Joseph Rouletabille () is a fictional character created by
Gaston Leroux
Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux (6 May 186815 April 1927) was a French journalist and author of detective fiction.
In the English-speaking world, he is best known for writing the novel '' The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, ...
, a French writer and journalist. Rouletabille is a journalist and amateur sleuth featured in several novels and other works, often presented as a more capable thinker than the police.
''Rouletabille'' (literally ''roule ta bille'', or "Roll your marble") is
French slang for "Globetrotter", one who has been around the world and seen it all. The meaning was later expanded to that of a cool-headed, unfazeable, or nonchalant person.
Overview
In the first novel, ''
The Mystery of the Yellow Room
''The Mystery of the Yellow Room'' (in French ''Le mystère de la chambre jaune'') is a mystery novel written by French author Gaston Leroux. One of the first locked-room mystery novels, it was first published serially in France in the periodical ...
'', Rouletabille solves an attempted murder in a
locked room mystery
The "locked-room" or "impossible crime" mystery is a type of crime seen in crime and detective fiction. The crime in question, typically murder ("locked-room murder"), is committed in circumstances under which it appeared impossible for the perpet ...
. The book reveals that Rouletabille is the nickname of 18-year-old journalist Joseph Josephin, who was raised in a religious orphanage in
Eu, a small town near
Fécamp
Fécamp () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in north-western France.
Geography
Fécamp is situated in the valley of the river Valmont, at the heart of the Pays de Caux, on the Alabaster Coast. It is aroun ...
.
In the novel Rouletabille meets Ballmeyer, an international criminal of great repute and many identities (a character possibly inspired by fictional
Arsène Lupin
Arsène Lupin (French pronunciation: ʁsɛn lypɛ̃ is a fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise created in 1905 by French writer Maurice Leblanc. The character was first introduced in a series of short stories serialized in the magazi ...
). As Jean Roussel, Ballmeyer married a rich American heiress, Mathilde Stangerson, the ''Lady in Black'' of the second novel.
Ballmeyer returns in ''The Perfume of the Lady in Black'' at the end of the story, which takes place in a castle on the
French Riviera. Rouletabille finds that he is the son of Ballmeyer and Stangerson. Soon afterwards, Rouletabille is summoned to Russia by the
Czar
Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the t ...
, where he solves a murder at the Imperial Court.
The next novel takes place in 1912. The fearless journalist marries the beautiful Ivana Vilitchkov and defeats the brutal warlord Gaulow.
In ''Rouletabille chez Krupp'', Rouletabille acts as a French
secret agent
Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...
and infiltrates the
Krupp factories. This is one of the earliest espionage thrillers. Rouletabille saves Paris from being annihilated by a German missile.
In ''Le Crime de Rouletabille'', the reporter is almost framed for Ivana's murder. Then, in ''Rouletabille chez les Bohémiens'', he helps recover a sacred book stolen from the
Gypsies
The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...
.
Books
# ''Le Mystère de la Chambre Jaune'' (''
The Mystery of the Yellow Room
''The Mystery of the Yellow Room'' (in French ''Le mystère de la chambre jaune'') is a mystery novel written by French author Gaston Leroux. One of the first locked-room mystery novels, it was first published serially in France in the periodical ...
'') (serial. in ''L'Illustration'', 1907; rep. Lafitte, 1908) (new translation by
Jean-Marc Lofficier
Jean-Marc Lofficier (; born June 22, 1954) is a French author of books about films and television programs, as well as numerous comics and translations of a number of animation screenplays. He usually collaborates with his wife, Randy Lofficier ( ...
&
Randy Lofficier
Jean-Marc Lofficier (; born June 22, 1954) is a French author of books about films and television programs, as well as numerous comics and translations of a number of animation screenplays. He usually collaborates with his wife, Randy Lofficier ( ...
as ''Rouletabille and The Mystery of the Yellow Room'' (2009), )
# ''Le Parfum de la Dame en Noir'' (''
The Perfume of the Lady in Black
''The Perfume of the Lady in Black'' ( it, Il profumo della signora in nero) is a 1974 giallo-horror film directed by Francesco Barilli. The film had nothing to do with the similarly-titled novel by Gaston Leroux.
Plot
Silvia ( Mimsy Farmer) is ...
'') (serial. in ''L'Illustration'', 1908; rep. Lafitte, 1909)
# ''Rouletabille chez le Tsar'' (Rouletabille and the Czar) (serial. in ''L'Illustration'', rep. Lafitte, 1913). Reprinted as ''
The Secret of the Night'' in the U.S.
# ''Rouletabille à la Guerre'' (Rouletabille at War) (serial. in ''Le Matin'', 1914; rep. as 2 vols.: ''Le Château Noir'' (The Black Castle) and ''Les Étranges Noces de Rouletabille'' (The Strange Wedding of Rouletabille), Lafitte, 1916)
# ''Rouletabille chez Krupp'' (''
Rouletabille at Krupp's'') (serial. in ''
Je sais tout
''Je sais tout'' (meaning ''I Know All'' in English) was a French magazine established by Pierre Lafitte in 1905. It was noted for featuring the works of Maurice Leblanc, in particular the adventures of Arsène Lupin, which was first published i ...
'', 1917; rep. Lafitte, 1920) (translated by
Brian Stableford
Brian Michael Stableford (born 25 July 1948) is a British academic, critic and science fiction writer who has published more than 70 novels. His earlier books were published under the name Brian M. Stableford, but more recent ones have dropped ...
as ''Rouletasbille at Krupp's'' (2013), )
# ''Le Crime de Rouletabille'' (''
The Crime of Rouletabille'') (serial. in ''Je Sais Tout'', 1921; rep. Lafitte, 1923)
# ''Rouletabille chez les Bohémiens'' (Rouletabille and the Gypsies) (serial. in ''Le Matin'', 1922; rev. Lafitte, 1923)
Authorized Sequels by
Noré Brunel:
# ''Rouletabille contre la Dame de Pique'' (Rouletabille vs. The Queen of Spades) (serial. in ''Le Soir'', 1947)
# ''Rouletabille Joue et Gagne'' (Rouletabille Plays and Wins) (serial. in Le Soir, 1947)
Films
* ' (France, 1913, dir.
Maurice Tourneur and
Émile Chautard
Émile Chautard (7 September 1864 – 24 April 1934) was a French-American film director, actor, and screenwriter, most active in the silent era. He directed more than 100 films between 1910 and 1924. He also appeared in more than 60 fil ...
, 905 meters), with (Rouletabille).
* ' (France, 1914, dir. Maurice Tourneur and Émile Chautard, 1220 meters), with Marcel Simon (Rouletabille).
* ''
The Mystery of the Yellow Room
''The Mystery of the Yellow Room'' (in French ''Le mystère de la chambre jaune'') is a mystery novel written by French author Gaston Leroux. One of the first locked-room mystery novels, it was first published serially in France in the periodical ...
'' (USA, 1919, dir. Émile Chautard, 1900 meters), with Lorin Raker (Rouletabille).
* ' (France, 1922, dir.
Henri Fescourt
Henri Fescourt (23 November 1880 – 9 August 1966) was a French film director. He directed some 40 films in his career.
Filmography
* 1912 : '' Un vol a été commis''
* 1912 : '' Le Petit restaurant de l'impasse Canin''
* 1912 : '' Paris-Sa ...
,
serial with ten episodes), with
Gabriel de Gravone
Gabriel de Gravone (; 1887–1972) was a French stage actor.Abel p.321 He acted in forty films during the silent era
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films con ...
(Rouletabille).
* ' (France, 1930, dir.
Marcel L'Herbier
Marcel L'Herbier (; 23 April 1888 – 26 November 1979) was a French filmmaker who achieved prominence as an avant-garde theorist and imaginative practitioner with a series of silent films in the 1920s. His career as a director continued unti ...
, 108 min.), with
Roland Toutain (Rouletabille).
* ' (France, 1931, dir. Marcel L'Herbier, 109 min.), with Roland Toutain (Rouletabille).
* ' (France, 1932, dir.
Steve Sekely
Steve Sekely (February 25, 1899– March 9, 1979) was a Hungarian film director. Born István Székely, he was known by several names, based on his changing professional and immigration status, including Stefan Szekely.
He directed films in Hun ...
, 100 min.), with Roland Toutain (Rouletabille).
** ''
Flying Gold
''Flying Gold'' (Hungarian: ''Repülő arany'') is a 1932 Cinema of Hungary, Hungarian crime film directed by Steve Sekely and starring Steven Geray, Gyula Kabos and Lajos Gárday. A shipment of gold being flown from Paris to Budapest is robbed i ...
'' (Hungary, 1932, dir. Steve Sekely, 74 min.): alternative Hungarian-language version of ''Rouletabille aviateur''.
* ' (Argentina, 1947, dir.
Julio Saraceni
Julio Saraceni (October 10, 1912 – October 12, 1998) was a prolific Argentina, Argentine film director whose career in the Cinema of Argentina as a movie director spanned six decades.
He was an aviator as a young man, but later found a car ...
, 82 min.), with
Santiago Gómez Cou
Santiago Gómez Cousillas (September 26, 1903 in Montevideo, Uruguay – March 24, 1984 in Buenos Aires, Argentina) was a classic Uruguayan - Argentine actor who appeared in films between 1936 and 1980.
Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Cou move ...
(Rouletabille).
* ' (France, 1947, dir.
Christian Chamborant
Eugène Christian Chamborant (4 June 1892 – 10 December 1948), was a French film director.
Biography
Little is known about the life of this discreet filmmaker who ended his days a week before the release of his latest film. Before becoming a ...
, 95 min.), with
Jean Piat
Jean Piat (23 September 1924 – 18 September 2018) was a French actor and writer.
Life
Piat was born in Lannoy, Nord. He enlisted in the Comédie-Française on 1 September 1947, and became a member on 1 January 1953. He left the Comédie-Fra ...
(Rouletabille).
* ' (France, 1948, dir. Christian Chamborant, 88 min.), with Jean Piat (Rouletabille).
* ''
The Mystery of the Yellow Room
''The Mystery of the Yellow Room'' (in French ''Le mystère de la chambre jaune'') is a mystery novel written by French author Gaston Leroux. One of the first locked-room mystery novels, it was first published serially in France in the periodical ...
'' (France, 1949, dir. , 90 min.), with
Serge Reggiani
Serge Reggiani (2 May 1922 – 23 July 2004) was an Italian-French actor and singer. He was born in Reggio Emilia, Italy and moved to France with his parents at the age of eight.
After studying acting at the Conservatoire des arts cinématogr ...
(Rouletabille).
* ''
Le Parfum de la dame en noir'' (France, 1949, dir.
Louis Daquin
Louis Daquin (20 May 1908 – 2 October 1980) was a French film director, screenwriter and actor. He directed 14 films between 1938 and 1963. He also appeared in 11 films between 1937 and 1979.
Selected filmography
* '' The Man from Nowher ...
, 109 min.), with Serge Reggiani (Rouletabille).
* ''
The Mystery of the Yellow Room
''The Mystery of the Yellow Room'' (in French ''Le mystère de la chambre jaune'') is a mystery novel written by French author Gaston Leroux. One of the first locked-room mystery novels, it was first published serially in France in the periodical ...
'' (France, 2003, dir.
Bruno Podalydès
Bruno Podalydès (born 11 March 1961) is a French writer, film director, producer and actor. His brother Denis Podalydès
Denis Podalydès (born 22 April 1963) is a French actor and scriptwriter of Greek descent. Podalydès has appeared in more ...
, 118 min.), with
Denis Podalydès
Denis Podalydès (born 22 April 1963) is a French actor and scriptwriter of Greek descent. Podalydès has appeared in more than 140 films and television shows since 1989. He starred in '' The Officers' Ward'', which was entered into the 2001 Can ...
(Rouletabille).
* ' (France, 2005, dir. Bruno Podalydès, 115 min.), with Denis Podalydès (Rouletabille).
Television
* ''Le Mystère de la Chambre Jaune'' (
ORTF 1, 90 min., November 27, 1965) with
Claude Brasseur
Claude Brasseur (15 June 1936 – 22 December 2020) was a French actor.
Life and career
Claude Brasseur was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine as Claude Pierre Espinasse, the son of actor Pierre Brasseur and actress Odette Joyeux. He was the godson of E ...
(Rouletabille).
* ''Le Parfum de la Dame en Noir'' (ORTF 1, ten 15-min. episodes, March 3–14, 1966) with
Philippe Ogouz (Rouletabille).
* ''Rouletabille chez le Tsar'' (ORTF 1, ten 15-min. episodes, March 17–30, 1966) with Philippe Ogouz (Rouletabille).
* ''Rouletabille chez les Bohémiens'' (ORTF 1, ten 15-min. episodes, March 31 – April 13, 1966) with Philippe Ogouz (Rouletabille).
Comics
* ''Rouletabille'' (32 issues, Éditions Aventures & Voyages/Mon Journal, 1965–67) After a fairly faithful adaptation of the original novels in the early issues, Rouletabille was suddenly transplanted to the 1960s, where he fought enemy spies, etc. With No. 12, Rouletabille merged with its sister magazine
Rocambole and became ''Rocambole et Rouletabille''. However, the two characters never met.
* ''Rouletabille'', written by
Claude Moliterni and drawn by
Eugenio Sicomoro, the first three published by
Dargaud
Société Dargaud, doing business as Les Éditions Dargaud, is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics series, headquartered in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. It was founded in 1936 by Georges Dargaud (), publishing its first comics in 1943.
...
:
*# ''Le Crâne de Cristal'' (1985)
*# ''La Momie Écarlate (1987)
*# ''Le Singe d'Or'' (1989)
*# ''Sida Connection'' (Bagheera, 1993)
* ''Rouletabille'' written by
André-Paul Duchateau, drawn by
Bernard C. Swysen, published by
Claude Lefrancq:
*# ''Le Fantôme de l'Opéra'' (Rouletabille meets
The Phantom of the Opera
''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pier ...
) (1989)
*# ''Le Mystère de la Chambre Jaune'' (1990)
*# ''Le Parfum de la Dame en Noir'' (1991)
*# ''La Poupée Sanglante'' (1992)
*# ''La Machine à Assassiner'' (1993)
*# ''L'Épouse du Soleil'' (1994)
*# ''Le Trésor du Fantôme de l'Opéra'' (1996)
Radio
''The Mystery of the Yellow Room'' was adapted, fairly faithfully, for BBC Radio Four in 1998 starring
Nicholas Boulton as Rouletabille and
Geoffrey Whitehead
Geoffrey Whitehead (born 1 October 1939) is an English actor. He has appeared in a range of television, film and radio roles. In the theatre, he has played at Shakespeare's Globe, St Martin's Theatre and the Bristol Old Vic.
Early life
Whiteh ...
as Inspector Larson, with a far looser adaptation of ''The Perfume of the Woman in Black'' following around a year later.
External links
The French Wold Newton Universe – RouletabilleL'univers de Joseph Rouletabille(in French)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rouletabille, Joseph
Fictional reporters
Fictional male detectives
Fictional amateur detectives
Characters in French novels of the 20th century
Characters in mystery novel series of the 20th century
Fictional French people
Literary characters introduced in 1907
Gaston Leroux