Beau Geste

Beau Geste

"Beau Geste" is a 1924 adventure novel by P. C. Wren, which has been adapted for the screen several times. The phrase "beau geste" has come to mean "a gracious (but usually meaningless) gesture". [ [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/beau%20geste Definition at Dictionary.com] ]

Plot summary

The central character is Michael "Beau" Geste, the eldest of the three Geste brothers of Brandon Abbas, who have been brought up by their aunt. When a precious jewel known as the "Blue Water", the focus of the family fortunes, goes missing, suspicion falls on the brothers, and Beau leaves Britain to join the French Foreign Legion followed by his brothers, Digby and John. There they encounter the sadistic Sergeant Lejaune, and the unit is besieged at Fort Zinderneuf by Tuareg rebels. Beau's heroism is proved, but only John survives to return home, where he is welcomed by their aunt and the reason for the jewel theft is revealed to have been a matter of honor.

Analysis

The original novel, on which the various films are more or less loosely based, is written in a dated style in which English upper class values and attitudes are dominant. It does, however, provide a detailed and fairly authentic description of life in the pre-1914 Foreign Legion, which has led to (unproven) suggestions that P. C. Wren himself served with this military unit. However the climax, in which one of the Geste brothers is the only survivor of the garrison of a desert fort, is melodramatic and has no historical basis.

Adaptations

* "Beau Geste" (1926), starring Ronald Colman
* "Beau Geste" (1939), with Gary Cooper
* "Beau Geste" (1966), with Guy Stockwell
* "Omnibus: The British Hero" (1973 BBC TV documentary/selected dramatised scenes) with Christopher Cazenove
* "Beau Geste" (1982 BBC mini-series)

Although minor plot points separate the film versions, all of them share a common element of a stolen gem which one of the Geste brothers, Michael "Beau" Geste, is thought to have stolen from his adoptive family. He subsequently runs away to join the French Foreign Legion. In some adaptations, more than one of the Geste brothers and his childhood friend Joe McCarthy join him or go to find him.

Parodies

* "The Goon Show" episode "Under Two Floorboards (A Story of the Legion)" (1955)
* "Follow that Camel"
* "The Last Remake of Beau Geste" (1977), starring Marty Feldman, Ann-Margret and Michael York
* "Soul Music" (1994), by Terry Pratchett. The Death of the Discworld takes the name Beau Nidle and joins the Klatchian Foreign Legion, a parody of the French Foreign Legion.
* In the early 1980's, "Beau Geste" was a recurring story arc in Charles Schulz's comic strip "Peanuts", during which Snoopy was a leader of a squad of Legionnaires (usually played by birds, Snoopy's "Beagle Scouts") and Ft. Zinderneuf was Snoopy's doghouse.

Bibliography

*R. S. Thomas - "P C Wren's "Beau Geste", "Children's Literature in Education", vol. 21, no. 4, Dec. 1990

Notes


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  • Beau Geste — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Beau Geste es una novela de aventuras, escrita en 1924 por P. C. Wren, y que ha sido adaptada al cine en varias ocasiones. Film, TV or theatrical adaptations Beau Geste (1926), protagonizada por Ronald Colman Beau… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Beau Geste — [bo ʒɛst] die; , x s [bo ʒɛst] <aus gleichbed. fr. beau geste> höfliche Geste, freundliches Entgegenkommen …   Das große Fremdwörterbuch

  • Beau Geste — [bo ʒɛst], die; , x s [bo ; frz.] (bildungsspr.): höfliche Geste, freundliches Entgegenkommen …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Beau Geste —    Film d aventures de William Wellman, d après le roman de Percival Christopher Wren, avec Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, Robert Preston, Susan Hayward.   Pays: États Unis   Date de sortie: 1939   Technique: noir et blanc   Durée: 2 h    Résumé… …   Dictionnaire mondial des Films

  • beau geste* — beau geste [[t]boʊ ˈʒɛst[/t]] n. pl. beaux gestes [[t]boʊ ˈʒɛst[/t]] French. fot a fine or noble gesture, often futile or made only for effect …   From formal English to slang

  • beau geste — [bō zhest′] n. pl. beaux gestes [bō zhest′] [Fr] 1. a fine or beautiful gesture 2. an act or offer that seems fine, noble, etc., but is empty …   English World dictionary

  • Beau Geste — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Beau Geste peut faire référence à : Beau Geste, roman de l écrivain britannique Percival Christopher Wren (1924), ayant pour cadre principal la… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Beau Geste (Film) — Beau Geste Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Beau Geste peut faire référence à : Beau Geste, roman de l écrivain britannique Percival Christopher Wren (1924), ayant pour cadre… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Beau Geste (film) — Beau Geste Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Beau Geste peut faire référence à : Beau Geste, roman de l écrivain britannique Percival Christopher Wren (1924), ayant pour cadre… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Beau geste (film) — Beau Geste Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Beau Geste peut faire référence à : Beau Geste, roman de l écrivain britannique Percival Christopher Wren (1924), ayant pour cadre… …   Wikipédia en Français

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