Item 1158 - Une chanson

French impresario Émile Audiffred, born in Toulon in southern France, began a musical career singing in Marseille in 1912 before going to Paris where he joined the group Concert Mayol. He appeared in various revues with Félix Mayol at the Petit Casino and recorded several songs with Pathé. By 1920 he was hired to work as a “tenorino de charme” for bigger revues at the Ambassadeur and the Palace; he performed in the revue “Toutes les Femme” with Harry Pilcer and Polaire. He also sang tenor in various Viennese operettas of Offenbach at “Théâtres des Bouffes” and at the Casino de Trouville. Besides singing, he created lyrics for many composers, including Vincent Sotto and Georges Sellers. During 1924 -1931, as director of the Théâtre de l’Empire in Paris, he signed an agreement with the New York City Hippodrome enabling American stars to perform in France. During this period, he presented ambitious music hall and circus shows and brought the first Jazz Orchestras to appear in France, such as Jack Hyton’s and Ray Ventura’s. He also managed the casinos at Trouville and Enghein les Bains. In 1931 he founded a syndicate for French impresarios and became its first president. In the 1930s, he started the Agence Audiffred and was on the lookout for new talent. He organized many tours and “café concert” appearances for such stars as Josephine Baker, Maurice Chevalier and Tino Rossi. He hired Félix Marouani in 1934, and in 1936 they began a four-year partnership. In this interval he also began creating and producing three successful “opérettes Marseillaises,” two of which starred Mireille Ponsard; he married her (his second marriage) in 1936. Ponsard would be the first actress to interpret the role of “Fanny” in Marcel Pagnol’s film of that title. Right before the war, Audiffred discovered Yves Montand in Marseille and introduced him to Édith Piaf. After the Liberation Montand and Piaf both performed at the Moulin Rouge in Paris. In 1942, Audiffred handed the operation of the Agence to his son Roger by his first marriage. Audiffred spent the Occupation in the free zone as a producer but his business was blocked in 1944 by the German propaganda department. After the war in 1946, he began producing circus shows in Paris and Brussels. He died of a heart attack in Auvers-Saint-Georges, having just written and produced his last operetta, "Croisière d'Amour." Agence Audiffred continued in business until 1971.