Created & Written by: Gustave Le Rouge (1867-1938)
The modern literary archetype of the mad doctor made its first appearance in
French popular literature in the form of Dr. Caresco,
introduced in Le Mal Nécessaire
(The Necessary Evil), written in 1899
by André Couvreur.
A worthier and far more famous literary successor of Dr. Caresco was Dr. Cornelius
Kramm, the star of Le Mystérieux
Dr. Cornélius (The Mysterious Dr.
Cornelius), a sprawling saga serialized in 1912-13 in eighteen volumes, written
by another prolific writer of adventure stories, Gustave Le Rouge.
Cornélius Kramm and his brother, Fritz,
rule an international criminal empire called the "Red Hand." Cornélius is a brilliant scientist and a mad surgeon, occasionally nicknamed
the "Sculptor of Human Flesh" for his demoniacal ability to alter people's likenesses through the science
of "carnoplasty". He is a cool and calculating man, always scheming, always in control, who enjoys his
wealthy surroundings in New York and Paris. His brother Fritz is more of a henchman, a man of action, who rules
the Red Hand with an iron fist.
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BOOK
Le Mystérieux Docteur Cornélius
was first serialized in 18 pulp magazines, published by the Maison du Livre Moderne, in 1912-13. A revised version
was reissued in 9 volumes by publisher Tallandier in 1918-20.
1. L'Énigme du Creek Sanglant [The Mystery Of The Bloody Crick]
2. Le Manoir aux Diamants [The Manor Of Diamonds]
3. Le Sculpteur de Chair Humaine [The Sculptor Of Human Flesh]
4. Les Lords de la Main Rouge [The Lords Of The Red Hand]
5. Le Secret de l'Île des Pendus [The Secret Of Hanged Man's Island]
6. Les Chevaliers du Chloroforme [The Knights Of Chloroform]
7. Un Drame au Lunatic Asylum [Tragedy At The Lunatic Asylum]
8. L'Automobile Fantôme [The Phantom Motorcar]
9. Le Cottage Hanté [The Haunted Cottage]
10. Le Portrait de Lucrece Borgia [The Portrait Of Lucrezia Borgia]
11. Coeur de Gitane [Gipsy Heart]
12. La Croisière du Gorill-Club [The Cruise Of The Gorill-Club]
13. La Fleur du Sommeil [The Flower Of Sleep]
14. Le Buste aux Yeux d'Émeraude [The Bust With Emerald Eyes]
15. La Dame aux Scabieuses [The Scab Lady]
16. La Tour Fiévreuse [The Fevered Tower]
17. Le Dément de la Maison Bleue [The Madman Of The Blue House]
18. Bas les Masques [Masks Off]
Le Mystérieux Docteur Cornelius
(A2, Col., Six 60 min. episodes, 16 September - 21 October 1984)
Dir: Maurice Frydland.
Wri: Jean-Pierre Petrolacci, Jean-Daniel
Simon, Pierre Nivollet, based on the novel by Gustave Le Rouge.
Cast: Gérard Desarthe (Cornelius
Kramm), Jean Bouise (Fritz Kramm).
Dir:
Alain Barroux.
