Rocambole (character)

Rocambole (ʁɔkɑ̃bɔl) is a fictional adventurer created by Pierre Alexis Ponson du Terrail, a 19th century French writer. The word rocambolesque has become common in French and other languages to label any kind of fantastic adventure.

The series introduces Rocambole as a highly resourceful adolescent, an orphan adopted by the wily crone Maman Fipart. He first assists the evil Andrea de Felipone, a. k. a. Sir Williams, in his fight against Andrea's half brother, the Comte de Kergaz. A major protagonist in the battle is a courtesan with a heart of gold and a fearless temper, Louise Charmet, a. k. a. Baccarat. In the third novel of the series, Rocambole takes over and kills Sir Williams. But Baccarat again thwarts his evil schemes, and he ends up imprisoned in the hard labor camp of Toulon (like Jean Valjean in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables.) In the fourth novel, an older and wiser Rocambole, who has been pardoned, has become a do gooder; however, the feuilleton (installment) was not popular with the readers, and Ponson du Terrail re wrote a new version in which Rocambole escapes from Toulon, redeems himself and becomes a full fledged hero. The later novels portray Rocambole as a fearless hero fighting a variety of dastardly villains such as the Thuggee, etc. He has become a veritable mastermind who has been to India and has gathered around him a coterie of equally talented assistants. Rocambole anticipates characters such as A. J. Raffles, Arsène Lupin, Fantômas, The Saint, Doc Savage, Judex and The Shadow. In a final chapter to the sixth volume, Ponson du Terrail claims that Rocambole really existed and was narrating his own exploits through him, making Rocambole perhaps the first metafictional hero of his kind.

Rocambole (Fr. ; serial, B&W., 1914)
Rocambole (Fr. ; serial, B&W., 1924)
Rocambole (Fr. ; B&W., 1932)
Rocambole (Mexico; B&W., 69 min., 1946)
Rocambole (Fr. ; B&W., 105 min., 1948)
The Revenge of Baccarat (Fr. ; B&W., 105 min., 1948)
Rocambole (1963 film) [fr] (Fr. ; col., 100 min., 1963)

Rocambole (French ORTF, B&W., three seasons of twenty six 15 min. episodes, 1964–65)

Hungarian comics artist György Szitas adapted Rocamble into a comic strip.

The name of the Russian crime group Club of Jacks of Hearts is borrowed from the novel Le Club des Valets de Coeur.