Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux (6 May 186815 April 1927) was a French

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 journalism ...

and

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

detective fiction Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as s ...

. In the English-speaking world, he is best known for writing the novel ''

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 Pierr ...

'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, 1909), which has been made into several film and stage productions of the same name, notably the 1925 film starring

Lon Chaney Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and affli ...

, and

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, ...

's 1986 musical. His 1907 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 ...

'' is one of the most celebrated locked room mysteries.

Life and career

Leroux was born in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

in 1868, the illegitimate child of Marie Bidaut and Dominique Leroux, who married a month after his birth. He claimed an illustrious pedigree, including descent from

William II of England William II ( xno, Williame; – 2 August 1100) was King of England from 26 September 1087 until his death in 1100, with powers over Normandy and influence in Scotland. He was less successful in extending control into Wales. The third so ...

(in French, Guillaume le Roux, son of William the Conqueror), and social connections such as having been the official playmate of

Prince Philippe, Count of Paris Prince Philippe of Orléans, Count of Paris (Louis Philippe Albert; 24 August 1838 – 8 September 1894), was disputedly King of the French from 24 to 26 February 1848 as Louis Philippe II, although he was never officially proclaimed as such. ...

at the College d'Eu in Normany. After studying as a lawyer in

Caen Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

newspaper '' Le Matin'' in 1893. He was present at, and covered, the

1905 Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution of 1905,. also known as the First Russian Revolution,. occurred on 22 January 1905, and was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. The mass unrest was directed again ...

. Another case at which he was present involved the investigation and in-depth coverage of the former

Paris Opera The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be ...

(presently housing the Paris Ballet). The basement contained a cell that held prisoners of the

Paris Commune The Paris Commune (french: Commune de Paris, ) was a revolutionary government that seized power in Paris, the capital of France, from 18 March to 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard had defended ...

. He left journalism in 1907, after returning from covering a volcanic eruption and being immediately sent on another assignment without vacation time, and began writing fiction. In 1919, he and

Arthur Bernède Arthur Bernède (5 January 1871 – 20 March 1937) was a French writer, poet, opera librettist, and playwright. Bernède was born in Redon, Ille-et-Vilaine department, in Brittany. In 1919, Bernède joined forces with actor René Navarre, who ...

formed their own film company,

Société des Cinéromans The Société des Cinéromans was a French film production company of the silent movie era. History In 1919, Gaston Leroux founded the Société des Cinéromans in Nice with René Navarre and Arthur Bernède to publish novels and turn them into ...

, publishing novels and turning them into films. He first wrote a mystery novel titled ''Le mystère de la chambre jaune'' (1907; English title: ''

''), starring the amateur detective

Joseph Rouletabille Joseph Rouletabille () is a fictional character created by Gaston Leroux, 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 t ...

. Leroux's contribution to French detective fiction is considered a parallel to those of

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for '' A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...

in the United Kingdom and

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...

in the United States. Leroux published his most famous work, ''The Phantom of the Opera'', as a serial in 1909 and 1910, and as a book in 1910 (with an English translation appearing in 1911). ''Balaoo'' followed in 1911, which was made into a film several times (in 1913, 1927 and 1942). Leroux was made a

Chevalier de la Legion 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 B ...

in 1909. He died at age 58 in Nice, France in 1927.

Personal life

Leroux married twice, first to Marie Lefranc from whom he separated in 1902. Following his separation, he then lived with Jeanne Cayatte from

Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gr ...

, with whom he had a son, Gaston, nicknamed Milinkij, and daughter Madeleine; they married in 1917 after Lefranc's death. In 1918, he founded a film production company,

with

René Navarre René Navarre (8 July 1877 – 8 February 1968) was a French actor of the silent era. He appeared in 109 films between 1910 and 1946, and was often credited simply as Navarre. His most famous role was probably the master criminal Fantômas. ...

and debuted two films ''Tue-la-Mort'' and ''Il etait deux petits enfants'', in which his daughter played the lead role.

Novels

The Adventures of
Rouletabille Joseph Rouletabille () is a fictional character created by Gaston Leroux, 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 t ...

*1907 - ''Le mystère de la chambre jaune'' (English translation: ''

'', 1907; ''Rouletabille and The Mystery of the Yellow Room'', 2009, translated 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 ( ...

, ) *1908 - ''Le parfum de la dame en noir'' (English translation: ''

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 ...

'', 1908) *1913 - ''Rouletabille chez le Tsar'' (Rouletabille and the Tsar; English translation: ''

The Secret of the Night ''The Secret of the Night'' or ''Rouletabille and the Tsar'' (French: ''Rouletabille chez le Tsar'') is a 1913 mystery novel by the French writer Gaston Leroux. It is the third in his series of novels featuring the fictional detective Joseph Roule ...

'', 1914) *1914 - ''Rouletabille à la guerre'' (Rouletabille at War) consisting of ** ''Le château noir'' (The Black Castle) ** ''Les étranges noces de Rouletabille'' (The Strange Wedding of Rouletabille;) *1917 - ''Rouletabille chez Krupp'' (English translation: ''

Rouletabille at Krupp's ''Rouletabille at Krupp's'' (French: ''Rouletabille chez Krupp'') is a 1917 French thriller novel by the French writer Gaston Leroux.Goulet p.267 It is the fifth in his series of novels featuring the fictional detective Joseph Rouletabille. Synop ...

'', 2013, 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 ...

, ) *1921 - ''Le crime de Rouletabille'' (''

The Crime of Rouletabille ''The Crime of Rouletabille'' (French: ''Le Crime de Rouletabille'') is a 1921 mystery novel by the French writer Gaston Leroux.Kelleghan p.401 It is the sixth in his series of novels featuring the fictional detective Joseph Rouletabille, that beg ...

''; English translation: ''The Slave Bangle'', 1925; ''The Phantom Clue'', 1926, translated by Hannaford Bennett) *1922 - ''Rouletabille chez les Bohémiens'' (Rouletabille and the Gypsies; English translation: ''The Sleuth Hound'' K 1926; ''The Octopus of Paris'' S 1927, translated by Hannaford Bennett)

Chéri Bibi

* ''Première Aventures de Chéri-Bibi'' (1913, English translations: ''The Floating Prison'' Kand ''Wolves of the Sea'' S Translated by Hannaford Bennett in 1923) * ''Chéri-Bibi et Cécily'' (1916, English translations: ''Missing Men: The Return of Cheri-Bibi'' S ''Cheri-Bibi and Cecily'' K 1923, translated by Hannaford Bennett) * ''Nouvelles Aventures de Chéri-Bibi'' (1921, English translations: Part I - ''The Dark Road'', 1924; Part II - ''The Dancing Girl'' K ''Nomads of the Night'' S Translated by Hannaford Bennett 1925) * ''Le Coup d'État de Chéri-Bibi'' (1926, English translation: ''The New Idol'', Translated by Hannaford Bennett 1928)

Other novels

* ''La double vie de Théophraste Longuet'' (1903, English translations: ''The Double Life'', 1909, translated by John E. Kearney; ''The Man with the Black Feather'', 1912, translated by Edgar Jepson) * ''Le roi mystère'' (1908) * ''Le fauteuil hanté'' (1909, English translation: ''The Haunted Chair'', 1931) * ''Un homme dans la nuit'' (1910) * ''La reine de Sabbat'' (1910, English translations: Part I as ''The Midnight Lady'' K 1930; Part II as ''The Missing Archduke'' K 1931) * ''Le fantôme de l'Opéra'' (1910, English translation: ''

'', 1911) * ''Balaoo'' (1911, English translation: ''Balaoo'', 1913) * ''L' épouse du soleil'' (1912, English translation: ''The Bride of the Sun'', 1915) * ''La colonne infernale'' (1916) * ''Confitou'' (1916) * ''L' homme qui revient de loin'' (1916, English translation: ''The Man who Came Back from the Dead'', 1916) * ''Le capitaine Hyx'' (1917, English translation: ''The Amazing Adventures of Carolus Herbert'', 1922, translated by Hannaford Bennett) * ''La bataille invisible'' (1917, English translation: ''The Veiled Prisoner'' K 1923, translated by Hannaford Bennett) * ''Tue-la-mort'' (1920, English translation: ''The Masked Man'', 1929) * ''Le coeur cambriolé'' (1920, English translation: ''The Burgled Heart'', 1925; ''The New Terror'', 1926) * ''Le sept de trèfle'' (1921) * ''La poupée sanglante'' (1923, English translations: ''The Kiss That Killed'', 1934, translated by Hannaford Bennett) * ''La machine à assassiner'' (1923, English translation: ''The Machine to Kill'', 1934) * ''Les ténébreuses: La fin d'un monde & du sang sur la Néva'' (1924) * ''Hardis-Gras ou le fils des trois pères'' (1924, English translation: ''The Son of 3 Fathers'', 1927, translated by Hannaford Bennett) * ''La Farouche Aventure'' (serialized in "Le Journal" as ''La Coquette punie'', 1924; English translation: ''The Adventures of a Coquette'', 1926, translated by Hannaford Bennett) * ''La Mansarde en or'' (1925) * ''Les Mohicans de Babel'' (1926) * ''Mister Flow'' (1927, English translation: Part I as ''The Man of a Hundred Faces'' SAand ''The Queen of Crime'' K 1930; Part II as ''Lady Helena, or The Mysterious Lady'' SA 1931) * ''Les Chasseurs de danses'' (1927) * ''Pouloulou'' (1990, posthumous)

Short stories

*1887 - "Le petit marchand de pommes de terre frites" *1902 - "Les trois souhaits" *1907 - "Baïouchki baïou" *1908 - "L'homme qui a vu le diable" (English translation: "In Letters of Fire", 1908) *1911 - "Le dîner des bustes" (English translation: "A Terrible Tale", 1925) *1912 - "La hache d'or" (English translation: "The Gold Axe", 1925) *1924 - "Le Noël du petit Vincent-Vincent" (English translation: "The Crime on Christmas Night", 1930) *1924 - "La femme au collier de velours" (English translation: "The Woman with the Velvet Collar", first English publication in ''Weird Tales'', October 1929) *1924 - "Not'olympe" (English translation: "The Mystery of the Four Husbands", first English publication in ''Weird Tales'', December 1929) *1925 - "L'Auberge épouvantable" (English translation: "The Inn of Terror", first English publication In ''Weird Tales'', August 1929, Translated by Mildred Gleason prochet)

Plays

*1908 - ''Le Lys'' (co-author:

Pierre Wolff Pierre Wolff (1 January 1865, in Paris – 1944) was a French playwright. Biography Pierre Wolff was a Jewish writer, who wrote numerous plays, as well as some libretti for operettas. He was the nephew of journalist Albert Wolff. His dramas wer ...

) *1913 - ''Alsace'' (co-author: Lucien Camille)

Filmography

** Films based on ''The Phantom of the Opera'' ** Films based on the ''Rouletabille'' novels *', directed by

Victorin-Hippolyte Jasset Victorin-Hippolyte Jasset (30 March 1862 - 22 June 1913) was an early film pioneer in France, active between the years 1905 and 1913. He worked on many genres of film and was particularly associated with the development of detective or crime Seri ...

(1913, short film, based on the novel ''Balaoo'') *''Chéri-Bibi'', directed by (1914, short film, based on the novel ''Chéri-Bibi'') *''

Alsace Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...

'', directed by

Henri Pouctal Henri Pouctal (21 October 1860 – 2 February 1922) was an early French silent film director and actor best known for his silent films of the 1910s, notably ''Alsace Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ...

(1916, based on the play ''Alsace'') *''L'Homme qui revient de loin'', directed by

Gaston Ravel Gaston Ravel (1878–1958) was a French screenwriter and film director. He made over sixty films, mostly during the silent era. In 1929 he co-directed the historical film ''The Queen's Necklace''.Klossner p.77 Selected filmography * '' The Knot'' ...

(1917, based on the novel ''L'Homme qui revient de loin'') *''La Nouvelle aurore'', directed by (1919, serial with 16 episodes, based on the novel ''Nouvelles aventures de Chéri-Bibi'') *''A halál után'', directed by

Alfréd Deésy Alfréd Deésy (22 September 1877 – 18 July 1961) was a Hungarian film director, screenwriter and actor. He directed 77 films between 1915 and 1947. Deésy also appeared as an actor in 28 films between 1913 and 1960. Biography Deésy wa ...

(Hungary, 1920, based on the novel ''L'Homme qui revient de loin'') *''The Lily'', directed by

Victor Schertzinger Victor L. Schertzinger (April 8, 1888 – October 26, 1941) was an American composer, film director, film producer, and screenwriter. His films include ''Paramount on Parade'' (co-director, 1930 in film, 1930), ''Something to Sing About (1937 fil ...

(1926, based on the play ''Le Lys'') *''

The Wizard Wizard, the wizard, or wizards may refer to: * Wizard (fantasy), a fictional practitioner of magic * Wizard (supernatural), a practitioner of magic Art, entertainment and media Fictional characters * Wizard (Archie Comics), a comic book supe ...

'', directed by

Richard Rosson Richard Rosson (April 4, 1893 – May 31, 1953) was an American film director and actor. As an actor, he was known for the nearly 100 films he was in during the silent era. As a director, he directed the logging sequences in the 1936 film ''Co ...

(1927, based on the novel ''Balaoo'') *''

The Phantom of Paris ''The Phantom of Paris'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by John S. Robertson and written by Bess Meredyth, Edwin Justus Mayer and John Meehan. The film stars John Gilbert and Leila Hyams, and is based on the 1913 novel ''Ché ...

'', directed by John S. Robertson (1931, based on the novel ''Chéri-Bibi et Cécily'') **'' Cheri-Bibi'', directed by Carlos F. Borcosque (1931), alternative Spanish-language version of ''The Phantom of Paris'' *''

Compliments of Mister Flow ''Compliments of Mister Flow'' or ''Mister Flow'' is a 1936 French mystery film directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Fernand Gravey, Edwige Feuillère and Louis Jouvet.Greco p.190 It was based on the 1927 novel '' Mister Flow'' by Gaston Le ...

'', directed by

Robert Siodmak Robert Siodmak (; 8 August 1900 – 10 March 1973) was a German film director who also worked in the United States. He is best remembered as a thriller specialist and for a series of films noirs he made in the 1940s, such as ''The Killers'' (19 ...

(1936, based on the novel ''Mister Flow'') *', 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 19 ...

(1938, based on the novel ''Chéri-Bibi'') *''

Dr. Renault's Secret ''Dr. Renault's Secret'' is a 1942 American horror mystery film. The story was written by William Bruckner and Robert Metzler. It is loosely based on the 1911 novel ''Balaoo'' by Gaston Leroux. The production was directed by Harry Lachman and is ...

'', directed by

Harry Lachman Harry B. Lachman (June 29, 1886 – March 19, 1975) was an American artist, set designer, and film director. He was born in La Salle, Illinois on June 29, 1886. Lachman was educated at the University of Michigan before becoming a magazine and bo ...

(1942, based on the novel ''Balaoo''), uncredited * ''

'' (1949) *'' The Man Who Returns from Afar'', directed by (1950, based on the novel ''L'Homme qui revient de loin'') *''Chéri-Bibi'', directed by

Marcello Pagliero Marcello Pagliero (15 January 1907 – 18 October 1980) was an Italian film director, actor, and screenwriter. Pagliero was born in London and died in Paris. He is perhaps best known for his performance in the Roberto Rossellini film '' Rome, ...

(1955, based on the novel ''Chéri-Bibi'') * '' Il profumo della signora in nero''/ ''The Perfume of the Lady in Black'' (1974) Italian giallo *''La Poupée sanglante'', directed by Marcel Cravenne (1976, miniseries, based on the novel ''La poupée sanglante'' and its sequel, ''La machine à assassiner'') * ''

'' (2005)

Screenwriter

*', directed by

(1920, serial with 12 episodes) *', directed by

(1921, serial with 12 episodes) *''Il était deux petits enfants'', directed by Lino Manzoni (1922)

Misattributions

''The Gaston Leroux Bedside Companion'', an anthology published in 1980 and edited by Peter Haining, as well as the Haining-edited ''The Real Opera Ghost and Other Tales By Gaston Leroux'' (Sutton, 1994), include a story attributed to Leroux entitled ''The Waxwork Museum''. A foreword alleges that the translation by Alexander Peters first appeared in ''Fantasy Book'' in 1969 (but no original French publication date is given). Neither "Alexander Peters" nor ''"Fantasy Book"'' appear to exist, and the text of the story is, in fact, a word-for-word copy of the story ''Figures de cire'' by Andre de Lorde which was published as ''Waxworks'' in the 1933 anthology ''Terrors: A Collection of Uneasy Tales,'' edited (anonymously) by

Charles Birkin Sir Charles Lloyd Birkin, 5th Baronet (24 September 1907 – 1985) was an English writer of horror short stories and the editor of the ''Creeps Library'' of anthologies. Typically working under the pseudonym Charles Lloyd, Birkin's tales tende ...

. The confusion has sometimes caused Leroux to be erroneously credited with the stories from the 1933 film ''

Mystery of the Wax Museum ''Mystery of the Wax Museum'' is a 1933 American pre-Code mystery- horror film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Glenda Farrell, and Frank McHugh. It was produced and released by Warner Bros. and filmed in two-col ...

'', the 1953 film '' House of Wax'' (both of which were based on a story by Charles S. Belden) or, particularly, the 1997 Italian film ''

Wax Mask ''Wax Mask'' ( it, M.D.C. - Maschera di cera) is a 1997 horror film. The film is set in Rome where a Wax Museum has opened up, whose main attraction is gruesome murder scenes. Shortly after its opening, people began to vanish as new figures appear ...

'' (for example, in Troy Howarth's ''Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and His Films''). No such story by Leroux exists, though some confusion may have been the result of chapter IX in Leroux's novel ''La double vie de Théophraste Longuet,'' which is entitled, ''Le masque de cire'' (translated as ''The Wax Mask'').

Life and career

Personal life

Novels

The Adventures of
Rouletabille Joseph Rouletabille () is a fictional character created by Gaston Leroux, 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 t ...

Chéri Bibi

Other novels

Short stories

Plays

Filmography

Screenwriter

Misattributions

References

External links

Life and career

Personal life

Novels

The Adventures of Rouletabille Joseph Rouletabille () is a fictional character created by Gaston Leroux, 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 t ...

Chéri Bibi

Other novels

Short stories

Plays

Filmography

Screenwriter

Misattributions

References

External links

The Adventures of
Rouletabille Joseph Rouletabille () is a fictional character created by Gaston Leroux, 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 t ...