Max Linder and Chamonix: Love at first sight
A talented actor and director, Max Linder was the darling of the Roaring Twenties and one of the greatest French stars of the era. Europe, Hollywood, Australia, and China: he was acclaimed everywhere! His character of "Max" inspired Charlie Chaplin himself, who considered him his "master" and his "professor"!
Max Linder loved Chamonix, where he directed at least three films between 1910 and 1911, which were the first fiction films shot in the valley: “Max asthmatique” (Max the Asthmatic), “Max fait du ski” (Max Goes Skiing), and the hilarious “Max et sa belle mère” (Max and His Mother-in-Law).
These comic short films featuring scenes of skiing, skating, and sledding are none other than the first-ever snow sports films in the valley and can be appreciated today as genuine documentaries on the practice of winter sports at the beginning of the century.
Thanks to his films and international reputation, Max Linder undoubtedly contributed, in the early 1920s, to the success of Chamonix, whose luxury hotels were then welcoming an affluent clientele from all over the world to indulge in the pleasures of snow sports.
During his long stays in Chamonix, the artist habitually stayed at the Hôtel Beau Site, then the Savoy Palace (now La Folie Douce), and finally the Majestic, recognized at the time as the most beautiful luxury hotel in the world. Extraordinary parties were held there, where Linder loved to make a splash, amusing the gallery of prestigious guests, organizing mimed bullfighting sessions, whirling elegant women on the dance floor, or projecting his own films…
Love at First Sight at the Majestic
In January 1923, it was in the grand hall of the Majestic that he met his future wife. The young Ninette was 17 years old, and her beauty captivated the charmer. The day after their meeting, Max spared no effort to woo his belle, and during the Alpine Bobsleigh Championship in Chamonix, he downed a large glass of cognac to build up his courage before speeding down the track to finish in first place and impress the woman of his heart.
The two lovebirds were inseparable and spent two weeks of bliss in Chamonix, filled with laughter, snowball fights, and social dinners. At the end of the holiday, Ninette and her mother boarded the train back to the capital. Max soon returned to Paris himself, and he married the young woman.
Max Linder, who passed away 100 years ago, on October 31, 1925, starred in nearly 500 films and influenced many comedians, including Charlie Chaplin.
Sources: “Chamonix fait son cinéma – Françoise Rey & Catherine Cuenot”
Tribute Evening: December 5, 2025, at 6:00 PM at the Cinéma Vox in Chamonix
For the centenary of his death, the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Valley is paying tribute to its illustrious visitor by unveiling the little-known role he played in the history of winter sports.
The Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Valley Tourist Office, in collaboration with Les Amis du Cinéma, is offering an exceptional and free screening of three silent short films: “MAX ASTHMATIQUE” (Max the Asthmatic), “MAX FAIT DU SKI” (Max Goes Skiing), and the hilarious “MAX ET SA BELLE-MERE” (Max and His Mother-in-Law).
