Dranem

The French entertainer Charles Armand Ménard, who used the stage name Dranem, was a singer of comic songs, a performer in music halls and on stage, and an actor in films. Born in Paris’s 10th arrondissement on May 23, 1869, he died in Paris’s 7e arrondissement on October 13, 1935. His father was a craftsman-jeweler, and Dranem learned the trade from him. He adopted the stage name Dranem as an anagram of Ménard.

Dranem began his career as an apprentice jeweler before entering entertainment. Initially, he worked briefly as a belt salesman and an orthopedic instrument seller. He launched his amateur stage career at La Verrerie in September 1890. His professional debut occurred on March 24, 1894, at the Electric-Concert. From 1895, he performed with Félix Mayol and Max Dearly at the 'Concert Parisien'. Around 1896, he developed a signature costume: a small jacket, striped pants, enormous shoes, and a hat, along with face paint. He became a leading music hall entertainer known for his comic absurdist genre.

Dranem’s comedic singing routine gained him a loyal following and made him wealthy. He appeared in numerous films, including 'Bonsoir m'sieurs dames' in 1902 and several silent shorts directed by Ferdinand Zecca, such as 'Le salut de Dranem' (1901). Alice Guy directed eleven initial sound films, referred to as 'Phonoscènes,' featuring Dranem for Gaumont in 1905. His humor was incongruous and often risqué, and he performed songs like ‘Le Fils d'un gniaf’ to great popularity. Acquiring Château de Ris in 1910, he subsequently created a philanthropic organization to aid aging entertainers; the retirement facility was inaugurated by President Armands Fallières in 1911. The Dranem Foundation operated until 2000, and the property is now a government-operated retirement home. He appeared in operettas, live theatre, and film, including 'La fille de Madame Angot' (1918) at the Paris Opéra-Comique and ‘Les brigands’ (1931). During 1910, Dranem also took part in a production of Molière's 'Le Médecin malgré lui' at l'Odéon theater. In 1923, he received the distinction of Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, followed by the rank of Officier in 1935. The Château de Ris-Orangis serves as Dranem’s final resting place.

During World War I, Dranem performed for troops and wounded soldiers, appearing in hospitals. He also appeared alongside Maurice Chevalier in 'Là-Haut'. The film ‘Le Ménage Dranem’ (The Dranem Household), made by Pathé, depicts a reversal of traditional gender roles, with the wife abusing the husband. He made numerous radio appearances and starred in a dozen films between 1919 and 1935. He passed away on October 13, 1935, at the Clinique de l'Alma in Paris, having reached the age of 66.