Everything about Ludwig Bemelmans totally explained
Ludwig Bemelmans (
April 27,
1898-
October 1,
1962) was an
American author and children's book writer and
illustrator. He is most famous today for the series of
Madeline books.
Life
Bemelmans was born to
Belgian painter
Lambert Bemelmans and
German Frances Fischer in Meran (
Merano),
Austria (today in
Italy). His father owned a hotel. He grew up in
Gmunden on the
Traunsee in
Upper Austria. His first language was
French and his second
German.
In
1904, his father left the family, leaving for Ludwig's
governess. His mother, Frances, took Ludwig and his brother to her native city of
Regensburg. Bemelmans had difficulty in school and hated the German discipline. He was apprenticed to his uncle Hans Bemelmans at a hotel in
Austria, but after a fight with a hotel manager was sent to the
United States where his father had moved and worked as a jewelry designer.
He spent the next several years working at hotels and restaurants, and in
1917 joined the
U.S. Army but wasn't ordered to Europe because of his German heritage. He did become an officer, however, and rose to second lieutenant. In
1918, he was naturalized as an American citizen.
In the
twenties, he tried to become an artist and painter while working at hotels, but had substantial difficulties. His cartoon series "The Thrilling Adventures of the Count Bric a Brac" was dropped from the
New York World after six months.
In the early
1930s he met
May Massee the children's book editor at
Viking Press who became a sort of partner, and he began to publish a number of children's books beginning with
Hansi in
1934.
The first Madeline book was published in
1939 and was actually rejected by Viking and published by
Simon and Schuster.
In
1953, he felt in love with a small bistro in Paris "
La Colombe" in the "Ile de la Cité", bought it, and painted murals. He remained the owner of the place during two years until he sold it to
Michel Valette who made it into a famous cabaret.
However, Bemelmans also wrote a number of adult books, including travel and humorous works, and movie scripts for films like
Yolanda and the Thief. Spending time in
Hollywood, he also became a close friend of
Lady Elsie de Wolfe Mendl.
Bemelmans' "Central Park," a mural on the walls of the
Carlyle Hotel's Bemelmans Bar in New York City, is his only remaining artwork on display to the public. He also painted the children's dining room in
Aristotle Onassis yacht
Christina, for the young daughter of the magnate,
Christina Onassis.
Madeline books
Each story begins: "In an old house in
Paris, that was covered with vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines... the smallest one was Madeline."
The girls are cared for by a
nun, Miss Clavel. Other characters include Pepito, son of the
Spanish Ambassador, who lives next door; Lord Covington (called Cucuface by the girls), owner of the house; and Genevieve, a dog who rescues Madeline from
drowning in the second book.
Bemelmans published six Madeline stories in his lifetime, and a seventh was discovered and published posthumously:
- Madeline, 1939: Madeline gets her appendix out.
- Madeline's Rescue, 1953: Madeline gets rescued by a dog (later on named Genevieve). Winner of the Caldecott Medal for 1954.
- Madeline and the Bad Hat, 1956: The "bad hat" Pepito, is the Spanish ambassador's son.
- Madeline and the Gypsies, 1959: Madeline and Pepito have an adventure at a gypsy circus.
- Madeline in London, 1961: Pepito moves to London, and Madeline and the girls go to visit him.
- Madeline's Christmas, 1985: Everyone in the house has a cold, except Madeline. (First published in McCall's in 1956).
- Madeline in America and Other Holiday Tales, 1999: Madeline inherits a fortune from her rich American great-grandfather. The book also reveals Madeline's surname, which is Fogg, as in Madeline Fogg.
Adaptations
The first book, Madeline, was made into an award-winning 1952 short animated cartoon directed by Robert Cannon for UPA, also titled "Madeline".
Between 1990 and 1995 an animated Madeline series was made for television, with narration in appropriately rhyming style read by Christopher Plummer.
A live action Madeline film based on several of the books appeared in 1998, directed by Daisy von Scherler Mayer and starring Hatty Jones as Madeline, Frances McDormand as Miss Clavel, and Nigel Hawthorne as Lord Covington (aka "Cucuface").
Other Books
1934: Hansi
1936: The Golden Basket
1937: My War with the United States
1938: Quito Express (travel book)
1939: Small Beer (based on his experience in Hollywood)
1940: Fifi
1941: At Your Service
1942: Rosebud
1942: I Love You, I Love You, I Love You
1943: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep
1945: The Blue Danube
1947: A Tale of Two Glimps
1952: How to Travel Incognito
1953: The Borrowed Christmas
The One I Loved the Most (his friendship with Lady Mendl)
Father, Dear Father
Hotel Splendide
1960: Welcome Home!
1960: How to Travel To Europe All to Yourself
1962: Marina
1962: On Board of Noah's Ark
1963: The Street Where the Heart Lies
1966: The Elephant Cutlet
Tell them it was wonderful (compilation of various autobiographical stories, published posthumously)Further Information
Get more info on 'Ludwig Bemelmans'.
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