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" L' HISTOIRE DU PAUVRE JACQUES DE MADAME ELISABETH DE FRANCE,,
A proposed film scenario by ERNEST CASTELLA (i)
(from the French)
A) Preface.
The story of which I give a synopsis below undoubtedly furnishes material for a touching and stirring film recalling a terrible epoch in history and set amid the splendours of Versailles and on the verdant slopes of the Swiss Alps. The necessities of screen adaptation would, of course, compel the scenario-writer to embellish historical fact with a number of imaginary episodes which would impart life and movement to the film. Nevertheless « Poor Jack » was a real person, the hero of incidents with a definite popular appeal in them. Indeed, as we shall see, his story has inspired many an artist.
Jacques Bosson (le pauvre Jacques) was brought up as a humble shepherd among the mountains of Switzerland in the eighteenth century. As the result, however, of unexpected and historical events, destiny took him to the Court of Versailles on the eve of the Revolution. He received a summons from Elizabeth, sister of Louis XVI and Princess of France, who made him steward of the royal domain of Montreuil, near Versailles. Hither, too, came Marie-Francoise Magnin, his sweetheart, who followed him from Switzerland at Madame Elizabeth's wish.
Shortly after the marriage of Jacques and Marie-Francoise, which, we are told, was held with much ceremony in the church of St. Symphorien at Montreuil, the Revolution broke out. During this troublous period, Jacques' young wife was put in prison and he himself held suspect. He had to return to Switzerland to seek the aid of the Swiss authorities in order to effect his wife's release.
Although this is the least known part of Jacques' life, I have been able to collect details of his touching story from published and unpublished sources which show that this was a period of storm and stress in our hero's career.
The torment of Marie-Francoise in prison, her husband's desperate efforts to obtain her release, the semi-freedom of Jacques himself contrasted
(i) This draft scenario is based upon an unpublished play entitled « Scenes de la Vie de Pauvre Jacques de M.me Elisabeth de France ». U. S. A. Copyright Dec. 30th, 1924 by Ernest Castella. Class. D. XXc No. 6ggoo.