Dominique Ponchardier

Dominique Ponchardier (March 3, 1917, Saint-Étienne – April 17, 1986, Nice) was a French author and screenwriter who had been a member of the French Resistance during World War II, and later held positions as an intelligence officer, diplomat, colonial administrator and company president. He was a long-standing follower of Charles de Gaulle, at different times working for him in underground, intelligence, political, civil and diplomatic capacities.

Early life Born into a family of industrialists, Dominique Ponchardier received his secondary education in Saint-Étienne, Nice and Brest.

Anti-Nazi Resistance Ponchardier was doing his military service when World War II broke out. Wounded in the initial part of the war, he avoided being taken prisoner after the Fall of France, for which he later got the Escapees' Medal. He joined the French Resistance in October 1940 - a few months after the beginning of the Nazi occupation. In 1942, he participated in establishing the "Sosie" resistance network, together with his brother Pierre Ponchardier. He ended the war with the rank of Chef de Mission 1st class at the Directorate General of Studies and Research (DGER), the intelligence agency of the Free French Forces.

Les Pavés de l'enfer He drew on his experiences to write Les Pavés de l'enfer. It literally translates to "The Cobblestones of Hell" or "The Paving Stones of Hell."

The book received positive reviews from literary critics, with Henri Peyre and Maurice Nadeau ranking it among the notable works on the French Resistance and Occupation. Nadeau praised the author for capturing the "dangerous and cruel climate" of clandestine life without ideological pretense, remarking that Ponchardier's interest in gunfighters signaled his later turn toward crime novels. This view was shared by American scholar Ralph Schoolcraft.

Gaullist activist In 1948 he was a member of the board of directors of the RPF, a political movement founded by Charles de Gaulle.

Author of spy and detective fiction

In 1950, Ponchardier published the memoires of his wartime experiences, Les Pavés de l'enfer (The Cobblestones of Hell). This was followed, between 1954 and 1962, by a successful literary career under the pseudonyms A.L. Dominica and Antoine Dominique. He wrote an extensive series of Spy thrillers/Detective novels featuring a French intelligence operative and detective nicknamed "Le Gorille" ("The Gorilla"). He adapted some of his novels for the cinema.

After 1962 Ponchardier was too busy with various jobs and assignments to continue writing. His literary career resumed much later, in 1978 - his last book being published in 1983.

Anti-OAS campaign

In the aftermath of the Algerian war, in 1963, Ponchardier was recalled to active service and placed in charge of activities against the OAS. Already earlier, a militia which fought against the OAS with unofficial support from the French government got named "Barbouzes" ("False Beards") - a name invented by Ponchardier and originally appearing in his fiction.

He was also a technical advisor to Michel Maurice-Bokanowski, Minister Of Industry.

Diplomat From 1964 to 1968, Ponchardier was the French Ambassador to Bolivia. As such, it was he who negotiated in 1967 the release and expulsion to France of Régis Debray, captured by the Bolivian soldiers while he was leaving the headquarters of revolutionary Che Guevara (who was killed shortly afterwards).

Colonial Administrator

From 1969 to 1971, Ponchardier was Governor of the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas (today Djibouti). At the time, this was France's last remaining toehold on the African continent, all other African colonies having been granted independence already. At the direction of President De Gaulle and despite international pressure, France was trying to hold on to this last colony, manipulating ethnic divisions between Somali and Afar inhabitants. In his tenure, Ponchardier was confronted with increasingly militant activities by the FLCS ("Front de Libération de la Côte des Somalis", Somali Coast Liberation Front) which in January 1970 claimed an attack on the popular Palm in Zinc, a bar in Djibouti City. Ponchardier's successors would give up attempting to stem the tide of independence, and France would leave Djibouti in 1977.

Businessman Ponchardier's last active years were spent in the private sector. From 1971 to 1981, he was President of the Comptoirs français du développement du textile (French company for the development of textile fibers, now Dagris).

Death

Ponchardier died on April 17, 1986, at Nice.

He is buried in Villefranche-sur-Mer (Alpes-Maritimes).

Writings

Le Gorille (The Gorilla) series, signed A. L. Dominique or Antoine Dominique This long-lasting series, running from 1954 to 1961, long interrupted when Ponchardier was otherwise busy and resumed between 1978 and 1983, is Ponchardier's most well-known literary ouvre. It relates the adventures of Geo Paquet, nicknamed The Gorilla for his physique. The books were published in the "Black Series" (Série noire) of Éditions Gallimard, and later by Plon. Fitting with the author's Gaullist sympathies, in Cold War espionage situations French Intelligence operatives are shown as acting in complete independence of - and often in strong aggressive rivalry with - their American and British counterparts, their mutual hostility nearly as strong as vis-a-vis the Soviet spies.

First Period (1954-1961) (numbers refer to the Série noire, which included many books by other authors) Le Gorille vous salue bien, No. 220, Paris, 1954 (Adapted to cinema) Gaffe au Gorille !, No. 225, Paris, 1954 Trois gorilles, No. 231, Paris, 1955 Gorille sur champ d'azur, No. 236, Paris, 1955 Le Gorille et le barbu, No. 245, Paris, 1955 La valse des gorilles, No. 258, Paris, 1955 (Adapted to cinema) L'archipel aux Gorilles, No. 265, Paris, 1955 Le Gorille dans le Pot au noir, No. 269, Paris, 1955 Le Gorille sans cravate, No. 280, Paris, 1955 Le Gorille se mange froid, No. 287, Paris, 1955 Le Gorille en Bourgeois, No. 292, Paris, 1956 Le Gorille chez les Mandingues, No. 297, Paris, 1956 Poker Gorille, No. 302, Paris, 1956 Le Gorille et l'Amazone, No. 307, Paris, 1956 Le Gorille dans le cocotier, No. 312, Paris, 1956 Le Gorille compte ses abattis, No. 317, Paris, 1956 Entre le Gorille et les Corses, No. 322, Paris, 1956 Couscous Gorille, No. 327, Paris, 1956 Le Gorille dans la sciure, No. 332, Paris, 1956 Le Gorille en bretelles, No. 337, Paris, 1956 Paumé le Gorille !, No. 342, Paris, 1956 Le Gorille se met à table, No. 347, Paris, 1956 Le Gorille bille en tête, No. 352, Paris, 1957 Le Gorille crache le feu, No. 362, Paris, 1957 Le Gorille dans la verdine, No. 372, Paris, 1957 Le Gorille au frigo, No. 382, Paris, 1957 Le Gorille en pétard, No. 387, Paris, 1957 Le Gorille et les pelouseux, No. 397, Paris, 1957 Le Gorille sans moustache, No. 407, Paris, 1957 Le Gorille tatoué, No. 417, Paris, 1958 Le Gorille chez les parents terribles, No. 427, Paris, 1958 Le Gorille dans le cirage, No. 437, Paris, 1958 Le Gorille en révolution, No. 460, Paris, 1958 Le Pavé du Gorille, No. 471, Paris, 1958 Le Gorille a du poil au cœur, No. 494, Paris, 1959 Le Gorille en fleurs, No. 505, Paris, 1959 Le Gorille en est-il ?, No. 528, Paris, 1959 Le Gorille a mordu l'archevêque, No. 552, Paris, 1960 La Peau du Gorille, No. 563, Paris, 1960 Trois gorilles sur un bateau, No. 577, Paris, 1960 Le Gorille aux mains d'or, No. 606, Paris, 1960 Le Gorille et les sociétés secrètes, No. 637, Paris, 1961 Le Gorille enragé, No. 680, Paris, 1961

Second Period (1978-1983) Oiseaux de nuit, Paris, Plon, coll. Le Gorille No. 1, 1978 Irish Micmac, Paris, Plon, coll. Le Gorille No. 4, 1978 Tendre est mon chien cuit, Paris, Plon, coll. Le Gorille No. 6, 1978 L'African Terror, Paris, Plon, coll. Le Gorille No. 8, 1978 Apocalypse Bazar, Paris, Plon, coll. Le Gorille No. 9, 1978 Sweet Lupanar, Paris, Plon, coll. Le Gorille No. 11, 1979 Dans le baba, Paris, Plon, coll. Le Gorille No. 13, 1979 Feu au derche, Paris, Plon, coll. Le Gorille No. 15, 1979 La Buveuse de santé, Paris, Plon, coll. Le Gorille No. 17, 1980 ...Jusqu'au cou, Paris, Plon, coll. Le Gorille No. 19, 1980 Le Con pathétique, Paris, Plon, coll. Le Gorille No. 21, 1980 Semoule et foies blancs, Paris, Plon, coll. Le Gorille No. 23, 1981 Du sang dans le caviar, Paris, Plon, coll. Le Gorille No. 25, 1981 Le Gorille et les Corses, Paris, Plon, coll. Le Gorille No. 26, 1981 Le Gorille paumé dans le soleil, Paris, Plon, coll. Le Gorille No. 27, 1982 Le Gorille et la mauvaise soupe, Paris, Plon, coll. Le Gorille No. 29, 1982 Le Gorille et la môme éblouie, Paris, Plon, coll. Le Gorille No. 30, 1982 Le Gorille et la très grande faute, Paris, Plon, coll. Le Gorille No. 31, 1982 Le Gorille et l'inconnu aux yeux blancs, Paris, Plon, coll. Le Gorille No. 32, 1983 Le Gorille chez les Popofs, Paris, Plon, coll. Le Gorille No. 33, 1983 Le Gorille en cavale, Paris, Plon, coll. Le Gorille No. 34, 1983

Other novels signed Antoine Dominique Les Suspects, Paris, Éditions France-Empire, 1957 Passage à vide, Paris, Gallimard, Série noire No. 449, 1958 L'Hôtel des Sans-Culottes, Paris, Gallimard, Série noire No. 483, 1959 Pétrole, Paris, Gallimard, Série noire No. 517, 1959 Le Manouche, Paris, Gallimard, Série noire No. 541, 1960 Au poteau, Paris, Gallimard, Série noire No. 592, 1960 Baobab, Paris, Gallimard, Série noire No. 624, 1961 Au temps des cerises, Paris, Gallimard, Série noire No. 661, 1961 Tête-de-fer, Paris, Gallimard, 1963

Novels signed Dominique Ponchardier La Dame de Tadjoura, Paris, Gallimard, 1973 La Mort du Condor, Paris, Gallimard, 1976

Memoires signed Dominique Ponchardier Les Pavés de l'enfer, Paris, Gallimard, 1950; republished Paris, J'ai lu Leur aventure No. A48/49, 1969; another variation published 1973 as Les Pavés de l'enfer, la Résistance en France, 1940-1944 La Dame de Tadjoura (1973)

Filmography 1958: Les Suspects (The Suspects) by Jean Dréville with Charles Vanel 1959: The Mask of the Gorilla by Bernard Borderie, with Lino Ventura in the title role. 1960: La Valse du Gorille by Bernard Borderie, with Roger Hanin in the title role. 1961: L'Exécution ('TV') by Maurice Cazeneuve with René Dary 1962: Le Gorille a mordu l'archevêque by Maurice Labro, with Roger Hanin in the title role. 1990: Le Gorille : TV mini-series with 13 episodes, by (Duccio Tessari, Roger Hanin, Patrick Jamain, Pierre Granier-Deferre, Jean Delannoy...), with Karim Allaoui in the title role, Le Gorille se mange froid

Decorations

Commander in the Légion d'honneur Compagnon de la Libération - decree of 27 December 1945 Croix de guerre 1939-1945 : (4 citations) Médaille de la résistance with a rosette Médaille des évadés Médaille des Blessés