Jeanne Florentine Bourgeois (5 April 1873 – 5 January 1956), known professionally as Mistinguett (), was a French actress and singer. She was at one time the highest-paid female entertainer in the world.

Early life

The daughter of Antoine Bourgeois, a 31-year-old day-labourer, and Jeannette Debrée, a 21-year-old seamstress, Jeanne Bourgeois was born at 5 Rue du Chemin-de-Fer (today Rue Gaston-Israël), in

Enghien-les-Bains Enghien-les-Bains () is a Communes of France, commune in the Departements of France, department of Val-d'Oise, France. It is located in the northern suburbs of Paris, from the Kilometre Zero, centre of Paris. Enghien-les-Bains is famous as a s ...

Val-d'Oise Val-d'Oise (, "Vale of the Oise") is a department in the Île-de-France region, Northern France. It was created in 1968 following the split of the Seine-et-Oise department. In 2019, Val-d'Oise had a population of 1,249,674.< ...

Île-de-France The Île-de-France (; ; ) is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France, with an official estimated population of 12,271,794 residents on 1 January 2023. Centered on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the cou ...

, France. The family moved to

Soisy-sous-Montmorency Soisy-sous-Montmorency (, 'Soisy under Montmorency') is a commune in the Val-d'Oise department located north of Paris, France. History On 7 August 1850, a part of the territory of Soisy-sous-Montmorency was detached and merged with a part of ...

where she spent her childhood; her parents later worked as mattress-makers.Flanner, Janet, ''Paris Journal, Volume Two, 1956—1964'' (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1965), page 6 At an early age Bourgeois aspired to be an entertainer. She began as a

flower seller upRudolf Ernst painting of The Flower Vendor A flower seller, traditionally a woman, sells flowers on the street. Often the flowers are carried in a basket, for example. The subject matter has been a favorite of artists.Diego RiveraThe Flower Se ...

in a restaurant in her hometown, singing popular ballads as she sold blossoms.

Entertainer

After taking classes in theatre and singing, she began her career as an entertainer in 1885. One day on the train to Paris for a violin lesson, she met Saint-Marcel, who directed the revue at the

Casino de Paris The Casino de Paris, located at 16, rue de Clichy, in the 9th arrondissement, is one of the well known music halls of Paris, with a history dating back to the 18th century. Contrary to what the name might suggest, it is a performance venue, not ...

. He engaged her first as a stage-hand, and here she began to pursue her goal to become an entertainer, experimenting with various stage-names, being successively Miss Helyett, Miss Tinguette, Mistinguette and, finally, Mistinguett. In the 1880s Mistinguett visited her neighbour

Anna Thibaud Anna Thibaud (14 December 1861Acte de naissance n°37, page 49/263, série du greffe: naissances, mariages, décès, publications de mariage (3E/6558) – 18 April 1948décès 1948, mairie du 17e, acte n°808, Archives Départementales de Paris, c ...

to ask for advice. Thibaud told her, "To succeed in the theatre ... you must be pretty. You must excite men." Mistinguett asked if she meant that she had to excite the crowds. Thibaud repeated, "No, the men!" Bourgeois made her debut as Mistinguett at the

in 1895 and went on to appear in venues such as the

Folies Bergère 150px, Stanisław Julian Ignacy Ostroróg">Walery, 1927 The Folies Bergère () is a cabaret music hall in Paris, France. Located at 32 Rue Richer in the 9th Arrondissement, the Folies Bergère was built as an opera house by the arc ...

Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche. In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Olympia (Par ...

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, known for her flamboyance and a zest for the theatrical. In 1919, her legs were insured for 500,000

Franc The franc is any of various units of currency. One franc is typically divided into 100 centimes. The name is said to derive from the Latin inscription ''francorum rex'' (King of the Franks) used on early French coins and until the 18th century ...

s. Though Mistinguett never married, she had a son, Leopoldo João de Lima e Silva, born in 1901, from a liaison she had with a Brazilian diplomat, Leopoldo José de Lima e Silva (1872–1931). She also had a long relationship with

Maurice Chevalier Maurice Auguste Chevalier (; 12 September 1888 – 1 January 1972) was a French singer, actor, and entertainer. He is best known for his signature songs, including " Livin' In The Sunlight", " Valentine", " Louise", " Mimi", and " Thank Heaven f ...

, 15 years her junior. It is claimed that she and Chevalier informed the police in 1940 that singer-songwriter

Charles Trenet Louis Charles Augustin Georges Trenet (; 18 May 1913 – 19 February 2001) was a renowned French singer-songwriter who composed both the music and the lyrics for nearly 1,000 songs over a career that lasted more than 60 years. These songs inclu ...

was gay and consorting with youths.''Maurice Chevalier: The Authorized Biography'', by David Bret, 2002, pg 113 She first recorded her signature song, "

Mon Homme "Mon Homme" (), also known by its English translation, "My Man", is a popular song first published in 1920. The song was originally composed by Maurice Yvain with French lyrics by Jacques-Charles (Jacques Mardochée Charles) and Albert Wille ...

", in 1916. It was popularised under its English title "My Man" by

Fanny Brice Fania Borach (October 29, 1891 – May 29, 1951), known professionally as Fanny Brice or Fannie Brice, was an American comedian, Illustrated Songs, illustrated song model, singer, and actress who made many stage, radio, and film appearances. Sh ...

and has become a standard in the

repertoire Repertory or repertoire () is the list or set of works a person or company is accustomed to performing. Whether the English or French spelling is used has no bearing, but it was the French word, with an accent on the first e, , that first took ho ...

of numerous pop and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

singers. During a tour of the United States, Mistinguett was asked by ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' magazine to explain her popularity. Her answer was, "It is a kind of magnetism. I say 'Come closer' and draw them to me."

Death

Mistinguett died in

Bougival Bougival () is a suburban commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in Northern France. It is located west from the centre of Paris, on the left bank of the River Seine, on the departmental border with Hauts-de-Seine. In ...

, France, at the age of 82, attended by her son, a doctor. She is buried in the Cimetière

, Île-de-France, France.

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau ( , ; ; 5 July 1889 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, film director, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost avant-garde artists of the 20th-c ...

said in an obituary

Her voice, slightly off-key, was that of the Parisian street hawkers—the husky, trailing voice of the Paris people. She was of the animal race that owes nothing to
intellectualism Intellectualism is the mental perspective that emphasizes the use, development, and exercise of the intellect, and is identified with the life of the mind of the intellectual. (Definition) In the field of philosophy, the term ''intellectualism'' in ...
. She incarnated herself. She flattered a French patriotism that was not shameful. It is normal now that she should crumble, like the other
caryatids A caryatid ( ; ; ) is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term ''karyatides'' literally means "maidens of Karyai", an ancient tow ...
of that great and marvelous epoch that was ours.

Gallery

File:Mistinguett-Affiche.jpg, Mistinguett poster, 1911 File:Mistinguett in shop.jpg, Mistinguett in the United States in 1924 File:Poster Mistinguett Moulin Rouge.jpg, Poster ''Mistinguett Moulin Rouge'', by

Charles Gesmar Charles Gesmar (born Charles Geismar, 21 May 1900 – 27 February 1928) was a French costume and poster designer. Although he died aged 27, he was very prolific. Charles Geismar was born on 21 May 1900 in Nancy, France, the son of a Jewish ...

, 1926 File:Mistinguett - Josephine Baker, 1927.jpg, Mistinguett and

Josephine Baker Freda Josephine Baker (; June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975), naturalized as Joséphine Baker, was an American and French dancer, singer, and actress. Her career was centered primarily in Europe, mostly in France. She was the first Black woman to s ...

in 1927 File:Mistinguett sur sa chrysler, Deauville.jpg, Mistinguett in her Chrysler, Deauville, France, 1929

Filmography

* ''Carosello del varietà'' (1955) * ''

Paris 1900 The 1900 Summer Olympics (), today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad () and also known as Paris 1900, were an international multi-sport event that took place in Paris, France, from 14 May to 28 October 1900. No opening or closin ...

'' (1947) * ''Rigolboche'' (1936) .... Lina Bourget * '' Island of Love'' (1929) * ''Mistinguett détective II'' (1917) * ''Mistinguett détective'' (1917) * ''

Flower of Paris ''Flower of Paris'' (French: ''Fleur de Paris'') is a 1916 French silent film directed by André Hugon and starring Mistinguett, Harry Baur and Louis Paglieri.Rège p.511 Synopsis The tribulations of Margot, a poor seamstress who admires Mistin ...

'' (1916) .... Margot Panard et Mistinguett * ''Sous la menace'' (1916) * '' The Gold Chignon'' (1916) * ''Doppia ferita, La'' (1915) * ''Valse renversante, La'' (1914) * ''Misérables – Époque 4: Cosette et Marius, Les'' (1913) ....

Éponine Éponine Thénardier (; ), also referred to as "Ponine", the "Jondrette girl" and the "young working-man", is a fictional character in the 1862 novel ''Les Misérables'' by Victor Hugo. The character is introduced as a spoiled and pampered child, ...

* ''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)

References

''Paris Journal'' was written by Janet Flanner, Paris writer for the ''New Yorker'', 1925–1975.

External links

* *
Mistinguett by Lenci, c.1924Photographs and literature
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mistinguett 1873 births 1956 deaths People from Enghien-les-Bains Actresses from Île-de-France French stage actresses French women singers French cabaret singers French silent film actresses French film actresses French vedettes 19th-century French actresses 20th-century French actresses Moulin Rouge