  charles boyer (; 28 august 1899 â 26 august 1978) was a french actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976.obituary variety, 30 august 1978. after receiving an education in drama, boyer started on the stage, but he found his success in american movies during the 1930s. his memorable performances were among the era's most highly praised, in romantic dramas such as the garden of allah (1936), algiers (1938), and love affair (1939). another famous role was in the 1944 mystery-thriller gaslight. he received four academy award nominations for best actor. ==early years== boyer was born in figeac, lot, midi-pyrÃ©nÃ©es, france, the son of augustine louise durand and maurice boyer, a merchant. boyer was a shy, small-town boy who discovered the movies and theatre at the age of eleven. boyer performed comic sketches for soldiers while working as a hospital orderly during world war i.tcm film guide, p. 29. he began studies briefly at the sorbonne, and was waiting for a chance to study acting at the paris conservatory. he went to the capital city to finish his education, but spent most of his time pursuing a theatrical career. in 1920, his quick memory won him a chance to replace the leading man in a stage production, and he scored an immediate hit. in the 1920s, he not only played a suave and sophisticated ladies' man on the stage but also appeared in several silent films. mgm signed boyer to a contract, and he loved life in the united states, but nothing much came of his first american stay from 1929 to 1931. at first, he p
1899_births 1978_deaths 20th-century_American_male_actors 20th-century_French_male_actors Academy_Honorary_Award_recipients Burials_at_Holy_Cross_Cemetery,_Culver_City Chevaliers_of_the_LA(c)gion_d\'honneur Delia_Austrian_medal_recipients Donaldson_Award_winners Drug-related_deaths_in_Arizona Drug-related_suicides_in_Arizona French_emigrants_to_the_United_States French_male_film_actors French_male_silent_film_actors French_male_stage_actors French_male_television_actors Male_actors_from_Phoenix,_Arizona Male_actors_who_committed_suicide People_from_Lot_(department) People_from_Paradise_Valley,_Arizona Tony_Award_winners