Les Deux Gosses
Les Deux Gosses is the name of a novel by Pierre Decourcelle (1856-1926)[1] and the two French plays and a number of films based on the novel.
Contents
The novel
The novel Les Deux Gosses ("The two kids") was published in 3 volumesby Éditions Rouff, Paris, in 1880, with illustrations by H. Meyer, Jonnard, and others. It became a great success.
French adaptations
Adapted for the stage by the author himself, Les Deux Gosses was first performed at the Théâtre de lAmbigu-Comique, Paris, on 19 February 1896 and went on to have more than a thousand performances.
In 1941 Robert Ancelin did another French adaptation of the novel.
English and other translations and adaptations
An extremely popular English version known as Two Little Vagabonds was written by George R. Sims and Arthur Shirley, and first produced at the Princess's Theatre, London, on 23 September, 1896. Clearly based on the recently performed French play rather than the original novel.
Often filmed as Les Deux Gosses, including versions by Adrien Caillard (1912), Albert Capellani (1914), Maurice Tourneur (1923), Louis Mercanton (1924), Fernand Rivers (1936), and an Italian version by Flavio Calzavara (I due derelitti) in 1951.
Performance history in South Africa
1897: Performed in English as Two Little Vagabonds by Leonard Rayne and his company as part of his touring repertoire, inter alia opening at the Opera House, Cape Town on 3 August..
1917: Performed in English as Two Little Vagabonds by Leonard Rayne and his company at the Standard Theatre, Johannesburg and as part of his touring repertoire.
1920: Performed by Leonard Rayne and his company at the Standard Theatre, Johannesburg and as part of his touring repertoire.
Sources
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Deux_Gosses
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Decourcelle
https://gallica.bnf.fr/blog/21082018/pierre-decourcelle-1856-1926?mode=desktop
https://theatricalia.com/play/dkp/two-little-vagabonds
D.C. Boonzaier, 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1932. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)
F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.203-205
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