The Daily Flingo

Em's Flingo on actors and/or perverts

I like old movies. I like old actors even more. Unfortunately, I sometimes get flack for this. Yes, I know Cary Grant was bisexual. And yes, Fred Astaire was a bit of a tyrant on set. It's easy to judge these people-- they're dead, after all.

What irks me most, however, is the poor treatment of Maurice Chevalier. In my opinion, the guy was just a victim of circumstance. Let's face it-- great roles don't come around often when you're 70 years old and washed up. So if a director happens to approach you with a cameo role, and this cameo role just so happens to involve singing a song called "Thank Heaven for Little Girls," you do it. No matter what that sort of thing insinuates.

So in 1958, poor Maurice sang about little girls and how "their eyes are so helpless and appealing." Apparently some party poopers associate that with child molestation. And now every time I express my love for this talented entertainer, people raise their eyebrows.

Here's what they don't realize: Maurice was a superb entertainer in the in 1930's, starring in such classics as "The Merry Widow," "One Hour with You," and "The Smiling Lieutenant," in which he certainly did not sing about molesting little girls. What's that? You haven't heard of any of these movies? Oh, that's right-- they're not available on DVD. This is why I cry myself to sleep.

Fortunately, some wonderful film nerd happened to upload this charming clip on YouTube, so now you too can bask in the glory of Chevalier's charming shtick. It's from "Love Me Tonight"-- perhaps the best film musical ever made. If for no other reason, watch it for the guy with the large moustache and top hat. He's hillllarious.

And there, my friends, is my apologia for Maurice Chevalier. He's not a pervert. He's just French.