321:, where he saw many inmates returning from the run who told him their escape stories, from which he drew inspiration. This place spared him from the work of logging sites or agricultural concessions that annihilated convicts in a few months. He escaped for the first time on September 5, 1934, but failed in Colombia, a country that returned escaped convicts to France. Judged by the Special Maritime Court, he spent two years in the cells of the St. Joseph's Island Seclusion. Several times transferred, he ended up as chief nurse in an Indochinese camp on the Guyanese mainland, the Cascades forest camp, from which he escaped on the night of March 18–19, 1944, along with four companions.
275:, a labour camp (Devil's Island was not a labour camp so much as an internment camp) that, at the time, was notorious for being inescapable. French authorities later released penal colony records that contradicted this; amongst other details, Charrière had never been imprisoned on Devil's Island. However, he finally achieved his permanent liberation in 1941 by using a bag of coconuts as a makeshift raft and, riding the tide out from the island, he escaped with another convict. However, his companion drowned in
927:
941:
473:
The book and movie both present Devil's Island as having rocky cliffs, when, in fact, although the entire island is rocky, it gently slopes into the surrounding sea. A French justice ministry report said Charrière's book included episodes that were imagined or involved others and "should be divided
469:
reporter, claims that Charrière was in fact a police informer and a pimp before his incarceration, and lived off the proceeds of his girlfriend's prostitution, and that he later tried to blame her for the murder of Roland
Legrande. Charrière claims to have been incarcerated in Saint Laurent and may
484:
Critics tend to agree that Charrière's depictions included events that happened to others and that
Brunier was at the prison at the same time. Critics claim that the heroic rescue of a guard's young daughter from sharks, which Charrière describes graphically in his book, was in fact carried out by
31:
172:
was largely true, modern researchers believe that much of the book’s material came from other inmates, rather than Charrière himself. Charrière denied committing the murder, although he freely admitted to having committed various other petty crimes prior to his incarceration.
263:, where he was adopted by an indigenous tribe. He spent several months living with the natives, but felt that he had to move on, which was a decision he would ultimately regret. After leaving, he was quickly recaptured and sent back to French Guiana to be put into
485:
another convict named Alfred
Steffen who lost both legs and subsequently died. When some critics questioned the veracity of his story and said he erred on some of the dates, Charrière replied: "I didn't have a typewriter with me." French journalist
270:
After his release from solitary confinement, he spent another seven years in prison. During this period he attempted to escape several more times, resulting in increasingly brutal responses from his captors. He stated that he was then confined to
437:, which he said was "75 percent true", details his alleged numerous escapes, attempted escapes, adventures, and recaptures, from his imprisonment in 1932 to his final escape to Venezuela. The book's title is Charrière's nickname, derived from a
228:. He had married Georgette Fourel at the town hall of the 1st arrondissement of Paris, on December 22, 1929. (They divorced on 8 July 1930 by decision of the Paris High Court.) After a brief imprisonment at the transit prison of Beaulieu in
341:. He was subsequently treated as a minor celebrity, even being invited frequently to appear on local television programmes. He finally returned to France, visiting Paris in conjunction with the publication of his memoir
448:
being French for butterfly). Modern researchers, however, believe that Charrière got much of his story material from other inmates, and so see the work as more of a work of fiction than a true autobiography.
716:
522:
1109:
1104:
251:
and Joanes
Clousiot, who would accompany him throughout much of his time on the run. 37 days later, the trio were captured by Colombian police near the village of
154:; 16 November 1906 – 29 July 1973) was a French writer, convicted of murder in 1931 by the French courts and pardoned in 1970. He wrote the novel
783:
306:. After a year of imprisonment, Charrière was released with identity papers on 3 July 1944. Five years later he was given Venezuelan citizenship.
1099:
1094:
1089:
1011:
867:
1129:
1119:
345:(1969). The book sold over 1.5 million copies in France, prompting a French minister to attribute "the moral decline of France" to
1124:
1064:
290:. After almost a year, a bored Charrière then joined another group of escaped convicts in a new boat with the intent of reaching
1069:
1059:
983:
582:
810:
1084:
1079:
838:"The Fabulous Escapes of Papillon: An ex-con from Devil's Island strikes it rich with a great yarn – but how true is it?"
1114:
333:
and became a naturalized citizen. He married a
Venezuelan woman identified as Rita Bensimon. He opened restaurants in
972:
660:
745:
329:
After Charrière had served a year's probationary freedom, he was given his total liberty in 1945. He remained in
1054:
894:
233:
187:
51:
194:, France. He had two older sisters. His mother died when he was ten. In 1923 at seventeen, he enlisted in the
224:
named Roland Le Petit, a charge that he strongly denied. He was sentenced to life in prison and ten years of
676:
317:. There was little time left in the transportation camp, as he was assigned as a nursing assistant to the
470:
have escaped from there, but according to French officials, he never served any time on Devil's Island.
313:
on 29 September 1933 aboard the
Martinière and landed on 14 October with the status of "transported" to
282:
After meeting up with some escaped
Chinese prisoners on the mainland, they bought a boat and sailed to
247:
According to the book, he made his first escape on 28 November 1933 and was joined by fellow prisoners
1074:
493:("Butterfly Pinned"), maintains: "Only about 10 percent of Charrière's book represents the truth."
318:
534:
314:
388:
In 1970, the French justice system issued a pardon to Charrière for his 1931 murder conviction.
760:
309:
French records of his life from 1933–1944 present a different account: He left the citadel of
872:
508:
55:
310:
1049:
1044:
847:
529:
503:
397:
363:
299:
264:
260:
259:, and were imprisoned. Charrière subsequently escaped during a rainy night and fled to the
8:
788:
960:
815:
691:
648:
486:
358:
283:
248:
1029:
968:
656:
578:
574:
272:
991:
481:, claimed to be the real Papillon. He also had a butterfly tattoo, on his left arm.
357:
was first published in the United
Kingdom in 1970, in a translation by the novelist
964:
946:
652:
598:
291:
837:
899:
842:
628:
513:
478:
433:
418:
211:
199:
156:
150:
116:
1016:
548:
287:
1038:
932:
543:
518:
424:
401:
381:
303:
241:
220:, claimed that Charrière was convicted on 26 October 1931 of the murder of a
165:
122:
77:
1020:
368:
237:
161:
603:
465:
225:
195:
1025:
30:
198:
and served for two years. After that, he became a member of the Paris
191:
722:
438:
346:
338:
330:
295:
276:
294:. However, after sailing into a cyclone, they only managed to reach
385:, in which he describes his life after being released from prison.
361:. Charrière played the part of a jewel thief in a 1970 film called
256:
252:
1006:
298:. They were all arrested and sent to a brutal penal settlement in
216:
The version of his life presented in his semi-biographical novel,
334:
441:
106:
73:
229:
221:
626:
Foote, Timothy (14 September 1979). "Travels with Papi".
160:, a memoir of his incarceration in and escape from a
922:
811:"Papillon alive and well in a Paris retirement home"
1110:Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by France
715:
1036:
1105:French prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
279:when they reached the shore of French Guiana.
371:, and released internationally in English as
895:"Small-time Paris thief writes a bestseller"
412:He wrote two autobiographical novels in the
232:, France, he was transported in 1933 to the
784:"Ex-convict aged 104 claims to be Papillon"
457:
186:Charrière was born on 16 November 1906 at
29:
954:
808:
643:Charrière, Henri (2005). "Introduction".
642:
568:
868:"Devil's Isle author dies after surgery"
836:Wreen, Marie-Claude (13 November 1970).
632:. Vol. 96, no. 11. p. 92.
981:
781:
474:by at least 10 to get near the truth".
202:. He later married and had a daughter.
1037:
477:In 2005, a 104-year-old man in Paris,
240:, in the penal settlement of mainland
982:Arantes, Platão (22 September 2006).
835:
713:
625:
149:
1100:People convicted of murder by France
396:On 29 July 1973, Charrière died of
13:
14:
1141:
1095:Naturalized citizens of Venezuela
1090:French people convicted of murder
918:
1130:20th-century French male writers
939:
925:
809:Schofield, Hugh (26 June 2005).
367:directed by the French director
1120:French male non-fiction writers
990:(in Portuguese). Archived from
887:
860:
829:
782:Randall, Colin (27 June 2005).
525:nomination for his performance.
255:, northern Caribbean Region of
205:
168:. While Charrière claimed that
1125:20th-century French memoirists
1065:Escapees from French detention
802:
775:
738:
707:
669:
636:
619:
591:
562:
496:
454:Les quatre vérités de Papillon
431:Charrière's best-selling book
319:André-Bouron Colonial Hospital
234:prison of St-Laurent-du-Maroni
1:
1070:20th-century French criminals
1060:Deaths from esophageal cancer
555:
547:. Charrière was portrayed by
517:. Charrière was portrayed by
463:), Georges Ménager, a former
324:
181:
746:"Henri Charriere, Author of
375:. He also wrote a sequel to
176:
7:
1085:Deaths from cancer in Spain
1080:French expatriates in Spain
717:"Obituary: Henri Charrière"
714:Hoyle, Ben (31 July 1973).
461:The Four Truths of Papillon
10:
1146:
986:[The Great Hoax].
209:
134:Georgette Fourel (1929–30)
955:Charrière, Henri (2005).
569:Charrière, Henri (1970).
533:(2017), film directed by
507:(1973), film directed by
188:Saint-Étienne-de-Lugdarès
130:
112:
102:
94:
84:
62:
52:Saint-Étienne-de-Lugdarès
37:
28:
21:
16:French writer (1906–1973)
407:
391:
267:for the next two years.
1012:Henri Charrière website
1007:Henri Charrière website
315:Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni
136:Rita Bensimon (1945–73)
1115:Devil's Island inmates
761:The Lewiston Daily Sun
873:Eugene Register-Guard
509:Franklin J. Schaffner
147:French pronunciation:
373:The Butterfly Affair
265:solitary confinement
261:La Guajira Peninsula
151:[ɑ̃ʁiʃaʁjɛʁ]
1055:People from Ardèche
816:Mail & Guardian
789:The Daily Telegraph
607:. 19 September 2001
692:The New York Times
537:, based on novels
487:Gerard de Villiers
311:Saint-Martin-de-Ré
994:on 9 January 2013
903:. 5 November 1970
695:. 29 October 1970
599:"Henri Charriere"
584:978-0-24663-987-5
521:, who received a
511:, based on novel
140:
139:
1137:
1003:
1001:
999:
984:"A Grande Farsa"
978:
965:Harper Perennial
961:O'Brian, Patrick
959:. Translated by
949:
947:Biography portal
944:
943:
942:
935:
930:
929:
928:
912:
911:
909:
908:
891:
885:
884:
882:
881:
864:
858:
857:
855:
854:
833:
827:
826:
824:
823:
806:
800:
799:
797:
796:
779:
773:
772:
770:
769:
755:
749:
742:
736:
735:
733:
731:
719:
711:
705:
704:
702:
700:
687:Author Pardoned"
686:
680:
673:
667:
666:
653:Harper Perennial
649:O'Brian, Patrick
647:. Translated by
640:
634:
633:
623:
617:
616:
614:
612:
595:
589:
588:
566:
491:Papillon Épinglé
459:
292:British Honduras
153:
148:
95:Other names
90:later Venezuelan
69:
48:16 November 1906
47:
45:
33:
19:
18:
1145:
1144:
1140:
1139:
1138:
1136:
1135:
1134:
1075:French escapees
1035:
1034:
1026:Henri Charrière
1017:Henri Charrière
997:
995:
988:Jornal O Rebate
975:
945:
940:
938:
931:
926:
924:
921:
916:
915:
906:
904:
900:Boca Raton News
893:
892:
888:
879:
877:
866:
865:
861:
852:
850:
834:
830:
821:
819:
807:
803:
794:
792:
780:
776:
767:
765:
753:
747:
744:
743:
739:
729:
727:
712:
708:
698:
696:
684:
678:
675:
674:
670:
663:
641:
637:
624:
620:
610:
608:
597:
596:
592:
585:
567:
563:
558:
499:
479:Charles Brunier
410:
394:
359:Patrick O'Brian
327:
249:André Maturette
214:
212:Papillon (book)
208:
184:
179:
146:
143:Henri Charrière
135:
121:
89:
80:
71:
67:
58:
49:
43:
41:
24:
23:Henri Charrière
17:
12:
11:
5:
1143:
1133:
1132:
1127:
1122:
1117:
1112:
1107:
1102:
1097:
1092:
1087:
1082:
1077:
1072:
1067:
1062:
1057:
1052:
1047:
1033:
1032:
1023:
1014:
1009:
1004:
979:
973:
951:
950:
936:
920:
919:External links
917:
914:
913:
886:
876:. 30 July 1973
859:
828:
801:
774:
764:. 28 July 1973
737:
706:
668:
661:
635:
618:
590:
583:
560:
559:
557:
554:
553:
552:
549:Charlie Hunnam
526:
498:
495:
444:on his chest (
409:
406:
393:
390:
326:
323:
288:British Guiana
273:Devil's Island
210:Main article:
207:
204:
183:
180:
178:
175:
138:
137:
132:
128:
127:
114:
113:Known for
110:
109:
104:
100:
99:
96:
92:
91:
86:
82:
81:
72:
70:(aged 66)
64:
60:
59:
50:
39:
35:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1142:
1131:
1128:
1126:
1123:
1121:
1118:
1116:
1113:
1111:
1108:
1106:
1103:
1101:
1098:
1096:
1093:
1091:
1088:
1086:
1083:
1081:
1078:
1076:
1073:
1071:
1068:
1066:
1063:
1061:
1058:
1056:
1053:
1051:
1048:
1046:
1043:
1042:
1040:
1031:
1027:
1024:
1022:
1018:
1015:
1013:
1010:
1008:
1005:
993:
989:
985:
980:
976:
974:0-00-717996-0
970:
966:
962:
958:
953:
952:
948:
937:
934:
933:France portal
923:
902:
901:
896:
890:
875:
874:
869:
863:
849:
845:
844:
839:
832:
818:
817:
812:
805:
791:
790:
785:
778:
763:
762:
757:
752:
741:
725:
724:
718:
710:
694:
693:
688:
683:
672:
664:
662:0-00-717996-0
658:
654:
650:
646:
639:
631:
630:
622:
606:
605:
600:
594:
586:
580:
576:
572:
565:
561:
550:
546:
545:
540:
536:
532:
531:
527:
524:
520:
519:Steve McQueen
516:
515:
510:
506:
505:
501:
500:
494:
492:
488:
482:
480:
475:
471:
468:
467:
462:
455:
450:
447:
443:
440:
436:
435:
429:
427:
426:
421:
420:
415:
405:
403:
402:Madrid, Spain
399:
398:throat cancer
389:
386:
384:
383:
378:
374:
370:
366:
365:
360:
356:
352:
348:
344:
340:
336:
332:
322:
320:
316:
312:
307:
305:
304:Bolivar State
301:
297:
293:
289:
285:
280:
278:
274:
268:
266:
262:
258:
254:
250:
245:
243:
242:French Guiana
239:
235:
231:
227:
223:
219:
213:
203:
201:
197:
193:
189:
174:
171:
167:
166:French Guiana
163:
159:
158:
152:
144:
133:
129:
126:
125:
120:
119:
115:
111:
108:
105:
101:
97:
93:
87:
83:
79:
78:Spanish state
75:
65:
61:
57:
53:
40:
36:
32:
27:
20:
1021:Find a Grave
998:15 September
996:. Retrieved
992:the original
987:
956:
905:. Retrieved
898:
889:
878:. Retrieved
871:
862:
851:. Retrieved
841:
831:
820:. Retrieved
814:
804:
793:. Retrieved
787:
777:
766:. Retrieved
759:
750:
740:
728:. Retrieved
726:. p. 14
721:
709:
697:. Retrieved
690:
681:
671:
644:
638:
627:
621:
611:15 September
609:. Retrieved
602:
593:
570:
564:
542:
538:
535:Michael Noer
528:
523:Golden Globe
512:
502:
490:
489:, author of
483:
476:
472:
464:
460:
453:
452:In his book
451:
445:
432:
430:
423:
417:
413:
411:
395:
387:
380:
376:
372:
369:Jean Vautrin
362:
354:
350:
342:
328:
308:
281:
269:
246:
238:Maroni River
217:
215:
206:Imprisonment
185:
169:
162:penal colony
155:
142:
141:
123:
117:
68:(1973-07-29)
66:29 July 1973
1050:1973 deaths
1045:1906 births
756:Dies at 66"
604:Everything2
497:Adaptations
466:Paris Match
422:(1969) and
226:hard labour
196:French Navy
85:Nationality
1039:Categories
963:. London:
907:2018-09-15
880:2018-09-15
853:2018-09-15
846:. p.
822:2018-09-15
795:2018-09-15
768:2018-09-15
651:. London:
575:Hart-Davis
573:. London:
556:References
428:(1973).
347:miniskirts
325:Later life
284:Georgetown
200:underworld
182:Early life
103:Occupation
44:1906-11-16
723:The Times
699:29 August
439:butterfly
379:entitled
364:Popsy Pop
339:Maracaibo
331:Venezuela
300:El Dorado
296:Venezuela
277:quicksand
177:Biography
131:Spouse(s)
107:Memoirist
957:Papillon
751:Papillon
730:13 March
682:Papillon
645:Papillon
571:Papillon
539:Papillon
530:Papillon
514:Papillon
504:Papillon
446:papillon
434:Papillon
419:Papillon
416:series:
414:Papillon
377:Papillon
355:Papillon
351:Papillon
343:Papillon
257:Colombia
253:Riohacha
218:Papillon
170:Papillon
157:Papillon
118:Papillon
98:Papillon
335:Caracas
236:on the
192:Ardèche
971:
659:
581:
442:tattoo
88:French
74:Madrid
56:France
754:'
748:'
685:'
679:'
544:Banco
425:Banco
408:Works
392:Death
382:Banco
124:Banco
1030:IMDb
1000:2018
969:ISBN
843:LIFE
732:2011
701:2018
657:ISBN
629:TIME
613:2018
579:ISBN
541:and
458:lit.
349:and
337:and
230:Caen
222:pimp
63:Died
38:Born
1028:at
1019:at
400:in
164:in
1041::
967:.
897:.
870:.
848:52
840:.
813:.
786:.
758:.
720:.
689:.
655:.
601:.
577:.
404:.
353:.
302:,
286:,
244:.
190:,
76:,
54:,
1002:.
977:.
910:.
883:.
856:.
825:.
798:.
771:.
734:.
703:.
677:"
665:.
615:.
587:.
551:.
456:(
145:(
46:)
42:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
