SARDOU, VICTORIEN, a French playwright; born at Paris, in 1831. He began his education as a student of medicine, abandoned medical studies for history and taught for a period during which he made his first dramatic ven tures. Later gave up teaching and became a professional writer and jour nalist. Financially unsuccessful and overtaken with ill health, he met with kindness and friendship from Mademoi selle Brecourt, who later became his wife, and, through her influence, was intro duced to Mademoiselle Dejazet in 1859. Through the favor of this noted actress he achieved prominence rapidly; her popularity became the vehicle for his dramatic success and he produced a se ries of brilliant comedies based upon the social life of the day, among them "Les Pattes de Mouches" (1861, from Poe's "Purloined Letter"). This play was re vived in New York in 1914 under the title of "A Scrap of Paper." As a dra matic author Sardou was keenly respon sive to the social and political complexion of the day and the subjects of his plays were chosen to attract the attention of the moment. His journalistic capacity to recognize and fill the popular demand for drama of contemporary theme may be said to account for the enduring favor which he enjoyed before the public no less than his ability to nroducz drama of high literary merit. He entered the
Academy in 1878. His later work was directed almost entirely toward sensa tional and spectacular productions in which the spoken parts were subordi nated to scenic splendor and the enter tainment of action. "Madame Sans Gene (1898), "La Sorciere" (1903), and "Divoreons" (1881), illustrate the qual ity and range of his gifts and also the tendencies toward artificiality which his later work possessed. In this direction his influence has been against the best dramatic standard. Among his many other plays are: "The Students' Inn" (1854) ; "Monsieur Garat" (1860) ; "Saint Gervais" (1860) ; "Piccolino" (1861) ; "The Butterfly" (1862) ; "The Black Devils" (1863) ; "Don Quixote" (1864) ; "The Benoiton Family" (1865) ; "The New House" (1866) ; "Seraphine" (1868) ; "Fernande" (1870) ; "Rabagas" (1872) ; "Uncle Sam" (1873) ; "Ferreol" (1875) ; "Dora" (1877) ; "Daniel Ro chat" (1880) ; "Odette" (1881) ; "Fe dora" (1883) ; "Theodora" (1884) ; "Crocodile" (1886) ; "La Tosca" (1887) ; "Mama-in-law" (1889) ; "Cleopatra" (1890) ; "Thermidor" (1891) ; "Gismon da" (1894), etc. He died Nov. 8, 1908.