Pierre-Charles-Joseph-Auguste Lefranc (2 February 1814 – 15 December 1878) was a 19th-century French
playwright
A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays.
Etymology
The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
and journalist.
Biography
After secondary studies in
Mâcon
Mâcon (), historically anglicised as Mascon, is a city in east-central France. It is the prefecture of the department of Saône-et-Loire in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Mâcon is home to near 34,000 residents, who are referred to in French as M ...
, he moved to Paris in order to attend law school. There he met
Eugène Labiche
Eugene is a common male given name that comes from the Greek εὐγενής (''eugenēs''), "noble", literally "well-born", from εὖ (''eu''), "well" and γένος (''genos''), "race, stock, kin".Marc-Michel
Marc-Antoine-Amédée Michel, known as Marc-Michel (22 July 1812 in Marseille – 12 March 1868 in Paris) was a French poet, playwright and journalist. He is perhaps best known today for the 1851 farce he co-wrote with Eugène Marin Labiche, ''The ...
. He obtained his license and registered with the Bar but did not practice law for long, becoming more interested in writing. He worked with small newspapers and founded ''l'Audience'' and ''La Chaire catholique''. But his passion was theater.
Through his cousin
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 ...
, who then dominated the French playwriting scene, he received helpful advice and support from theatre directors. His first play, a ''
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 one act titled ''Une femme tombée du ciel'', premiered in 1836 at the
Théâtre du Panthéon
The Théâtre du Panthéon was a theatre building in Paris, at 96 (now 46) rue Saint-Jacques ( 5th arrondissement). It opened in 1832 and closed in 1844. It was named after the nearby Panthéon.
History
It was built in 1831 on the remains of the ...
. In 1838, Labiche, Lefranc and Marc-Michel founded the "
Paul Dandré Dramatic Society", a collective literary
pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
for the production of comedies and dramas. A contract formally linked the three theatrical newcomers, who agreed to write only for their new partnership. While the experience lasted only two years, it ended amicably. Labiche, in a letter to
Nadar
Gaspard-Félix Tournachon (5 April 1820 – 20 March 1910), known by the pseudonym Nadar, was a French photographer, caricaturist, journalist, novelist, balloon (aircraft), balloonist, and proponent of Aircraft#Heavier-than-air – aerodynes, h ...
, however, blamed the dissolution on Lefranc's "laziness and inaccuracy".
Over the next two decades, Lefranc wrote fifty more comedies, mostly with Labiche (the last, ''L'Avocat d'un Grec'', in 1859).. Except for ''
Embrassons-nous, Folleville!'' (1850), which was refashioned into an ''
opéra-comique
The Opéra-Comique is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief rival, the Comédie-Italienne ...
'' with music by Avelino Valenti and successfully performed at the second
Salle Favart
The Salle Favart, officially the Théâtre de l'Opéra-Comique, is a Paris opera house and theatre, the current home of the Opéra-Comique. It was built from 1893 to 1898 in a neo-Baroque style to the designs of the French architect Louis Bernie ...
in 1879, none of his plays is considered significant, and many were not even published. He then changed careers, becoming a banker by taking over the Caisse du Crédit public A. Lefranc and Cie.
From 8 July 1867 until mid 1868 Lefranc was a co-director of the
Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens
The Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens () is a Parisian theatre founded in 1855 by the composer Jacques Offenbach for the performance of opéra bouffe and operetta. The current theatre is located in the 2nd arrondissement at 4 rue Monsigny with an ...
, along with Julien-Joseph-Henry Dupontavisse. During their tenure the theatre temporarily presented ''
comédies en vaudevilles''.
[Wild 1989, pp. 62, 64.]
He died on 15 December 1878 in his country house in
Suresnes
Suresnes () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, Île-de-France. Located in Hauts-de-Seine, from the centre of Paris, it had a population of 49,145 as of 2016. The nearest communes are Nanterre, Puteaux, Rueil-Malmaison, Saint-Cloud an ...
.
Works
Theatre
*1836: ''Une femme tombée du ciel''
*1837: ''La Cuvette d'eau'' (with
Eugène Labiche
Eugene is a common male given name that comes from the Greek εὐγενής (''eugenēs''), "noble", literally "well-born", from εὖ (''eu''), "well" and γένος (''genos''), "race, stock, kin".Marc-Michel
Marc-Antoine-Amédée Michel, known as Marc-Michel (22 July 1812 in Marseille – 12 March 1868 in Paris) was a French poet, playwright and journalist. He is perhaps best known today for the 1851 farce he co-wrote with Eugène Marin Labiche, ''The ...
)
*1838 :
**''Monsieur de Coyllin ou l'Homme infiniment poli'' (with Labiche and Marc-Michel)
**''Le Capitaine d'Arcourt ou la Fée du château'' (with Labiche and Marc-Michel)
**''L'Avocat Loubet'' (with Labiche and Marc-Michel)
*1839:
**''
La Forge des châtaigniers'' (with Labiche and Marc-Michel)
**''La Peine du Talion'' (with Labiche and Marc-Michel)
**''L'Article 960 ou la Donation'' (with Labiche, Marc-Michel and
Lancelot
Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...
)
*1840:
**''Le Fin Mot'' (with Labiche and Marc-Michel)
**''Le Lierre et l'Ormeau'' (with Labiche and
Albert Monnier
Albert Monnier, (22 July 1815Charles Varin
Charles Voirin, called Varin, (20 January 1798 (1er pluviôse an VI) – 24 April 1869) was a 19th-century French playwright.
He also wrote under the pen names V. Warin and Victor.
Biography
Destined by his father to the profession of nota ...
and
Jacques Arago
Jacques Étienne Victor Arago (6 March 1790 – 27 November 1855) was a French writer, artist and explorer, author of a ''Voyage Round the World''.
Biography
Jacques was born in Estagel, Pyrénées-Orientales. He was the brother of François Ara ...
)
*1842: ''Les Circonstances atténuantes'' (with Labiche and
Mélesville
Baron Anne-Honoré-Joseph Duveyrier, pen-name Mélesville (13 December 1787 in Paris – 7 November 1865 in Marly-le-Roi) was a French dramatist. The playwright Mélesville fils was his son.
Life
The son of Honoré-Nicolas-Marie Duveyrier, M ...
)
*1843:
**''L'Homme de paille'' (with Labiche)
**''Une femme compromise''
*1844:
**''Le Major Cravachon'' (with Labiche and
Paul Jessé)
**''Deux papas très bien ou la Grammaire de Chicard'' (with Labiche)
*1845:
**''Le Roi des Frontins'' (with Labiche)
**''L'École buissonnière'' (with Labiche)
*1846:
**''Mademoiselle ma femme'' (with Labiche)
**''Rocambolle le bateleur'' (with Labiche)
**''Frisette'' (with Labiche)
**''L'Inventeur de la poudre'' (with Labiche and
Nyon
Nyon (; outdated German language, German: or ; outdated Italian language, Italian: , ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in Nyon District in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is located some 25 kilomet ...
)
*1847:
**''L'Avocat pédicure'' (with Labiche and
Albitte)
**''La Chasse aux jobards'' (with Labiche)
**''Une existence décolorée''
**''Un homme sanguin'' (with Labiche)
**''L'Art de ne pas donner d'étrennes'' (with Labiche)
*1848:
**''L'Enfant de quelqu'un'', comédie-vaudeville in 2 acts, premiered in London during a tour of the troupe of the
Théâtre du Palais-Royal
The Théâtre du Palais-Royal () is a 750-seat Parisian theatre at 38 rue de Montpensier, located at the northwest corner of the Palais-Royal in the Galerie de Montpensier at its intersection with the Galerie de Beaujolais.
Brief history ...
.
**''
Le Baromètre, ou la Pluie et le Beau Temps'' (with Labiche and Marc-Michel)
**''A moitié chemin'' (with Labiche and Marc-Michel)
**''Le Club champenois'' (with Labiche)
**''Une tragédie chez M. Grassot'' (with Labiche)
**''À bas la famille ou les Banquets'' (with Labiche)
*1849:
**''Les Manchettes d'un vilain'' (with Labiche and
Saint-Yves)
**''Un monsieur qui pose'' (with Labiche and Philippe de Marville)
**''Une dent sous Louis XV'' (with Labiche)
**''Trompe-la-balle'' (with Labiche)
*1850:
**''Les Prétendus de Gimblette'' (with Labiche, Marc-Michel and Matharel de Fiennes)
**''
Embrassons-nous, Folleville !'' (with Labiche)
**''Les Roués innocents''
**''Une idée fixe''
*1851: ''En manches de chemise'' (with Labiche and Nyon)
*1852: ''Piccolet'' (with Labiche and
Armand Montjoye
Armand Montjoye, real name Jules Joseph Montjoye, (Paris, 8 February 1816 – Paris, 13 January 1871) was a 19th-century French painter and playwright.
Biography
A son of the dancer Louis-Stanislas Montjoie (1789 – 1865), a student of Jean-D ...
)
*1853: ''Un ut de poitrine'' (with Labiche)
*1854: ''Un mauvais coucheur''
*1855: ''Les Précieux'' (with Labiche and Marc-Michel)
*1859: ''L'Avocat d'un grec'' (with Labiche)
Notes
Bibliography
*
Letellier, Robert Ignatius
Robert Ignatius Letellier (born 1953, in Durban, South Africa) is a cultural historian and academic, specialising in the history of music, Romantic literature and the Bible. He teaches at the Maryvale Institute and the Institute of Continuing Educ ...
(2010). ''Opéra-Comique: A Sourcebook''. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars. .
* Wild, Nicole (
989. ''Dictionnaire des théâtres parisiens au XIXe siècle: les théâtres et la musique''. Paris: Aux Amateurs de livres. . (paperback)
View formats and editionsat
WorldCat
WorldCat is a union catalog that itemizes the collections of tens of thousands of institutions (mostly libraries), in many countries, that are current or past members of the OCLC global cooperative. It is operated by OCLC, Inc. Many of the OCL ...
.
* Wild, Nicole; Charlton, David (2005). ''Théâtre de l'Opéra-Comique Paris: répertoire 1762-1972''. Sprimont, Belgium: Editions Mardaga. .
External links
Notice d'autorité de la BnF
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lefranc, Auguste
19th-century French dramatists and playwrights
19th-century French journalists
French male journalists
French bankers
People from Saône-et-Loire
1814 births
1878 deaths
19th-century French male writers