Henry de La Falaise | |
|---|---|
 de La Falaise at his New York office in 1927 | |
| Born | James Henri Le Bailly de la Falaise (1898-02-11)February 11, 1898 Saint Cyr, France |
| Died | April 10, 1972(1972-04-10) (aged 74) |
| Title | Marquis de La Coudraye |
| Spouses | |
| Awards | Croix de Guerre(World War I) Croix de Guerre(World War II) |
Henry de La Falaise, Marquis de La Coudraye (bornJames Henri Le Bailly de la Falaise; February 11, 1898 – April 10, 1972), was a French nobleman, translator, film director, film producer, sometime actor, and war hero who was best known for his high-profile marriages to two leading Hollywood actresses.
James Henri Le Bailly de la Falaise was born on February 11, 1898, inSaint-Cyr-l'École, France, the eldest son and second child of Louis Venant Gabriel Le Bailly de la Falaise, écuyer (1866–1910), a three timeOlympic gold-medallist in fencing and former Army officer.[1] His mother was the former Henriette Lucie Frédérique Hennessy (1873–1965), scion of the Cognac family.[2][3] After his father died in 1910, his widowed mother married her second husband, Count Antoine Hocquart de Turtot (1872–1954), a cavalry officer and major French horse-racing figure, in 1912. His mother and father had four children together:
His mother had another child with her second husband, de La Falaise's half-sibling
The title held by the head of the family, Marquis de La Coudraye, dating from 1707, was granted, by an 1876 act of succession, to the younger son of Pacôme-François Le Bailly, Seigneur de La Falaise, and his wife, Pauline-Louise-Victoire de Loynes, daughter of the Marquis de La Coudraye. La Falaise inherited the title of Marquis de La Coudraye from his paternal grandfather, Gabriel-César-Henri Le Bailly de La Falaise, who, like his father, died in 1910 (the father died on April 4, the grandfather on August 6).
Since La Falaise had no children, the title of Marquis de La Coudraye was inherited by his younger brother, Alain de La Falaise (died 1977). It then passed to his nephew, Alexis de La Falaise (died 2004). It is now held by his grand-nephew (grandson of Alain), Daniel de La Falaise, a professional chef and food writer.
His actual surname wasLe Bailly, though he and other members of his family usedLe Bailly de la Falaise, referring to an ancestral estate; it is typically abbreviated tode la Falaise. As the marquis toldThe New York Times (October 7, 1925), "My patronymic name is Le Bailly, but ... I use the name de la Falaise because it is one of the great-grandfather branches of the Le Bailly family. De La Falaise is the only existing branch of that family today. So this should be my entire name: James Henry Le Bailly de La Falaise, Marquis de La Coudraye".
The Marquis de La Coudraye was awarded theCroix de Guerre for heroism duringWorld War I, during which time he was attached to the 70th Division of the American Expeditionary Forces.[6] He receivedCroix de Guerre for bravery duringWorld War II, while he was attached to the British12th Royal Lancers. In 1943, La Falaise published "Through Hell to Dunkirk" (Military Service Publishing Company), a memoir of his war experiences.[7]
Notably handsome and universally known as "Hank," the marquis was admiringly described by the actressLillian Gish as "a real war hero. In his bathing-suit he presents a graphic picture of what modern warfare does to a man – he is so cut-and-shot and covered with scars."[citation needed]
La Falaise directed at least five motion pictures, notably among them are two travelogue drama silent films about primitive life and customs:Kliou, the Killer (1934, released 1936, also known asKliou, the Killer Tiger) although the disparity in the titling remains unknown even today,[8] andLegong: Dance of the Virgins (1933, released 1935, also known asDjanger: Love Rite of Bali).[9][10] The latter production was described many years later as a "seductive blend of serious documentary, lyrical effusion and unbridled prurience".[11] He may also have written a film script forGloria Swanson, his first wife, calledParis Luck, a 1927 work that bore the name of Robert Bailly. He also served as the U.S. representative forPathé, the French film studio.[12] They were the last mainstream silent films shot by a major Hollywood studio.[13]
La Falaise also produced and directed three films forRKO, which were filmed in French and English versions:Échec Au Roi (The Royal Bed) (an adaptation ofRobert E. Sherwood's playThe Queen's Husband);Le fils d'autre (The Woman Between), andNuit d'Espagne (Transgression).[14]
La Falaise was married three times, but did not have any children. His wives were:
| Titles of nobility (France) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Marquis de La Coudraye 1910–1972 | Succeeded by Alain Le Bailly de La Falaise |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
