Louis Henry George Jourdan Jr. (1951 - 1981)

Born 6 Oct 1951 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States

Ancestors

Died 12 May 1981 at age 29 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, United States

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Biography

Louis was born in 1951. He was the son of Louis Gendre and Berthe Frédérique. Henry's name at birth was "Louis Henry George Gendre." His father, a few years later, legally changed the last name to Jourdan.^[1]

Louis attended Hollywood High School, and was on the school's swim team. In an article entitled "The Most Beautiful Boy in the World," the author, Jennifer Ward Dudley, a schoolmate of Louis', described what it was like to be the best friend of an actor's son. She noted that both her family and the Jourdans attended the Good Shepard Church on Little Santa Monica, a Catholic Church. The article recounts some of the more difficult aspects of Louis' life.^[2]

In an article dated 1 July 1970, Louis' mother, Quique, shared a portion of an paper Louis wrote about his family: "Her (Quique's) 18-year-old son once earned his highest mark in creative writing for a paper describing his life at home. 'I don't think my family is quite normal,"' he wrote. 'My father is always walking up and down rehearsing a part and my mother is standing on her head as she listens.'"^[3]

Louis had a short, difficult life. He died 13 May 1981 at the age of 29.^{[4] [5]}According to his obituary, which appeared in the New York Times, he had drug-use problems, including a conviction for possessing marijuana when he was 18.

"Louis Henry Jourdan Jr., only child of the actor Louis Jourdan, was found dead yesterday by his parents, his death apparently the result of a drug overdose. He was 29 years old. Mr. Jourdan was listed as a possible suicide by the Los Angeles County Coroners Office, which plans to perform an autopsy."^[6]

An obituary that appeared by UPI provides more details about the death and the parents' reaction, which can be found here. ^[7]

Biographers have speculated that it's quite possible it was a case of an accidental drug overdose and not suicide. For example, in his father's IMDb biography: "The police labeled it a suicide, even though it may have been an accidental overdose."^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ California Birth Index, 1905-1995; Louis Henry George Gendre; birth: 6 October 1951; male; mother's maiden name: Taker; birth county: Los Angeles.
2. ↑ The Most Beautiful Boy in the World. by Jennifer Ward Dudley. April 18, 2017. Born and Raised in Beverly Hills.
3. ↑ Boston Herald, Wednesday, July 1, 1970, Boston, MA, page 24.
4. ↑ Find a Grave Memorial for Louis Henry Jourdan.
5. ↑ California Death Index, 1940-1997; Louis Henry Jourdan; birth: 6 October 1951; death: 12 May 1981; Los Angeles, CA. Mother's maiden name Takar.
6. ↑ Obituary. Louis Henry Jourdan, Jr., New York Times Archives, May 14, 1981, page 18.
7. ↑ Louis Henry Jourdan Jr., son of actor Louis Jourdan, UPI Archives, May 13, 1981.
8. ↑ Louis Jourdan Biography by Ohad Rosen on IMDb.