Baroness Emma Orczy (full name: Emma Magdolna Rozália Mária Jozefa Borbála Orczy de Orci) (; 23 September 1865 – 12 November 1947), usually known as Baroness Orczy (the name under which she was published) or to her family and friends as Emmuska Orczy, was a Hungarian-born British novelist and playwright. She is best known for her series of novels featuring the Scarlet Pimpernel, the alter ego of Sir Percy Blakeney, a wealthy English fop who turns into a quick-thinking escape artist in order to save French aristocrats from "Madame Guillotine" during the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

, establishing the "hero with a

secret identity A secret identity is a person's alter ego which is not known to the general populace, most often used in fiction. Brought into popular culture by the Scarlet Pimpernel in 1903, the concept was widespread in pulp heroes and is particularly prevalen ...

" in popular culture. Opening in London's West End on 5 January 1905, ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' became a favourite of British audiences. Some of Orczy's paintings were exhibited at the Royal Academy in London. During World War I, she formed the Women of England's Active Service League, an unofficial organisation aimed at encouraging women to persuade men to volunteer for active service in the armed forces.

Early life

Orczy was born in

Tarnaörs Tarnaörs is a village (község) in Heves County, Northern Hungary Region, Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...

. She was the daughter of the composer Baron Félix Orczy de Orci (1835–1892) and Countess Emma Wass de Szentegyed et Cege (1839–1892). Her paternal grandfather, Baron László Orczy (1787–1880) was a royal councillor, and knight of the Sicilian order of Saint George, her paternal grandmother, Baroness Magdolna, born Magdolna Müller (1811–1879), was of Austrian origin. Her maternal grandparents were the Count Sámuel Wass de Szentegyed et Cege (1815–1879), member of the Hungarian parliament, and Rozália Eperjessy de Károlyfejérvár (1814–1884). Emma's parents left their estate for Budapest in 1868, fearful of the threat of a peasant revolution. They lived in Budapest, Brussels, and Paris, where Emma studied music unsuccessfully. Finally, in 1880, the 14-year-old Emma and her family moved to London, England where they lodged with their countryman, Francis Pichler, at 162

Great Portland Street Great Portland Street in the West End of London links Oxford Street with Albany Street and the A501 Marylebone Road and Euston Road. A commercial street including some embassies, it divides Fitzrovia, to the east, from Marylebone to the west. ...

. Orczy attended

West London School of Art West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...

and then the

Heatherley School of Fine Art The Heatherley School of Fine Art is an independent art school in London. The school was named after Thomas Heatherley who took over as the school's principal from James Mathews Leigh (when it was named "Leigh's"). Founded in 1845, the schoo ...

. Although not destined to be a painter, it was at art school that she met a young illustrator named Henry George Montagu MacLean Barstow, the son of an English clergyman; they were married at St Marylebone parish church on 7 November 1894. It was the start of a joyful and happy marriage, which she described as "for close on half a century, one of perfect happiness and understanding, of perfect friendship and communion of thought."

Writing career

They had very little money and Orczy started to work with her husband as a translator and an illustrator to supplement his meager earnings. John Montague Orczy-Barstow, their only child, was born on 25 February 1899. She started writing soon after his birth, but her first novel, '' The Emperor's Candlesticks'' (1899), was a failure. She did, however, find a small following with a series of

detective stories A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads the ...

in the ''

Royal Magazine ''The Royal Magazine'' was a monthly British literary magazine that was published between 1898 and 1939. Its founder and publisher was Sir Arthur Pearson. ''The Royal Magazines first edition was published in November 1898. According to this issu ...

''. Her next novel, ''

In Mary's Reign ''The Tangled Skein'' was Baroness Orczy's second novel. First published under the title ''In Mary's Reign'' in 1901, it was re-released under the title ''The Tangled Skein'' in 1907, following the success of ''The Scarlet Pimpernel''. The book ...

'' (1901), did better. In 1903, she and her husband wrote ''

The Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title (co-authored with Montague Barstow) enjoyed a long run in London, having ...

'', a play based on one of her short stories about an English aristocrat, Sir Percy Blakeney, Bart., who rescued French aristocrats from the

. She had conceived the character while standing on a platform on the

London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The ...

. She submitted her novelisation of the story under the same title to 12 publishers. While waiting for the decisions of these publishers,

Fred Terry Fred Terry (9 November 1863 – 17 April 1933) was an English actor and theatrical manager. After establishing his reputation in London and in the provinces for a decade, he joined the company of Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree where he remained for f ...

and Julia Neilson accepted the play for production in London's West End. Initially, it drew small audiences, but the play ran for four years in London, broke many stage records, eventually playing more than 2,000 performances and becoming one of the most popular shows staged in Britain. It was translated and produced in other countries, and underwent several revivals. This theatrical success generated huge sales for the novel. The couple moved to Thanet, Kent. Introducing the notion of a "hero with a

" into popular culture, the Scarlet Pimpernel exhibits characteristics that would become standard superhero conventions, including the penchant for disguise, use of a signature weapon (sword), ability to out-think and outwit his adversaries, and a calling card (he leaves behind a scarlet pimpernel at each of his interventions). By drawing attention to his alter ego, Blakeney hides behind his public face as a slow-thinking, foppish playboy, and he also establishes a network of supporters, The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, who aid his endeavours. Orczy went on to write over a dozen sequels featuring Sir Percy Blakeney, his family, and the other members of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, of which the first, '' I Will Repay'' (1906), was the most popular. The last Pimpernel book, '' Mam'zelle Guillotine'', was published in 1940. None of her three subsequent plays matched the success of ''The Scarlet Pimpernel''. She also wrote popular mystery fiction and many adventure romances. Her '' Lady Molly of Scotland Yard'' was an early example of a female detective as the main character. Other popular detective stories featured '' The Old Man in the Corner'', a sleuth who chiefly used logic to solve crimes. Orczy was a founding member of the

Detection Club The Detection Club was formed in 1930 by a group of British mystery writers, including Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ronald Knox, Freeman Wills Crofts, Arthur Morrison, Hugh Walpole, John Rhode, Jessie Rickard, Baroness Emma Orczy, R. ...

(1930). Orczy's novels were racy, mannered melodramas and she favoured historical fiction. Critic Mary Cadogan states, "Orczy's books are highly wrought and intensely atmospheric". In '' The Nest of the Sparrowhawk'' (1909), for example, a malicious guardian in Puritan Kent tricks his beautiful, wealthy young ward into marrying him by disguising himself as an exiled French prince. He persuades his widowed sister-in-law to abet him in this plot, in which she unwittingly disgraces one of her long-lost sons and finds the other murdered by the villain. Even though this novel had no link to ''

'' other than its shared authorship, the publisher advertised it as part of "The Scarlet Pimpernel Series".

Later life

Orczy's work was so successful that she was able to buy a house in Monte Carlo: "Villa Bijou" at 19 Avenue de la Costa (since demolished), which is where she spent World War II. She was not able to return to London until after the war. Montagu Barstow died in Monte Carlo in 1942. Finding herself alone and unable to travel, she wrote her memoir ''Links in the Chain of Life'' (published 1947). She held strong political views. Orczy was a firm believer in the superiority of the aristocracy, as well as being a supporter of British imperialism and militarism. During World War I, Orczy formed the Women of England's Active Service League, an unofficial organisation aimed at encouraging women to persuade men to volunteer for active service in the armed forces. Her aim was to enlist 100,000 women who would pledge "to persuade every man I know to offer his service to his country". Some 20,000 women joined her organisation. Orczy strongly opposed the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

. She died in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire on 12 November 1947.

Name pronunciation

Asked how to say her name, Orczy told ''The Literary Digest'': "Or-tsey. ''Emmuska''—a diminutive meaning "little Emma"—accent on the first syllable, the ''s'' equivalent to ''sh'' in English; thus, ."

Works

Translations * '' Old Hungarian Fairy Tales'' (1895) translator with Montague Barstow * '' Uletka and the White Lizard'', Volume 1 of ‘The Queen Mab Series of Fairy Tales (1895) translator with Montague Barstow * '' The Enchanted Cat'', Volume 2 of ‘The Queen Mab Series of Fairy Tales’ 1895) translator with Montague Barstow * '' Fairyland's Beauty'', Volume 3 of ‘The Queen Mab Series of Fairy Tales’ (1895) translator with Montague Barstow Plays * ''

'' (1903) with Montague Barstow, as ‘Orczy-Barstow’ * ''The Sin of William Jackson'' (1906) with Montague Barstow * '' Beau Brocade'' (1908) with Montague Barstow. Written in 1905 * ‘’The Whip’’. With Montague Barstow * ''The Duke's Wager'' (1911) * ''The Legion of Honour'' (1918), adapted from ''

A Sheaf of Bluebells ''A Sheaf of Bluebells'' is a novel by Baroness Orczy about the feuds between Royalists and the followers of Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 Au ...

'' Short story collections The Man in The Corner Series * '' The Case of Miss Elliott'' (1905) * '' The Old Man in the Corner'' (1909) * '' Unravelled Knots'' (1925) Scarlet Pimpernel Series * '' The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel'' (1919) * '' Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel'' (1929) Other short story books * '' Lady Molly of Scotland Yard'' (1910) * '' The Man in Grey'' (1918) * ''Castles in the Air'' (1921) * '' Skin o' My Tooth'' (1928)

Novels

* '' The Emperor's Candlesticks'' (1899) * ''

'' (1901) later '' The Tangled Skein'' (1907) * ''

'' (1905) (The Scarlet Pimpernel) * '' By the Gods Beloved'' (1905) later released in the US as '' The Gates of Kamt'' (1907) * '' A Son of the People'' (1906) * '' I Will Repay'' (1906) (The Scarlet Pimpernel) * ‘’A Tangled Skein’’ * '' Beau Brocade'' (1907) * '' The Elusive Pimpernel'' (1908) (The Scarlet Pimpernel) * '' The Nest of the Sparrowhawk'' (1909). Serialised, The Imp Magazine, 1909 * '' Petticoat Government'' (1910). Serialised in The Queen Newspaper, 1909, and previously released as '' A Ruler of Princes'' (1909), also known as '' Petticoat Rule'' (1910) * ''

A True Woman ''A True Woman'' (US Title ''The Heart of a Woman''), was written by Baroness Orczy (best known for The Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. ...

'' (1911) * ''The Good Patriots'' (1912) * '' Fire in Stubble'' (1912). Serialised, John Bull, 1911 * '' Meadowsweet'' (1912). Serialised, The Queen Newspaper, 1912 * '' Eldorado'' (1913) (The Scarlet Pimpernel) * ''Unto Cæsar'' (1914). Serialised, The Woman at Home, 1913 * '' The Laughing Cavalier'' (1914) (The Scarlet Pimpernel) * '' A Bride of the Plains'' (1915) * '' The Bronze Eagle'' (1915) * ''Leatherface'' (1916) * '' Lord Tony's Wife'' (1917) (The Scarlet Pimpernel) * ''

'' (1917) * ''Flower o' the Lily'' (1918) * ''His Majesty's Well-beloved'' (1919) * '' The First Sir Percy'' (1921) (The Scarlet Pimpernel) * '' The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel'' (1922) (The Scarlet Pimpernel) * '' Nicolette: A Tale of Old Provence'' (1922) * '' The Honourable Jim'' (1924) * '' Pimpernel and Rosemary'' (1924) (The Scarlet Pimpernel) * ''Les Beaux et les Dandys de Grand Siècles en Angleterre'' (1924) * ''The Miser of Maida Vale'' (1925) * ''A Question of Temptation'' (1925) * ''The Celestial City'' (1926) * '' Sir Percy Hits Back'' (1927) (The Scarlet Pimpernel) * ''Blue Eyes and Grey'' (1928) * ''Marivosa'' (1930) * ''A Joyous Adventure'' (1932) * '' A Child of the Revolution'' (1932) (The Scarlet Pimpernel) * ''The Scarlet Pimpernel Looks at the World'' (1933) (The Scarlet Pimpernel) * ''

The Way of the Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Way of the Scarlet Pimpernel'', by Baroness Orczy, is another sequel book to the adventure tale, ''The Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 19 ...

'' (1933) (The Scarlet Pimpernel) * '' A Spy of Napoleon'' (1934) * '' The Uncrowned King'' (1935) * ''The Turbulent Duchess'' (1935) * '' Sir Percy Leads the Band'' (1936) (The Scarlet Pimpernel) * '' The Divine Folly'' (1937) * ''No Greater Love'' (1938) * '' Mam'zelle Guillotine'' (1940) (The Scarlet Pimpernel) * ''Pride of Race'' (1942) * ''The Will-O'-The-Wisp'' (1947)

Short Stories

* " The Red Carnation" (First published in ''Pearson’s Magazine'', June 1898, reprinted in ''Everybody's Magazine'', June 1900) * The Traitor (1898) * Juliette (1899) * Number 187 (1899) * The Trappists Vow (1899) * The Revenge of Ur-Tasen (1900) * ''The Murder in Saltashe Woods'' Windsor Magazine, June 1903 (Skin o’ My Tooth) * ''The Case of the Polish Prince'' Windsor Magazine, July 1903 (Skin o’ My Tooth) * ''The Case of Major Gibson'' Windsor Magazine, August 1903 (Skin o’ My Tooth) * ''The Duffield Peerage'' Case Windsor Magazine, September 1903 (Skin o’ My Tooth) * ''The Case of Mrs. Norris'' Windsor Magazine, October 1903 (Skin o’ My Tooth) * ''The Murton-Braby Murder'' Windsor Magazine, November 1903 (Skin o’ My Tooth) * ''The Traitor'' Cassell’s Magazine of Fiction, May 1912. Collected in The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel (The Scarlet Pimpernel) * ''Out of the Jaws of Death'' Princess Mary’s Gift Book, 1914. Collected in The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel (The Scarlet Pimpernel) * ''A Fine Bit of Work'' The New Magazine, Christmas 1914. Collected in The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel (The Scarlet Pimpernel) * ''In the Rue Monge'' (1931) (The Scarlet Pimpernel)

Omnibus editions

* The Scarlet Pimpernel etc. (1930) collection of four novels * The Gallant Pimpernel (1939) collection of four novels * The Scarlet Pimpernel Omnibus (1957) collection of four novels

Non-fiction

* ‘’If I Were a Millionaire’’. Young Woman, August 1909 * ''Links in the Chain of Life'' (autobiography, 1947)

The Scarlet Pimpernel Chronology

# '' The Laughing Cavalier'' (1914) # '' The First Sir Percy'' (1921) # ''

'' (1905) # '' Sir Percy Leads the Band'' (1936) # '' The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel'' (1919) - short story collection # '' I Will Repay'' (1906) # '' The Elusive Pimpernel'' (1908) # ''

'' (1933) # '' Lord Tony's Wife'' (1917) # '' El dorado'' (1913) # '' Mam'zelle Guillotine'' (1940) # '' The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel'' (1922) # '' Sir Percy Hits Back'' (1927) # '' Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel'' (1929) - short story collection # '' A Child of the Revolution'' (1932) # '' In the Rue Monge'' (1931) - short story # '' Pimpernel and Rosemary'' (1924) # '' The Scarlet Pimpernel Looks at the World'' (1933) with Montague Barstow

Filmography

* 1916: '' Beau Brocade'' (dir. Thomas Bentley) * 1917: '' The Laughing Cavalier'' (dir.

A. V. Bramble Albert Victor Bramble (1884–1963) was an English actor and film director. He began his acting career on the stage. He started acting in films in 1913 and subsequently turned to directing and producing films. He died on 17 May 1963. Filmogra ...

, Eliot Stannard) * 1919: '' The Elusive Pimpernel'' (dir.

Maurice Elvey Maurice Elvey (11 November 1887 – 28 August 1967) was one of the most prolific film directors in British history. He directed nearly 200 films between 1913 and 1957. During the silent film era he directed as many as twenty films per year. He a ...

) * 1923: '' I Will Repay'' (dir.

Henry Kolker Joseph Henry Kolker (November 13, 1874 ome sources 1870– July 15, 1947) was an American stage and film actor and director. Early years Kolker was born in Quincy, Illinois. Career Kolker, like fellow actors Richard Bennett and Robert Wa ...

) * 1928: '' Two Lovers'' (dir.

Fred Niblo Fred Niblo (born Frederick Liedtke; January 6, 1874 – November 11, 1948) was an American pioneer film actor, director and producer. Biography He was born Frederick Liedtke (several sources give "Frederico Nobile", apparently erroneously) in Yo ...

) * 1928: '' The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel'' (dir. T. Hayes Hunter) * 1934: ''

'' (dir. Harold Young) * 1936: '' The Emperor's Candlesticks'' (dir. Karl Hartl) * 1936: '' Spy of Napoleon'' (dir.

) * 1937: '' The Emperor's Candlesticks'' (dir.

George Fitzmaurice George Fitzmaurice (13 February 1885 – 13 June 1940) was a French-born film director and producer. Career Fitzmaurice's career first started as a set designer on stage. Beginning in 1914, and continuing until his death in 1940, he directed ...

) * 1937: ''

Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel'' is a 1937 British thriller film directed by Hanns Schwarz and starring Barry K. Barnes, Sophie Stewart, Margaretta Scott and James Mason. It is a sequel to the 1934 film ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' based on ...

'' (dir.

Hanns Schwarz Hanns Schwarz (11 February 1888 – 27 October 1945) was an Austrian film director. He was born in Vienna on 11 February 1888. Biography He directed twenty four films between 1924 and 1937 in both English and German. During the late silent and ...

) * 1950: '' The Elusive Pimpernel'' (dir.

Michael Powell Michael Latham Powell (30 September 1905 – 19 February 1990) was an English filmmaker, celebrated for his partnership with Emeric Pressburger. Through their production company The Archers, they together wrote, produced and directed a seri ...

Emeric Pressburger Emeric Pressburger (born Imre József Pressburger; 5 December 19025 February 1988) was a Hungarian-British screenwriter, film director, and producer. He is best known for his series of film collaborations with Michael Powell, in a collaborat ...

) * 1982: ''

'' (dir. Clive Donner)

Notes

External links

* * * *
Works by Baroness Orczy
a
Blakeney Manor
* *
Baroness Emmuska Orczy Collection
at

Harry Ransom Center The Harry Ransom Center (until 1983 the Humanities Research Center) is an archive, library and museum at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in the collection of literary and cultural artifacts from the Americas and Europe for the pur ...

* * * * ''The Legion of Honour'' by Baroness Orczy at th
Great War Theatre website

Baroness Orczy's ''The Liverpool Mystery'' audiobook at Libsyn
{{DEFAULTSORT:Orczy, Emma 1865 births 1947 deaths People from Heves County British women novelists British historical novelists Hungarian women novelists Members of the Detection Club Austro-Hungarian emigrants to England Hungarian nobility British anti-communists Emma 19th-century British novelists 19th-century English women writers 19th-century British translators 20th-century British novelists 20th-century English women writers British women short story writers English women dramatists and playwrights 20th-century English dramatists and playwrights Women mystery writers 20th-century British translators Writers from London Hungarian emigrants to England Women historical novelists 19th-century British short story writers 20th-century British short story writers 19th-century Hungarian novelists 19th-century Hungarian women writers Writers of historical fiction set in the early modern period Writers of historical fiction set in the modern age 20th-century Hungarian novelists 20th-century Hungarian women writers