Adolphe Menjou | |
|---|---|
 Menjou in 1938 | |
| Born | Adolphe Jean Menjou (1890-02-18)February 18, 1890 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | October 29, 1963(1963-10-29) (aged 73) |
| Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
| Alma mater | Cornell University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1914–1960 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | James Joyce |
Adolphe Jean Menjou [/'ædɒlf 'mɒnʒuː/] (February 18, 1890 – October 29, 1963) was an American actor whose career spanned bothsilent films andtalkies. He became aleading man during the 1920s, known for his debonair and sophisticated screen presence.[1] He was nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Actor for his performance inThe Front Page (1931).[2]
He played prominent roles inThe Sheik (1921),A Woman of Paris (1923),The Marriage Circle (1924),Morocco (1930),A Farewell to Arms (1932),Morning Glory (1933), and the originalA Star Is Born (1937). Mainly a supporting actor after the 1940s, he played a prominent role as the antagonist ofStanley Kubrick'sPaths of Glory (1957). In 1960, he received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the motion picture industry.[1]
A life-longRepublican, Menjou was known for his right-wing political stances, and was a vocal supporter of theHouse Committee on Un-American Activities and a co-founder of theMotion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals.
Adolphe Jean Menjou was born on February 18, 1890, inPittsburgh,Pennsylvania, to a French father, Albert Menjou (1858–1917), and an Irish mother, Nora (née Joyce) (1869-1953). His brother, Henry Arthur Menjou (1891–1956), was a year younger and also an actor. His family wasRoman Catholic.
Menjou attended theCulver Military Academy, and graduated fromCornell University with a degree in engineering. Attracted to thevaudeville stage, he made his movie debut in 1916 inThe Blue Envelope Mystery. DuringWorld War I, he served as a captain in theUnited States Army Ambulance Service, for which he trained in Pennsylvania before going overseas.
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After returning from the war, Menjou gradually rose through the ranks with small but fruitful roles in films such asThe Faith Healer (1921) alongside supporting roles in prominent films such asThe Sheik (1921) andThe Three Musketeers (1921). By 1922, he was receiving top or near-top billing, with a selection of those films being withFamous Players–Lasky andParamount Pictures, starting withPink Gods (1922), although he did films for various studios and directors. His supporting role in 1923'sA Woman of Paris solidified the image of a well-dressed man-about-town, and he was voted Best Dressed Man in America nine times.[3] He was noted as an example of a suave type of actor, one who could play lover or villain.[4] In 1929, he attended the preview ofMaurice Chevalier's first Hollywood filmInnocents of Paris, and personally reassured Chevalier that he would enjoy a great future, despite the mediocre screenplay.[5] He closed the end of the 1920s with star roles such asHis Private Life (1928) andFashions in Love (1929).
The crash of the stock market in 1929 meant that his contract with Paramount was cancelled, but he went on toMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and continued on with films (nowtalkies) in a variety of ways, with his knowledge of French and Spanish helping at key times, although his starring roles declined by this point. In 1930, he starred inMorocco, withMarlene Dietrich. He was nominated for anAcademy Award forThe Front Page (1931), after having received the role upon the death ofLouis Wolheim during rehearsals.[6][7] A variety of supporting roles in this decade were films such asA Farewell to Arms (1932),Morning Glory (1933), andA Star Is Born (1937).[8]
His roles decreased slightly in the 1940s, but he did overseas work forWorld War II alongside supporting roles in films likeRoxie Hart (1942) andState of the Union (1948). Over the course of his career, he bridged the gap of working with several noted directors that ranged fromCharlie Chaplin toFrank Borzage toFrank Capra toStanley Kubrick.
Menjou had just eleven roles in the 1950s, but he managed to snag one last leading role with the film noirThe Sniper (1952). In 1955, Menjou played Dr. Elliott Harcourt in "Barrier of Silence", episode 19 of the first season of thetelevision seriesScience Fiction Theatre. He guest-starred as Fitch, withOrson Bean andSue Randall as John and Ellen Monroe, in a 1961 episode, "The Secret Life of James Thurber", based on the works of American humoristJames Thurber (especially "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"), in theCBSanthology seriesThe DuPont Show with June Allyson. He also appeared in theThanksgiving episode ofNBC'sThe Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford, which aired on November 22, 1956.[9] Menjou ended his film career with such roles as French General George Broulard inStanley Kubrick's filmPaths of Glory (1957) and his final film role was that of the town curmudgeon in Disney'sPollyanna (1960).
Menjou was a staunchRepublican who equated theDemocratic Party withsocialism. He supported theHoover administration's policies during theGreat Depression. Menjou told a friend that he feared that if a Democrat won the White House, they "would raise taxes [and] 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 insafety deposit boxes all over town... They'll never get an ounce from me."[10] In the1944 presidential election, he joined other celebrity Republicans at a rally in theLos Angeles Coliseum, organized by studio executiveDavid O. Selznick, to support theDewey–Bricker ticket andGovernorEarl Warren of California, who would be Dewey's running mate in 1948. The gathering drew 93,000, withCecil B. DeMille as themaster of ceremonies and short speeches byHedda Hopper andWalt Disney. Despite the rally's large turnout, most Hollywood celebrities who took public positions supported theRoosevelt–Truman ticket.[11]
In 1947, Menjou co-operated with theHouse Committee on Un-American Activities saying thatHollywood "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".[12] Menjou was a leading member of theMotion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, a group formed to oppose "communist influence" in Hollywood, whose other members includedJohn Wayne,Barbara Stanwyck (with whom Menjou costarred inForbidden in 1932 andGolden Boy in 1939) and her husband, actorRobert Taylor.
Because of his political leanings, Menjou came into conflict with actressKatharine Hepburn, with whom he appeared inMorning Glory,Stage Door, andState of the Union (also starringSpencer Tracy). 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'."[13] 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."[13] In his bookKate, Hepburn biographer William Mann said that during the filming ofState of the Union, she and Menjou spoke to each other only while acting.[13][citation needed]
Menjou was married three times. His first marriage, in 1920 to Kathryn Conn Tinsley, ended in divorce. He marriedKathryn Carver in 1928; they divorced in 1934. His third and final marriage, toVerree Teasdale, lasted from 1934 until his death on October 29, 1963; they had one adopted son, Peter Menjou. Menjou had adopted Tinsley's son, Harold Lawton Tinsley, but after his death, his will revealed that he had included only Peter Menjou as his heir.[14]
Menjou was an avidgolfer, regularly playing withClark Gable.
In 1948, Menjou published his autobiography,It Took Nine Tailors.
Menjou died on October 29, 1963, ofhepatitis inBeverly Hills, California.[15] He is interred beside Verree atHollywood Forever Cemetery.[16]
For his contributions to the motion picture industry, Menjou has a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame at 6826 Hollywood Boulevard.[1]
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Because of Menjou's public support ofHUAC, the propaganda of theGerman Democratic Republic (GDR) often depicted their western opponents with Menjou-stylemoustaches, 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 calledMenjou-Bärtchen (Menjoubeardlet). In German film and theatre, dubious men, opportunists, corrupt politicians, fraudulent persuaders, marriage impostors and other "slick" criminals often wearMenjou-Bärtchen. In real life, the style is often associated withopportunism.[citation needed]
Salvador Dalí admired Adolphe Menjou.[17] He declared "la moustache d'Adolphe Menjou est surréaliste"[18] and began offering fake mustaches from a silver cigarette case to other people with the words "Moustache? Moustache? Moustache?"[19]
One of the most famous photographs by the avant-garde photographerUmbo is titled "Menjou En Gros" ca. 1928.[20]
In the "Irresistible Andy" episode ofThe Andy Griffith Show, when Andy sees Barney dressed in fancy attire, Andy calls him "the Adolphe Menjou of Mayberry".
On the Season 2, Episode 11 "Leave It To Beaver", Ward states the world might have missed out on another Adolphe Menjou.
In the movieSunset Boulevard, Joe Gillis arrives to a young adult New Year's Eve party overdressed in avicuna overcoat and atailcoat. Artie Green surveys his outfit and asks, "Who'd you borrow that from? Adolphe Menjou?"Andrew Lloyd Webber carries the line over to themusical adaption of the film.
In theMario Puzo novelThe Godfather, character Jules Segall references the misdiagnosis of singer Johnny Fontane's throat troubles by an "Adolphe Menjou medical man..."
In theM*A*S*H episode, "Abyssinia, Henry," Henry Blake is departing the 4077th, attired in a comically dated suit and hat. Trapper tells him: "Henry, that suit is really you!" Hawkeye, after a perfectly timed beat, adds: "If you're Adolphe Menjou."
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | The Acid Test | Extra | Short film Lost film |
| 1914 | The Man Behind the Door | Ringmaster | Lost film |
| 1916 | A Parisian Romance | Julianai | |
| 1916 | Nearly a King | Baron | |
| 1916 | The Price of Happiness | Howard Neal | |
| 1916 | The Habit of Happiness | Society Man | |
| 1916 | The Crucial Test | Count Nicolai | Lost film |
| 1916 | The Devil at His Elbow | Wilfred Carleton | |
| 1916 | The Reward of Patience | Paul Dunstan | |
| 1916 | Manhattan Madness | Minor Role | |
| 1916 | The Scarlet Runner | Lost film | |
| 1916 | The Kiss | Pennington | |
| 1916 | The Blue Envelope Mystery | Lost film | |
| 1917 | The Valentine Girl | Joe Winder | |
| 1917 | Wild and Woolly | ||
| 1917 | The Amazons | Lost film | |
| 1917 | An Even Break | Bit Part | |
| 1917 | The Moth | Teddy Marbridge / The Husband | Lost film |
| 1920 | What Happened to Rosa | Reporter Friend of Dr. Drew | |
| 1921 | The Faith Healer | Dr. Littlefield | Lost film |
| 1921 | Courage | Bruce Ferguson | |
| 1921 | Through the Back Door | James Brewster | |
| 1921 | The Three Musketeers | Louis XIII | |
| 1921 | Queenie | Count Michael | Lost film |
| 1921 | The Sheik | Dr. Raoul de St. Hubert | |
| 1922 | Head Over Heels | Sterling | |
| 1922 | Arabian Love | Captain Fortine | Lost film |
| 1922 | Is Matrimony a Failure? | Dudley King | |
| 1922 | The Fast Mail | Cal Baldwin | |
| 1922 | The Eternal Flame | Duc de Langeais | Partlylost film |
| 1922 | Pink Gods | Louis Barney | Lost film |
| 1922 | Clarence | Hubert Stein | |
| 1922 | Singed Wings | Bliss Gordon | |
| 1923 | The World's Applause | Robert Townsend | |
| 1923 | Bella Donna | Mr. Chepstow | |
| 1923 | Rupert of Hentzau | Count Rischenheim | Lost film |
| 1923 | A Woman of Paris | Pierre Revel | |
| 1923 | The Spanish Dancer | Don Salluste | |
| 1924 | The Marriage Circle | Prof. Josef Stock | |
| 1924 | Shadows of Paris | Georges de Croy | Lost film |
| 1924 | The Marriage Cheat | Bob Canfield | Lost film |
| 1924 | Broadway After Dark | Ralph Norton | Lost film |
| 1924 | For Sale | Joseph Hudley | Lost film |
| 1924 | Broken Barriers | Tommy Kemp | Lost film |
| 1924 | Sinners in Silk | Arthur Merrill | Lost film |
| 1924 | Open All Night | Edmund Durverne | |
| 1924 | The Fast Set | Ernest Steel | Lost film |
| 1924 | Forbidden Paradise | Chancellor | |
| 1925 | A Kiss in the Dark | Walter Grenham | Partlylost film |
| 1925 | The Swan | Albert von Kersten-Rodenfels | |
| 1925 | Are Parents People? | Mr. Hazlitt | |
| 1925 | Lost: A Wife | Tony Hamilton | Lost film |
| 1925 | The King on Main Street | King Serge IV of Molvania | |
| 1926 | The Grand Duchess and the Waiter | Albert Durant | |
| 1926 | Fascinating Youth | Himself | Lost film |
| 1926 | A Social Celebrity | Max Haber | Lost film |
| 1926 | The Ace of Cads | Chappel Maturin | Lost film |
| 1926 | The Sorrows of Satan | Prince Lucio de Rimanez | |
| 1927 | Blonde or Brunette | Henri Martel | |
| 1927 | Evening Clothes | Lucien d'Artois | Lost film |
| 1927 | Service for Ladies | Albert Leroux | Lost film |
| 1927 | A Gentleman of Paris | Marquis de Marignan | |
| 1927 | Serenade | Franz Rossi | Lost film |
| 1928 | A Night of Mystery | Captain Ferreol | Lost film |
| 1928 | His Tiger Lady | Henri | Lost film |
| 1928 | His Private Life | Georges St. Germain | Lost film |
| 1929 | Marquis Preferred | Marquis d'Argenville | |
| 1929 | Fashions in Love | Paul de Remy | |
| 1930 | Soyons gais | Bob Brown | |
| 1930 | My Childish Father | Jérome | |
| 1930 | Amor audaz | Albert d'Arlons | |
| 1930 | Mysterious Mr. Parkes | Courtenay Parkes | |
| 1930 | Morocco | Monsieur La Bessiere | |
| 1930 | New Moon | Governor Boris Brusiloff | |
| 1931 | The Easiest Way | William Brockton | |
| 1931 | Men Call It Love | Tony | |
| 1931 | The Front Page | Walter Burns | |
| 1931 | The Great Lover | Jean Paurel | |
| 1931 | The Parisian | Jérome Rocheville | |
| 1931 | Friends and Lovers | Captain Geoffrey Roberts | |
| 1931 | Prestige | Capt. Remy Bandoin | |
| 1931 | Wir schalten um auf Hollywood | Himself | |
| 1932 | Forbidden | Bob | |
| 1932 | Wives Beware | Maj. Carey Liston | First film ever shown at adrive-in[21][22][23] |
| 1932 | Bachelor's Affairs | Andrew Hoyt | |
| 1932 | Diamond Cut Diamond | Dan McQueen | |
| 1932 | The Night Club Lady | Police Commissioner Thatcher Colt | |
| 1932 | A Farewell to Arms | Rinaldi | |
| 1933 | The Circus Queen Murder | Thatcher Colt | |
| 1933 | Morning Glory | Louis Easton | |
| 1933 | The Worst Woman in Paris? | Adolphe Ballou | |
| 1933 | Convention City | T.R. (Ted) Kent | Lost film |
| 1934 | Easy to Love | John | |
| 1934 | Journal of a Crime | Paul Moliet | |
| 1934 | The Trumpet Blows | Pancho Montes / Pancho Gomez | |
| 1934 | Little Miss Marker | Sorrowful Jones | |
| 1934 | The Great Flirtation | Stephan Karpath | |
| 1934 | The Human Side | Gregory Sheldon | |
| 1934 | The Mighty Barnum | Bailey Walsh | |
| 1935 | Gold Diggers of 1935 | Nicolai Nicoleff | |
| 1935 | Broadway Gondolier | Professor Eduardo de Vinci | |
| 1935 | The Milky Way | Gabby Sloan | |
| 1936 | Sing, Baby, Sing | Bruce Farraday | |
| 1936 | Wives Never Know | J. Hugh Ramsey | |
| 1936 | One in a Million | Tad Spencer | |
| 1937 | A Star Is Born | Oliver Niles | |
| 1937 | Café Metropole | Monsieur Victor | |
| 1937 | One Hundred Men and a Girl | John Cardwell | |
| 1937 | Stage Door | Anthony Powell | |
| 1938 | The Goldwyn Follies | Oliver Merlin | |
| 1938 | Letter of Introduction | John Mannering | |
| 1938 | Thanks for Everything | J. B. Harcourt | |
| 1939 | King of the Turf | Jim Mason | |
| 1939 | Golden Boy | Tom Moody | |
| 1939 | The Housekeeper's Daughter | Deakon Maxwell | |
| 1939 | That's Right—You're Wrong | Stacey Delmore | |
| 1940 | Turnabout | Phil Manning | |
| 1940 | A Bill of Divorcement | Hilary Fairfield | |
| 1941 | Road Show | Colonel Carleton Carroway | |
| 1941 | Father Takes a Wife | Senior | |
| 1942 | Roxie Hart | Billy Flynn | |
| 1942 | Syncopation | George Latimer | |
| 1942 | You Were Never Lovelier | Eduardo Acuña | |
| 1943 | Hi Diddle Diddle | Col. Hector Phyffe | |
| 1943 | Sweet Rosie O'Grady | Tom Moran | |
| 1944 | Step Lively | Wagner | |
| 1945 | Man Alive | Kismet | |
| 1946 | Heartbeat | Ambassador | |
| 1946 | The Bachelor's Daughters | Alexander Moody | |
| 1947 | I'll Be Yours | J. Conrad Nelson | |
| 1947 | Mr. District Attorney | Craig Warren | |
| 1947 | The Hucksters | Mr. Kimberly | |
| 1948 | State of the Union | Jim Conover | |
| 1949 | My Dream Is Yours | Thomas Hutchins | |
| 1949 | Dancing in the Dark | Melville Crossman | |
| 1950 | To Please a Lady | Gregg | |
| 1951 | The Tall Target | Colonel Caleb Jeffers | |
| Across the Wide Missouri | Pierre | ||
| 1952 | The Sniper | Police Lt. Frank Kafka | |
| 1953 | Man on a Tightrope | Fesker | |
| 1955 | Timberjack | 'Sweetwater' Tilton | |
| 1956 | The Ambassador's Daughter | Senator Jonathan Cartwright | |
| Bundle of Joy | J.B. Merlin | ||
| 1957 | The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown | Arthur Martin | |
| Paths of Glory | Major General Georges Broulard | ||
| 1958 | I Married a Woman | Frederick W. Sutton | |
| 1960 | Pollyanna | Mr. Pendergast | Final film role |
| Year | Program | Episode/source |
|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Screen Guild Players | Experiment Perilous[24] |
| 1946 | This Is Hollywood | The Bachelor's Daughters[25] |
He had been suffering from jaundice for some time. Death came at his home in Beverly Hills. With him were his third wife, the former Veree Teasdale, ...[dead link]
