Pierre Benoit (16 July 1886 – 3 March 1962) 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 writing novels and other fiction, while others asp ...

, screenwriter and member of the Académie française. He is perhaps best known for his second novel '' L'Atlantide'' (1919) that has been filmed several times.

Biography

Pierre Benoit, born in

Albi Albi (; oc, Albi ) is a commune in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn department, on the river Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called ''Albigensians'' (french: Albigeois, Albigeoise(s), oc, albig ...

(southern France) was the son of a French soldier. Benoit spent his early years and military service in Northern Africa, before becoming a civil servant and librarian.Hugo Frey, "Afterword" to ''The Queen of Atlantis'', Bison Books, , (p.289-312) In 1914 he published his first book of poems. He then joined the French army and after the Battle of Charleroi was hospitalised and demobilised. His first novel, '' Koenigsmark'', was published in 1918; '' L'Atlantide'' was published the next year and was awarded the

Grand Prize A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.

of the Académie française, from which he became a member in 1931. In 1923 Benoit was sent to Turkey as a journalist of ''

Le Journal ''Le Journal'' (The Journal) was a Paris daily newspaper published from 1892 to 1944 in a small, four-page format. Background It was founded and edited by Fernand Arthur Pierre Xau until 1899. It was bought and managed by the family of Henri ...

'' and later visited other nations. During this decade, many of his novels were turned into films, including '' La Châtelaine du Liban.'' A political right-winger, Benoit was an admirer of Maurice Barrès and

Charles Maurras Charles-Marie-Photius Maurras (; ; 20 April 1868 – 16 November 1952) was a French author, politician, poet, and critic. He was an organizer and principal philosopher of ''Action Française'', a political movement that is monarchist, anti-par ...

. During the

Nazi Occupation of France The Military Administration in France (german: Militärverwaltung in Frankreich; french: Occupation de la France par l'Allemagne) was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II to administer the occupied zo ...

, Benoît joined the " Groupe Collaboration", a pro-Nazi arts group whose other members included

Abel Bonnard Abel Bonnard (19 December 1883 31 May 1968) was a French poet, novelist and politician. Biography Born in Poitiers, Vienne, his early education was in Marseilles with secondary studies at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand in Paris. A student of literatu ...

, Georges Claude and

Pierre Drieu La Rochelle Pierre Eugène Drieu La Rochelle (; 3 January 1893 – 15 March 1945) was a French writer of novels, short stories and political essays. He was born, lived and died in Paris. Drieu La Rochelle became a proponent of French fascism in the 1930s, ...

. This led him to be arrested in September 1944; he was eventually released after six months, but his work remained on the "blacklist" of French Nazi collaborators for several years afterwards. He attempted to resign from the Académie française in 1959 in protest over their refusal to accept the writer

Paul Morand Paul Morand (13 March 1888 – 24 July 1976) was a French author whose short stories and novellas were lauded for their style, wit and descriptive power. His most productive literary period was the interwar period of the 1920s and 1930s. He was mu ...

after his application was vetoed by General Charles DeGaulle. Late in his life, Benoit gave a series of interviews with the French writer

Paul Guimard Paul Guimard (3 March 1921 – 2 May 2004) was a French writer known for combining his passion for writing with his love of the sea. His most famous work was '' Les Choses de la Vie'', which was adapted for film, with a complete change of its ...

. He died in March 1962 in

Ciboure Ciboure (; ,ZIBURU

p. 33 Taylor, Karen L. ''The Facts on File Companion to the French Novel'' Infobase Publishing, 2006

Selected bibliography

* '' Koenigsmark'' (1918) * '' L'Atlantide'' (1919; transl. as ''Atlantida'', 1920) * ''La Chaussée des Géants'' (''The Giant's Causeway'') (1922) * ''L'Oublié'' (''The Forgotten Man'') (1922) * ''Mademoiselle de La Ferté'' (1923) * '' La Châtelaine du Liban ( fr)'' (''Lebanon's Lady of the Manor'') (1924) * ''Le Puits de Jacob'' (''Jacob's Well'') (1925) * ''Alberte'' (1926) * ''Le Roi Lépreux'' (''The Leper King'') (2016) * ''Axelle'' (1928) * ''Le Soleil de Minuit'' (''The Midnight Sun'') (1930) * ''Boissière'' (1935) * ''La Dame de l'Ouest'' (1936) * ''L'Homme qui était trop grand'' (''The Man Who Was Too Tall'') (1936) * ''Les Compagnons d'Ulysse'' (1937) * ''Bethsabée'' (1938) * '' The Environs of Aden'' (1940) * '' The Gobi Desert'' (1941) * ''Lunegarde'' (''Moonkeep'') (1942) * ''L'Oiseau des Ruines'' (''Bird of the Ruins'') (1947) * ''Aïno'' (1948) * ''Les Agriates'' (1950) * ''La Sainte Vehme'' (''The Holy Vehme'') (1954), illustrated by

Jean Dries Jean Dries was the name used by the artist Jean Driesbach, who was born on October 19, 1905, in Bar-le-Duc in Meuse, France and died in Paris on February 26, 1973. He was a Lorrain painter by birth and was born the year Fauvism appeared at the Sa ...

* ''Villeperdue'' (''Lost City'') (1954) * ''Montsalvat'' (1999)

Filmography

*'' L'Atlantide'', directed by

Jacques Feyder Jacques Feyder (; 21 July 1885 – 24 May 1948) was a Belgian actor, screenwriter and film director 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 1930 ...

(France, 1921, based on the novel '' Atlantida'') *'' Koenigsmark'', directed by

Léonce Perret Léonce Joseph Perret (14 March 1880 – 12 August 1935) was a prolific and innovative French film actor, director and producer.The Museum of Modern Art(retrieved 7 June 2007) He also worked as a stage actor and director. Often described as avant ...

(France, 1923, based on the novel '' Koenigsmark'') *''Le Puits de Jacob'', directed by

Edward José Edward José (5 July 1865 – 18 December 1930) was a Belgian film director and actor of the silent era. He directed 42 films between 1915 and 1925. He also performed in 12 films between 1910 and 1916.Robert Boudrioz and

Jean Durand Jean Durand (1882–1946) was a French screenwriter and film director of the silent era.Rège p.349 He was extremely prolific, working on well over two hundred films. He was married to the actress Berthe Dagmar. Selected filmography * ''Tarnished ...

(France, 1926, based on the novel ''La Chaussée des géants'') *'' The Midnight Sun'', directed by

Dimitri Buchowetzki Dimitri Buchowetzki (1885–1932) born Dmitry Savelyevych Bukhovecky was a Russian film director, screenwriter, and actor in Germany, Sweden, United States, United Kingdom, and France. Life and career Initially Buchowetzki studied law. Later h ...

(1926, based on the novel ''Le Soleil de minuit'') *''Le Soleil de minuit'', directed by

Richard Garrick Richard Garrick (December 27, 1878 – August 21, 1962) was an Irish-born American actor and director. Life and career Garrick was born Richard Thomas O'Brien in the townland of Portlaw, County Waterford, Ireland. His father, James E. O'Brien ...

and Jean Legrand (France, 1926, based on the novel ''Le Soleil de minuit'') *'' The Lady of Lebanon'', directed by

Marco de Gastyne Marc Henri Benoist better known as Marco de Gastyne (born in Paris, France, on 15 July 1889; died in Paris on 8 November 1982) was a French painter, illustrator and later film director of more than fifteen films. After studying painting, he wor ...

(France, 1926, based on the novel ''La Châtelaine du Liban'') *'' Princesse Mandane'', directed by

Germaine Dulac Germaine Dulac (; born Charlotte Elisabeth Germaine Saisset-Schneider; 17 November 1882 – 20 July 1942)Flitterman-Lewis 1996 was a French filmmaker, film theorist, journalist and critic. She was born in Amiens and moved to Paris in early chil ...

(France, 1928, based on the novel ''L'Oublié'') *''

Surrender Surrender may refer to: * Surrender (law), the early relinquishment of a tenancy * Surrender (military), the relinquishment of territory, combatants, facilities, or armaments to another power Film and television * ''Surrender'' (1927 film), an ...

'', directed by William K. Howard (1931, based on the novel ''Axelle'') *'' L'Atlantide'', directed by

G. W. Pabst Georg Wilhelm Pabst (25 August 1885 – 29 May 1967) was an Austrian film director and screenwriter. He started as an actor and theater director, before becoming one of the most influential German-language filmmakers during the Weimar Republic. ...

(French-language version, 1932, based on the novel '' Atlantida'') **''Die Herrin von Atlantis'', directed by

(German-language version, 1932, based on the novel '' Atlantida'') **''The Mistress of Atlantis'', directed by

(English-language version, 1932, based on the novel '' Atlantida'') * '' The Lady of Lebanon'', directed by Jean Epstein (France, 1934, based on the novel ''La Châtelaine du Liban'') *'' Koenigsmark'', directed by Maurice Tourneur (France-UK, 1935, based on the novel '' Koenigsmark'') *''Boissière'', directed by

Fernand Rivers Fernand Rivers (born François Large, 6 September 1879, Saint-Lager - 12 September 1960) was a French actor, screenwriter, film producer and director. He was the brother of the actor Rivers Cadet. Partial filmography Director * '' The Ironmaster' ...

(France, 1937, based on the novel ''Boissière'') *'' Angélica'', directed by

Jean Choux Jean Choux (1887–1946) was a French/Swiss film director and producer born in Geneva. Filmography * '' La Vocation d'André Carel'' (1925) * '' La Terre qui meurt'' (1926) * '' Le Baiser qui tue'' (1927) * '' Espionnage ou la guerre sans armes'' ...

(France, 1939, based on the novel ''Les Compagnons d'Ulysse'') *'' Girl of the Golden West'', directed by Carl Koch (Italy, 1942, based on the novel ''La Dame de l'Ouest'') *''Le Soleil de minuit'', directed by Bernard Roland (France, 1943, based on the novel ''Le Soleil de minuit'') *'' Lunegarde'', directed by Marc Allégret (France, 1946, based on the novel ''Lunegarde'') *''

Dizziness Dizziness is an imprecise term that can refer to a sense of disorientation in space, vertigo, or lightheadedness. It can also refer to disequilibrium or a non-specific feeling, such as giddiness or foolishness. Dizziness is a common medical c ...

'', directed by

Antonio Momplet Antonio Momplet (1899 – 10 August 1974) was a Spanish film director and screenwriter. He worked in Spain, France, Argentina and Mexico. Life and career Antonio Momplet was born in Cádiz, Andalusia. He worked as a journalist and translator of ...

(Mexico, 1946, based on the novel ''Alberte'') *'' Bethsabée'', directed by Léonide Moguy (France, 1947, based on the novel ''Bethsabée'') *''

Siren of Atlantis ''Siren of Atlantis'', also known as ''Atlantis the Lost Continent'', is a 1949 American black-and-white fantasy-adventure film, distributed by United Artists, that stars Maria Montez and her husband Jean Pierre Aumont. It was the first feature ...

'', directed by Gregg G. Tallas (1949, based on the novel '' Atlantida'') *''Mademoiselle de La Ferté'', directed by Roger Dallier (France, 1949, based on the novel ''Mademoiselle de La Ferté'') *'' Koenigsmark'', directed by

Solange Térac Solange Térac (13 February 1907 – 14 September 1993) was a French screenwriter and film director.Kedward & Wood p.116 Primarily a writer, she directed three films including '' Koenigsmark'' (1953). Selected filmography Director * ''La vagabon ...

(France, 1953, based on the novel '' Koenigsmark'') *''

It Happened in Aden ''It Happened in Aden'' (French: ''C'est arrivé à Aden...'') is a 1956 French historical comedy film directed by Michel Boisrond and starring André Luguet, Jacques Dacqmine and Dany Robin.Hayward p.399 It is based on the 1940 novel '' The E ...

'', directed by Michel Boisrond (France, 1956, based on the novel '' The Environs of Aden'') *''

The Lebanese Mission ''The Lebanese Mission'' (also known as ''Châtelaine du Liban, La'') is a 1956 French thriller film directed by Richard Pottier and starring Jean-Claude Pascal, Gianna Maria Canale, Jean Servais and Luciana Paluzzi. Omar Sharif also appeared i ...

'', directed by Richard Pottier (France, 1956, based on the novel ''La Châtelaine du Liban'') *'' Journey Beneath the Desert'', directed by Edgar G. Ulmer (Italy-France, 1961, based on the novel '' Atlantida'') * ''L'Atlantide'' (1972 film), directed by Jean Kerchbron (a 1972 French made-for-television film based on the novel '' Atlantida'') *'' L'Atlantide'', directed by

Bob Swaim Robert Frank "Bob" Swaim, Jr. (born November 2, 1943) is an American film director. Life and career Swaim was born in Evanston, Illinois, the son of Eleanor (Connor) and Robert Frank Swaim. He grew up in the Reseda area of Los Angeles and gradua ...

(France-Italy, 1992, based on the novel '' Atlantida'')

Screenwriter

* 1925: ''

The Night Watch ''Militia Company of District II under the Command of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq'', also known as ''The Shooting Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch'', but commonly referred to as ''The Night Watch'' ( nl, De Nachtwacht), i ...

'' (dir. Marcel Silver) * 1934: ' (dir.

Alexis Granowsky Alexis Granowsky (russian: Алексе́й Миха́йлович Грано́вский; 1890–1937) was a Russian theatre director who later became a film director. Granowsky was born as Abraham Azarkh to a Jewish family in Moscow. After stud ...

) * 1935: ''

Moscow Nights __NOTOC__ "Moscow Nights" ( rus, Подмосковные вечера, r=Podmoskovnyje večera, ), later covered as "Midnight in Moscow", is a Soviet Russian song. Composition and initial success Composer Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi and poet Mikhai ...

'' (dir.

Anthony Asquith Anthony William Landon Asquith (; 9 November 1902 – 20 February 1968) was an English film director. He collaborated successfully with playwright Terence Rattigan on ''The Winslow Boy'' (1948) and '' The Browning Version'' (1951), among oth ...

) * 1936: ''

Taras Bulba ''Taras Bulba'' (russian: «Тарас Бульба»; ) is a romanticized historical novella set in the first half of the 17th century, written by Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852). It features elderly Zaporozhian Cossack Taras Bulba and his sons And ...

'' (dir.

) * 1943: '' Colonel Chabert'' (dir.

René Le Hénaff René Le Hénaff (24 April 1901 – 5 January 2005) was a French film editor and director. As a film editor he collaborated with directors Marcel Carné, René Clair, and Géza von Radványi among others. His three films with Carné in the late ...

) * 1943: ' (dir. Pierre Billon)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Benoit, Pierre 1886 births 1962 deaths 20th-century French male writers 20th-century French novelists Commandeurs of the Légion d'honneur French fantasy writers French military personnel of World War I Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française winners Members of the Académie Française People from Albi