CHARLES BOYER

August 28, 1899

Charles Boyer was born in Figeac, Lot, France, the son of a merchant. Boyer was a shy, small town boy who discovered the movies and theatre at the age of eleven.
He performed comic sketches for soldiers while working as a hospital orderly during World War I.  In 1920 in Paris, his quick memory won him a chance to replace the leading man in a stage production and became a theatre star overnight. In the 1920s, he not only played a suave and sophisticated ladies’ man on the stage but also appeared in several silent films. Boyer was first brought to Hollywood by MGM who wanted him to be in a French version of The Big House (1930).

Boyer became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1942. 

As his career progressed, he appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. He was nominated for four Oscars: Conquest (1937), Algiers (1938), Gaslight (1944), and Fanny (1961). He received an honorary Oscar in 1943  for establishing the French Research Foundation in Los Angeles.  

During World War II, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt recruited Boyer, Desi Arnaz, and other stars to be part of her Hollywood Victory Caravan. He stands next to Desi and just behind Laurel and Hardy with his coat draped over his shoulders. The stars traveled the country promoting the sale of War Bonds. 

On Broadway, he won a special Tony Award in 1952 “for distinguished performance in ’Don Juan in Hell’, thereby assisting in a new theatre trend”. He was also nominated in 1963 as Best Actor for Lord Pengo.

Boyer and Lucille Ball only worked together once – on “I Love Lucy” in 1956. Boyer played himself in an episode set in Paris during season 5′s trip through Europe. The episode was filmed in January 1956 in Hollywood and first aired on March 5, 1956. This episode was originally written with Maurice Chevalier in mind.

BOYER: “We have a word for [Lucy] in French: ‘balle de vis.’”
RICKY: “What does that mean?”
BOYER: “Screwball.”

The premise of the episode has Lucy Ricardo thinking every man she sees is Charles Boyer. When she spots the real Boyer, Ricky first manages to convince him to pretend to be Maurice DuBois, a second rate actor who just happens to look like the star.

In this episode, Boyer mentions “Four Star Playhouse” (1952-56), a CBS anthology series sponsored by Singer and Bristol Myers. Boyer, Ida Lupino, David Niven, and Dick Powell alternated starring in episodes. By the time this episode of “I Love Lucy” aired, the series was in its final months.  

In the end, everything that can go wrong, does, and Boyer leaves with a sat-upon hat, an ink-stained shirt, a torn overcoat, and a nasty lump on his forehead.  

Charles Boyer was reportedly so vain about his appearance that he refused to wear his own clothes for the scene. It was Desilu practice not to supply wardrobe for guest-stars. Fastidious Boyer also didn’t want to wear clothing from Desilu’s wardrobe department, which he deemed inferior. Desi had to give Boyer one of his own overcoats and wanted disappearing ink to be used instead of real ink. Before Boyer agreed to do the scene, Desilu props master Jerry Miggins actually had to try out the disappearing ink on his own shirt to prove it would not stain.

In a 1967 episode of “The Lucy Show” Lucy Carmichael and Mary Jane (Mary Jane Croft) watch Gaslight (1944) on TV.  Lucy sums up the plot for Mary Jane: “Charles Boyer tries to convince Ingrid Bergman that she is seeing things that aren’t there.” This inspires Lucy to try to make Mr. Cheever think that he is going crazy, much like the plot of the film.  

“That love at first sight should happen to me was Life’s most delicious revenge on a self-opinionated fool.” ~ Charles Boyer

Boyer was married to British actress Pat Paterson, whom he met at a dinner party in 1934. They appeared together in Hollywood Goes To Town (1938). The marriage lasted 44 years until her death. Boyer’s only child committed suicide at age 21. He was playing Russian roulette after separating from his girlfriend. On August 26, 1978, two days after his wife’s death from cancer, and two days before his own 79th birthday, Boyer committed suicide with an overdose of Seconal. 

“Don’t say, au revoir, dear. Just say goodbye.” ~ Charles Boyer on “I Love Lucy”