Francis Cornu (4 October 1794 – 7 March 1848) was a French

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

Biography

After he made excellent studies in Paris, he lost his father and at the young age of 17, had to work for a living. He entered as an employee at the prefecture of Nièvre. In 1815, suspected of supporting the Bourbons, he was removed from office. He then entered into business house then into a bank where he became chief clerk. Having already composed verses in Latin, he made his debut in 1816 in

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

in the

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

genre. In 1819, he moved to Paris and worked again first as a bank clerk (1819-1825). His first plays did not get any success. ''Le forçat libéré'' in 1829, performed at the Ambigu-Comique was even booed. Finally, it is ''Isaure'' which was met with success that made him known. His plays, including many in collaboration with Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois, will then be regularly performed on the most important Parisian stages of the 19th century: Théâtre du Gymnase dramatique,

Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique The (, literally, Theatre of the Comic-Ambiguity), a former Parisian theatre, was founded in 1769 on the boulevard du Temple immediately adjacent to the Théâtre de Nicolet. It was rebuilt in 1770 and 1786, but in 1827 was destroyed by fire. A ...

Théâtre des Variétés The Théâtre des Variétés () is a theatre and "salle de spectacles" at 7–8, boulevard Montmartre, 2nd arrondissement, in Paris. It was declared a monument historique in 1974. History The theatre owed its creation to Mademoiselle Montans ...

etc. In 1841, he became managing director of the Theatre at

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

Works

* ''La suite de je fais mes farces'', vaudeville, 1816 * ''L'Enfant de Paris ou le débit de consolations'', lithographies in action, with

Armand d'Artois Armand d'Artois (3 October 1788 – 28 March 1867) was a 19th-century French playwright and librettist A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque ...

and

Gabriel de Lurieu Gabriel de Lurieu (real name Gabriel-Zéphirin Gonyn de Lurieu; Paris, 28 October 1799 (7 brumaire year VIII) – Paris, 5 February 1889 ) was a French author and playwright. His brother Jules-Joseph-Gabriel de Lurieu (1792–1869), with whom he ...

, 1823 * ''Partie et revanche'',

comédie en vaudevilles The ''comédie en vaudevilles'' () was a theatrical entertainment which began in Paris towards the end of the 17th century, in which comedy was enlivened through lyrics using the melody of popular vaudeville (song), vaudeville songs.Barnes 2001. ...

in 1 act, with Nicolas Brazier and

Eugène Scribe Augustin Eugène Scribe (; 24 December 179120 February 1861) was a French dramatist and librettist. He is known for writing "well-made plays" ("pièces bien faites"), a mainstay of popular theatre for over 100 years, and as the librettist of man ...

, 1823 * ''Les Acteurs à l’auberge'', comedy in 1 act, with

Maurice Alhoy Philadelphe-Maurice Alhoy (1802 – 27 April 1856) was a 19th-century French journalist, writer and playwright, born and died in Paris. As journalist Under the Restauration and the July Monarchy, when "every day saw the birth of a new paper" ...

and

Armand-François Jouslin de La Salle Armand-François Jouslin de La Salle (15 September 1794 – 1 July 1863) was a French lawyer, journalist, dramatist and theatre director. Jouslin de La Salle was administrator of the Comédie-Française from 1832 to 1837, and then of the théât ...

, 1825 * ''Isaure'', drame en 3 actes, mingled with song, with Benjamin Antier and

Théodore Nézel Théodore Nézel (25 February 1799 – 23 May 1854) was a 19th-century French playwright and Libretto, librettist. An employee at the ministry of public instruction, he was appointed managing director of the Théâtre du Panthéon in 1838. His ...

, 1829 * ''Le Forçat libéré'',

melodrama A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...

in three acts, with

Armand Séville Charles-Victor Armand called Armand Séville (? – 1847) was a 19th-century French journalist, novelist, Chansonnier (singer), chansonnier, French poetry, poet and playwright. A collaborator of the ''Journal de Paris'', a member of the Société ...

, 1829 * ''Napoléon'', historical play in three parts, mingled with songs, with Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois, 1830 * ''Une nuit au Palais-Royal, ou la Garde nationale en 1830'', tableau-vaudeville, with A. Bourgeois, 1830 * ''La Belle-Fille'', comédie en vaudevilles in 1 act, with A. Bourgeois, 1831 * ''Le Boa, ou le Bossu à la mode'', comédie en vaudevilles in 1 act, with Achille d'Artois, 1831 * ''Les Chouans, ou Coblentz et Quiberon'',

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

in 3 acts, with A. Bourgeois, 1831 * ''Le Grenadier de l'île d'Elbe'', play in three acts, mingled with songs, with A.Bourgeois, 1831 * ''Jeannette'', melodrama in three acts and 6 periods, with A. Bourgeois, 1831 * ''Le Nouveau Sargines, ou l'École des malins'', vaudeville in 1 act, 1831 * ''Le savetier de Toulouse'', drama in 4 acts, 1832 * ''Les Deux diligences'', comédie en vaudevilles in 1 act, with A. Bourgeois, 1832 * ''Franklin à Passy ou le Bonhomme Richard'', vaudeville anecdotique en 1 act, with

Frédéric de Courcy Frédéric de Courcy, born Frédéric Charlot de CourcyThus he is not part of the Norman Courcy family, contrary to his entry in ''Dictionnaire de biographie française'' (16 August 1796, Paris – 6 May 1862, Paris) was a French dramatist, poet a ...

, 1832 * ''Sophie, ou le Mauvais ménage'', drama in three acts, with Merville, 1832 * ''Tom-Rick, ou le Babouin'', play in three acts, with Armand d'Artois, 1832 * ''La Chanoinesse'', vaudeville in one act, with

, 1833 * ''Le Festin de Balthazar'', sacred drama in 5 acts, mingled with chorus, with Gustave Robillard, 1833 * ''Indiana'', drama in 5 parts, with Léon Halévy, 1833 * ''Valentine ou Le Château de la Ferme'', melodrama in five acts, with

Guilbert de Pixérécourt Guilbert is a French surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Aimé-Victor-François Guilbert (1812–1889), French cardinal *Ann Morgan Guilbert, American actress * Frédéric Guilbert (born 1994), French soccer player * Nelly Guilbert ...

, 1834 * ''Les mineurs'', melodrama in three acts, with A. Bourgeois, 1835 * ''Héloïse et Abeilard'', drama in five acts, with Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois, 1836 * ''Nabuchodonosor'', drama in four acts, with A. Bourgeois and Pierre Elzéar, 1836 * ''Le spectre et l'orpheline'', drama in four acts, with A. Bourgeois, 1836 * ''Jérusalem délivrée'', play in 4 acts and 10 tableaux, 1836 * ''Austerlitz'', événement historique in three periods and eight tableaux, 1837 * ''Pauvre mère !'', drama in five acts, with Hippolyte Auger, 1837 * ''L’Élève de Saint-Cyr'', drama in five acts, 1838 * ''Le Château de Saint-Germain'', drama in five acts, with Léon Halévy, 1840 * ''Les Chevilles de maître Adam, menuisier de Nevers, ou les Poètes artisans'', 1-act comedy, mingled with couplets, 1841 * ''Marie ou l'Inondation'', drama un five acts and six tableaux, with Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois, 1846

Bibliography

* Felix Delhasse, ''Annuaire dramatique de la Belgique'', vol.4, 1842, (p. 114) * Victor Couailhac, ''La vie de théâtre'', 1864, (pp. 206–207) * Jules Guex, ''Le Théâtre et la société française: de 1815 à 1848'', 1900, (p. 115) * Simone Bernard-Griffiths, Jean Sgard, ''Mélodrames et romans noirs: 1750–1890'', 2000, (p. 279) {{DEFAULTSORT:Cornu, Francis 19th-century French dramatists and playwrights People from Nièvre 1794 births 1848 deaths