Arsène Lupin

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Arsène Lupin is the name of a fictional gentleman thief who appears in a book series of detective fiction / crime fiction novels written by French writer Maurice Leblanc, as well as a number of non-canonical sequels and numerous film, television, stage play and comic book adaptations. He lent his name to the manga and anime character Arsène Lupin III, who according to the series' canon is his grandson.

Contents

[edit] Overview

A contemporary of Arthur Conan Doyle, Maurice Leblanc (1864-1941) was the creator of the character of gentleman thief Arsène Lupin who, in Francophone countries, has enjoyed a popularity as long-lasting and considerable as Sherlock Holmes in the English-speaking world.

There are twenty volumes in the Arsène Lupin series written by Leblanc himself, plus five authorized sequels written by the notorious mystery writing team of Boileau-Narcejac, as well as various pastiches.

The character of Lupin was first introduced in a series of short stories serialized in the magazine Je Sais Tout, starting in No. 6, dated 15 July 1905.

Arsène Lupin is a literary descendant of Pierre Alexis Ponson du Terrail's Rocambole. Like him, he is clearly a force for good, while operating on the wrong side of the law. Those whom Lupin defeats, always with his characteristic gallic style and panache, are worse villains than he. Lupin is somewhat similar to A.J. Raffles and anticipates characters such as The Saint.

The character of Arsène Lupin might have been based by Leblanc on French anarchist Marius Jacob, whose trial made headlines in March 1905, but Leblanc had also read Octave Mirbeau's Les 21 jours d'un neurasthénique (1901), which features a gentleman thief named Arthur Lebeau, and seen Mirbeau's comedy Scrupules (1902), whose main character is a gentleman thief.

Some lupinophiles/lupinologists/lupinomaniacs disturbingly but somewhat convincingly argue (André Compte-Sponville, François George in Preuves de l'existence d'Arsène Lupin) that Lupin really existed and that Leblanc was thus his mere historiographer.

[edit] Bibliography

  1. Arsène Lupin, gentleman cambrioleur (Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Burglar) (1907) (coll. 9 stories) (online. [1])
  2. Arsène Lupin contre Herlock Sholmès (Arsene Lupin vs. Herlock Sholmes) (1908) (coll. 2 stories) (American edition ISBN 1932983147)
  3. L'Aiguille creuse (The Hollow Needle) (1909) (American edition ISBN 0974071196) "A robbery and murder have been committed, and Arsène Lupin, fleeing, is shot from the balcony of a French chateau by a beautiful girl. A young detective, assigned to arrest the villain, is foiled at every turn."[1]
  4. 813 (1910) "Arsène Lupin is accused of murder. All the evidence points to him, so he undertakes to head the police investigation to find the true murderer. A clock on which the number "813" has particular significance is a vital element in the case, as is a packet of letters written to Bismarck of Germany, who must make several journeys (incognito) to help clear up the mystery. The death-rate, via murder and suicide, is high."[1]
  5. Le Bouchon de cristal (The Crystal Stopper) (1912)
  6. Les Confidences d'Arsène Lupin (The Confidences Of Arsene Lupin aka The Confessions of Arsene Lupin) (1913) (coll. 9 stories)
  7. L'Éclat d'obus (The Shell Shard) (1916) (mostly appears in a cameo added retroactively).
  8. Le Triangle d'or (The Golden Triangle) (1918)
  9. L’Île aux trente cercueils (The Island Of Thirty Coffins) (1919)
  10. Les Dents du tigre (The Teeth Of The Tiger) (1921) (earlier English edition in 1914)
  11. Arsène Lupin by Edgar Jepson and Maurice Leblanc (1922) An English-language adaptation of the 1908 four-act play. Although Jepson is erroneously listed as a translator by Project Gutenberg [2], he is given first billing as author in the physical volume [3], before Leblanc. This book apparently has no French original text.
  12. Les Huit Coups de l'horloge (The Eight Strokes Of The Clock) (1923) (coll. 8 stories)
  13. La Comtesse de Cagliostro (The Countess Of Cagliostro) (1924)
  14. La Demoiselle aux yeux verts (The Damsel With Green Eyes) (1927)
  15. L'Agence Barnett et Cie. (The Barnett & Co. Agency) (1928)
  16. La Demeure mystérieuse (The Mysterious Mansion) (1929)
  17. La Barre-y-va (1931)
  18. La Femme aux deux sourires (The Woman With Two Smiles) (1933)
  19. Victor de la Brigade mondaine (Paris-Soir) (1933)
  20. La Cagliostro se venge (The Revenge Of The Countess Of Cagliostro) (1935)
  21. Les Milliards d'Arsène Lupin (The Billions Of Arsene Lupin) (1939)
  22. Le Dernier Amour d'Arsène Lupin (The Last Love of Arsene Lupin) (reportedly unpublished ms.)

[edit] By other writers

  • by Boileau-Narcejac:
    • 1. Le Secret d’Eunerville (1973)
    • 2. La Poudrière (1974)
    • 3. Le Second visage d’Arsène Lupin (1975)
    • 4. La Justice d’Arsène Lupin (1977)
    • 5. Le Serment d’Arsène Lupin (1979)

[edit] Notable pastiches

  • The Adventure of the Clothes-Line by Carolyn Wells in The Century (1915)
  • The Silver Hair Crime by Nick Carter in New Magnet Library No. 1282 (1930)
  • Aristide Dupin who appears in Union Jack Nos. 1481, 1483, 1489, 1493 and 1498 (1932) in the Sexton Blake collection by Gwyn Evans
  • La Clé est sous le paillasson by Marcel Aymé (1934)
  • Gaspard Zemba who appears in The Shadow Magazine (December 1, 1935) by Walter Gibson
  • Arsène Lupin vs. Colonel Linnaus by Anthony Boucher in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine Vo. 5, No. 19 (1944)
  • L’Affaire Oliveira by Thomas Narcejac in Confidences dans ma nuit (1946)
  • Le Gentleman en Noir by Claude Ferny (c. 1950) (two novels)
  • International Investigators, Inc. by Edward G. Ashton in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine (1952)
  • Le Secret des rois de France ou La Véritable identité d’Arsène Lupin by Valère Catogan (1955)
  • In Compartment 813 by Arthur Porges in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine (June 1966)
  • Arsène Lupin, gentleman de la nuit by Jean-Claude Lamy (1983)
  • Auguste Lupa in Son of Holmes (1986) and Rasputin’s Revenge (1987) by John Lescroart
  • Various stories in Tales of the Shadowmen, Vol. 1, The Modern Babylon, ed. by Jean-Marc Lofficier (2005) (ISBN 1932983268)
  • Various stories in Tales of the Shadowmen, Vol. 2, Gentlemen of the Night, ed. by Jean-Marc Lofficier (2006) (ISBN 1932983600)
  • Arsène Lupin and Sherlock Holmes have been the basis for a popular Japanese manga series, Detective Conan. Lupin resembles Kaitou Kid, while Sherlock Holmes represents Conan Edogawa.
  • In the Adventure of The Doraemons, the robot cat The Mysterious Thief Dorapent resembles Lupin.

[edit] Arsène Lupin and Sherlock Holmes

Arsène Lupin and Sherlock Holmes were bound to meet and, in an unprecedented act of literary pastiche and cross-over, Leblanc introduced Holmes in the short story Sherlock Holmes arrive trop tard in Je Sais Tout No. 17, 15 June 1906. In it, Holmes meets a young Lupin for the first time. After legal objections from Conan Doyle, the name was changed to "Herlock Sholmes" when the story was collected in book form in Volume 1.

Sholmes returned in two more stories collected in Volume 2, Arsène Lupin contre Herlock Sholmes, and then in a guest-starring role in the prodigious battle for the secret of the Hollow Needle in L'Aiguille creuse.

Sherlock Holmes, this time with his real name and accompanied with familiar characters such as Watson and Lestrade, also confronted Arsène Lupin in the 2008 PC 3D adventure game "Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis" (European name: "Sherlock Holmes vs. Arsène Lupin"). In this game you play the role of Holmes (and occasionally of other characters such as Watson and Lestrade) in an effort to discover and stop Lupin from stealing five English valuable items. Lupin wants to steal the items in order to "humilliate" England, but he also admires Holmes and thus challenges him to try and stop him.

He is mentioned once in 813.

[edit] Fantasy elements

Several Arsène Lupin novels contain some interesting fantasy elements: a radioactive 'god-stone' that cures people and causes mutations is the object of an epic battle in L’Île aux trente cercueils; the secret of the Fountain of Youth, a mineral water source hidden beneath a lake in the Auvergne, is the goal sought by the protagonists in La Demoiselle aux yeux verts; finally, in La Comtesse de Cagliostro, Lupin’s arch-enemy and lover is none other than Joséphine Balsamo, the alleged granddaughter of Cagliostro himself.

[edit] Films

Arsène Lupin 2004 movie poster
Arsène Lupin 2004 movie poster
  • The Gentleman Burglar (B&W., US, 1908) with William Ranows (Lupin).
  • Arsène Lupin (B&W., 1914) with Georges Tréville (Lupin).
  • Arsène Lupin (B&W., UK, 1915) with Gerald Ames (Lupin).
  • The Gentleman Burglar (B&W., US, 1915) with William Stowell (Lupin).
  • Arsène Lupin (B&W., US, 1917) with Earle Williams (Lupin).
  • The Teeth of the Tiger (B&W., US, 1919) with David Powell (Lupin).
  • 813 (B&W., US, 1920) with Wedgewood Newel (Lupin).
  • Les Dernières aventures d'Arsène Lupin (B&W., France/Hungary, 1921).
  • 813 - Rupimono (B&W., Japan, 1923) with Minami Mitsuaki (Lupin).
  • Arsène Lupin (B&W., US, 1932) with John Barrymore (Lupin).
  • Arsène Lupin Returns (B&W., US, 1936) with Melvyn Douglas (Lupin)
  • Arsène Lupin, Détective (B&W., 1937) with Jules Berry (Lupin).
  • Enter Arsène Lupin (B&W., US, 1944) with Charles Korvin (Lupin).
  • Arsenio Lupin (B&W., Mexico, 1945) with R. Pereda (Lupin).
  • Nanatsu-no Houseki (B&W., Japan, 1950) with Keiji Sada (Lupin).
  • Tora no-Kiba (B&W., Japan, 1951) with Ken Uehara (Lupin).
  • Kao-no Nai Otoko (B&W., Japan, 1955) with Eiji Okada (Lupin).
  • Les Aventures d'Arsène Lupin (B&W., 1956) with Robert Lamoureux (Lupin).
  • Signé Arsène Lupin (B&W., 1959) with Robert Lamoureux (Lupin).
  • Arsène Lupin contre Arsène Lupin (B&W., 1962) with Jean-Pierre Cassel and Jean-Claude Brialy (Lupins).
  • Arsène Lupin (col., 2004) with Romain Duris (Lupin).

[edit] Television

  • Arsène Lupin, 26 60 min. episodes (1971, 1973-74) with Georges Descrières (Lupin).
  • L'Île aux trente cercueils, six 60 min. episodes (1979) (the character of Lupin, who only appears at the end of the novel, was removed entirely).
  • Arsène Lupin joue et perd, six 52 min. episodes (1980) loosely based on 813 with Jean-Claude Brialy (Lupin).

[edit] Stage

A/L -The Youth of Phantom Thief Lupin-
A/L -The Youth of Phantom Thief Lupin-
  • Arsène Lupin contre Herlock Sholmès by Victor Darlay & Henri de Gorsse. Four-act play first performed on October 10, 1910, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. (American edition ISBN 1932983163)
  • Le Retour d'Arsène Lupin by Francis de Croisset and Maurice Leblanc. One-act play first performed on September 16, 1911, at the Théâtre de la Cigale in Paris.
  • A/L -The Youth of Phantom Thief Lupin-, a musical play produced by Takarazuka Revue as the top star debut of Yūga Yamato and Hana Hizuki (March 2007)

[edit] Animation

  • Lupin III, a manga and anime series of films and television based on the adventures of Arsène Lupin's grandson.
  • Les Exploits d'Arsène Lupin aka Night Hood, produced by Cinar & France-Animation, 26 26 min. episodes (1996)

[edit] Comics

  • Arsène Lupin, written by Georges Cheylard, art by Bourdin. Daily strip published in France-Soir in 1948-49.
  • Arsène Lupin, written & drawn by Jacques Blondeau. 575 daily strips published in Le Parisien Libéré from 1956-58.
  • Arsène Lupin contre Herlock Sholmès: La Dame blonde, written by Joëlle Gilles, art by Gilles & B. Cado, published by the authors, 1983.
  • Arsène Lupin, written by André-Paul Duchateau, artist Géron, published by C. Lefrancq.
    • 1. Le Bouchon de cristal (1989)
    • 2. 813 - La Double Vie d'Arsène Lupin (1990)
    • 3. 813 - Les Trois crimes d'Arsène Lupin (1991)
    • 4. La Demoiselle aux yeux verts (1992)
    • 5. L'Aiguille creuse (1994)
  • Arpin Lusène is featured as a character in the Donald Duck & Co stories The Black Knight (1997), Attaaaaaack! (2000) and The Black Knight GLORPS again! (2004) by Don Rosa.

[edit] References in Detective Conan

Kaito Kid from the manga series Magic Kaito and Detective Conan is often compared to Arsene Lupin. Also, Arsene Lupin is mentioned in the Detective Encyclopedia at the end of the manga Case Closed Volume 4.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Roseman, Mill et al. Detectionary. New York: Overlook Press, 1971. ISBN 0-87951-041-2