Francis Renault...
Francis
Renault: The Parisian Fashion Plate, with a $5000 Wardrobe
Francis
Renault was one of the most celebrated
female impersonators of the 1920s and 1930s,
and stood at the top of his profession, along Julian Eltinge and Karyl
Norman. And his career lasted
the longest, with him performing until just a few years before his
death in 1955. One of his famous
impressions was that of Lillian Russell, and he had a lovely soprano
singing voice.
According
to an inflation calculator, Francis Renaults $5000 wardrobe
would be worth $65,000 today,
and that would be a huge amount for an entertainer just a few years
into his female impersonation career.
The $5000 wardrobe figure came from a 1919 ad for one of his performances.
Another ad, from 1932,
boasted a $50,000 wardrobe ($821,000 in 2012), and remember, 1932
was during the depression.
That was one of the bragging points of Renault on stage
his fabulous
wardrobe, and it took him
through multiple appearances at Carnegie Hall, and he was said to
have performed in 42 countries.
Ive
known about Francis Renault for many years, but just recently learned
of his earlier history.
Now, I dont usually collect sheet music featuring female impersonators,
though I find them interesting.
But I found one with a female impersonator new to me, from 1913, named
Auriema, so I bought it,
for a reasonable price, and then started researching. I had forgotten
that Francis Renault was not
his given name. He was born Antonio Auriemma (or Auriema, citations
vary) in Naples, Italy, in 1893
(sometimes listed at 1895), and he was raised in Providence, R.I.
More
internet digging uncovered that he gained fame even as a boy, for
his soprano voice, and he was
a favorite of Mrs. William McKinley. I found two newspaper clippings
from 1909 mentioning him. He next
went to female impersonation, apparently doing well quickly, appearing
in notable vaudeville venues,
and even having his photo included on sheet music in 1913 on an Irving
Berlin song. In those years
many female (and male) impersonators were featured on sheet music,
and I do not know if it was just
as an endorsement for sales purposes, or if they also performed the
songs in their acts.
They were usually shown in insets on the covers.
Click
for More Francis Renault Sheet Music
Click
for Francis Renault Programs
Click
for coverage in 1951 book Femme Mimics, by E. Carleton Winford
These
are from a eBay auction (I did not win) of a scrapbook, great stuff!
below, 1925
There's
More....
and
Also
see my Sheet Music page on Francis Renault