The brightest novels of the French heartthrob Yves Montand: Edith Piaf, Merlin Monroe and others

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

He was not a written handsome man, but he was devilishly talented. He was admired by a multi-million audience, he was idolized and the most beautiful women in the world went crazy for him. Not because he was a heartthrob, but chose only the most beautiful and famous as his mistress. And there was also in his life the first true love that made him a celebrity, and there was also the last one that gave him its continuation. In this publication, we will recall those women whom we truly loved. talented French singer and actor Yves Montand.

And that's how it all began

Ivo Lavi was born in Italy in 1921 and was the third child of Italian Jews. Soon after his birth, his parents decided to immigrate to America, but due to problems with a visa, they were forced to postpone their departure. And when the Nazi party came to power in Italy, the Lavi family moved to France, receiving citizenship in 1929. His father was an Italian communist and thus tried to save his family from fascism.

The older children left school early to help their parents, and after them 11-year-old Ivo left school and got a job at a pasta factory. All the money he earned went to the family, only a small part he put aside, collecting for cinema tickets. By purchasing the cheapest, the little boy managed to revise all the Hollywood films shown at that time in cinemas.

And at seventeen, the young man worked part-time as a dock worker and an assistant in a hairdresser. But soon realizing that he had a well-trained voice, in the evenings he began to sing in clubs and cinemas. At first, the parents considered their son's hobby as frivolous, but when he began to receive about 50 francs per week, their opinion changed radically. Over time, the aspiring singer came up with a pseudonym - Yves Montand and, continuing to perform before the screening of films, he had his own admirers.

Edith Piaf - first love

And at 23, fate grants the young talented singer a meeting with the famous "sparrow", the legend of the French stage - Edith Piaf. A significant meeting took place in 1944, when she invited the aspiring Yves to audition at the Moulin Rouge. Piaf immediately decided to become his mentor, and after a while and his mistress, despite the fact that Yves was six years younger than the singer. Edith helped the aspiring singer in shaping his stage image, gave a lot of advice regarding behavior both on stage and in society.

With her help, Montand revised his repertoire. Piaf persuaded her co-authors to write him several hit songs. Together they began performing on the stage. His career began to go uphill rapidly. It didn't take long, and thanks to Edith, the aspiring singer turned into a professional. He became a mature, low-key performer with an expressive vocal style. The directors soon noticed him.

Not without the help of Piaf, the singer was able to make his childhood dream come true - he began acting in films. Montand made his debut in the movie "A Star Without Sky", then there was the picture "Gate of Night", and a year later in "Idol". The first roles, of course, were played unprofessionally, but in the future the viewer was able to see the already revealed actor. Montand filmed not only in France, but also in Hollywood.

Later, Montand admitted that if it were not for Edith, he would never have become famous. Their love was strong because they had a lot in common. They both spent their childhood in poverty, adored music to the point of madness and sang with soul. For the two years they spent together, they were not only lovers and friends, but also colleagues. Together they gave concerts and toured. Montand thought that he met his fate, and his Edith will always be there. But, Piaf was absolutely not ready to marry Montana, she had other plans for life. In addition, at one point two celebrities on the same stage felt cramped. In 1946, Piaf breaks with his lover without regret. And Eve, after parting, went into a deep depression.

Simone Kaminker and Merlin Monroe

In 1949, Montand met Simone, who at that time was married to director Yves Allegre and had a young daughter. The woman fell in love with the famous singer at first sight, and soon left her husband for him. Simone at that time was a famous film actress and introduced her lover to the world of cinema. And he left his singing career to devote himself entirely to cinema.

Despite the great and mutual feelings, Simone and Eve were completely different: the actress belonged to a wealthy Jewish family, and Montand was from the working class, which did not prevent them from being together and being happy for many years.

In those years, it seemed that their cloudless happiness was envied by millions. But once in the life of the Montans, a story happened that Simone could not forgive her husband for a long time. In 1960, Eve flew to America to shoot the film Let's Make Love, where he and Merlin Monroe were to play lovers. It was almost impossible for Montana to resist the spell of the blond beast. It so happened in life that Iva met only strong women who took care of him and led him to the pinnacle of fame. And then suddenly Monroe is an example of defenselessness and naivety. The actor went crazy with the desire to patronize her. And needless to say, what a scoundrel Montand felt in relation to Simone, but he could not forget Marilyn, who awakened a strong man in him.

Simone, because of this hobby of her husband, almost filed for divorce. However, a wise woman was still able to suppress anger and despair in herself, and to accept treason, but she could not completely forgive her husband. Over the years, she more and more began to satisfy her resentment with alcohol. Soon, like a bolt from the blue, Yves received the news that Merlin had died, and a year and several months later, he found out that Piaf was also gone. It will take about twenty years, and Montand will lose his only wife, with whom he lived together for 35 years. Simone died of cancer in 1985.

Carole Amiel - Yves Montand's last love

A couple of years after the death of Simone, Montand will appear in the company of a charming young woman. Since 1982, Carole Amiel worked as a secretary for the actor and was more than fifty years younger than him. It is she who will give birth to 67-year-old Montana, his only first child, who will be named Valentine. The birth of a son was incredible happiness for the actor. He no longer expected to become a father someday. Yves bought a spacious apartment in Paris, where he spent his last years surrounded by people close to him. He felt like the happiest person. At the same time, Montand understood that he did not have long left, and therefore was in a hurry to give his offspring everything he needed.

On the set, Yves Montand worked until the very last day of his life. On the eve, he several times entered the ice-cold water to reliably shoot the episode. As a result, the actor developed pneumonia and was taken to the clinic. The next day Montana was gone. Against the background of inflammation, he had a heart attack. Yves died on November 9, 1991, never making it to the last film of his life.