Live Internet Television

“The trail may be cold, but the stories are hot!”

By ivi blog Guest Contributor Dr. Rob Moore

Most people who knew Charles Boyer and his wife, Pat, an accomplished actress in her own right, thought of them as a steady, happy couple.

Charles was of the quiet, distinguished sort, typical of a man who until the age of nineteen had spent every day of his life  in the conservative, picturesque, out-of-the-way village of Figeac in southwestern France.  Figeac’s people are agrarian even today, focusing their lives on the production of pate and entertaining tourists who come to view the quiet countryside as well as the 13th-century Benedictine abbey at the center of  the community.

Once he left Figeac, Charles’ only vice seems to have been gambling. He once confided in Ed Sullivan that he was always behind in his financial obligations in Europe because of his, Boyer’s, inability to resist the temptations presented by casinos in the large cities. When in the United States, Charles was a frequent visitor of  Las Vegas. Fortunately, Charles’ substantial fortune finally and magnificently outdistanced his ability to lose large sums in this way.

In contrast to her husband’s silent sobriety, even when he was surrounded by a tumultuous casino, Pat was prone to hearty laughter, possessing a sort of bubbly sense of delight as life’s surprises, no matter how small, presented themselves.

From the moment in 1920 when Charles was offered a leading part in the revised popular stage play, Les Jardin des Murcie (a part he had to memorize in less than twelve hours while being fitted for wardrobe, because of the sudden incapacity of the leading actor who collapsed on stage during the final rehearsal), Boyer was on his way to the peak of international stardom in live theater, cinema and television.

During their prime in the 30s through the 50s, Charles and Pat, discussing everything as an effective theatrical and business team, seemed to turn all they touched into box office diamonds.

Those born before the golden age of television remember when the local movie theater was at the heart of even small communities. In those theaters, especially in the 1940s and early 50s, every afternoon and evening, the triumphs of Charles Boyer were often played to full houses. Movies like Hold Back the Dawn with Olivia deHavilland, Appointment for Love with Margaret Sullivan, The Constant Nymph with Joan Fontaine, Flesh and Fantasy with Barbara Stanwyck, and Gaslight with Ingrid Bergman, among many others, made Charles a celebrity throughout the US and Europe.

In addition, there were the successful Broadway stage plays, including the popular Don Juan with Agnes Moorhead, Kind Sir with Mary Martin, and The Marriage Go Round with Claudette Colbert.

When television began to eclipse motion pictures, Charles combined forces with David Niven and William Powell to produce and act in a successful television series known as Four Star Playhouse. It ran for six seasons. Originally, the four stars (thus the name) were to be Niven, Boyer, Powell and Joel McCrea. However, McCrea backed out of the arrangement early on and was never replaced. Other serious money makers for Four Star Productions were The Rifleman and Wanted Dead or Alive.

Over time, the Boyers maintained luxurious homes in Beverly Hills, Paris, France, and even a royal class villa on the Island of Ischia. As the story goes, early on in their marriage, Pat took on a special hobby “the search for paradise.” She would literally drag Charles, as schedules permitted,  to far away islands in search of that one private beach of which earthly nirvanas are made. The island of Ischia, off the coast of Italy, was (then) the answer to her prayers.

In 1943, the highlight of all successes for the Boyers took the form a nine pound baby boy. They named him Michael.

Pat had had a very comfortable pregnancy, but her labor and delivery were torturous, so much so that the attending physicians grimly informed Pat and Charles that additional children would not be possible.

But, that was OK with them. Pat looked at her perfect child before her, and, in typical jubilant fashion, pronounced Michael a “finished product. No need to start again.”

Michael was a happy child, his cheery disposition inherited from his mother. Physically, the boy became a good deal taller than Charles, but there was no doubt from whom Michael inherited his good looks.(Photo) Michael was as close a replica of his father physically , except for height,  as any child is ever likely to be.

As might be expected, Michael traveled with his parents throughout the world. He could be found at one time or another in Beverly Hills, Paris, London, New York, and, of course, their villa on Ischia. Michael also traveled with his parents to other exotic locations, as schedules permitted.

Charles and Pat were caring, even doting,  parents, wanting to use their international influence, which was substantial, to assist Michael in any way they could, without, however, giving Michael the  sense that, without their influence, he would be less than successful in life.

As he grew older, Michael, who deeply respected his parents, especially wanted to earn the praise of his father. Given the tremendous successes that Charles had posted in every conceivable media market, when Michael compared himself to his father, he, Michael, found himself lacking in significant ways.

This personal unhappiness was, of course, unnecessary, since Charles and Pat themselves were accepting of Michael as he was. However, it is said by many close to Michael that the more love grew between parents and child, the more depressed Michael became, as the mountain top Michael had chosen to challenge remained not only out of reach, but out of sight.

Michael spent much time investigating his options in terms of career. He considered attending college. However, he was impatient to begin proving himself. He felt with the experience he had obtained through his parents, he could function creatively in film production. Michael’s youth, lack of education and lack of real production experience, though, all worked against him.

Michael finally settled on television production rather than the stage or screen. He was involved in the production of The Rogues television series. When that series was canceled, it became rather common knowledge in the film colony that Michael was lacking both in knowledge, but even worse, in the area of creativity — the latter being “gossip” Michael desperately and hopelessly wished to keep from his father who was involved in the project.

Michael found himself at odds with destiny. As his destiny became clear, it appeared that he would be known forever only as the son of Charles and Pat Boyer, a fate that, approached in the proper way, would have been wonderful. However, simply put, from Michael’s perspective, being the son of stars, without personal prospects, diminished Michael profoundly in his own heart.

Michael, despite his natural positive spirit, found himself for the first time in his life  deeply unhappy and confused. Then in 1965, after his parents had bought and professionally decorated an apartment for Michael in Los Angeles, and after he had announced to Pat and Charles that he was deeply in love with a pretty girl named Marilyn Campbell, on September 23, 1965, after Miss Campbell told Michael that she did not wish to see him any more, Michael walked into the lovely living room of his new apartment, put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger.

September 23rd was the day that jubilation died for all the Boyers.

Charles and Pat never recovered from Michael’s death. Pat was never seen to smile again.  Charles attempted to forget by accepting scripts of all kinds, simply wanting to work, irrespective of the vehicles’ quality.

Although Charles and Pat carried on, they began selling their real estate holdings.  Any place where Michael had stayed was sold. Properties in Paris and the US as well as their island villa on Ischia were liquidated for much less than they were worth, just to be rid of them and the memories they represented.

Charles and Pat retired to a small home near Paris.

In 1977, Pat was diagnosed with cancer.

Pat lingered with Charles in constant attendance. When Pat finally died, Charles announced that he would not be attending the funeral.

He made all arrangements, and as Pat’s funeral was underway, at the moment she was being celebrated by a few special friends, Charles lay down on a bed at home in Scottsdale, Arizona, and took an overdose of Seconal.

All three Boyers are interred at Holy Cross Cemetery in Los Angeles. They have been reunited.

Perhaps jubilation is having a final showing after all.