Robert Pellevé de La Motte-Ango, marquis de Flers (25 November 1872,

Pont-l'Évêque, Calvados Pont-l'Évêque () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. It is known for Pont-l'Évêque cheese, a type of soft cheese, the oldest Normandy cheese in production. History In the summer of 1793 ...

– 30 July 1927, Vittel) 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 ...

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

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, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major ...

, and

journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

. Pierre Barillet, ''Les Seigneurs du rire: Flers – Caillavet – Croisset'', Paris, Arthème Fayard, 1999

Biography

He entered the

Lycée Condorcet The Lycée Condorcet () is a secondary school in Paris, France, located at 8, rue du Havre, in the city's 9th arrondissement. Founded in 1803, it is one of the four oldest high schools in Paris and also one of the most prestigious. Since its inc ...

in 1888 where he studied law with the initial ambition of entering diplomatic service. He met and befriended fellow student and writer

Marcel Proust Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust ( ; ; 10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, literary critic, and essayist who wrote the novel (in French – translated in English as ''Remembrance of Things Past'' and more r ...

, and that relationship had a great influence upon him. Proust exposed Flers to art, literature, and music and his interests soon switched from law to writing, journalism, and literature. The two men enjoyed a lifelong friendship. After completing his studies, he toured throughout Asia in the mid-1890s. The event inspired his earliest writings: the novel ''La Courtisane Taïa et son singe vert'' (1896), the short story ''Ilsée, princesse de Tripoli'' (1896), and the travel narrative ''Vers l’Orient'' (1897). Upon returning to Paris, he was approached by composer

Edmond Audran Achille Edmond Audran (12 April 184017 August 1901) was a French composer best known for several internationally successful comic operas and operettas. After beginning his career in Marseille as an organist, Audran composed religious music and b ...

to write the libretto for his operetta ''La reine des reines''. The worked premiered on 14 October 1896 at the Théâtre de l'Eldorado in

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

. His next libretto was for Gaston Serpette's vaudeville-operetta ''Shakspeare!'' which premiered at the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens on 23 November 1899. In 1901 de Flers married Geneviève Sardou, the daughter of

Victorien Sardou Victorien Sardou ( , ; 5 September 1831 – 8 November 1908) was a French dramatist. He is best remembered today for his development, along with Eugène Scribe, of the well-made play. He also wrote several plays that were made into popular 19th-c ...

. He continued to be active writing librettos. His third opera libretto, ''Les travaux d'Hercule'' (1901), marked his first collaboration with fellow playwright Gaston Arman de Caillavet and composer Claude Terrasse. Most of his remaining librettos were written with Caillavet, often for Terrasse who was their most frequent musical collaborator. Other composers for which the two men wrote librettos include

André Messager André Charles Prosper Messager (; 30 December 1853 – 24 February 1929) was a French composer, organist, pianist and conductor. His compositions include eight ballets and thirty , opérettes and other stage works, among which his ballet (1 ...

, and

Gabriel Pierné Henri Constant Gabriel Pierné (16 August 1863 – 17 July 1937) was a French composer, conductor, pianist and organist. Biography Gabriel Pierné was born in Metz. His family moved to Paris, after Metz and part of Lorraine were annexed to Germ ...

. The two men also wrote a French translation of

Franz Lehár Franz Lehár ( ; ; 30 April 1870 – 24 October 1948) was an Austro-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas, of which the most successful and best known is '' The Merry Widow'' (''Die lustige Witwe''). Life and career L ...

's ''

The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' ( ) is an operetta by the Austria-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The Libretto, librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein (writer), Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's ...

'' in 1905 which was used throughout France during the first half of the 20th century. Their last opera collaboration was for Alfred Bruneau's 1923 opera ''Le jardin du paradis''. De Flers also wrote the librettos for

Reynaldo Hahn Reynaldo Hahn de Echenagucia (9 August 1874 – 28 January 1947) was a Venezuelan-born French composer, conductor, music critic, and singer. He is best known for his songs – ''mélodies'' – of which he wrote more than 100. Hahn was born ...

's '' Ciboulette'' (1923) with playwright Francis de Croisset, and Joseph Szulc's ''Le petit choc'' (1923). De Flers and de Caillavet also often worked together on stage plays, producing such comedies as ''Le Sire de Vergy'' (1903), ''Les Sentiers de la vertu'' (1903), ''Pâris ou le bon juge'' (1906), ''Miquette et sa mère'' (1906), ''Primerose'' (1911), and ''L’Habit vert'' (1913) among other works. He later worked frequently with playwright Francis de Croisset, producing such works as ''Les Vignes du seigneur'' (1923), ''Les Nouveaux Messieurs'' (1925), and ''Le Docteur miracle'' (1926). Although a number of his operas were successful in his day, his lasting legacy rests in his stage plays. De Flers was a member 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 ...

from 1920 up until his death in 1927. He spent the last six years of his life as literary editor of ''

Le Figaro () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It was named after Figaro, a character in several plays by polymath Pierre Beaumarchais, Beaumarchais (1732–1799): ''Le Barbier de Séville'', ''The Guilty Mother, La Mère coupable'', ...

'', a position he was appointed to in 1921. He also served as the Conseiller Général of

Lozère Lozère (; ) is a landlocked Departments of France, department in the Regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie in Southern France, located near the Massif Central, bounded to the northeast by Haute-Loire, to the ...

during his latter years.

Filmography

*''Il bosco sacro'', directed by

Carmine Gallone Carmine Gallone (10 September 1885 – 11 March 1973) was an early Italian film director, screenwriter, and film producer, who was also controversial for his works of pro-Fascist propaganda and historical revisionism. Considered one of Itali ...

(Italy, 1915, based on the play ''Le Bois sacré'') *', directed by Mauritz Stiller (Sweden, 1915, based on the play ''La belle aventure'') *'' The Beautiful Adventure'', directed by

Dell Henderson George Adelbert "Dell" Henderson (July 5, 1877 – December 2, 1956) was a Canadian-American actor, film director, director, and writer. He began his long and prolific film career in the early days of silent film. Biography Born in the southwest ...

(1917, based on the play ''La belle aventure'') *''L'asino di Buridano'', directed by Eleuterio Rodolfi (Italy, 1917, based on the play ''L'Âne de Buridan'') *'' Love Watches'', directed by Henry Houry (1918, based on the play ''L'amour veille'') *''Primerose'', directed by Mario Caserini (Italy, 1919, based on the play ''Primerose'') *'' The King on Main Street'', directed by

Monta Bell Louis Monta Bell (February 5, 1891 – February 4, 1958) was an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Biography Monta Bell first appeared in theatrical venues with Washington D.C. Summer stock theatre, stock companies and then ...

(1925, based on the play ''Le Roi'') *'' The New Gentlemen'', directed by

Jacques Feyder Jacques Feyder (; 21 July 1885 – 24 May 1948) was a Belgian film director, screenwriter and actor who worked principally in France, but also in the US, Britain and Germany. He was a director of silent films during the 1920s, and in the 193 ...

(France, 1929, based on the play ''Les Nouveaux Messieurs'') *'' The Beautiful Adventure'', directed by Reinhold Schünzel (Germany, 1932, based on the play ''La belle aventure'') **'' The Beautiful Adventure'', directed by Reinhold Schünzel and Roger Le Bon (French, 1932, based on the play ''La belle aventure'') *'' Our Lord's Vineyard'', directed by René Hervil (France, 1932, based on the play ''Les Vignes du Seigneur'') *'' Buridan's Donkey'', directed by Alexandre Ryder (France, 1932, based on the play ''L'Âne de Buridan'') *'' Ciboulette'', directed by

Claude Autant-Lara Claude Autant-Lara (; 5 August 1901 – 5 February 2000) was a French film director, screenwriter, set designer and costume designer who worked in films for over 50 years. He made films characterised by bourgeois Realism (arts), realism, anti- ...

(France, 1933, based on the operetta ''Ciboulette'') *'' Primerose'', directed by René Guissart (France, 1934, based on the play ''Primerose'') *'' Miquette'', 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, ...

(France, 1934, based on the play ''Miquette et sa mère'') *''Äventyret'', directed by Per-Axel Branner (Sweden, 1936, based on the play ''La belle aventure'') *'' The King'', directed by

Pierre Colombier Pierre Colombier (1896–1958) was a French screenwriter and film director. Selected filmography Director * ''Paris in Five Days'' (1926) * ''The Marriage of Rosine'' (1926) * ''Dolly (film), Dolly'' (1929) * ''His Best Client'' (1932) * ''One Nig ...

(France, 1936, based on the play ''Le Roi'') *', directed by

Léon Mathot Léon Mathot (5 March 1886, Roubaix, Nord-Pas-de-Calais - 6 March 1968, in Paris) was a French film actor and film director best known perhaps for playing Edmond Dantes in ''The Count of Monte Cristo (1918 series), The Count of Monte Cristo'' se ...

(France, 1937, based on the play ''L'Ange du foyer'') *', directed by

Henry Roussel Henry Roussel (; 1875–1946), also known as Henry Roussell, was a French silent film actor, film director and screenwriter best known for his silent films of the 1910s and 1920s. He starred in well over 40 films between 1912 and 1939. Selected ...

(France, 1937, based on the play ''L'amour veille'') *''

The Green Jacket ''The Green Jacket'' (French: ''L'habit vert'') is a 1937 French comedy film directed by Roger Richebé and starring Elvire Popesco, Victor Boucher and Jules Berry. It is based on a play by Gaston Arman de Caillavet and Robert de Flers.Forman ...

'', directed by Roger Richebé (France, 1937, based on the play ''L'Habit vert'') *''

Monsieur Brotonneau ''Monsieur Brotonneau'' is a 1939 French comedy drama film directed by Alexander Esway and starring Raimu, Josette Day and Marguerite Pierry. The film was released not a month before France declared war to Nazi Germany. Synopsis Monsieur Br ...

'', directed by

Alexander Esway Alexander Esway (20 January 1895 – 23 August 1947) was a Hungarian-born film director, screenwriter, and producer. Life and career Esway was born Sándor Ezry in Budapest. In the late 1920s and early 1930s he worked as a director and screenwri ...

(France, 1939, based on the play ''Monsieur Brotonneau'') *'' Papacito lindo'', directed by

Fernando de Fuentes Fernando de Fuentes Carrau (December 13, 1894 – July 4, 1958) was a Mexican film director, considered a pioneer in the film industry worldwide. He is perhaps best known for directing the films ''El prisionero trece'', ''El compadre Mendoza'', a ...

(Mexico, 1939, based on the play ''Miquette et sa mère'') *''

Sacred Woods ''Sacred Woods'' (French:'' Le bois sacré'') is a 1939 French comedy film directed by Léon Mathot and starring Elvire Popesco, Gaby Morlay and Victor Boucher.Oscherwitz & Higgins p.113 It was based on a play by Robert de Flers and Gaston Ar ...

'', directed by

(France, 1939, based on the play ''Le Bois sacré'') *'' Miquette'', directed by Jean Boyer (France, 1940, based on the play ''Miquette et sa mère'') *', directed by Robert Péguy (France, 1942, based on the play ''Papa'') *'' The Beautiful Adventure'', directed by

Marc Allégret Marc Allégret (22 December 1900 – 3 November 1973) was a French screenwriter, photographer and film director. Biography Born in Basel, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland, he was the elder brother of Yves Allégret. Marc was educated to be a lawyer in ...

(France, 1942, based on the play ''La belle aventure'') *''A Royal Affair'', directed by Marc-Gilbert Sauvajon (France, 1949, based on the play ''Le Roi'') *'' Miquette'', directed by

Henri-Georges Clouzot Henri-Georges Clouzot (; 20 November 1907 – 12 January 1977) was a French film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best remembered for his work in the thriller film genre, having directed '' The Wages of Fear'' (1953) and '' Les Diabo ...

(France, 1950, based on the play ''Miquette et sa mère'') *', directed by Annelise Reenberg (Denmark, 1955, based on the play ''La belle aventure'') *''Les Vignes du Seigneur'', directed by Jean Boyer (France, 1958, based on the play ''Les Vignes du Seigneur'') *', directed by Toivo Särkkä (Finland, 1962, based on the play ''La belle aventure'') *', directed by (France, 1977, based on the play ''Les Vignes du Seigneur'')

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Flers, Robert de 1872 births 1927 deaths People from Pont-l'Évêque, Calvados 19th-century French dramatists and playwrights 20th-century French dramatists and playwrights Writers from Normandy French male journalists French opera librettists French ballet librettists Members of the Académie Française Lycée Condorcet alumni Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery 20th-century French journalists Le Figaro people