Georges Courteline () born Georges Victor Marcel Moinaux (; 25 June 1858 – 25 June 1929) was a French

dramatist A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between characters and is intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. Ben Jonson coined the term "playwri ...

and

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

, a satirist notable for his sharp wit and cynical humor.

Biography

His family moved from

Tours Tours ( ; ) is the largest city in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabita ...

Indre-et-Loire Indre-et-Loire () is a department in west-central France named after the Indre River and Loire River. In 2019, it had a population of 610,079.Paris Commune The Paris Commune (, ) was a French revolutionary government that seized power in Paris on 18 March 1871 and controlled parts of the city until 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard (France), Nation ...

, at age 13, he was sent to school in Meaux and after graduation in 1876, he went on to serve in the French military before taking a job as a civil servant. Interested in poetry and authorship, he became involved in writing poetry reviews and was part of a small newspaper. By the 1890s, he had begun writing plays under the name Courteline for the theatres of

Montmartre Montmartre ( , , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement of Paris, 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Rive Droite, Right Bank. Montmartre is primarily known for its a ...

where he lived. Gifted with a quick wit, he became a leading dramatist, producing many plays as well as a number of novels. The overall tone of his works was satirical in nature, often making fun of everything from the wealthy elitists of Paris to the bloated government bureaucracies. In 1899, Courteline was awarded the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

and in 1926 was elected to the

Académie Goncourt The Société littéraire des Goncourt (, ''Goncourt Literary Society''), usually called the Académie Goncourt (, Goncourt Academy), is a French literary organisation based in Paris. It was founded in 1882 by the French writer and publisher Edmo ...

. In 1929, Courteline died on his 71st birthday in Paris and was interred in the

Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (, , formerly , ) is the largest cemetery in Paris, France, at . With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Buried at Père Lachaise are many famous figures in the ...

. Rue de Lariche, the street in the city of Tours where he was born, was renamed in his honour.

Selected works

* ''Les Gaités de l'escadron'' (1886) - a novel, subsequently dramatized for the theatre in 1895. * ''Le 51e Chasseurs'' (1887) – a novel. * ''Les Femmes d'amis'' (1888) – a novel. * ''Le Train de 8 heures 47'' (1888) – a novel. * ''Madelon, Margot et Cie'' (1890). * ''Potiron'' (1890) - recit. * ''Messieurs les ronds-de-cuir'' (1893) – a novel. * ''Boubouroche'' (1893) – a theatrical play in two acts. * ''Ah! Jeunesse!'' (1894) – a novel. * ''Ombres Parisiennes'' (1894) – recits. * ''La Peur des coups'' (1895) – theatre in one act. * ''Les Gaitiės de l'escadron'' (1895) - theatre in nine scenes. * ''La vie de caserne'' (1895) * ''Un client sérieux'' (1896) - theatre in one act. * ''Le Droit aux étrennes'' (1896) - theatre in five scenes. * ''Hortense, couche-toi!'' (1897) – theatre in one act. * ''Monsieur Badin'' (1897) – theatre in one act. * ''L'Extra-Lucide'' (1897) - theatre in one act. * ''Une lettre chargée'' (1897) – theatre in one act. * ''Théodore cherche des allumettes'' (1897) - theatre in one act. * ''Godefroy'' (1897) - theatre in one act. * ''La Voiture versée'' (1897) – theatre in one act. * ''Gros Chagrins'' (1897) – theatre in one act. * ''Les Boulingrin'' (1898) – theatre in one act. * ''Le gendarme est sans pitié'' (1899) – theatre in one act. * ''Le commissaire est bon enfant'' (1900) – theatre in one act. * ''L'Article 330'' (1900) - theatre in one act. * ''Les Marionnettes de la vie'' (1900) * ''Sigismond'' (1901) - theatre, a fantasy in one act with choir. * ''Les Balances'' (1901) – theatre in one act. * ''La Paix chez soi'' (1903) - theatre in one act. * ''L'Illustre Piégelé'' (1904). * ''L'Ami des Lois'' (1904) - three short plays. * ''Facéties de Jean de La Butte'' (1904). * ''Les tire-au-cul : les gaîtés de l'escadron'' (1904). * ''Coco, Coco et Toto'' (1905). * ''La Conversion d'Alceste'' (1905) – theatre in verse in one act. * ''Le Petit Malade'' 1905 * ''Le père Machin-Chouette : les gaîtés de l'escadron'' (1905) * ''Les Fourneaux'' (1905) * ''La Cruche'' (1909) - theatre in two acts. * ''Un visiteur sans gêne'' (1911) * ''Les Linottes'' (1912) – a novel. * ''Le Gora'' (1920) Georges Courteline 1921

Filmography

*'' The Gaieties of the Squadron'', directed by

Maurice Tourneur Maurice Félix Thomas (; 2 February 1876 – 4 August 1961), known as Maurice Tourneur (), was a French film director and screenwriter. Life Born Maurice Félix Thomas in the Épinettes district (17th arrondissement of Paris), his father was a w ...

and Joseph Faivre (1913, based on the play ''Les Gaîtés de l'escadron'') *''Théodore cherche des allumettes'', directed by Andrew Brunelle (1923, based on the play ''Théodore cherche des allumettes'') *''Le Train de 8h47'', directed by

Georges Pallu Georges Pallu (1869–1948) was a French screenwriter and film director active in the silent and early sound era A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a sile ...

(1927, based on the novel ''Le Train de 8 heures 47'') *''

Fun in the Barracks ''Fun in the Barracks'' (French: ''Les Gaîtés de l'escadron '' or ''Les Gaietés de l'escadron'') is a 1932 French comedy film directed by Maurice Tourneur and starring Raimu, Jean Gabin and Fernandel. It was based on a play by Georges Cour ...

'', directed by

(1932, based on the play ''Les Gaîtés de l'escadron'') *', directed by

André Hugon André Hugon (17 December 1886 – 22 August 1960) was a French film director, screenwriter and film producer best known for his silent films from 1913 onwards, particularly of the 1920s and into sound. Hugon was born in Algiers in 1886 w ...

(1933, based on the play ''Boubouroche'') *', directed by

Henry Wulschleger Henry Wulschleger or Henri Wulschleger (1894–1943) was a French screenwriter and film director.Crisp p.84 Selected filmography * ''Une nuit agitée'' (1920) * ''Pervenche'' (1921) (co-direction : Alfred Machin (director), Alfred Machin) * ''M ...

(1934, based on the novel ''Le Train de 8 heures 47'') *'' The Bureaucrats'', directed by

Yves Mirande Yves Mirande (Bagneux (8 May 1876 – 17 March 1957) was a French screenwriter, director, actor, and producer. Career Yves Mirande began his acting career in the theater, transitioning to movies in the silent era. Filmography * ''She Wolves'' ...

(1936, based on the novel ''Messieurs les ronds-de-cuir'') *''

The Cheerful Squadron ''The Cheerful Squadron'' (, ) is a 1954 Italian-French historical war comedy film directed by Paolo Moffa and starring Vittorio De Sica, Daniel Gélin, Alberto Sordi and Silvana Pampanini. It is the third adaptation of a story by Georges Courte ...

'', directed by Paolo Moffa (1954, based on the play ''Les Gaîtés de l'escadron'') *''

Scènes de ménage ''Scènes de ménage'' , is a French comedy film from 1954, directed by André Berthomieu, written by Marcel Achard, starring Bernard Blier and Louis de Funès. The scenario is based on three pieces by playwright Georges Courteline: "La peur de ...

'', directed by

André Berthomieu André Berthomieu (; 16 February 1903 – 10 April 1960) was a French screenwriter and film director. He was married to the actress Line Noro. Selected filmography Director * '' Not So Stupid'' (1928) * '' The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard'' (1929) ...

(1954, based on the plays ''La Peur des coups'', ''La Paix chez soi'' and ''Les Boulingrin'') *'' The Bureaucrats'', directed by

Henri Diamant-Berger Henri Diamant-Berger (9 June 1895 – 7 May 1972) was a French film director, director, film producer, producer and screenwriter. In a career that lasted more than 50 years, he directed 48 films between 1913 in film, 1913 and 1959 in film, 1959, ...

(1959, based on the novel ''Messieurs les ronds-de-cuir'')

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Courteline, Georges 1858 births 1929 deaths Writers from Tours, France 19th-century French dramatists and playwrights 20th-century French dramatists and playwrights French journalists 19th-century French novelists 20th-century French novelists 20th-century French male writers Officers of the Legion of Honour Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery French male novelists 19th-century French male writers French male non-fiction writers French satirists French satirical novelists French satirical dramatists and playwrights