On his death bed, it reported, he asked to hear songs by Maurice Chevalier.

ECONOMIST: French blows its horn | The

But if the French arts, from the chansons of Maurice Chevalier to the ballet of the collaborationist, Serge Lifar, survived the Nazis, how lasting was their victory?

ECONOMIST: Paris under the Nazis

But, after hearing Maurice Chevalier sing the tuneful trifle, Donnez Moi La Main Mamz'elle Et Ne Dites Rien, he announced that he too wanted to be a "chansonnier".

BBC: Aznavour bids adieu

He has an oily dab of his compatriot Maurice Chevalier, plus a stronger dose of Douglas Fairbanks, including the neat yet unvillainous mustache and the elastic bonhomie, joshing with camera crews as he does with reverent fans.

NEWYORKER: Better Times