Armand Dranem Video | Celebrity Interview and Paparazzi

Dranem (23 May 1869 – 13 October 1935) was a French comic singer, music hall, stage and film actor. Born Armand Ménard, in Paris, he began working as an apprentice jeweler in a local shop before embarking on a career in entertainment. Adopting the singular stage name of Dranem, an anagram of Menard, he made his debut performance in 1894. In 1895, he performed with fellow newcomers Félix Mayol and Max Dearly in the "Concert Parisien" from where he went on to become a leading music hall entertainer in his own comic absurdist genre. In 1899, he was signed to perform at the famous Eldorado... MORE

Dranem (23 May 1869 – 13 October 1935) was a French comic singer, music hall, stage and film actor. Born Armand Ménard, in Paris, he began working as an apprentice jeweler in a local shop before embarking on a career in entertainment. Adopting the singular stage name of Dranem, an anagram of Menard, he made his debut performance in 1894. In 1895, he performed with fellow newcomers Félix Mayol and Max Dearly in the "Concert Parisien" from where he went on to become a leading music hall entertainer in his own comic absurdist genre. In 1899, he was signed to perform at the famous Eldorado Club where he appeared regularly for the next twenty years. Dranem's comedic singing routine brought a loyal following and his work made him a very wealthy man. In 1910 he purchased the Château de Ris in the town of Ris-Orangis south of Paris and established a charitable foundation to operate the large building as a senior citizens home for retired performers. On the grounds, a bandstand and an open-air theatre provided entertainment. His "Dranem Foundation" continued to operate until the year 2000 and the property remains a government operated retirement home open to all members of the public. LESS