In the Italian village of Monsummano, near Tuscany, on October 13, 1921 Ivo was born - the future outstanding actor. His mother and father lived in the city of Marseille. This is the very south of France.
Yves Montand
At the age of 17, he began working on the "opening up" of the hall in the music hall under the pseudonym. The real name of Yves Montana is Livi.
His father was an active communist. In 1921, he was forced to flee the Italian fascist regime with his wife Giuseppina. In addition to Ivo Livi, they also had a son, Giuliano, born in 1917. and daughter Lydia, born in 1915
Uneasy childhood
The family was able to obtain French citizenship only in 1929. They lived modestly, like many Jewish families of the time. There were not enough funds, so after a short time, older children stopped attending school and began to look for work. Parents really hoped that Ivo, unlike his sister and brother, would be able to finish school and get a decent higher education. But his head was constantly occupied with thoughts far from study, and Ivo did not like school at all. He constantly ran away from classes, but rarely played with peers, and much more often disappeared at performances of artists on open stages, and if he was lucky, in the music hall. He was attracted to art, although he himself realized this far from immediately.
Father Ivo went bankrupt in 1932, and the only source of income was the salary of his daughter Lydia. She did not study, but worked as a hairdresser. Giuliano soon found a job as a waiter. Later, Giuliano changed his name to Julien.
Working career
When Ivo turned 11 years old, he was hired by the factory. School had to leave. And at the age of 14 he began to help his sister, who by that time had already become a rather famous hairdresser. Ivo even received a certificate of a qualified hairdresser.
The young man's favorite was Aster Fred - an actor and a famous tap dancer. However, he himself remained shy and spoke only in small Marseille halls. On the big stage he managed to perform for the first time on June 21, 1939 - in Alcazar. There he sounded his first song, Dans les plaines du Far West.
After the outbreak of World War II, Ivo got to construction work in Provence. He wasn’t taken to the front by age, so he had to work in the rear, like many of his peers.
Lovelace
Since the spring of 1941, he continued his career. Berlengo, the famous director of the time, the one who once hired him for the first time, sponsored his trip around the country. At the same time, Ivo began to take lessons from professional dancers.
Subsequently, his impresario was replaced, but the hero of our article has already become famous. He continued to give concerts, enjoying increasing popularity among women. The number of his love victories grew steadily, and the young artist did not even hide his pleasure in this regard.
At the end of 1941, Ivo was assigned to community service, but he did everything he could to avoid it, and even ran into the police about it. As a result, the young man ended up in Paris, where he began performing on the ABC stage. This was another step towards success and fame. Then there were performances in Foley Belleville, in the legendary Moulin Rouge and Bobino.
Meeting with Edith Piaf
In "Moulin Rouge" he was lucky to perform in one concert with a star such as Edith Piaf. A love affair erupted between them. Ivo learned a lot from the famous singer, daily rehearsing with her.
She literally put him on his feet, turning him into a stage character, which eventually made him famous throughout the world. Edith introduced him to art and literature, filling the gaps in knowledge. After another performance in a cabaret, Yves Montand and Edith Piaf went on a trip to Europe.
Ivo's first successes
Montana began to be recognized on the streets, its popularity was growing steadily, he already acted as a real star, touring in theaters such as the Paris Etoile, and then Les grands boulevards and Battling Joe. Grand luck, again success and glory - this is Yves Montand. The biography of this famous actor sparkled with bright ups.
Five years later, Edith Piaf unexpectedly left Montana without much explanation.
This was followed by a series of complex debuts in theaters and cinemas, in the ABC and in the cabaret of the Club of Five, but in 1947 Ivo returned to Etoile, where he performed for a month and a half. There he met Bob Castell, a well-known pianist by then, who had become his business partner for life.
Sample in the cinema
Met in 1948 with the poet Jacques Prever, Montand included the song "Les feuilles mortes" on his poems in his repertoire. They met at Saint-Paul-de-Vence in Provence, which Ivo owes to his friend Bob. The song was written for the premiere of The Door of the Night, where Ivo played. The film did not bring the expected success, but the song became popular.
Simone Signoret and Yves Montand
Ivo's biography continued with his meeting in 1949 with Simone Signoret. They got married in 1951.
She was previously married to Mark Allegre, the director, she had Catherine, a lovely daughter, born to him. The couple lived with Yves in Paris, on Dauphin Square. Yves Montand, whose personal life was stormy, literally carried his wife in his arms.
In May 1950, the singer signed the Stockholm Appeal - an appeal by the USSR against the use of nuclear weapons. Continuing the communist family tradition, Ivo and Simone became party members.
A year later, Montan first soloed in the theater "Etoile". His twenty-two songs and two poems brought him tremendous success, and from that moment began his real career as a stage artist.
But Ivo dreamed of a role in the movie. He was soon invited to star in the film “Pay for Fear,” which won the Grand Prix of the Cannes Festival. It has established itself as a dramatic talent of Yves Montand. Films with his participation enjoyed continued success with the audience.
He began to sing again in 1953 in the same Etoile Theater. Montand was seriously preparing, and the first evening opened with a poem by Jacques, which had not yet been published. The concert ended with the song “À Paris”, written by his friend Francis.
A series of concert nights was planned for three weeks, and lasted six months! Sold more than 200 thousand tickets. The concert itself was recorded on disk. It was his triumph. At the peak of popularity, a new star rose - Yves Montand, whose biography is striking in its grandeur.
Together with his wife Simone, he bought a house in Otoy-Antuje, in Normandy, where his friends regularly came later - Louis Bunuel - a famous director, Serge Reggiani, Pierre Brasser - an actor, Jorge Sempru - a popular writer, many others.
Another success of the star couple was participation in the Salem Sorceresses - a play by Miller. Unexpectedly for all, the production did not leave the stage until the Christmas holidays of 1955.
Trip to the Soviet Union
Montan planned to come to the USSR on a tour, but the events of October 24, 1956 in Budapest nearly frustrated all his plans. The French world of art and the intelligentsia were caught in a crisis of consciousness in connection with these events, but Montand was not yet ready to act in defiance of the political mood of his family. Therefore, he was not affected by the decadent mood of the public, and he still went to the Soviet Union. Despite critical French criticism, Montana was expected a very warm welcome in the USSR, and even a meeting with Khrushchev. During the conversation, he received an answer to his question about the invasion of Soviet tanks in Budapest, although a friendly conversation quietly grew into a conflict. But Ivo left reassured, having the opportunity to speak calmly on this sensitive issue.
After another tour of Eastern Europe, which began in Poland, Montand achieved extraordinary success, received great fame. In France, he tried to stay away from political intrigue, while maintaining neutrality. Such was Yves Montand, whose biography interests his fans.
Incredible success in his career was a joint shooting with Marcello Mastroianni and Pierre Brasser in Jules Dassin's film "The Law", which premiered in June 1958. The film did not become successful, so the artist’s dream of a good role in the movie remained relevant.
In the winter of 1958, Yves Montand again performed in Etoile, whose songs again had tremendous success.
Debut in america
He was often invited to concerts in New York, and in 1959 he performed in America. Surprisingly, the success was much greater than in Paris. Therefore, his triumph resumed with renewed vigor, critics praised him, fame grew.
The performances allowed Ivo and Simone to meet with Miller and his wife Marilyn Monroe. After New York, Montan performed in San Francisco and Hollywood, and after the New Year holidays spent in France, he went to Japan, where he performed in Osaka and Tokyo.
Meeting with Marilyn Monroe
In 1960, the artist reached his desired goal - filming in the cinema. He was invited to star in the movie "The Millionaire" along with Marilyn Monroe. So trusting and close relations were established between them that Simone began to be jealous of her husband for Marilyn. However, after the end of filming, the couple returned to France, everything remained the same between them.
Ivo's next trip to the United States took place in October 1961. Now he is the star of the show, has performed on Broadway for almost two months. After that, there was again a trip to Japan and England, where everyone already knew who Yves Montand was, whose songs sounded literally from everywhere.
By this time, Montan had become almost the most famous actor in the music hall. And in 1962 he again performed at Etoile with a new program.
However, despite great fame and fame, he still raved about the movie. After two years, he starred in the "Department of Assassins" with the famous director Le Havre. And henceforth, Ivo already put cinema in the first place in his life.
Yves Montand: movies
Famous films with his participation:
- 1966 - "The war is over" Rene.
- 1967 - Is Paris Burning? Clement.
- 1968 - The Zeta of Le Havre.
One of the best films in which the artist starred is “Confession” (directed by Costa Le Havre). The premiere took place in 1970. The public immediately recognized his talent as a film artist, and in addition, his personal contribution to the work.
The next ten years, Montan alternately played in comedies and in serious films. The film of 1971 "Mania of Greatness" was widely known . Director Gerrar Uri invited Ivo to work on the same platform with such a famous artist as Louis de Funes. Soon Montana invited Claude Saute to the film "Caesar and Rosalie."
Change of political views
Being already highly respected among the singers, Montand was perceived by others not as an ordinary actor, but as a real fighter, although he tried to be aloof from the events of May 1968. He continued to perform at Olimpia in Paris, where his concerts boomed for more than one and a half meiats. At the same time, he finally parted with the Communist Party, which became the cause of increasing tension in his family. Soon, Ivo's father died, and Montan himself further and further departed from the political views that had once been the meaning of his life.
In 1974, he gave a concert in honor of the victims of the dictatorial regime in Chile.
At the end of the 20th century, various social movements related to the protection of human rights gained momentum throughout the world, and Ivo did not stand aside. He put his signature in 1981 under the resolutions of the Polish Solidarity, a trade union organization, and two years later Yves Montand, whose wife supported him in everything, exposed the National Front, the far-right French party organization, with many other famous artists. The singer has now added the political sphere to his successes in the world of art. He became a prominent figure in world politics.
Return to the stage
At the end of 1981, singer Yves Montand returned again to the stage of Olympia. The success was tremendous. The audience so vehemently demanded the continuation of his performances that the artist's concerts resumed and continued until the fall of 1982.
To the verses of Charles Baudelaire, the hero of our article composed his famous song Les Bijoux, which became a worldwide hit: from New York to Rio de Janeiro, the singer's performance of this song was accompanied by standing ovations. Eve was definitely pleased with himself and his success.
At the age of sixty-four, his wife Simon died, and Montand began to meet again with his long-time assistant Amiel Carol. She worked with him since 1982 when he hired her during his tour. Then he starred in the movie Manon Brooks, which was directed by Claude Berry. As Yves Montand himself admitted, children were always his dream, but somehow did not work out. And in 1988, Karol gave birth to his son Valentine.
The sunset of the life of a famous artist
Later, Montan and his family lived in Otoye. He had thoughts again to continue working on stage at the Paris Palace of Bercy, but in 1991 the great artist died of myocardial infarction. He was buried next to his wife Simone in the Paris cemetery of Pere Lachaise.