Pierre Frondaie (born Albert René Fraudet; 25 April 1884 – 25 September 1948) was a French poet, novelist, and playwright.

Biography

Pierre Frondaie – né Albert René Fraudet – was born in 1884 in Paris to an upper-middle-class family. He began writing as a teenager and soon devoted himself to the theme that would come to define his career as a man of letters, namely love and its vicissitudes. His success came early. The French stage legend Sarah Bernhardt fostered his talents as an actor and playwright, producing and acting in one of his plays during a triumphant American tour. In 1925, Frondaie published ''L'Homme à l'Hispano'' (''The Man in the Hispano-Suiza''), the novel that would go on to become his bestseller, translated in 15 languages. The book inspired a successful play, staged in Paris in 1928, and two film adaptations (the first by Julien Duvivier in 1926, the second by Jean Epstein in 1933). Frondaie soon caught the attention of Hollywood, then in its infancy, where several cinematographic adaptations were made of his works for an English-speaking audience by Paramount Pictures and

Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn (born Szmuel Gelbfisz; yi, שמואל געלבפֿיש; August 27, 1882 (claimed) January 31, 1974), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish-born American film producer. He was best known for being the founding contributor an ...

. In 1928, Howard Hawks directed '' Fazil'', based on Frondaie’s play ''L'Insoumise''.Bjawi-Levine, Laure: Postface à ''L'Homme à l'Hispano'', Editions le Festin (2011), Bordeaux. In France, Frondaie’s talents earned him a large audience, as well as the respect of his contemporaries, including notable authors such as

Pierre Louÿs Pierre Louÿs (; 10 December 1870 – 4 June 1925) was a French poet and writer, most renowned for lesbian and classical themes in some of his writings. He is known as a writer who sought to "express pagan sensuality with stylistic perfection". ...

and academicians (members of the Académie française) such as

Anatole France (; born , ; 16 April 1844 – 12 October 1924) was a French poet, journalist, and novelist with several best-sellers. Ironic and skeptical, he was considered in his day the ideal French man of letters. He was a member of the Académie França ...

, Maurice Barrès, and

Claude Farrère Claude Farrère, pseudonym of Frédéric-Charles Bargone (27 April 1876, in Lyon – 21 June 1957, in Paris), was a French Navy officer and writer. Many of his novels are based in exotic locations such as Istanbul, Saigon, or Nagasaki. One of ...

. As a playwright, he became a darling of the Parisian stage, with stars such as

Polaire Émilie Marie Bouchaud (14 May 1874 – 14 October 1939), better known by her stage name Polaire, was a French singer and actress. She was known for her wasp waist which, achieved through corsetry, reportedly measured less than 16 inches (41&nbs ...

Régina Badet Anne Régina Badet (9 October 1876 – 26 October 1949) was a French comedic actress, dancer, and star of the Ópera-Comique de Paris. Career Badet was first dancer with the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux in 1890. She began with the Opéra-Comiqu ...

, and Sylvie acting in his plays. Productions of his theatrical works toured Europe and made their way to

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

. From Broadway to Hollywood, few French authors can claim the kind of success Frondaie enjoyed in America at the time. Frondaie was then referred to as a veritable literary phenomenon. From 1942 until his death, Pierre Frondaie ran the Théâtre de l'Ambigu, in Paris, and focused on directing and producing several of his own plays. At times he was even on stage playing opposite his wife, Maria Favella, an actress. Frondaie’s flamboyant lifestyle mirrored that of some of the high-society characters he wrote about in his plays and novels. He traveled frequently across the world, jetting between homes in Paris and

Arcachon Arcachon ( ; ) is a commune in the southwestern French department of Gironde. It is a popular seaside resort on the Atlantic coast southwest of Bordeaux, in the Landes forest. It has a sandy beach and a mild climate said to be favourable for i ...

, making regular visits to the

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

coast, and rubbing elbows with the jazz-age beau monde. He was married four times, to illustrious and independent women, but never had children. Frondaie's first wife, Jeanne Gellier, was an actress known under the stage name of Michelle. After the couple’s divorce, Frondaie married Madeleine Charnaux, a sculptor, student of Antoine Bourdelle, and later an aviator. This marriage, too, was short lived. Frondaie was then betrothed to lawyer and author Jeanne Loviton (who wrote under the name Jean Voilier). After they separated, Frondaie married Maria Favella, a promising young actress student of the famous Cours Simon and fresh out of the Conservatory. He would spend the rest of his life with her. Frondaie’s works tend to revolve around love – or perhaps the yearning for love – and its effects on human relationships and social behavior. Scholars of his work have attributed this theme to two events that profoundly affected the author at a young age: the death of his mother when he was 17, followed a few months later by that of his first love. As a result of these traumas, he was forever haunted by the fear of losing those he loved. In 1948, Frondaie died of a heart attack in

Vaucresson Vaucresson () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is in the Hauts-de-Seine department from the center of Paris. Vaucresson contains abundant parkland; 22 of its 308 hectares are classed as natural zones. Today Vaucresson ...

, a residential suburb of Paris, in the home he shared with Maria Favella. He was 64. Favella then took over the reins of the Théàtre de l’Ambigu, and proved to be a savvy businesswoman. After Frondaie’s death, she bequeathed his archives to his beloved city of

Selected bibliography

Novels

1907 Events January * January 14 – 1907 Kingston earthquake: A 6.5 Mw earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica, kills between 800 and 1,000. February * February 11 – The French warship ''Jean Bart'' sinks off the coast of Morocco ...

: ''Les Fatidiques'', Edition du « Monde Illustré ». *

1909 Events January–February * January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes. * January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama. * Jan ...

: ''Tu seras roi'', Librairie des Annales. *

1911 A notable ongoing event was the Comparison of the Amundsen and Scott Expeditions, race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory ...

: ''Contes Réels et Fantaisistes'', Edition du « Monde Illustré ». *

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Itali ...

: ''L'Homme à l'Hispano'', Editions le Festin. *

1926 Events January * January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece. * January 8 **Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Hejaz. ** Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuy ascends the throne, the last monarch of Viet ...

: ''L'Eau du Nil'', Editions Emile-Paul Frères. *

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhan ...

: ''Deux fois vingt ans'', Plon. *

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

: ''La Côte des Dieux'', Editions Emile-Paul Frères. *

: ''Auprès de ma blonde...'', Editions Emile-Paul Frères. *

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will b ...

: ''Béatrice devant le désir'', Editions Emile-Paul Frères. *

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

: ''Le Voleur de femmes'', Editions Emile-Paul Frères. *

: ''Iris perdue et retrouvée'', Editions Emile-Paul Frères. *

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort to assassinate Emperor Hiro ...

: ''Zigoël'', Editions Emile-Paul Frères. * 1933 : ''De l'Amour à l'Amour'', Editions Emile-Paul Frères. * 1933 : ''La femme de Iakof'', Editions Emile-Paul Frères. *

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 Nepal–Bihar earthquake strikes Nepal and Bihar with a maxi ...

: ''Isabelle et les préjugés'', Editions Baudinière. *

: ''Cette femme qui fut divine...'', Editions Baudinière. * 1935 : ''Quand le diable s'en mêle...'', Editions Baudinière. * 1935 : ''Le Lieutenant de Gibraltar'', Editions Baudinière. * 1935 : ''Le Lieutenant de Gibraltar'', Librairie Plon. *

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

: ''Port-Arthur'', Librairie Plon. * 1938 : ''Le Volontaire'', Librairie Plon. * 1941 : ''Ce que Bodley m'a ranconté'', Librairie Plon. *

1942 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in w ...

: ''Montmartre'', Editions Baudinière.

Theater

;Performances * ''La Femme et le Pantin'', a play in 4 acts by

and Pierre Frondaie, Paris, Théâtre Antoine, December 8, 1910 * ''Blanche Câline'', a play in 3 acts, Théâtre Michel, 4 * ''La Maison cernée'', a play in 4 acts, Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt, 12 with Madame Michelle (Jeanne Gillier) and

Louis Gauthier Louis Gauthier (12 April 1916 – 6 August 2005) was a French racing cyclist. He rode in the 1947 Tour de France The 1947 Tour de France was the 34th edition of the Tour de France, taking place from 25 June to 20 July. The total race dist ...

* ''L'Appassionata'', a play in 4 acts,

Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin The Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin is a venerable theatre and opera house at 18, Boulevard Saint-Martin in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. History It was first built very rapidly in 1781 under the direction of (1726–1810) to house th ...

, 10 * ''Le Reflet'', a play in 4 acts,

Théâtre Fémina The Théâtre Fémina or Salle Fémina was an entertainment venue located at 90 avenue des Champs-Élysées in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. It was inside the Hôtel Fémina, designed by the architect .R. 1907, p. 460. History Based in the ...

, June * ''L'Insoumise'', a play in 4 acts, Théâtre Antoine, 10 * ''Le Fils de Don Quichotte'', a play in 4 acts, directed by

Charles Dullin Charles Dullin (; 8 May 1885 – 11 December 1949) was a French actor, theater manager and director. Career Dullin began his career as an actor in melodrama:185 In 1908, he started his first troupe with Saturnin Fabre, the ''Théâtre de Foir ...

, music by

Henri Sauguet Henri-Pierre Sauguet-Poupard (18 May 1901 – 22 June 1989) was a French composer. Born in Bordeaux, he adopted his mother's maiden name as part of his professional pseudonym. His output includes operas, ballets, four symphonies (1945, 1949 ...

, with

Étienne Decroux Étienne Decroux (19 July 1898 in Paris, France – 12 March 1991 in Boulogne-Billancourt, France) was a French actor who studied at Jacques Copeau's École du Vieux-Colombier, where he saw the beginnings of what was to become his life's obse ...

Madeleine Tambour Madeleine Tambour, born December 18, 1908, in Paris and died in deportation to the Ravensbrück camp on March 4, 1945, was a French actress, active in the French Resistance within several networks including André Girard's Carte network and sever ...

, Paris,

Théâtre de l'Atelier The Théâtre de l'Atelier is a theatre at 1, place Charles Dullin in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, France. History The theatre opened on 23 November 1822 under the name Théâtre MontmartreEdward Foreman, ''Historical dictionary of French t ...

, December 20, 1930 * ''La Gardienne'', a play in 4 acts,

, 10 * ''La Marche au destin'', a play in 3 acts,

Théâtre de la Renaissance The name Théâtre de la Renaissance has been used successively for three distinct Parisian theatre companies. The first two companies, which were short-lived enterprises in the 19th century, used the Salle Ventadour, now an office building on t ...

, March 21, 1924 * ''Les Amants de Paris'', a play in 4 acts, Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt, 10, with Sylvie,

Mady Berry Mady Berry (14 October 1887 – 18 January 1965) was a French stage and film actress.Waldman p.146 Selected filmography * ''Gloria'' (1931) * '' All That's Not Worth Love'' (1931) * '' Moon Over Morocco'' (1931) * '' The Girl and the Boy'' (193 ...

Harry Baur Harry Baur (12 April 1880 – 8 April 1943) was a French actor. Initially a stage actor, Baur appeared in about 80 films between 1909 and 1942. He gave an acclaimed performance as the composer Ludwig van Beethoven in the biopic ''Beethoven's Gr ...

, Pierre Blanchar and

Fernand Fabre Fernand Fabre (1899–1987) was a French stage, television and film actor.Goble p.49 Selected filmography * ''The Queen's Necklace'' (1929) * '' The Indictment'' (1931) * ''Luck'' (1931) * ''The Weaker Sex'' (1933) * ''Madame Bovary'' (1934) * '' ...

;Editions *

: ''Rose Flamberge'', Librairie Paul Ollendorff. *

: ''Montmartre'', Librairie Charpentier et Fasquelle. Eugène Fasquelle, éditeur. *

: ''La Femme et le Pantin'' (in collaboration with

), Librairie des Annales. *

1913 Events January * January 5 – First Balkan War: Battle of Lemnos – Greek admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis forces the Turkish fleet to retreat to its base within the Dardanelles, from which it will not venture for the rest of the ...

: ''Blanche Câline'', La Petite Illustration. *

: ''L'Homme qui assassina'' (based on a novel by

), Librairie Paul Ollendorff. *

1914 This year saw the beginning of what became known as World War I, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. It als ...

: ''Aphrodite'' (based on a novel by

), Fontemoing & Cie. *

1915 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction". * January ...

: ''Colette Baudoche'' (based on a novel by Maurice Barrès), Emile-Paul Frères, éditeur. *

1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that had been stored and cooled. * J ...

: ''Le Crime de Sylvestre Bonnard'' (based on a novel by

), Les Annales. * 1920 : ''La Maison cernée'', Librairie Théâtrale. * 1921 : ''L'Appassionata'', Librairie Théâtrale Artistique et Littéraire. * 1921 : ''La Bataille'' (based on a novel by

), Librairie Théâtrale. *

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éireann, the day after Éamon de Valera ...

: ''Le Reflet'', La Petite Illustration. *

1923 Events January–February * January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory). * January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...

: ''L'Insoumise'', Librairie Théâtrale. *

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China holds ...

: ''La Gardienne'', L'Illustration. *

: ''La Menace'', Librairie Théâtrale. *

: ''Les Amants de Paris'' L'Illustration. *

: ''L'Homme à l'Hispano.''

Poetry

: ''Les Pierres de Lune. Les Bijoux de la morte. Quelques cailloux,'' Librarie Paul Ollendorff. *

: ''Le prélude aux poèmes du Coq'' * 1918: ''La Nuit sur le Rhin''

Filmography

*', directed by

Victor Sjöström Victor David Sjöström (; 20 September 1879 – 3 January 1960), also known in the United States as Victor Seastrom, was a pioneering Swedish film director, screenwriter, and actor. He began his career in Sweden, before moving to Hollywood in ...

(Sweden, 1922, based on the play ''La Maison cernée'') *'' The Man with the Hispano'', directed by Julien Duvivier (France, 1926, based on the novel ''L'Homme à l'Hispano'') *'' Fazil'', directed by Howard Hawks (USA, 1928, based on the play ''L'Insoumise'') *''La Menace'', directed by Jean Bertin (France, 1928, based on the play ''La Menace'') *', directed by Marcel Vandal (France, 1928, based on the novel ''L'Eau du Nil'') *''L'Appassionata'', directed by

Léon Mathot Léon Mathot (5 March 1886, Roubaix, Nord-Pas-de-Calais - 6 March 1968, in Paris) was a French film actor and film director best known perhaps for playing Edmond Dantes in '' The Count of Monte Cristo'' film serial in 1918. He appeared in the ...

and

André Liabel André Liabel was a French actor, film director and screenwriter. André Liabel began his career as comedian by working full-time as an actor for the cinematographic company Laboratoires Éclair which had just opened its new studios at Épin ...

(France, 1929, based on the play ''L'Appassionata'') *''Deux fois vingt ans'', directed by

Charles-Félix Tavano Charles-Félix Tavano (19 April 1887 – 29 May 1963) was a French film director as well as a screenwriter. Filmography Director * 1931: ''Deux fois vingt ans'' * 1932: ''Arrêtez-moi!'' * 1932: ''Un client de province'' * 1932: '' Billeting ...

(France, 1931, based on the novel ''Deux fois vingt ans'') *''La ley del harem'', directed by

Lewis Seiler Lewis Seiler (September 30, 1890 – January 8, 1964) was an American film director. He directed more than 80 films between 1923 and 1958. Seiler was born in New York City and died in Hollywood, California. Partial filmography *''A Bankru ...

(USA, Spanish-language film, 1931, based on the play ''L'Insoumise'') *'' The Man with the Hispano'', directed by Jean Epstein (France, 1933, based on the novel ''L'Homme à l'Hispano'') *', directed by

Louis J. Gasnier Louis Joseph Gasnier (September 15, 1875 – February 15, 1963) was a French-American film director, producer, screenwriter and stage actor. A cinema pioneer, Gasnier shepherded the early career of comedian Max Linder, co-directed the enormously ...

(France, 1934, based on the novel ''Iris perdue et retrouvée'') *''

La Route impériale ''La Route impériale'' ("the imperial road") is a 1935 French film directed by Marcel L'Herbier. It combines a romantic drama with a military adventure story, set against the contemporary background of British operations against a rebellion in t ...

'', directed by

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 ...

(France, 1935, based on the play ''La Maison cernée'') *'' Port-Arthur'', directed by

Nicolas Farkas ''The native form of this personal name is Farkas Miklós. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.'' Nicolas Farkas ( Margitta, Austro-Hungarian Empire, July 27, 1890 – New York, March 22, 1982) was a Hungarian-born cin ...

(French, 1936, based on the novel ''Port-Arthur'') **'' Port Arthur'', directed by

(German, 1936, based on the novel ''Port-Arthur'') *''

The Woman Thief ''The Woman Thief'' (French: ''Le voleur de femmes'') is a 1938 French-Italian drama film directed by Abel Gance and starring Jules Berry, Annie Ducaux and Suzanne Desprès.Burke p.216 It was made at the Pisorno Studios The Tirrenia Studios (als ...

'', directed by Abel Gance (French, 1938, based on the novel ''Le Voleur de femmes'') **''Ladro di donne'', directed by Abel Gance (Italian, 1938, based on the novel ''Le Voleur de femmes'') *''

Behold Beatrice ''Behold Beatrice'' or ''Beatrice's Temptation'' (French: ''Béatrice devant le désir'') is a 1944 French drama film directed by Jean de Marguenat and starring Fernand Ledoux, Jules Berry and Renée Faure. It features an early performance by t ...

'', directed by

Jean de Marguenat Jean de Marguenat (2 May 1893 – 16 April 1956) was a French screenwriter and film director. He directed nineteen films including the 1937 British musical ''The Street Singer (1937 film), The Street Singer'' (1937).De Lafayette p.270 Selected fi ...

(France, 1944, based on the novel ''Béatrice devant le désir'') *''

Wolves Hunt at Night ''Wolves Hunt at Night'' (French: ''Les Loups chassent la nuit'', Italian: ''La ragazza di Trieste'') is a 1952 French-Italian spy thriller film directed by Bernard Borderie and starring Jean-Pierre Aumont, Carla Del Poggio and Fernand Ledoux.Gi ...

'', directed by

Bernard Borderie Bernard Borderie (10 June 1924 in Paris – 28 May 1978 in Paris) was a French film director and screenwriter. His father, Raymond Borderie, was one of the producers of ''Les Enfants du Paradis'' (''Children of Paradise'', 1945). Selected filmo ...

(France, 1952, based on the novel ''Le Lieutenant de Gibraltar'')

References

External links

Notice
at BnF.fr * {{DEFAULTSORT:Frondaie, Pierre 1884 births 1948 deaths 20th-century French novelists 20th-century French dramatists and playwrights French male poets French male novelists 20th-century French poets 20th-century French male writers