Aumont, Jean-Pierre

(1911-2001)

   Actor. Born Jean-Pierre Salomons into a wealthy French family, Jean-Pierre Aumont had acting in the blood. His mother was an actress, as were other family members. He was discovered by Louis Jouvet after studying at the Paris Conservatoire d'art dramatique, and began his acting career on the stage. He made his film debut in 1931 in Jean de la lune, a film in which he had a small role. He soon had much larger roles in several other films, including Le Voleur (1933), Dans les rues (1934), and then two fairly important roles, one in Marc Allégret's Lac aux dames (1934) and the second in Julien Duvivier'sMaria Chapdelaine (1934).

   Following his work with Allégret and Duvivier, Aumont became established as a major film actor. He made films with many of the major directors of the day, including La Porte du large (1936) with Marcel L'Herbier, Les Beaux jours (1935) with Allégret, La Femme du bout du monde (1937) with Jean Epstein, and Drôle de drame (1937) and Hôtel du nord (1938) with Marcel Carné. He tended to play suave, handsome, charming leading men, mostly in comedies. His attractive appearance and natural charm lent themselves naturally to lighter, happier films.

   Aumont's real life, however, was anything but light and happy. He fled France in 1942 during the Nazi Occupation, in part because of his Jewish background and in part because of political conviction. He went first to the United States, where he succeeded in obtaining a contract with MGM, with whom he made the wartime (propaganda) film The Cross of Lorraine (1943), but then went to Tunisia to fight for the Free French. He was wounded twice and once nearly killed during his service and would later receive the Croix de guerre and the Légion d'honneur for his service.

   After the war, Aumont returned to the United States, with trips back and forth to Europe. He made several films in English, including Shéherazade (1946), Lili (1953), The Devil at 4 O'Clock (1961) with Frank Sinatra and Spencer Tracy, and Castle Keep (1969) with Sidney Pollack. In French he also made several films, including Si Versailles m'était conté (1954) with Sacha Guitry, Vacances portugaises (1963) with Pierre Kast, and La Nuit américaine (1974) with François Truffaut. Shortly before his death, he appeared in two Merchant and Ivory costume dramas, Jefferson in Paris (1995) and The Proprietor (1996), which starred Jeanne Moreau.

   Historical Dictionary of French Cinema by Dayna Oscherwitz & Mary Ellen Higgins