutonni SabraccoSerge Korber-
1991Captain ColetteDanny Huston-
1991A Star for TwoAlphonseJim Kaufman-
1992Los mares del surMarqués de MuntManuel Esteban-
1992Les enfants du diableLe curéClaude Gaignaire-
1994GiorginoSebastienLaurent Boutonnat-
1995Jefferson in ParisD'HancarvilleJames Ivory-
1996The ProprietorFranz LegendreIsmail Merchant-