''The Corsican Brothers'' (french: Les Frères corses) is a
novella
A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...
by
Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas (, ; ; born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (), 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas père (where ''Suffix (name)#Generational titles, '' is French language, French for 'father', to distinguish him from ...
, first published in 1844. It is the story of two conjoined brothers who, though separated at birth, can still feel each other's physical distress. It has been adapted many times on the stage and in film.
Plot
The story starts in March 1841, when the narrator travels to
Corsica
Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...
and stays at the home of the widow Savilia de Franchi who lives near
Olmeto
Olmeto is a commune in the Corse-du-Sud department of France on the island of Corsica.
Population
Archaeological sites
There are two archaeological sites in the commune: Cuntorba and Figa la Sarra.
See also
* Tour de la Calanca
* Tour de ...
and
Sollacaro
Sollacaro (; it, Sollacarò, ; co, Suddacarò) is a Communes of France, commune in the Corse-du-Sud Departments of France, department of France on the island of Corsica.
Geography
The village is located at 450 m of altitude in the Taravo val ...
. She is the mother of formerly
conjoined twins
Conjoined twins – sometimes popularly referred to as Siamese twins – are twins joined ''in utero''. A very rare phenomenon, the occurrence is estimated to range from 1 in 49,000 births to 1 in 189,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence ...
Louis and Lucien. Louis is a lawyer in Paris, while Lucien clings to his Corsican roots and stays at his mother's home.
The brothers were separated at birth by a doctor with his
scalpel
A scalpel, lancet, or bistoury is a small and extremely sharp bladed instrument used for surgery, anatomical dissection, podiatry and various arts and crafts (either called a hobby knife or an X-acto knife.). Scalpels may be single-use disposa ...
, but Louis and Lucien can feel each other's emotions, even at a distance. Lucien explains he has a mission to undertake, with reluctance. He has to mediate in a
vendetta
Vendetta may refer to:
* Feud or vendetta, a long-running argument or fight
Film
* ''Vendetta'' (1919 film), a film featuring Harry Liedtke
* ''Vendetta'' (1950 film), an American drama produced by Howard Hughes
* ''Vendetta'' (1986 film), a ...
between the Orlandi and Colona families and invites the narrator to accompany him and meet the head of the Orlandi family.
Adaptations
Theatre
The play ''
The Corsican Brothers
''The Corsican Brothers'' (french: Les Frères corses) is a novella by Alexandre Dumas, père, first published in 1844. It is the story of two conjoined brothers who, though separated at birth, can still feel each other's physical distress. It h ...
'', by Dion Boucicault, based on the story, premiered in 1852.
George Albert Smith
George Albert Smith Sr. (April 4, 1870 – April 4, 1951) was an American religious leader who served as the eighth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
Early life
Born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territor ...
George Lessey
George Lessey (June 8, 1879 – June 3, 1947) was an American actor and director of the silent era. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1910 and 1946. He also directed more than 70 films between 1913 and 1922.
Lessey was born in Amh ...
King Baggot
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Charles Hutchison
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André Antoine
André Antoine (31 January 185823 October 1943) was a French actor, theatre manager, film director, author, and critic who is considered the father of modern mise en scène in France.
Biography
André Antoine was a clerk at the Paris Gas Utilit ...
Louis J. Gasnier
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Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
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* ''Apoorva Sagodharargal'' (1949), a Tamil film starring M. K. Radha and P. Bhanumathi, directed by Acharya
*''
The Bandits of Corsica
''The Bandits of Corsica'', alternative title ''The Return of the Corsican Brothers'', is a 1953 American adventure film directed by Ray Nazarro and starring Richard Greene, Paula Raymond and Raymond Burr. It is loosely based on the 1844 novell ...
'' (1953), starring
Richard Greene
Richard Marius Joseph Greene (25 August 1918 – 1 June 1985) was a noted English film and television actor. A matinée idol who appeared in more than 40 films, he was perhaps best known for the lead role in the long-running British TV series '' ...
in the dual title roles, directed by
Ray Nazarro
Ray Nazarro ''(aka'' "Ray" and "Nat;" ''né'' Raymond Alfred Nazarro; September 25, 1902 – September 8, 1986) was an American film and television director, producer, and screenwriter. Budd Boetticher called him a "ten-day picture guy."Budd Boe ...
Leo Fleider
Leo Fleider (October 12, 1913 in Hermanowa, Poland - August 5, 1977 in Buenos Aires, Argentina) was a Polish born Argentine film director and screenwriter, and one of the influential directors in the Cinema of Argentina of the classic era.
...
Geoffrey Horne
Geoffrey Horne (born August 22, 1933) is an American actor, director, and acting coach at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. His screen credits include ''The Bridge on the River Kwai'', '' Bonjour Tristesse'', ''The Strange One'', '' ...
*''
Aggi Pidugu
''Aggi Pidugu'' () is a 1964 Indian Telugu-language swashbuckler film, produced and directed by B. Vittalacharya under the Sri Vital Combines banner. It stars N. T. Rama Rao, Krishna Kumari and Rajasree, with music composed by Rajan–Nage ...
N. T. Rama Rao
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (28 May 1923 – 18 January 1996), often referred to by his initials NTR, was an Indian actor, filmmaker and politician who served as List of Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh fo ...
Rajasri
Rajasree (Rajasree Thota Panchajanyam, Kusuma Kumari, born 31 August 1945), also known as Rajasri or Rajashri, is an Indian actress active from 1956 to 1979. She is particularly famous for her portrayal as a princess in several folklore Telug ...
*''
Aathma Pooja
Aathma is the fifth studio album by Andorran metal band Persefone. It was released on 24 February 2017 by label ViciSolum Productions.
Track listing
Personnel
Source:
;Persefone
* Marc Martins: vocals
* Carlos Lozano: guitars
* Miguel Es ...
'' (1970), a Sinhala (Sri Lankan) film directed by
M. Masthaan
( ; ; pl. ; ; 1512, from Middle French , literally "my lord") is an honorific title that was used to refer to or address the eldest living brother of the king in the French royal court. It has now become the customary French title of resp ...
, starring
Gamini Fonseka
Kala Keerthi Sembuge Gamini Shelton Fonseka () (21 March 1936 - 30 September 2004 as ගාමිණී ෆොන්සේකා), was a Sri Lankan film actor, film director and politician. Often considered as the Greatest Actor in the Sinhal ...
*''
Start the Revolution Without Me
''Start the Revolution Without Me'' is a 1970 British-French-American period drama, period comedy film directed by Bud Yorkin and starring Gene Wilder, Donald Sutherland, Hugh Griffith, Jack MacGowran, Billie Whitelaw, Orson Welles (playing himse ...
'' (1970), a parody starring
Gene Wilder
Jerome Silberman (June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016), known professionally as Gene Wilder, was an American actor, comedian, writer and filmmaker. He is known mainly for his comedic roles, but also for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in ''Willy Won ...
and
Donald Sutherland
Donald McNichol Sutherland (born 17 July 1935) is a Canadian actor whose film career spans over six decades. He has been nominated for nine Golden Globe Awards, winning two for his performances in the television films ''Citizen X'' (1995) an ...
as two sets of identical twins, one of each pair switched at birth
*'' Neerum Neruppum'' (1971), a Tamil film starring
M. G. Ramachandran
Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran (17 January 1917 24 December 1987), also popularly known as M.G.R., was an Indian politician, actor, philanthropist, and filmmaker who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 1977 until his death in 1987 ...
and
Jayalalithaa
Jayaram Jayalalithaa (24 February 1948 – 5 December 2016) was an Indian politician and actress who served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for more than fourteen years over six terms between 1991 and 2016. From 9 February 1989 to 5 December 2 ...
Rajendra Kumar
Rajendra Kumar Tuli (20 July 1927 – 12 July 1999) was an Indian actor who starred in Bollywood films. Starting his career in 1949, he appeared in more than 80 films in a career spanning over four decades. He was popularly known as the 'Jubil ...
,
Hema Malini
Hema Malini (born 16 October 1948) is an Indian actress, director, producer, and politician. She is primarily known for her work in Hindi films. Known for starring in both comic and dramatic roles, she is one of the most popular and successful ...
,
Rekha
Bhanurekha Ganesan (born 10 October 1954), better known by her stage name Rekha, is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Hindi films. Acknowledged as one of the finest actresses in Indian cinema, she has starred in more than 180 fil ...
Hallmark Hall of Fame
''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City-based greeting card company. The longest-running prime-time series in t ...
movie featuring
Trevor Eve
Trevor John Eve (born 1 July 1951) is an English film and television actor. In 1979 he gained fame as the eponymous lead in the detective series '' Shoestring'' and is also known for his role as Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd in BBC telev ...
*''
Big Business
Big business involves large-scale corporate-controlled financial or business activities. As a term, it describes activities that run from "huge transactions" to the more general "doing big things". In corporate jargon, the concept is commonly kn ...
'' (1988), starring Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin, based on the concept
*''
Twin Dragons
''Twin Dragons'' (also known as ''Shuang long hui'' and ''Brother vs. Brother'') is a 1992 Hong Kong action comedy film directed by Ringo Lam and Tsui Hark, and starring Jackie Chan in a double role as identical twin brothers separated at birt ...
'' (1992), a
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
movie starring
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Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...
Tomax and Xamot
Tomax and Xamot Paoli (also called the Crimson Twins or Crimson Guard Commanders) are fictional characters from the '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' toyline, comic books and animated series. They are the co-leaders of Cobra's elite troops, the ...
are twin brothers described as having "Corsican Syndrome" in that they share a psychic link and can feel each other's pain.
* In the U.S. television science fiction series ''
Warehouse 13
''Warehouse 13'' is an American science fiction television series that originally ran from July 7, 2009, to May 19, 2014, on the Syfy network, and was executive produced by Jack Kenny and David Simkins for Universal Cable Productions. Described ...
'', "The Corsican Brothers' Vest" is an artifact which causes who ever hurts the wearer to feel the pain (and get wounded) instead of him. In episode 12 of season 2
Dear Bill
The "Dear Bill" letters were a regular feature in the British satirical magazine ''Private Eye'', purporting to be the private correspondence of Denis Thatcher, husband of the then-Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. It was written by Richard I ...
, the parody of British political life during the
Thatcher era
Margaret Thatcher's term as the prime minister of the United Kingdom began on 4 May 1979 when she accepted an invitation of Queen Elizabeth II to form a government, and ended on 28 November 1990 upon her resignation. She was elected to the pos ...
,
Denis Thatcher
Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Baronet, (10 May 1915 – 26 June 2003) was an English businessman and the husband of Margaret Thatcher, who served as the first female British prime minister from 1979 to 1990; in turn, he became the first male prime m ...
routinely refers to the government's PR consultants
Saatchi and Saatchi
Saatchi & Saatchi is a British multinational communications and advertising agency network with 114 offices in 76 countries and over 6,500 staff. It was founded in 1970 and is currently headquartered in London. The parent company of the agency gr ...
as "The Corsican Brothers".
* In 1970 US television, a comedic parody aired on the television sitcom ''Bewitched''. In the episode titled "The Corsican Cousins", Samantha's mother, Endora, places a spell on Samantha so she will feel and act out everything her cousin, Serena does.
* In the 1981 novel ''
The Xanadu Talisman
''The Xanadu Talisman'' is the title of an action-adventure/spy novel by Peter O'Donnell that was first published in 1981, featuring the character Modesty Blaise. This was the tenth book to feature the character. It was first published in the Un ...
'' by
Peter O'Donnell
Peter O'Donnell (11 April 1920 – 3 May 2010) was an English writer of mysteries and of comic strips, best known as the creator of ''Modesty Blaise'', an action heroine/undercover trouble-shooter. He was also an award-winning gothic hi ...
, Georges and Bernard Martel are compared to the Corsican Brothers because "one was good and one was bad".
* Volume 14 Chapter 01 of the manga series ''
Black Jack
Blackjack is a popular casino-gambling card game.
Black Jack or Blackjack may also refer to:
Places
Australia
* Black Jack, Queensland, a locality in Queensland
* Black Jack, a civil parish of Pottinger County, New South Wales
* Black Jack H ...
'' involves the title character treating twin brothers who are able to feel each other's pain, which their guardian compares to the Corsican Brothers.
* In the '' Men in Black: The Series'' episode "The Psychic Link Syndrome," Agent J compares Agent K to the Corsican Brothers when an alien named Forbus forms a psychic bond with K, causing the two to experience one another's sensations and emotions.
Internet Movie Database
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...