Marcel Allain French writer and journalist Date of Birth: 15.09.1885 Country: France

Biography of Marcel Allain

Marcel Allain was a French writer and journalist, known for his collaboration with Pierre Souvestre on the Fantômas series of novels. He was born in Paris into a family of lawyers, with his father holding a doctorate in both criminal law and medicine. Following in his father's footsteps, Allain studied law and worked as a clerk for a lawyer after finishing school.

Early Career:
Before 1930, Allain wrote under various pseudonyms including Alain Darcel, M.A. de Sira, Pierre de Breiz, Joël, René Mantin, Maurice Gillat, and Marcel Sergy. It was during this time that he had the opportunity to interview the infamous criminal nicknamed "Golden Helmet" while working as a clerk at the Parisian court. Allain managed to gain access to her prison cell at the Santé prison and conducted the interview for the newspaper Le Petit Parisien, although it was ultimately rejected.

Journalism and Collaboration with Pierre Souvestre:
In 1906, Allain began his career in journalism by publishing his first article titled "The Sailor's Revenge" in the magazine "Our Leisure." In 1907, he met Pierre Souvestre, a well-known journalist at the time, and became his secretary. Initially, Allain wrote articles that Souvestre published under his own name. However, starting from 1909, Allain was allowed to sign his name alongside Souvestre's.

The Fantômas Series and Other Works:
In February 1911, Allain and Souvestre wrote the novel "Fantômas" as per the request of their publisher, A. Fayard, who wanted to start a new monthly magazine. The novel was a success, leading to the continuation of the series. By 1913, they had written thirty-two novels in the Fantômas series. In addition to the Fantômas series, Allain and Souvestre also authored the "Nazanler" series of spy detective novels and the adventure novels featuring "Titi-Guard."

After Souvestre's death in February 1914, Allain continued the Fantômas series by writing an additional twelve novels under his own name. He also started several new series, including "Zizi, the Champion of Bosche," and "Fatalla," but none achieved the same level of success as Fantômas. In 1926, Allain married Souvestre's friend Henriette Kistler.

Throughout his career, Allain wrote numerous standalone novels in various genres, including "Madame Satan" (1934), "Mr. Nobody" (1936), "On the Ski Slope" (1939), "The Man Who Meets Himself" (1942), and "Trap Women" (1958). In total, Allain authored approximately 400 novels.

Despite his success, Allain expressed frustration with the prominence of the Fantômas series, stating, "Every time I bring a new novel or screenplay to a publishing house or film studio, I receive the same response: 'Give us a sequel to Fantômas instead...' Oh Lord, how tired I am of Fantômas! It will be the death of me someday!"