Amélie Élie

Amélie Élie (14 March 1878 – 6 April 1933) was a French prostitute, also known as a gigolette. She gained fame under the nickname "Casque d'Or" ("Golden Helmet") due to a violent feud about her between two French Apaches from rivaling gangs in the Parisian underworld. The trial following the feud, which was reported on by mass media, turned Élie into a public sensation. In 1952, the film Casque d'Or fictionalized Élie's story.

Early life Amélie Élie was born on 14 March 1878, at 3am in Orléans, France, although she later stated her birthday as 17 June 1879.

At age 13, Élie fell in love with a boy two years her senior and they ran off together to a hotel. After running away several more times, her parents gave up on her and Élie found herself on her own in the streets of Paris.

During this time, she met a woman named Helene de Courtille, a prostitute with high-paying clients. Courtille introduced Élie to the trade, and acted as a mentor, close friend and potential lover. However, Courtille became demanding and controlling, leading Élie to find a new companion. Eventually Élie encountered a man named Bouchon, who henceforth acted as her pimp and provided protection for her. However, Bouchon too was prone to jealousy and violence, especially when Élie did not meet her daily quota. After a particularly aggressive fight, Élie escaped.

Taking to the streets again, Élie met Dominique Francois Eugéne Lecac, who generally went by Leca. This new relationship made Manda jealous and he attacked Leca repeatedly. In 1902, Manda and other Orteaux members stabbed Leca in a cab. Eventually Leca was found with two gun shots and a knife wound and was rushed to the hospital. Following with the custom of Apache men to stay quiet and not reveal any other gang members' names, Leca did not answer any of the police's questions about the attack.

Aftermath of the feud In May 1902, a trial was held for the violent attacks between Leca and Manda and Élie was made to testify. The trial drew the attention of the public, resulting in many people trying to gain access to the court building after having learned about the case in newspaper articles that were covering the ongoing feud. Le Petit Journal was one of the newspaper outlets to report on the case, and emphasized that gruesome nature of the Apache interactions with police.

Élie died of an unstated illness on 6 April 1933, at age 55. The movie generally follows the story line of the real-life battle between Manda and Leca over Élie. It focuses on theatrical fighting scenes and the love story between Marie (the character based on Élie), and Manda while eliminating many of the historical details important to understanding their story.