Marcel Paul Pagnol (, also ; ; 28 February 1895 – 18 April 1974) was a French

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 ...

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 ...

, and

filmmaker Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...

. Regarded as an

auteur An (; , ) is an artist with a distinctive approach, usually a film director whose filmmaking control is so unbounded and personal that the director is likened to the "author" of the film, thus manifesting the director's unique style or thematic ...

, in 1946, he became the first filmmaker elected to the . Pagnol is generally regarded as one of France's greatest 20th-century writers and is notable for the fact that he excelled in almost every medium—

memoir A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based on the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autob ...

, novel, drama and film.

Early life

Pagnol was born on 28 February 1895 in

Aubagne Aubagne (; according to the classic norm or according to the Mistralian norm) is a Commune in France, commune in the southern French Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône. In 2020, the commune was awarded three flowers by the ...

, Bouches-du-Rhône department, in southern France near

Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...

, the eldest son of schoolteacher Joseph Pagnol and seamstress Augustine Lansot.Castans (1987), pp. 363–368 He was secretly baptised at the Église Saint-Charles in Marseilles. Marcel Pagnol grew up in Marseille with his younger brothers Paul and René, and younger sister Germaine.

School years

In July 1904, the family rented the ''Bastide Neuve'', – a house in the sleepy Provençal village of La Treille – for the summer holidays, the first of many spent in the hilly countryside between Aubagne and Marseille. About the same time, Augustine's health, which had never been robust, began to noticeably decline and on 16 June 1910 she succumbed to a chest

infection An infection is the invasion of tissue (biology), tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host (biology), host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmis ...

(''"mal de poitrine"'') and died, aged 36. Joseph remarried in 1912. In 1913, at the age of 18, Marcel passed his baccalaureate in philosophy and started studying literature at the university in

Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence, or simply Aix, is a List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, city and Communes of France, commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. A former capital of Provence, it is the Subprefectures in France, s ...

. When

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

broke out, he was called up into the infantry at

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million On 2 March 1916, he married Simone Colin in Marseille and in November graduated in English. He became an English teacher, teaching in various local colleges and at a lycée in Marseille.

Career

Time in Paris

In 1922, he moved to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, where he taught English until 1927, when he decided instead to devote his life to playwriting. During this time, he belonged to a group of young writers, in collaboration with one of whom, Paul Nivoix, he wrote the play, ''Merchants of Glory'', which was produced in 1924. This was followed, in 1928, by '' Topaze'', a satire based on ambition. Exiled in Paris, he returned nostalgically to his Provençal roots, taking this as his setting for his play '' Marius'', which later became the first of his works to be adapted into a film in 1931. Separated from Simone Collin since 1926 (though not divorced until 1941), he formed a relationship with the young English dancer Kitty Murphy. Their son Jacques Pagnol was born on 24 September 1930. (Jacques later became his father's assistant and subsequently a cameraman for France 3 Marseille.)

Filmmaking career

In 1929, on a visit to London, Pagnol attended a screening of one of the first talking films and he was so impressed that he decided to devote his efforts to cinema. He contacted Paramount Picture studios and suggested adapting his play ''Marius'' for cinema. The film was directed by

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; ; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)

and released on 10 October 1931. It became one of the first successful French-language talking films. In 1932, Pagnol founded his own film production studios in the countryside near Marseille. Over the next decade Pagnol produced his own films, taking many different roles in the production – financier, director, script writer, studio head, and foreign-language script translator – and employing the greatest French actors of the period. On 4 April 1946, Pagnol was elected to the , taking his seat in March 1947, the first filmmaker to receive this honour.

Themes of Pagnol's films

In his films, Pagnol transfers his playwriting talents onto the big screen. His editing style is somberly reserved, placing emphasis on the content of an image. As a pictorial naturalist, Pagnol relies on film as art to convey a deeper meaning rather than solely as a tool to tell a story. Pagnol also took great care in the type of actors he employed, hiring local actors to appear in his films to highlight their unique accents and culture. Like his plays, Pagnol's films emphasize dialogue and musicality. The themes of many of Pagnol's films revolve around the acute observation of social rituals. Using interchangeable symbols and recurring character roles, such as proud fathers and rebellious children, Pagnol illuminates the provincial life of the lower class. Notably, Pagnol also frequently compares women and land, showing both can be barren or fertile. Above all, Pagnol uses all this to illustrate the importance of human bonds and their renewal.

As a novelist

In 1945, Pagnol remarried, to Jacqueline Bouvier (the actress Jacqueline Pagnol). They had two children together, Frédéric (born 1946) and Estelle (born 1949). Estelle died at the age of two. Pagnol was so devastated that he fled the south and returned to live in Paris. He went back to writing plays, but after his next piece was badly received he decided to change his job once more and began writing a series of autobiographical novels – '' Souvenirs d'enfance'' – based on his childhood experiences. In 1957, the first two novels in the series, '' La Gloire de mon père'' and '' Le château de ma mère'' were published to instant acclaim. The third ''Le Temps des secrets'' was published in 1959, the fourth '' Le Temps des Amours'' was to remain unfinished and was not published until 1977, after his death. In the meantime, Pagnol turned to a second series, '' L'Eau des Collines'' – '' Jean de Florette'' and '' Manon des Sources'' – which focused on the machinations of Provençal peasant life at the beginning of the twentieth century and were published in 1962. Pagnol adapted his own film ''Manon des Sources'', with his wife Jacqueline in the title role, into two novels, '' Jean de Florette'' and ''Manon des Sources'', collectively titled '' L'Eau des Collines''.

Later life

Pagnol appeared before a review committee of the Parisian Comite Regional Interprofessionnel d'Epuration on 27 November 1946 for three charges of collaboration. His charges were for adding

Philippe Pétain Henri Philippe Bénoni Omer Joseph Pétain (; 24 April 1856 – 23 July 1951), better known as Marshal Pétain (, ), was a French marshal who commanded the French Army in World War I and later became the head of the Collaboration with Nazi Ger ...

's armistice speech into '' The Well-Digger's Daughter'', allowing ''La France en Marche'', a Vichy propaganda film series, to be processed at his laboratories in Marseille, and distributing a propaganda short about the

attack on Mers-el-Kébir The attack on Mers-el-Kébir (Battle of Mers-el-Kébir) on 3 July 1940, during the Second World War, was a British naval attack on French Navy ships at the naval base at Mers El Kébir, near Oran, on the coast of French Algeria. The attack was ...

. Pagnol defended himself as the Germans banned ''The Well-Digger's Daughter'' in 1941 and only unbanned it after the Pétain scene was removed and that the Vichy government seized his studios, personnel, and distribution services. All charges against him were dismissed on 3 February 1947. Pagnol died in

on 18 April 1974. He is buried in Marseille at the cemetery ''La Treille'', along with his mother, father, brothers, and wife. His boyhood friend, David Magnan (''Lili des Bellons'' in the autobiographies), who died at the Second Battle of the Marne in July 1918, is buried nearby.

Translations

Pagnol was also known for his translations of

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

(from English) and

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; 15 October 70 BC21 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Rome, ancient Roman poet of the Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Augustan period. He composed three of the most fa ...

(from

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

): *1944 : ''Le Songe d'une nuit d'été'' (''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...

'') by William Shakespeare, first presented in 1947, at the Grand Théâtre de Monaco; Paris, Œuvres complètes, Club de l'Honnête Homme, 1971 *1947 : ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

'' by William Shakespeare, Paris, Nagel *1958 : ''Bucoliques'' ('' The Eclogues'') by Virgil, Paris, Grasset Pagnol's ''Hamlet'' is still performed in France, although some have criticized his portrayal of Hamlet as somewhat effeminate.

Film adaptations

In 1986, '' Jean de Florette'' and '' Manon des Sources'' were adapted by filmmaker Claude Berri. In 1990, '' La Gloire de mon père'' and '' Le château de ma mère'', Pagnol's affectionate reminiscences of childhood, were filmed by

Yves Robert Yves Robert (; 19 June 1920 – 10 May 2002) was a French actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. Life and career Robert was born in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, France. In his teens, he went to Paris to pursue a career in acting, starting w ...

. In 2000, Jacques Nahum produced ''Marius'', ''Fanny'', and ''César'' for French television. In 2011, '' La Fille du puisatier'' was filmed by Daniel Auteuil. In 2013, '' Marius'' and '' Fanny'' were remade by Daniel Auteuil. In 2022, Le Temps Des Secrets was adapted and filmed by

Christophe Barratier Christophe Barratier (; born 17 June 1963) is a French film producer, director and screenwriter, and lyricist. Early life and education Barratier is the son of the actress Eva Simonet and M. Barratier. He is the nephew of the film director Jacqu ...

Awards

* 1939: Best foreign film for ''Harvest'' - New York Film Critics Circle Awards * 1940: Best foreign film for ''The Baker's Wife'' - New York Film Critics Circle Awards * 1950: Best foreign film for ''Jofroi'' - New York Film Critics Circle Awards

Tribute

On 28 February 2020

Google Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...

celebrated his 125th birthday with a Google Doodle.

Filmography

* '' Marius'' (1931) * '' Fanny'' (1932) * '' Jofroi'' (1934) * '' Angèle'' (1934) * '' Tartarin of Tarascon'' (1934) * '' Merlusse'' (1935) * ''Cigalon'' (1935) * '' Topaze'' (1936), first version * '' César'' (1936) * '' Regain'' (1937) * '' Le Schpountz'' (1938) * '' La Femme du boulanger'' (1938) * '' Monsieur Brotonneau'' (1939) * '' La Fille du puisatier'' (1940); remade in 2011 * '' La Prière aux étoiles'' (1941, unfinished) * '' Naïs'' (1945) * '' The Pretty Miller Girl'' (1949, in colour) * '' The Ways of Love'' (1950) * '' The Prize'' (1950) * '' Topaze'' (1951, starring Fernandel), second version * '' Manon of the Spring'' (1952, later novelized as ''L'eau des collines''; remade in 1986 in two parts as '' Jean de Florette'' and '' Manon des Sources'') * '' Letters from My Windmill'' (''Les Lettres de mon moulin'') (1954)

Bibliography

* ''Merchants of Glory'' (1925, theatre play) * ''Jazz'' (1926, theatre play) * '' Topaze'' (1928, theatre play) * '' Marius'' (1929, theatre play) * '' Fanny'' (1932, theatre play) * '' César'' (1936, theatre play) * '' La Gloire de mon père and Le Château de ma mère'' (1957,

autobiographies An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This Literary genre, genre allows individua ...

) * '' Le Temps des secrets'' (1959, autobiography) * '' L'Eau des collines'' ('' Jean de Florette'' and '' Manon des Sources'') (1963, novels) * '' Le Temps des amours'' (1977, autobiography) * ''Le Masque de Fer'' (1965, essay) * '' Le secret du Masque de Fer'' (1973, essay; 2nd expanded edition)

Notes

:* Born 25 October 1869. Died 8 November 1951, age 82. :* Born 11 September 1873. Died 16 June 1910, age 36.

References

Works cited

* * Castans, Raymond (1987). ''Marcel Pagnol''. Éditions Jean-Claude Lattès.

External links

*
Official website
* *

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pagnol, Marcel 1895 births 1974 deaths People from Aubagne Members of the Académie Française French film directors French comedy film directors French film producers French satirists French satirical dramatists and playwrights French satirical film directors 20th-century French dramatists and playwrights 20th-century French novelists Writers from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur French military personnel of World War I French people of Spanish descent French male novelists 20th-century French male writers Commandeurs of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques César Honorary Award recipients Latin–French translators English–French translators Translators of William Shakespeare Translators of Virgil 20th-century French screenwriters