''The Lady of the Camellias'' (), sometimes called ''Camille'' in English, is a

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

by Alexandre Dumas ''fils''. First published in 1848 and subsequently

adapted In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the p ...

by Dumas for the

stage Stage, stages, or staging may refer to: Arts and media Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...

, the play premiered at the

Théâtre du Vaudeville The Théâtre du Vaudeville () was a theatre company in Paris. It opened on 12 January 1792 on rue de Chartres. Its directors, Pierre-Antoine-Augustin de Piis, Piis and Yves Barré, Barré, mainly put on "petites pièces mêlées de couplets s ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, France, on February 2, 1852. It was an instant success. Shortly thereafter, Italian composer

Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for List of compositions by Giuseppe Verdi, his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma ...

set about putting the story to music in the 1853 opera , with female protagonist Marguerite Gautier renamed Violetta Valéry. In some of the English-speaking world, ''The Lady of the Camellias'' became known as ''Camille'', and sixteen versions have been performed at

Broadway theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, American and British English spelling differences), many of the List of ...

s alone. The title character is Marguerite Gautier, who is based on

Marie Duplessis Marie Duplessis (born Alphonsine Rose Plessis; 15 January 1824 – 3 February 1847) was a French courtesan and mistress to a number of prominent and wealthy men. She was the inspiration for Marguerite Gautier, the main character of the 1848 nov ...

, the real-life lover of the author.

Summary and analysis

Written by Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' (1824–1895) when he was 23 years old, and first published in 1848, is a semi-autobiographical novel based on the author's brief love affair with a

courtesan A courtesan is a prostitute with a courtly, wealthy, or upper-class clientele. Historically, the term referred to a courtier, a person who attended the court of a monarch or other powerful person. History In European feudal society, the co ...

. Set in mid-19th-century France, the novel tells the tragic love story between fictional characters Marguerite Gautier, a demimondaine or courtesan suffering from

consumption Consumption may refer to: * Eating *Resource consumption *Tuberculosis, an infectious disease, historically known as consumption * Consumer (food chain), receipt of energy by consuming other organisms * Consumption (economics), the purchasing of n ...

, and Armand Duval, a young bourgeois., Marguerite is nicknamed because she wears a red

camellia ''Camellia'' (pronounced or ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in tropical and subtropical areas in East Asia, eastern and South Asia, southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. There are ...

when she is menstruating and unavailable for sex and a white camellia when she is available to her lovers. Armand falls in love with Marguerite and ultimately becomes her lover. He convinces her to leave her life as a courtesan and to live with him in the countryside. This idyllic existence is interrupted by Armand's father, who, concerned with the scandal created by the illicit relationship, and fearful that it will destroy Armand's sister's chances of marriage, convinces Marguerite to leave. Until Marguerite is on her deathbed, Armand believes that she left him for another man, known as Count de Giray. He comes to her side as she is dying, surrounded by her friends, and pledges to love her even after her death. The story is narrated after Marguerite's death by two men, Armand and an unnamed frame narrator. Near the beginning of the novel, the narrator finds out that Armand has been sending camellia flowers to Marguerite's grave, to show that his love for her will never die. Some scholars believe that Marguerite's gruesome illness, i.e.

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

, was also employed by Dumas ''fils'' as a metaphor that contemporary audiences might have recognised for

syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms depend on the stage it presents: primary, secondary, latent syphilis, latent or tertiary. The prim ...

; casting “

” (a disease that was considered fashionable and alluring in women) as a physical manifestation of the sins of sexual and moral abandon, and Marguerite’s bloodletting and death as a purging of those sins. Dumas ''fils'' is careful to paint a favourable portrait of Marguerite, who despite her past is rendered virtuous by her love for Armand, and the suffering of the two lovers, whose love is shattered by the need to conform to the morals of the times, is rendered touchingly. In contrast to the 's love for Manon in ''

Manon Lescaut ''The Story of the Chevalier des Grieux and Manon Lescaut'' ( ) is a novel by Antoine François Prévost. It tells a tragic love story about a nobleman (known only as the Chevalier des Grieux) and a common woman (Manon Lescaut). Their decisio ...

'' (1731), a novel by ''Abbé'' Prévost referenced at the beginning of , Armand's love is for a woman who is ready to sacrifice her riches and her lifestyle for him, but who is thwarted by the arrival of Armand's father. The novel is also marked by the description of Parisian life during the 19th century and the fragile world of the courtesan.

Stage performances

Dumas ''fils'' wrote a stage adaptation that premiered February 2, 1852, at the

in Paris. created the role of Marguerite Gautier, opposite

Charles Fechter Charles Albert Fechter (23 October 1824 – 5 August 1879) was an Anglo-French actor. Biography Fechter was born, probably in London, of French parents, although his mother was of Piedmontese and his father of German extraction. As a boy he h ...

as Armand Duval. "I played the role 617 times," Doche recalled not long before her death in 1900, "and I suppose I could not have played it very badly, since Dumas ''fils'' wrote in his preface, 'Mme. Doche is not my interpreter, she is my collaborator'." In 1853, Jean Davenport starred in the first American production of the play, a sanitized version that changed the name of the leading character to Camille—a practice adopted by most American actresses playing the role. The role of the tragic Marguerite Gautier became one of the most coveted among actresses and included performances by

Sarah Bernhardt Sarah Bernhardt (; born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 October 1844 – 26 March 1923) was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including by Alexandre Dumas fils, ...

Laura Keene Laura Keene (20 July 1826 – 4 November 1873) was a British stage actress and theatre Actor-manager, manager. In her twenty-year career, she became known as the first powerful female manager in New York. She is best known for being the le ...

Eleonora Duse Eleonora Giulia Amalia Duse ( , ; 3 October 185821 April 1924), often known simply as Duse, was an Italian actress, rated by many as the greatest of her time. She performed in many countries, notably in the plays of Gabriele D'Annunzio and Henr ...

Margaret Anglin Mary Margaret Warren Anglin (April 3, 1876 – January 7, 1958) was a Canadian-born Broadway theatre, Broadway actress, theatre director, director and theatre producer, producer. Encyclopædia Britannica calls her "one of the most brilliant act ...

Gabrielle Réjane Gabrielle Réjane (), ''née'' Gabrielle Charlotte Réju (6 June 1856 – 14 June 1920), was a French actress of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The daughter of a former actor, Réjane studied at the Conservatoire national supérieur d'ar ...

Tallulah Bankhead Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 – December 12, 1968) was an American actress. Primarily an actress of the stage, Bankhead also appeared in several films including an award-winning performance in Alfred Hitchcock's ''Lifeboat (194 ...

Lillian Gish Lillian Diana Gish (October 14, 1893 – February 27, 1993) was an American actress best known for her work in movies of the silent era. Her film-acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912, in silent film shorts, to 1987. Gish was dubbed the "F ...

Dolores del Río María de los Dolores Asúnsolo y López Negrete (3 August 1904 – 11 April 1983), known professionally as Dolores del Río (), was a Mexican actress. With a career spanning more than 50 years, she is regarded as the first major female Latin Am ...

Eva Le Gallienne Eva Le Gallienne (January 11, 1899 – June 3, 1991) was a British-born American stage actress, producer, director, translator, and author. A Broadway theatre, Broadway star by age 21, in 1926 she left Broadway behind to found the Fourteenth St ...

Isabelle Adjani Isabelle Yasmine Adjani (born 27 June 1955) is a French actress and singer of Algerian and German descent. She has received various accolades, including five César Awards and a Lumière Award, along with nominations for two Academy Awards. ...

Cacilda Becker Cacilda Becker Iaconis (6 April 1921 – 14 June 1969) was a Brazilian actress. Life and career Born Cacilda Becker Iaconis, she was the daughter of Italian immigrants, Edmondo Iaconis and Alzira Becker. She had two sisters. One was Cleyde Y ...

, and

Helena Modjeska Helena Modrzejewska (; born Jadwiga Helena Mizel; October 12, 1840 – April 8, 1909), known professionally in the United States as Helena Modjeska, was a Polish-American actress who specialized in Shakespearean and tragic roles. She was success ...

. Bernhardt quickly became associated with the role after starring in Camellias in Paris, London, and several

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 Stre ...

revivals, plus the 1911 film. The dancer and impresario

Ida Rubinstein Ida Lvovna Rubinstein (; – 20 September 1960) was a dancer, actress, art patron and Belle Époque figure from the Russian Empire. She performed with Diaghilev's Ballets Russes from 1909 to 1911 and later formed her own company. ''Bolero (Rave ...

successfully recreated Bernhardt's interpretation of the role onstage in the mid-1920s, coached by the great actress herself before she died. Of all Dumas ''fils'' theatrical works, ''La Dame aux Camélias'' is the most popular around the world. In 1878, ''Scribner's Monthly'' reported that "not one other play by Dumas ''fils'' has been received with favor out of France".

Adaptations

Opera

The success of the play inspired

to put the story to music. His work became the opera '' La traviata'', set to an Italian

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

Francesco Maria Piave Francesco Maria Piave (18 May 18105 March 1876) was an Italian opera libretto, librettist who was born in Murano in the lagoon of Venice, during the brief Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic), Kingdom of Italy. Career Piave's career spanned ...

. On March 6, 1853, La traviata opened in Venice, Italy at the La Fenice opera house. The female protagonist, Marguerite Gautier, is renamed Violetta Valéry, and the male protagonist, Armand Duval, is renamed Alfredo Germont.

Film

''La Dame aux Camélias'' has been adapted for some 20 different

motion picture A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, since ...

s in numerous countries and in a wide variety of languages. The role of Marguerite Gautier has been played on screen by

María Félix María de los Ángeles Félix Güereña (; 8 April 1914 – 8 April 2002) was a Mexican actress and singer. Along with Pedro Armendáriz and Dolores del Río, she was one of the most successful figures of Latin American cinema in the 1940s and ...

Clara Kimball Young Clara Kimball Young (born Edith Matilda Clara Kimball; September 6, 1890 – October 15, 1960) was an American film actress who was popular in the early silent film era. Early life Edith Matilda Clara Kimball was born in Chicago on Septembe ...

Theda Bara Theda Bara ( ; born Theodosia Burr Goodman; July 29, 1885 – April 7, 1955) was an American silent film and stage actress. Bara was one of the more popular actresses of the silent era and one of cinema's early sex symbols. Her femme fatal ...

Yvonne Printemps Yvonne Printemps (; born Yvonne Wigniolle; 25 July 1894 – 19 January 1977) was a French singer and actress who achieved stardom on stage and screen in France and internationally. Printemps went on the stage in Paris at the age of 12, and ...

Alla Nazimova Alla Aleksandrovna Nazimova (, born Marem-Ides Leventon; June 3 Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New Style dates">O.S. May 22 1879 – July 13, 1945) was a Russian-American actress, director, producer and scre ...

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress and a premier star during Hollywood's Silent film, silent and early Classical Hollywood cinema, golden eras. Regarded as one of the g ...

Micheline Presle Micheline Presle (; born Micheline Nicole Julia Émilienne Chassagne; 22 August 1922 – 21 February 2024) was a French actress. She was sometimes billed as Micheline Prelle. Starting her career in 1937, she starred or appeared in over 150 films ...

Francesca Bertini Francesca Bertini (born Elena Seracini Vitiello; 5 January 1892 – 13 October 1985) was an Italian silent film actress. She was one of the most successful silent film stars in the first quarter of the twentieth-century. Early life Born Elena ...

Isabelle Huppert Isabelle Anne Madeleine Huppert (; born 16 March 1953) is a French actress. Known for her portrayals of cold, austere women devoid of morality, she is considered one of the greatest actresses of her generation. With 16 nominations and two win ...

, and others.

Films entitled ''Camille''

There have been at least nine adaptations of ''La Dame aux Camélias'' entitled ''Camille''. * ''Camille'' (1915), an American silent film adapted by

Frances Marion Frances Marion (born Marion Benson Owens; November 18, 1888 – May 12, 1973) was an American screenwriter, director, journalist and author often cited as one of the most renowned female screenwriters of the 20th century alongside June Mathis a ...

, directed by

Albert Capellani Albert Capellani (23 August 1874 – 26 September 1931) was a French film director and screenwriter of the silent film, silent era. He directed films between 1905 and 1922. One of his brothers was the actor-sculptor Paul Capellani, and anoth ...

, starring

as Camille and Paul Capellani as Armand * ''Camille'' (1917), an American silent film adapted by Adrian Johnson, directed by J. Gordon Edwards, starring

as Camille and

Alan Roscoe Alan Roscoe (born John Albert Rascoe; August 23, 1888 – March 8, 1933) was an American film actor of the silent and early talking film eras. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1915 and 1933. Roscoe was born John Albert Rascoe o ...

as Armand * ''Camille'' (1921), an American silent film starring

as Camille and

Rudolph Valentino Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926), known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor who starred in several well-known sile ...

as Armand * ''Camille'' (1926), an American silent film directed by

Fred Niblo Fred Niblo (born Frederick Liedtke; January 6, 1874 – November 11, 1948) was an American pioneer film actor, director and producer. Biography He was born Frederick Liedtke (several sources give "Frederico Nobile", apparently erroneously) in Yo ...

, starring

Norma Talmadge Norma Marie Talmadge (May 2, 1894 – December 24, 1957) was an American actress and film producer of the silent film, silent era. A major box-office draw for more than a decade, her career reached a peak in the early 1920s, when she ranked among ...

as Camille and

Gilbert Roland Luis Antonio Dámaso de Alonso (December 11, 1905 – May 15, 1994), known professionally as Gilbert Roland, was a Mexican-born American film and television actor whose career spanned seven decades from the 1920s until the 1980s. He was twice no ...

as Armand * ''Camille: The Fate of a Coquette'' (1926), an American short film by

Ralph Barton Ralph Waldo Emerson Barton (August 14, 1891 – May 19, 1931) was a popular American cartoonist and caricaturist of actors and other celebrities. His work was in heavy demand through the 1920s and has been considered to epitomize the era. Barton ...

, compiled from his home movies, loosely based on ''La Dame aux Camélias'' * ''Camille'' (1936), an American film directed by

George Cukor George Dewey Cukor ( ; July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director and film producer, producer. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO Pictures, RKO when David O. Selzn ...

, starring

as Camille and Robert Taylor as Armand * ''Camille 2000'' (1969), an Italian film adapted by Michael DeForrest, directed by

Radley Metzger Radley Metzger (January 21, 1929 – March 31, 2017) was an American filmmaker and film distributor, most noted for popular artistic pornographic films, including '' Thérèse and Isabelle'' (1968), '' Camille 2000'' (1969), '' The Lickerish ...

, starring Danielle Gaubert as Marguerite and

Nino Castelnuovo Francesco "Nino" Castelnuovo (28 October 1936 – 6 September 2021) was an Italian actor of film, stage and television, best known for his starring role as Guy Foucher in the French musical film ''The Umbrellas of Cherbourg'' (1964). Castelnu ...

as Armand * ''Camille'' (1981), commonly known as ''La Dame aux Camélias'' or ''Lady of the Camellias'' (), a French-Italian film directed by Mauro Bolognini, starring

as Alphonsine * ''Camille'' (1984), a television film adapted by Blanche Hanalis, directed by Desmond Davis, starring

Greta Scacchi Greta Scacchi ( , ; born 18 February 1960) is an actress. Born in Italy to a British-Italian couple, she was raised in Britain and finally settled in Australia, becoming a naturalized citizen. Scacchi had her first leading role in the romanti ...

as Camille and

Colin Firth Colin Andrew Firth (born 10 September 1960) is an English actor and producer. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Colin Firth, several accolades, including an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA Aw ...

as Armand * ''Camille'' (1998), a French television film directed by

Jean-Claude Brialy Jean-Claude Brialy (30 March 1933 – 30 May 2007) was a French actor and film director. Early life Brialy was born in Aumale (now Sour El-Ghozlane), French Algeria, where his father was stationed with the French Army. Brialy moved to mainland ...

, starring

Cristiana Reali Cristiana Reali (born March 16, 1965) is a Brazilian actress. She has appeared in numerous theatre pieces, television series and a few movies. Biography Reali was born in São Paulo, Brazil, the daughter of the Brazilian journalist Elpídio Real ...

as Camille and

Michaël Cohen Michaël Cohen (born 13 December 1970) is a French actor. He appeared in more than fifty films since 1991. Selected filmography 1998 La dame aux camélias Armand Duval References External links * 1970 births Living people French ...

as Armand

Other films based on ''La Dame aux Camélias''

In addition to the ''Camille'' films, the story has been the adapted into numerous other screen versions: *'' Kameliadamen'', the first movie based on the work. ''Kameliadamen'' was a 1907 Danish

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

directed by

Viggo Larsen Viggo Larsen (14 August 1880 – 6 January 1957) was a Danish film actor, director and producer from the early silent era to the ' talkies'. He appeared in 140 films between 1906 and 1942. He also directed 235 films between 1906 and 1921. ...

and starring Oda Alstrup, Larsen, Gustave Lund and

Robert Storm Petersen Robert Storm Petersen (19 September 1882 – 6 March 1949) was a Danish cartoonist, writer, animator, illustrator, painter and humorist. He is known almost exclusively by his pen name Storm P. Biography He was the son of a butcher ...

. *''

La Dame aux Camélias ''The Lady of the Camellias'' (), sometimes called ''Camille'' in English, is a novel by Alexandre Dumas ''fils''. First published in 1848 and subsequently adapted by Dumas for the stage, the play premiered at the Théâtre du Vaudeville in P ...

'', a 1911 French-language silent film, directed by

André Calmettes André Calmettes (1861–1942) was a French actor and film director. Biography After being a theatre actor for twenty years, he joined the society ', founded in 1908 by the novelist and editor, at the urging of the Sociétaires of the Comédie- ...

and Henri Pouctal. It stars

Lou Tellegen Lou Tellegen (born Isidor Louis Bernard Edmon van Dommelen;"Lou Tellegen, Idol of Stage and Silent Screen, Stabs Himself Seven Times." Spartanburg (SC) Herald, October 30, 1934, pp. 1-2. November 26, 1881 or 1883 – October 29, 1934) was a ...

and Paul Capellani. *'' La Signora delle Camelie'', a 1915 Italian-language silent film. It was directed by

Baldassarre Negroni Baldassarre Negroni (21 January 1877 – 18 July 1948) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed 89 films between 1912 and 1936. He directed the 1932 film '' Due cuori felici'', which starred Vittorio De Sica. Selected film ...

. It stars Hesperia, Alberto Collo and

Ida Carloni Talli Ida Carloni Talli (31 January 1860 – 23 April 1940) was an Italian film actress of the silent era. She appeared in 92 films between 1912 and 1924. She was born Rome and died in Milan. She made her debut as a stage actress in 1887.Ida Carlo ...

. *'' La Signora delle Camelie'', a 1915 Italian-language silent film. It was directed by

Gustavo Serena Gustavo Serena (5 October 1881 – 16 April 1970) was an Italian actor and film director. He appeared in 107 films between 1909 and 1961. He also directed 33 films between 1912 and 1932. He was born in Naples and died in Rome. Selected film ...

. It stars

and Serena. *'' Prima Vera'' (aka ''Die Kameliendame'') (1917), a German-language silent film starring

Erna Morena Erna Morena (born Ernestine Maria Fuchs, 24 April 1885 – 20 July 1962) was a German film actress, film producer, and screenwriter of the silent film, silent era. She appeared in 104 films between 1913 and 1951. Biography Ernestine Maria Fuchs ...

. *'' Arme Violetta'' (1920), a German-language silent film starring

Pola Negri Pola Negri (; born Barbara Apolonia Chałupiec ; 3 January 1897 – 1 August 1987) was a Polish stage and film actress and singer. She achieved worldwide fame during the silent and golden eras of Hollywood and European film for her tragedienn ...

. *'' Damen med kameliorna'', a 1925 Swedish-language film adapted and directed by

Olof Molander Olof Johan Harald Molander (8 October 1892 – 26 May 1966) was a Swedish theatre and film director. He was most notable for his many Strindberg and Shakespeare productions. Biography Molander was born in Helsinki. He was the son of the dir ...

, starring Uno Henning and Tora Teje. *''

'' (1934), the first sound adaptation, was a French-language film adapted by

Abel Gance Abel Gance (; born Abel Eugène Alexandre Péréthon; 25 October 188910 November 1981) was a French film director, producer, writer and actor. A pioneer in the theory and practice of montage, he is best known for three major silent films: ''J'ac ...

and directed by Gance and

Fernand Rivers Fernand Rivers (born François Large, 6 September 1879, Saint-Lager - 12 September 1960) was a French actor, screenwriter, film producer and director. He was the brother of the actor Rivers Cadet. Partial filmography Director * ''The Ironmaster ...

. It starred

and

Pierre Fresnay Pierre Fresnay (; 4 April 1897 – 9 January 1975) was a French stage and film actor. Biography Born Pierre Jules Louis Laudenbach, he was encouraged by his uncle, actor Claude Garry, to pursue a career in theater and film. He joined the company ...

. *

Laila Leila (, , ) is a feminine given name primarily found in the Middle East, including all Arab countries, as well as Iran, Turkey, and Israel. In the Latin alphabet, the name is commonly spelled in multiple ways, including Leila, Layla, Laylah, ...

(1942), an Egyptian musical film starring Laila Mourad. *A 1944 Spanish-language version ''

The Lady of the Camellias ''The Lady of the Camellias'' (), sometimes called ''Camille'' in English, is a novel by Alexandre Dumas fils, Alexandre Dumas ''fils''. First published in 1848 and subsequently Theatrical adaptation, adapted by Dumas for the Drama, stage, the pl ...

'' was produced in Mexico. It was adapted by Roberto Tasker, directed by

Gabriel Soria Gabriel Soria (1908–1971) was a Mexican film director, screenwriter and film producer, producer. He was active during the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema.Hershfield & Macie p.21 His film ''Come on Ponciano'' was screened at the 1938 Venice Film Fes ...

, and starred Lina Montes and

Emilio Tuero Emilio Tuero Cubillas (5 April 1912 – 22 July 1971), known as Emilio Tuero, was a Spanish-Mexican actor, producer, and singer. He was considered a popular star of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Filmography * '' Cri Cri el grillito can ...

. * A 1947 Italian version ''

'' directed by

Carmine Gallone Carmine Gallone (10 September 1885 – 11 March 1973) was an early Italian film director, screenwriter, and film producer, who was also controversial for his works of pro-Fascist propaganda and historical revisionism. Considered one of Itali ...

and starring Nelly Corradi *''

'', a 1953 French-language film adapted by Jacques Natanson and directed by Raymond Bernard, starring

Gino Cervi Luigi Cervi (3 May 1901 – 3 January 1974), better known as Gino Cervi (), was an Italian actor. He was best known for portraying Peppone in a series of comedies based on the character ''Don Camillo'' (1952–1965), and police detective Jul ...

and

Roland Alexandre Roland Alexandre (6 November 1927 – 1 February 1956) was a French stage and film actor. Having established himself at the Comédie-Française, he appeared in eleven films before his early death by suicide. In 1954 he portrayed the composer Gioac ...

. *'' Traviata '53'', a 1953 Italian-language film adapted and directed by

Vittorio Cottafavi Vittorio Cottafavi (30 January 1914 – 14 December 1998) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed 70 films between 1943 and 1985. His film '' Il diavolo sulle colline'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the ...

, starring Barbara Laage,

Armando Francioli Armando Francioli (21 October 1919 – 6 April 2020) was an Italian actor. He appeared in over 50 films since 1942. Filmography References External links * 1919 births 2020 deaths Male actors from Rome Italian men centenarians I ...

and

Eduardo De Filippo Eduardo De Filippo OMRI (; 26 May 1900 – 31 October 1984), also known simply as ''Eduardo'', was an Italian actor, director, screenwriter, and playwright, best known for his Neapolitan language, Neapolitan works ''Filumena Marturano'' and ...

. *''

La mujer de las camelias ''The Lady of the Camellias'' (), sometimes called ''Camille'' in English, is a novel by Alexandre Dumas fils, Alexandre Dumas ''fils''. First published in 1848 and subsequently Theatrical adaptation, adapted by Dumas for the Drama, stage, the pl ...

'', a 1953 Argentine film adapted by Alexis de Arancibia (as Wassen Eisen) and

Ernesto Arancibia Ernesto Arancibia (12 January 1904 – 27 August 1963) was an Argentine film director and screenwriter, notable for his work during the classical era of Argentine cinema. Filmography As director * ''La novia'' (1961) * '' Azafatas con permiso'' ...

, and directed by Ernesto Arancibia. It stars

Zully Moreno Zulema Esther González Borbón, better known as Zully Moreno (October 17, 1920 in Villa Ballester, Buenos Aires – December 25, 1999 in Buenos Aires), was an Argentine film actress, an iconic star during the Golden Age of Argentine cinem ...

. *'' Camelia'', a 1954 Mexican film directed by

Roberto Gavaldón Roberto Gavaldón (June 7, 1909 in Jiménez, Chihuahua – September 4, 1986 in Mexico City) was a Mexican film director. Eight of Gavaldón's films were featured on the list 100 Best Movies of the Cinema of Mexico. His 1958 film ''Ash Wednes ...

, and stars

. *''Kamelyalı Kadın'', 1957

Turkish film Cinema of Turkey or Turkish cinema (also formerly known as ''Yeşilçam'', which literally means ''Green Pine'' in Turkish language, Turkish), () or Türk sineması refers to the Turkish film industry, film art and industry. It is an importa ...

starring

Çolpan İlhan Çolpan İlhan (8 August 1936 – 25 July 2014) was a Turkish cinema and theatre actress. In 1998 she was awarded the title of State Artist of Turkey. She acted in more than 300 films and theater plays. First years İlhan received her seconda ...

. *''The Lady of the Camellias'', a 1976 UK television serial, starring

Kate Nelligan Patricia Colleen Nelligan (born March 16, 1950), known professionally as Kate Nelligan, is a Canadian stage, film and television actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1991 film '' The Prince of Tid ...

. *''

'', a 1981 French-language film adapted by Jean Aurenche,

Enrico Medioli Enrico Medioli (17 March 1925 – 21 April 2017) was an Italian screenwriter. Biography Born in Parma, Medioli was one of the most well known screenwriters in Italy. He co-wrote seven films directed by Luchino Visconti (including '' The Damn ...

and

Vladimir Pozner Vladimir Pozner may refer to *Vladimir Pozner Jr. (born 1934), French-born Russian-American journalist and broadcaster * Vladimir Pozner Sr. (1908–1975), Soviet spy *Vladimir Pozner (writer) Vladimir Solomonovich Pozner (; 5 January 1905 in P ...

, and directed by

Mauro Bolognini Mauro Bolognini (28 June 1922 – 14 May 2001) was an Italian film and stage director. Early years Bolognini was born in Pistoia, in the Tuscany region of Italy. After earning a master's degree in architecture at the University of Florence, Bol ...

, starring

. *', a 1994 Polish-language film * ''

Moulin Rouge! ''Moulin Rouge!'' (, ) is a 2001 jukebox musical romantic drama film directed, produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. It follows an English poet, Christian, who falls in love with the star of the Moulin Rouge, cabaret actress and courtesan ...

'' (2001), directed by

Baz Luhrmann Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann (born 17 September 1962) is an Australian film director, producer, writer, and actor whose various projects extend from film and television into opera, theatre, music, and the recording industries. He is regarded by ...

, starring

Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an Australian and American actress and producer. Known for Nicole Kidman on screen and stage, her work in film and television productions across many genres, she has consistently ranked among the world ...

and

Ewan McGregor Ewan Gordon McGregor ( ; born 31 March 1971) is a Scottish actor. His accolades include a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2013, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to drama and ...

Ballet

* ''Lady of the Camellias'' is a ballet by

John Neumeier John Neumeier (born February 24, 1939) is an American ballet dancer, choreographer, and director. He was the director and principal choreographer of Hamburg Ballet from 1973 to 2024 and the artistic director of the ballet at the Hamburg State ...

with music by

Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period who wrote primarily for Piano solo, solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown ...

, created for Marcia Haydée, then

prima ballerina A ballet dancer is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet. They rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of a professional ballet company. Ballet dancers ...

of the

Stuttgart Ballet Stuttgart Ballet is a leading German ballet company. Dating back to 1609, then the court ballet of the dukes of Württemberg, the modern company was founded by John Cranko and is known for full-length narrative ballets. The company received the ...

. It premiered at the

Staatstheater Stuttgart The Staatstheater Stuttgart (Stuttgart State Theatre) is a theatre with three locations, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Oper Stuttgart (Opera Stuttgart), Stuttgart Ballet, Stuttgarter Ballett (Stuttgart Ballet), and Schauspiel Stuttgart (Stuttgart Drama ...

in 1978. * ''Lady of the Camellias'' is a ballet by

Val Caniparoli Val Caniparoli is an American ballet dancer and international choreographer. His work includes more than 100 productions for ballet, opera, and theater for over 50 companies, and his career as a choreographer progressed globally even as he continu ...

with music by

. It premiered with Ballet Florida at the Raymond Kravis Center in 1994. * ''

Marguerite and Armand ''Marguerite and Armand'' is a ballet danced to an orchestral arrangement of Franz Liszt's B minor piano sonata. It was created in 1963 by the British choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton specifically for Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn. The ba ...

'' is an adaptation created in 1963 by renowned choreographer

Sir Frederick Ashton Sir Frederick William Mallandaine Ashton (17 September 190418 August 1988) was a British ballet dancer and choreographer. He also worked as a director and choreographer in opera, film and revue. Determined to be a dancer despite the oppositio ...

specifically for

Rudolf Nureyev Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev (17 March 19386 January 1993) was a Soviet-born ballet dancer and choreographer. Nureyev is widely regarded as the preeminent male ballet dancer of his generation as well as one of the greatest ballet dancers of all ...

and prima ballerina assoluta Dame Margot Fonteyn. *

Veronica Paeper Veronica Paeper (born 9 April 1944) is a South African choreographer and dancer. Career Paeper was born on 9 April 1944 in Port Shepstone but trained with Dulcie Howes at the University of Cape Town Ballet School after her family moved to Cape To ...

created a ballet ''Camille'' based on ''The Lady of the Camellias'' which has been staged several times since 1990. * "La Traviata" is a ballet created by Maria Eugenia Barrios for the Caracas Contemporary Ballet in 1996 to music by Giuseppe Verdi. The ballet included the Tenor, Baritone and Soprano arias from Verdi's opera. The role of Marguerite Gautier was interpreted by Maria Barrios who danced and also sang the Soprano arias. It was staged many times in Caracas Teresa Carreno theatre and other cities .

Stage

Amongst many adaptations, spin-offs, and parodies, was ''Camille'', "a travesty on ''La Dame aux Camellias'' by

Charles Ludlam Charles Braun Ludlam (April 12, 1943May 28, 1987) was an American actor, director, and playwright. Biography Early life Ludlam was born in Floral Park, New York, the son of Marjorie (née Braun) and Joseph William Ludlam. He was raised in ...

, staged first by his own Ridiculous Theatrical Company in 1973, with Ludlam playing the lead in drag. In 1999

Alexia Vassiliou Alexia Vassiliou (; born 5 February 1964) is a Cypriot singer-songwriter. She has represented her country in the Eurovision contest in 1981 and 1987. She became a refugee at age ten and still gives concerts for the United Nations High Commissione ...

collaborated with composer Aristides Mytaras for the contemporary dance performance, ''La Dame aux Camélias'' at the Amore Theatre in Athens. It is also the inspiration for the 2008 musical '' Marguerite'', which places the story in 1944

German-occupied France The Military Administration in France (; ) was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II to administer the occupied zone in areas of northern and western France. This so-called ' was established in June 19 ...

Novels

In ''

My Ántonia ''My Ántonia'' ( ) is a novel published in 1918 by American writer Willa Cather. The novel tells the stories of an orphaned boy from Virginia, Jim Burden, and the elder daughter in a family of Bohemian immigrants, Ántonia Shimerda, who are ...

'' by

Willa Cather Willa Sibert Cather (; born Wilella Sibert Cather; December 7, 1873 – April 24, 1947) was an American writer known for her novels of life on the Great Plains, including ''O Pioneers!'', ''The Song of the Lark (novel), The Song of the Lark'', a ...

, the characters Jim Burden and Lena Lingard are much moved by a theatrical production of Camille, which they attend in book 3, chapter 3. ''

Love Story Love Story or A Love Story may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres * Romance (love) ** Romance film ** Romance novel Films * ''Love Story'' (1925 film), German silent film * ''Love Story'' (1942 film), Italian drama film * ''Love ...

'', published by Eric Segal in 1970, has essentially the same plot updated to contemporary New York. The conflict here centres on the relative economic classes of the central characters.

References

External links

* Full texts at

Project Gutenberg Project Gutenberg (PG) is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, as well as to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks." It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart and is the oldest digital li ...

br>in the original French
an
in an English translation
*
Camille
, an
La Dama de las Camilias

1953 ''Best Plays'' radio adaptation of play
at

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lady of the Camellias, The 1848 French novels 1852 plays French novels adapted into films French novels adapted into television shows French novels adapted into plays French novels adapted into operas Novels adapted into ballets French romance novels Novels about French prostitution Novels set in Paris Female characters in literature Tragedy plays