Pierre Frondaie (born Albert René Fraudet; 25 April 1884 – 25 September 1948) was a French poet, novelist, and playwright.

Biography

Pierre Frondaie – né Albert René Fraudet – was born in 1884 in Paris to an upper-middle-class family. He began writing as a teenager and soon devoted himself to the theme that would come to define his career as a man of letters, namely love and its vicissitudes. His success came early. The French stage legend

Sarah Bernhardt Sarah Bernhardt (; born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 October 1844 – 26 March 1923) was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including by Alexandre Dumas fils, ...

fostered his talents as an actor and playwright, producing and acting in one of his plays during a triumphant American tour. In 1925, Frondaie published ''L'Homme à l'Hispano'' (''The Man in the Hispano-Suiza''), the novel that would go on to become his bestseller, translated in 15 languages. The book inspired a successful play, staged in Paris in 1928, and two film adaptations (the first by

Julien Duvivier Julien Duvivier (; 8 October 1896 – 29 October 1967) was a French film director and screenwriter. He was prominent in French cinema in the years 1930–1960. Amongst his most original films, chiefly notable are ''La Bandera (film), La Bandera'', ...

in 1926, the second by Jean Epstein in 1933). Frondaie soon caught the attention of Hollywood, then in its infancy, where several cinematographic adaptations were made of his works for an English-speaking audience by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

and Samuel Goldwyn. In 1928,

Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, Film producer, producer, and screenwriter of the Classical Hollywood cinema, classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American ...

directed '' Fazil'', based on Frondaie’s play ''L'Insoumise''.Bjawi-Levine, Laure: Postface à ''L'Homme à l'Hispano'', Editions le Festin (2011), Bordeaux. In France, Frondaie’s talents earned him a large audience, as well as the respect of his contemporaries, including notable authors such as Pierre Louÿs and academicians (members of the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

) such as Anatole France, Maurice Barrès, and Claude Farrère. As a playwright, he became a darling of the Parisian stage, with stars such as Polaire, Régina Badet, and Sylvie acting in his plays. Productions of his theatrical works toured Europe and made their way to Broadway. From Broadway to Hollywood, few French authors can claim the kind of success Frondaie enjoyed in America at the time. Frondaie was then referred to as a veritable literary phenomenon. From 1942 until his death, Pierre Frondaie ran the Théâtre de l'Ambigu, in Paris, and focused on directing and producing several of his own plays. At times he was even on stage playing opposite his wife, Maria Favella, an actress. Frondaie’s flamboyant lifestyle mirrored that of some of the high-society characters he wrote about in his plays and novels. He traveled frequently across the world, jetting between homes in Paris and Arcachon, making regular visits to the

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

coast, and rubbing elbows with the jazz-age beau monde. He was married four times, to illustrious and independent women, but never had children. Frondaie's first wife, Jeanne Gellier, was an actress known under the stage name of Michelle. After the couple’s divorce, Frondaie married Madeleine Charnaux, a sculptor, student of Antoine Bourdelle, and later an aviator. This marriage, too, was short lived. Frondaie was then betrothed to lawyer and author Jeanne Loviton (who wrote under the name Jean Voilier). After they separated, Frondaie married Maria Favella, a promising young actress student of the famous Cours Simon and fresh out of the Conservatory. He would spend the rest of his life with her. Frondaie’s works tend to revolve around love – or perhaps the yearning for love – and its effects on human relationships and social behavior. Scholars of his work have attributed this theme to two events that profoundly affected the author at a young age: the death of his mother when he was 17, followed a few months later by that of his first love. As a result of these traumas, he was forever haunted by the fear of losing those he loved. In 1948, Frondaie died of a heart attack in Vaucresson, a residential suburb of Paris, in the home he shared with Maria Favella. He was 64. Favella then took over the reins of the Théàtre de l’Ambigu, and proved to be a savvy businesswoman. After Frondaie’s death, she bequeathed his archives to his beloved city of Arcachon.

Selected bibliography

Novels

1907 Events January * January 14 – 1907 Kingston earthquake: A 6.5 Moment magnitude scale, Mw earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica, kills between 800 and 1,000. February * February 9 – The "Mud March (suffragists), Mud March", the ...

: ''Les Fatidiques'', Edition du « Monde Illustré ». * 1909 : ''Tu seras roi'', Librairie des Annales. *

1911 Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia. * January 3 ** 1911 Kebin earthquake: An earthquake of 7.7 m ...

: ''Contes Réels et Fantaisistes'', Edition du « Monde Illustré ». * 1925 : ''L'Homme à l'Hispano'', Editions le Festin. * 1926 : ''L'Eau du Nil'', Editions Emile-Paul Frères. * 1928 : ''Deux fois vingt ans'', Plon. * 1929 : ''La Côte des Dieux'', Editions Emile-Paul Frères. * 1929 : ''Auprès de ma blonde...'', Editions Emile-Paul Frères. * 1930 : ''Béatrice devant le désir'', Editions Emile-Paul Frères. * 1931 : ''Le Voleur de femmes'', Editions Emile-Paul Frères. * 1931 : ''Iris perdue et retrouvée'', Editions Emile-Paul Frères. *

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

: ''Zigoël'', Editions Emile-Paul Frères. *

1933 Events January * January 11 – Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independen ...

: ''De l'Amour à l'Amour'', Editions Emile-Paul Frères. *

: ''La femme de Iakof'', Editions Emile-Paul Frères. * 1934 : ''Isabelle et les préjugés'', Editions Baudinière. * 1934 : ''Cette femme qui fut divine...'', Editions Baudinière. *

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...

: ''Quand le diable s'en mêle...'', Editions Baudinière. *

: ''Le Lieutenant de Gibraltar'', Editions Baudinière. *

: ''Le Lieutenant de Gibraltar'', Librairie Plon. *

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King Edward VIII, following the death of his father, George V, at Sandringham House. * January 28 – Death and state funer ...

: ''Port-Arthur'', Librairie Plon. *

1938 Events January * January 1 – state-owned enterprise, State-owned railway networks are created by merger, in France (SNCF) and the Netherlands (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS). * January 20 – King Farouk of Egypt marries Saf ...

: ''Le Volontaire'', Librairie Plon. * 1941 : ''Ce que Bodley m'a ranconté'', Librairie Plon. *

1942 The Uppsala Conflict Data Program project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 4.62 million. However, the Correlates of War estimates that the prior year, 1941, was th ...

: ''Montmartre'', Editions Baudinière.

Theater

;Performances * ''La Femme et le Pantin'', a play in 4 acts by Pierre Louÿs and Pierre Frondaie, Paris, Théâtre Antoine, December 8, 1910 * ''Blanche Câline'', a play in 3 acts, Théâtre Michel, 4 * ''La Maison cernée'', a play in 4 acts, Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt, 12 with Madame Michelle (Jeanne Gillier) and Louis Gauthier * ''L'Appassionata'', a play in 4 acts, Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, 10 * ''Le Reflet'', a play in 4 acts, Théâtre Fémina, June * ''L'Insoumise'', a play in 4 acts, Théâtre Antoine, 10 * ''Le Fils de Don Quichotte'', a play in 4 acts, directed by Charles Dullin, music by Henri Sauguet, with Charles Dullin, Étienne Decroux, Madeleine Tambour, Paris, Théâtre de l'Atelier, December 20, 1930 * ''La Gardienne'', a play in 4 acts, Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, 10 * ''La Marche au destin'', a play in 3 acts, Théâtre de la Renaissance, March 21, 1924 * ''Les Amants de Paris'', a play in 4 acts, Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt, 10, with Sylvie, Mady Berry, Harry Baur, Pierre Blanchar and Fernand Fabre ;Editions *

: ''Rose Flamberge'', Librairie Paul Ollendorff. *

: ''Montmartre'', Librairie Charpentier et Fasquelle. Eugène Fasquelle, éditeur. *

: ''La Femme et le Pantin'' (in collaboration with Pierre Louÿs), Librairie des Annales. * 1913 : ''Blanche Câline'', La Petite Illustration. * 1913 : ''L'Homme qui assassina'' (based on a novel by Claude Farrère), Librairie Paul Ollendorff. * 1914 : ''Aphrodite'' (based on a novel by Pierre Louÿs), Fontemoing & Cie. * 1915 : ''Colette Baudoche'' (based on a novel by Maurice Barrès), Emile-Paul Frères, éditeur. * 1916 : ''Le Crime de Sylvestre Bonnard'' (based on a novel by Anatole France), Les Annales. * 1920 : ''La Maison cernée'', Librairie Théâtrale. * 1921 : ''L'Appassionata'', Librairie Théâtrale Artistique et Littéraire. * 1921 : ''La Bataille'' (based on a novel by Claude Farrère), Librairie Théâtrale. * 1922 : ''Le Reflet'', La Petite Illustration. * 1923 : ''L'Insoumise'', Librairie Théâtrale. * 1924 : ''La Gardienne'', L'Illustration. * 1926 : ''La Menace'', Librairie Théâtrale. * 1928 : ''Les Amants de Paris'' L'Illustration. * 1928 : ''L'Homme à l'Hispano.''

Poetry

: ''Les Pierres de Lune. Les Bijoux de la morte. Quelques cailloux,'' Librarie Paul Ollendorff. * 1916: ''Le prélude aux poèmes du Coq'' *

1918 The ceasefire that effectively ended the World War I, First World War took place on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of this year. Also in this year, the Spanish flu pandemic killed 50–100 million people wor ...

: ''La Nuit sur le Rhin''

Filmography

*', directed by Victor Sjöström (Sweden, 1922, based on the play ''La Maison cernée'') *'' The Man with the Hispano'', directed by

(France, 1926, based on the novel ''L'Homme à l'Hispano'') *'' Fazil'', directed by

(USA, 1928, based on the play ''L'Insoumise'') *''La Menace'', directed by Jean Bertin (France, 1928, based on the play ''La Menace'') *', directed by Marcel Vandal (France, 1928, based on the novel ''L'Eau du Nil'') *''L'Appassionata'', directed by Léon Mathot and André Liabel (France, 1929, based on the play ''L'Appassionata'') *''Deux fois vingt ans'', directed by Charles-Félix Tavano (France, 1931, based on the novel ''Deux fois vingt ans'') *''La ley del harem'', directed by

Lewis Seiler Lewis Seiler (September 30, 1890 – January 8, 1964) was an American film director. He directed more than 80 films between 1923 and 1958. Seiler was born in New York City, and died at UCLA Medical Center in Westwood, Los Angeles. Partial fi ...

(USA, Spanish-language film, 1931, based on the play ''L'Insoumise'') *'' The Man with the Hispano'', directed by Jean Epstein (France, 1933, based on the novel ''L'Homme à l'Hispano'') *', directed by Louis J. Gasnier (France, 1934, based on the novel ''Iris perdue et retrouvée'') *'' La Route impériale'', directed by Marcel L'Herbier (France, 1935, based on the play ''La Maison cernée'') *'' Port-Arthur'', directed by Nicolas Farkas (French, 1936, based on the novel ''Port-Arthur'') **'' Port Arthur'', directed by Nicolas Farkas (German, 1936, based on the novel ''Port-Arthur'') *'' The Woman Thief'', directed by

Abel Gance Abel Gance (; born Abel Eugène Alexandre Péréthon; 25 October 188910 November 1981) was a French film director, producer, writer and actor. A pioneer in the theory and practice of montage, he is best known for three major silent films: ''J'ac ...

(French, 1938, based on the novel ''Le Voleur de femmes'') **''Ladro di donne'', directed by

(Italian, 1938, based on the novel ''Le Voleur de femmes'') *'' Behold Beatrice'', directed by Jean de Marguenat (France, 1944, based on the novel ''Béatrice devant le désir'') *'' Wolves Hunt at Night'', directed by Bernard Borderie (France, 1952, based on the novel ''Le Lieutenant de Gibraltar'')

References

External links

Notice
at BnF.fr * {{DEFAULTSORT:Frondaie, Pierre 1884 births 1948 deaths 20th-century French novelists 20th-century French dramatists and playwrights French male poets French male novelists 20th-century French poets 20th-century French male writers