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Romain Gary (; 2 December 1980), born Roman Kacew (, and also known by the pen name Émile Ajar), was a French novelist, diplomat, film director, and World War II
aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
. He is the only author to have won the
Prix Goncourt The Prix Goncourt (french: Le prix Goncourt, , ''The Goncourt Prize'') is a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year". The prize carries a symbolic reward o ...
under two names. He is considered a major writer of
French literature French literature () generally speaking, is literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of France other than F ...
of the second half of the 20th century. He was married to Lesley Blanch, then
Jean Seberg Jean Dorothy Seberg (; ; November 13, 1938August 30, 1979) was an American actress who lived half of her life in France. Her performance in Jean-Luc Godard's 1960 film ''Breathless'' immortalized her as an icon of French New Wave cinema. Seb ...
.


Early life

Gary was born Roman Kacew ( yi, ''Roman Katsev'', russian: link=no, Рома́н Ле́йбович Ка́цев, ''Roman Leibovich Katsev'') in
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urba ...
(at that time in the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...
). In his books and interviews, he presented many different versions of his parents' origins, ancestry, occupation and his own childhood. His mother, Mina Owczyńska (1879—1941), was a
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
actress from
Švenčionys Švenčionys (, known also by several alternative names) is a town located north of Vilnius in Lithuania. It is the capital of the Švenčionys district municipality. , it had population of 4,065 of which about 17% is part of the Polish minority ...
(Svintsyán) and his father was a businessman named Arieh-Leib Kacew (1883—1942) from
Trakai Trakai (; see names section for alternative and historic names) is a historic town and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. ...
(Trok), also a Lithuanian Jew. The couple broke in 1925 and Arieh-Leib remarried. Gary later claimed that his actual father was the celebrated actor and film star
Ivan Mosjoukine Ivan Ilyich Mozzhukhin ( rus, Иван Ильич Мозжухин, p=ɪˈvan ɨˈlʲjitɕ mɐˈʑːʉxʲɪn; —18 January 1939), usually billed using the French transliteration Ivan Mosjoukine, was a Russian silent film actor. Career in R ...
, with whom his actress mother had worked and to whom he bore a striking resemblance. Mosjoukine appears in his memoir '' Promise at Dawn''. Deported to
central Russia Central Russia is, broadly, the various areas in European Russia. Historically, the area of Central Russia varied based on the purpose for which it is being used. It may, for example, refer to European Russia (except the North Caucasus and ...
in 1915, they stayed in
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
until 1920. They later returned to
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urba ...
, then moved on to
Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...
. When Gary was fourteen, he and his mother emigrated illegally to
Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative ...
, France. Converted to
Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
by his mother, Gary studied law, first in
Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Ais de Provença in classical norm, or in Mistralian norm, ; la, Aquae Sextiae), or simply Aix ( medieval Occitan: ''Aics''), is a city and commune in southern France, about north of Marseille ...
and then in Paris. He learned to pilot an aircraft in the
French Air Force The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Ar ...
in
Salon-de-Provence Salon-de-Provence (, ; oc, label= Provençal Occitan, Selon de Provença/Seloun de Provènço, ), commonly known as Salon, is a commune located about northwest of Marseille in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d ...
and in
Avord Air Base Avord Air Base or BA 702 (french: Base Aérienne 702 Capitaine Georges Madon), named after Captain Georges Madon, is a base of the French Air and Space Force (Armée de l'air et de l'espace) located north northwest of Avord in central France. ...
, near
Bourges Bourges () is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre. It is the capital of the department of Cher, and also was the capital city of the former province of Berry. History The name of the commune derives either from the Bituriges, ...
.


Career

Of almost 300 cadets in his class, and despite completing all parts of his course successfully, Gary was the only one not to be commissioned as an officer. He believed that the military establishment was distrustful of what they saw as a foreigner and a
Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...
. Training on
Potez 25 Potez 25 (also written as Potez XXV) was a French twin-seat, single-engine biplane designed during the 1920s. A multi-purpose fighter-bomber, it was designed as a line aircraft and used in a variety of roles, including fighter and escort mission ...
and Goëland Léo-20 aircraft, and with 250 hours flying time, only after three months' delay was he made a
sergeant Sergeant ( abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other ...
on 1 February 1940. Lightly wounded on 13 June 1940 in a
Bloch MB.210 The Bloch MB.210 and MB.211 were the successors of the French Bloch MB.200 bomber developed by Société des Avions Marcel Bloch in the 1930s and differed primarily in being low wing monoplanes rather than high wing monoplanes. Development The ...
, he was disappointed with the
armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the ...
; after hearing General
de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Governm ...
's radio
appeal In law, an appeal is the process in which cases are reviewed by a higher authority, where parties request a formal change to an official decision. Appeals function both as a process for error correction as well as a process of clarifying and ...
, he decided to go to England. After failed attempts, he flew to
Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques d ...
from
Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque (; ca, Sant Llorenç de la Salanca) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque is located in the canton of La Côte Salanquaise and in the arro ...
in a Potez. Made
adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...
upon joining the
Free French Free France (french: France Libre) was a political entity that claimed to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic. Led by French general , Free France was established as a government-in-exile ...
and serving on
Bristol Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company (Bristol) which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until ...
s, he saw action across Africa and was promoted to
second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army unt ...
. He returned to England to train on Boston IIIs. On 25 January 1944, his pilot was blinded, albeit temporarily, and Gary talked him to the bombing target and back home, the third landing being successful. This and the subsequent BBC interview and ''
Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...
'' newspaper article were an important part of his career. He finished the war as a captain in the London offices of the Free French Air Forces. As a bombardier-observer in the ''Groupe de bombardement Lorraine'' (No. 342 Squadron RAF), he took part in over 25 successful sorties, logging over 65 hours of air time. During this time, he changed his name to Romain Gary. He was decorated for his bravery in the war, receiving many medals and honours, including
Compagnon de la Libération The Order of Liberation (french: Ordre de la Libération) is a French Order which was awarded to heroes of the Liberation of France during World War II. It is a very high honour, second only after the ''Légion d’Honneur'' (Legion of Honour) ...
and commander of the
Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
. In 1945 he published his first novel, ''Éducation européenne''. Immediately following his service in the war, he worked in the French diplomatic service in
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
and Switzerland. In 1952 he became the secretary of the French Delegation to the United Nations. In 1956, he became
Consul General A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...
in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
and became acquainted with Hollywood.


As Émile Ajar

In a memoir published in 1981, Gary's nephew Paul Pavlowitch claimed that Gary also produced several works under the pseudonym Émile Ajar. Gary recruited Pavlowitch to portray Ajar in public appearances, allowing Gary to remain unknown as the true producer of the Ajar works, and thus enabling him to win the 1975 Goncourt Prize, a second win in violation of the prize's usual rules. Gary also published under the pseudonyms Shatan Bogat and Fosco Sinibaldi.


Literary work

Gary became one of France's most popular and prolific writers, writing more than 30 novels, essays and memoirs, some of which he wrote under a pseudonym. He is the only person to win the
Prix Goncourt The Prix Goncourt (french: Le prix Goncourt, , ''The Goncourt Prize'') is a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year". The prize carries a symbolic reward o ...
twice. This prize for French language literature is awarded only once to an author. Gary, who had already received the prize in 1956 for ''
Les racines du ciel ''The Roots of Heaven'' (french: Les Racines du ciel) is a 1956 novel by the Lithuanian-born French writer and WW II aviator, Romain Gary (born Roman Kacew). It received the Prix Goncourt for fiction. It was translated into English in 1957. Synop ...
'', published '' La vie devant soi'' under the pseudonym Émile Ajar in 1975. The
Académie Goncourt The Société littéraire des Goncourt (Goncourt Literary Society), usually called the Académie Goncourt (Goncourt Academy), is a French literary organisation based in Paris. It was founded in 1900 by the French writer and publisher Edmond de G ...
awarded the prize to the author of that book without knowing his identity. Gary's cousin's son Paul Pavlowitch posed as the author for a time. Gary later revealed the truth in his posthumous book '' Vie et mort d'Émile Ajar''. Gary also published as Shatan Bogat, René Deville and Fosco Sinibaldi, as well under his birth name Roman Kacew. In addition to his success as a novelist, he wrote the screenplay for the motion picture '' The Longest Day'' and co-wrote and directed the film ''Kill!'' (1971), which starred his wife at the time,
Jean Seberg Jean Dorothy Seberg (; ; November 13, 1938August 30, 1979) was an American actress who lived half of her life in France. Her performance in Jean-Luc Godard's 1960 film ''Breathless'' immortalized her as an icon of French New Wave cinema. Seb ...
. In 1979, he was a member of the jury at the
29th Berlin International Film Festival The 29th Berlin International Film Festival was held from 20 February – 3 March 1979. The Golden Bear was awarded to the West German film ''David'' directed by Peter Lilienthal. Michael Cimino's ''The Deer Hunter'' was surrounded by controve ...
.


Diplomatic career

After the end of the hostilities, Gary began a career as a
diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or interna ...
in the service of France, in consideration of the services rendered for his release. In this capacity, he held positions in Bulgaria (1946–1947), Paris (1948–1949), Switzerland (1950–1951), New York (1951–1954) — at the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations, where he regularly rubs shoulders with the Jesuit
Teilhard de Chardin Pierre Teilhard de Chardin ( (); 1 May 1881 – 10 April 1955) was a French Jesuit priest, scientist, paleontologist, theologian, philosopher and teacher. He was Darwinian in outlook and the author of several influential theological and philo ...
, whose personality deeply marked him and inspired him, particularly for the character of Father Tassin in ''
Les Racines du ciel ''The Roots of Heaven'' (french: Les Racines du ciel) is a 1956 novel by the Lithuanian-born French writer and WW II aviator, Romain Gary (born Roman Kacew). It received the Prix Goncourt for fiction. It was translated into English in 1957. Synop ...
''—in London (1955), then as Consul General of France in Los Angeles (1956–1960). Back in Paris, he remained unassigned until he was laid off from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1961).


Personal life and final years

Gary's first wife was the British writer,
journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...
, and ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' editor Lesley Blanch, author of ''
The Wilder Shores of Love ''The Wilder Shores of Love'' is a work of non-fiction by travel writer Lesley Blanch. It was first published in 1954. It is a colourful account of four women – Isabel Burton, Jane Digby, Aimée du Buc de Rivéry and Isabelle Eberhardt Isa ...
''. They married in 1944 and divorced in 1961. From 1962 to 1970, Gary was married to American actress
Jean Seberg Jean Dorothy Seberg (; ; November 13, 1938August 30, 1979) was an American actress who lived half of her life in France. Her performance in Jean-Luc Godard's 1960 film ''Breathless'' immortalized her as an icon of French New Wave cinema. Seb ...
, with whom he had a son,
Alexandre Diego Gary Alexandre may refer to: * Alexandre (given name) * Alexandre (surname) * Alexandre (film) See also * Alexander Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom o ...
. According to Diego Gary, he was a distant presence as a father: "Even when he was around, my father wasn't there. Obsessed with his work, he used to greet me, but he was elsewhere." After learning that Jean Seberg had had an affair with
Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the " Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "'' Do ...
, Gary challenged him to a
duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon rules. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and ...
, but Eastwood declined. Gary died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on 2 December 1980 in Paris. He left a note which said that his death had no relation to Seberg's suicide the previous year. He also stated in his note that he was Émile Ajar.D. Bona, Romain Gary, Paris, Mercure de France-Lacombe, 1987, p. 397–398. Gary was cremated in
Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (french: Cimetière du Père-Lachaise ; formerly , "East Cemetery") is the largest cemetery in Paris, France (). With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Notable figure ...
and his ashes were scattered in the
Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...
near
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin Roquebrune-Cap-Martin (; oc, Ròcabruna Caup Martin or ; it, Roccabruna-Capo Martino, ; Mentonasc: ''Rocabrüna''; Roquebrune until 1921) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, Southeastern F ...
.Beyern, B., ''Guide des tombes d'hommes célèbres'', Le Cherche Midi, 2008,


Legacy

The name of Romain Gary was given to a promotion of the
École nationale d'administration The École nationale d'administration (generally referred to as ENA, en, National School of Administration) was a French ''grande école'', created in 1945 by President Charles de Gaulle and principal author of the 1958 Constitution Michel Deb ...
(2003–2005), the
Institut d'études politiques de Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the No ...
(2013), the Institut régional d'administration de Lille (2021–2022) and the
Institut d'études politiques de Strasbourg Sciences Po Strasbourg - Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Strasbourg -(french: Sciences Po Strasbourg '', ''abbreviated'' ''IEP Strasbourg'') ''is a ''Grande école ''located in'' Strasbourg, ''France. It was founded on October 9, 1945'',Décret n� ...
(2001–2002), in 2006 at Place Romain-Gary in the
15th arrondissement of Paris 15 (fifteen) is the natural number following 14 and preceding 16. Mathematics 15 is: * A composite number, and the sixth semiprime; its proper divisors being , and . * A deficient number, a smooth number, a lucky number, a pernicious nu ...
and at the Nice Heritage Library. The French Institute in Jerusalem also bears the name of Romain Gary. On 16 May 2019, his work appeared in two volumes in the Bibliothèque de la Pléiade under the direction of Mireille Sacotte. In 2007, a statue of Romualdas Kvintas, «The Boy with a Galoche», was unveiled, depicting the 9-year-old little hero of the Promise of Dawn, preparing to eat a shoe to seduce his little neighbor, Valentina. It is placed in
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urba ...
, in front of the Basanavičius, where the novelist lived. A plaque to his name is affixed in the Pouillon building of the Faculty of Law and Political Science of Aix-Marseille where he studied. In 2022,
Denis Ménochet Denis Ménochet (born 18 September 1976) is a French actor. Ménochet is known to international audiences for his role as Perrier LaPadite, a French dairy farmer interrogated by the Nazis for harboring Jews in the 2009 Quentin Tarantino film ''I ...
portrayed Gary in '' White Dog (Chien blanc)'', a film adaptation by
Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette (born 1979) is a Canadian novelist, film director, and screenwriter from Quebec. Her films are known for their "organic, participatory feel." Barbeau-Lavalette is the daughter of filmmaker Manon Barbeau and cinematogra ...
of Gary's 1970 book.Maxime Demers
"«Chien blanc»: le goût du risque d'Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette"
''
Le Journal de Montréal ''Le Journal de Montréal'' is a daily French-language tabloid newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Quebec and is also the largest French-language daily newspaper in North America. Es ...
'', November 2, 2022.


Bibliography


As Romain Gary

* ''french: Éducation européenne'' (1945); translated as ''
Forest of Anger A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
'' * ''french: Tulipe'' (1946); republished and modified in 1970. * '' Le Grand Vestiaire'' (1949); translated as ''The Company of Men'' (1950) * '' Les Couleurs du jour'' (1952); translated as ''
The Colors of the Day ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' (1953); filmed as '' The Man Who Understood Women'' (1959) * ''
Les Racines du ciel ''The Roots of Heaven'' (french: Les Racines du ciel) is a 1956 novel by the Lithuanian-born French writer and WW II aviator, Romain Gary (born Roman Kacew). It received the Prix Goncourt for fiction. It was translated into English in 1957. Synop ...
'' — ''1956 Prix Goncourt''; translated as '' The Roots of Heaven'' (1957); filmed as '' The Roots of Heaven'' (1958) * '' Lady L'' (1958); self-translated and published in French in 1963; filmed as '' Lady L'' (1965) * ''La Promesse de l'aube'' (1960); translated as '' Promise at Dawn'' (1961); filmed as '' Promise at Dawn'' (1970) and again in 2017 * '' Johnie Cœur'' (1961, a theatre adaptation of "L'homme à la colombe") * '' Gloire à nos illustres pionniers'' (1962, short stories); translated as "Hissing Tales" (1964) * ''
The Ski Bum ''The Ski Bum'' is a novel by Lithuanian- French author Romain Gary (1914–1980). French translation was published in 1969 under the title 'Adieu Gary Cooper'. The novel tells the story of Lenni, a 21-year-old boy escaping from America, his co ...
'' (1965); self-translated into French as ''Adieu Gary Cooper'' (1969) * ''
Pour Sganarelle Pour may refer to these people: * Kour Pour (born 1987), British artist of part-Iranian descent * Mehdi Niyayesh Pour (born 1992), Iranian footballer * Mojtaba Mobini Pour (born 1991), Iranian footballer * Pouya Jalili Pour (born 1976), Iranian si ...
'' (1965, literary essay) * '' Les Mangeurs d'étoiles'' (1966); self-translated into French and first published (in English) as ''
The Talent Scout ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' (1961) * ''
La Danse de Gengis Cohn LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...
'' (1967); self-translated into English as ''
The Dance of Genghis Cohn ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' * '' La Tête coupable'' (1968); translated as ''The Guilty Head'' (1969) * ''Chien blanc'' (1970); self-translated as '' White Dog'' (1970); filmed as '' White Dog'' (1982) * '' Les Trésors de la mer Rouge'' (1971) * ''
Europa Europa may refer to: Places * Europe * Europa (Roman province), a province within the Diocese of Thrace * Europa (Seville Metro), Seville, Spain; a station on the Seville Metro * Europa City, Paris, France; a planned development * Europa Clif ...
'' (1972); translated in English in 1978. * ''
The Gasp ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
'' (1973); self-translated into French as ''Charge d'âme'' (1978) * '' Les Enchanteurs'' (1973); translated as ''The Enchanters'' (1975) * ''
La nuit sera calme LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...
'' (1974, interview) * '' Au-delà de cette limite votre ticket n'est plus valable'' (1975); translated as ''Your Ticket Is No Longer Valid'' (1977); filmed as ''
Your Ticket Is No Longer Valid ''Your Ticket is No Longer Valid'' is a 1981 Canadian film directed by George Kaczender and starring Richard Harris, George Peppard, Jennifer Dale, and Jeanne Moreau. Harris later regarded the film as one of the biggest artistic disappointments of ...
'' (1981) * ''
Clair de femme ''Clair de femme'' is a 1977 novel by Romain Gary. the basis for the 1979 French film ''Womanlight'' directed by Costa-Gavras Costa-Gavras (short for Konstantinos Gavras; el, Κωνσταντίνος Γαβράς; born 12 February 1933) is a G ...
'' (1977); filmed as ''
Womanlight ''Womanlight'' (french: Clair de femme) is a 1979 film by Costa-Gavras based on the 1977 novel '' Clair de femme'' by Romain Gary.Razón y fe: Revista hispano-americana de cultura 1979 En la actualidad Costa— Gavras trabaja en el rodaje de su nu ...
'' (1979) * ''
La Bonne Moitié LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...
'' (1979, play) * '' Les Clowns lyriques'' (1979); new version of the 1952 novel, ''Les Couleurs du jour'' (''The Colors of the Day'') * '' Les Cerfs-volants'' (1980); translated as The Kites (2017) * '' Vie et Mort d'Émile Ajar'' (1981, posthumous) * '' L'Homme à la colombe'' (1984, definitive posthumous version) * ''
L'Affaire homme The Dreyfus affair (french: affaire Dreyfus, ) was a political scandal that divided the French Third Republic from 1894 until its resolution in 1906. "L'Affaire", as it is known in French, has come to symbolise modern injustice in the Franco ...
'' (2005, articles and interviews) * '' L'Orage'' (2005, short stories and unfinished novels) * ''
Un humaniste The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizin ...
'', short story


As Émile Ajar

* ''
Gros câlin Gros may refer to: People *Gros (surname) * Gross (surname), the German variant of Gros * Le Gros, the Norman variant of Gros Other uses * Gros (coinage), a type of 13th-century silver coinage of France * Gros (grape), another name for Elbling, ...
'' (1974); illustrated by Jean-Michel Folon, filmed as ''
Gros câlin Gros may refer to: People *Gros (surname) * Gross (surname), the German variant of Gros * Le Gros, the Norman variant of Gros Other uses * Gros (coinage), a type of 13th-century silver coinage of France * Gros (grape), another name for Elbling, ...
'' (1979) * '' La vie devant soi'' — ''1975 Prix Goncourt''; filmed as ''
Madame Rosa ''Madame Rosa'' (french: La vie devant soi) is a 1977 French drama film directed by Moshé Mizrahi, adapted from the 1975 novel ''The Life Before Us'' by Romain Gary. It stars Simone Signoret and Samy Ben-Youb, and tells the story of an elderly ...
'' (1977); translated as "Momo" (1978); re-released as ''
The Life Before Us ''The Life Before Us'' (1975; French: ''La vie devant soi'') is a novel by French author Romain Gary who wrote it under the pseudonym of "Emile Ajar". It was originally published in English as ''Momo'' translated by Ralph Manheim, then re-publi ...
'' (1986). Filmed as ''
The Life Ahead ''The Life Ahead'' ( it, La vita davanti a sé) is a 2020 Italian drama film directed by Edoardo Ponti, from a screenplay by Ponti and Ugo Chiti. It is the third screen adaptation of the 1975 novel '' The Life Before Us'' by Romain Gary. It sta ...
'' (2020) * ''
Pseudo The prefix pseudo- (from Greek ψευδής, ''pseudes'', "false") is used to mark something that superficially appears to be (or behaves like) one thing, but is something else. Subject to context, ''pseudo'' may connote coincidence, imitation, ...
'' (1976) * ''
L'Angoisse du roi Salomon ''L'Angoisse'' is a French play by Pierre Mills and Celia de Vilyars. The film rights to it were bought by Vernon Sewell who filmed it four times: ''The Medium ''The Medium'' is a short (one-hour-long) two-act dramatic opera with words and music ...
'' (1979); translated as ''King Solomon'' (1983). * ''
Gros câlin Gros may refer to: People *Gros (surname) * Gross (surname), the German variant of Gros * Le Gros, the Norman variant of Gros Other uses * Gros (coinage), a type of 13th-century silver coinage of France * Gros (grape), another name for Elbling, ...
'' – new version including final chapter of the original and never published version.


As Fosco Sinibaldi

* '' L'homme à la colombe'' (1958)


As Shatan Bogat

* '' Les têtes de Stéphanie'' (1974)


Filmography


As screenwriter

*1958: '' The Roots of Heaven'' *1962: '' The Longest Day'' *1978: '' La vie devant soi''


As actor

*1936: '' Nitchevo'' – Le jeune homme au bastingage *1967: ''
The Road to Corinth ''The Road to Corinth'' ( french: La route de Corinthe, it, Criminal story, also released as ''Who's Got the Black Box?'') is a 1967 French-Italian Eurospy film directed by Claude Chabrol.Marco Giusti. ''007 all'italiana''. Isbn Edizioni, 2010. . ...
'' – (uncredited) (final film role)


As director

*1968: ''
Birds in Peru ''Birds in Peru'' is a 1968 French film. It was written and directed by Romain Gary. Gary based it on his own story.The Movies: 'Birds in Peru' Clifford, Terry. Chicago Tribune 11 Aug 1969: b14. Cast *Jean Seberg as Adriana *Maurice Ronet as Rainie ...
'' (''Birds in Peru'') starring Jean Seberg *1971: '' Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!'' also starring Jean Seberg


In popular culture

*2019: ''
Seberg ''Seberg'' is a 2019 political thriller film directed by Benedict Andrews, from a screenplay by Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse based on the life of Jean Seberg. It stars Kristen Stewart, Jack O'Connell, Margaret Qualley, Zazie Beetz, Anthony ...
'' , joué par
Yvan Attal Yvan is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Jacques-Yvan Morin, GOQ (born 1931), politician in Quebec, Canada *Marc-Yvan Côté (born 1947), former Quebec politician and Cabinet Minister for the Quebec Liberal Party *Maurice-Yvan S ...


References


Further reading

* Ajar, Émile (Romain Gary), ''Hocus Bogus'',
Yale University Press Yale University Press is the university press of Yale University. It was founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day, and became an official department of Yale University in 1961, but it remains financially and operationally autonomous. , Yale Univers ...
, 2010, 224p, (translation of ''Pseudo'' by
David Bellos David Bellos (born 1945) is an English-born translator and biographer. Bellos is Meredith Howland Pyne Professor of French Literature and Professor of Comparative Literature at Princeton University in the United States. He was director of Princeton ...
, includes ''The Life and Death of Émile Ajar'') * Anissimov, Myriam, ''Romain Gary, le caméléon'' (Denoël 2004) * Bellos, David, ''Romain Gary: A Tall Story'',
Harvill Secker Harvill Secker is a British publishing company formed in 2005 from the merger of Secker & Warburg and the Harvill Press. History Secker & Warburg Secker & Warburg was formed in 1935 from a takeover of Martin Secker, which was in receivership, ...
, 2010, 528p, * Bellos, David. 2009. The cosmopolitanism of Romain Gary. ''Darbair ir Dienos'' (Vilnius) 51:63–69. * Gary, Romain, ''Promise at Dawn'' (Revived Modern Classic),
W.W. Norton W. W. Norton & Company is an American publishing company based in New York City. Established in 1923, it has been owned wholly by its employees since the early 1960s. The company is known for its Norton Anthologies (particularly ''The Norton An ...
, 1988, 348p, * Huston, Nancy, ''Tombeau de Romain Gary'' (Babel, 1997) * Bona, Dominique, ''Romain Gary'' (Mercure de France, 1987) * Cahier de l'Herne, ''Romain Gary'' (L'Herne, 2005) * Désérable, François-Henri, ''Un certain M. Piekielny'', Gallimard, 2017, * * Blanch, Lesley, ''Romain, un regard particulier'' (Editions du Rocher, 2009) * Marret, Carine, ''Romain Gary – Promenade à Nice'' (Baie des Anges, 2010) * Marzorati, Michel (2018). Romain Gary: des racines et des ailes. ''Info-Pilote, 742'' pp. 30–33 * Spire, Kerwin, ''Monsieur Romain Gary'', Gallimard, 2021, * Stjepanovic-Pauly, Marianne. Romain Gary La mélancolie de l'enchanteur. ''Editions du Jasmin,


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gary, Romain 1914 births 1980 deaths Film people from Vilnius People from Vilensky Uyezd French people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent Lithuanian Jews Jews from the Russian Empire 20th-century French diplomats 20th-century French novelists French male novelists Jewish novelists Postmodern writers 20th-century French male writers Prix Goncourt winners French Royal Air Force pilots of World War II Suicides by firearm in France 1980 suicides Writers from Vilnius Jews in the French resistance French Resistance members