French Foreign Legion in popular culture
Encyclopedia
Beyond its reputation of the French Foreign Legion
as an elite unit often embroiled in serious fighting, its recruitment practices have also led to a romantic view of it being a place for a wronged man to leave behind his old life to start a new one, yet also being full of scoundrels and men escaping justice. This view of the legion is common in literature
, and has been used for dramatic effect in many film
s, not the least of which are the several versions of Beau Geste
.
has concerned himself extensively with the French Foreign Legion and its colonial history as well as with the individual's solitude and aggression.
, Action Stories
, Adventure
and Argosy
. Short Stories
, in particular, included a lot of Foreign Legion stories. In 1940, a Munsey pulp, Foreign Legion Adventures reprinted stories from early-30s issues of Argosy; it only lasted two issues. Certain authors specialized in these stories. Among the most popular were J.D. Newsom, Bob Du Soe, Theodore Roscoe
, and Georges Surdez.
P.C. Wren appeared in Blue Book in the mid-30s. The settings for Foreign Legion stories were almost always in North Africa, although sometimes "off-trail" locations were used, e.g. Indochina, the Western Front, Haiti. Stories often centered on the various nationalities of the soldiers.
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
as an elite unit often embroiled in serious fighting, its recruitment practices have also led to a romantic view of it being a place for a wronged man to leave behind his old life to start a new one, yet also being full of scoundrels and men escaping justice. This view of the legion is common in literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, and has been used for dramatic effect in many film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s, not the least of which are the several versions of Beau Geste
Beau Geste
Beau Geste is a 1924 adventure novel by P. C. Wren. It has been adapted for the screen several times.-Plot summary:Michael "Beau" Geste is the protagonist. The main narrator , by contrast, is his younger brother John...
.
Édith Piaf
- There is a French song originally created by Marie DubasMarie DubasMarie Dubas was a music-hall singer, diseuse and comedienne.Born in Paris, France, Marie Dubas began her career as a stage actress but became famous as a singer. Using the great Yvette Guilbert as her model, Dubas started singing in the small cabarets of Montmartre mixing comedy into her routine...
in 1936 but now mainly identified with Édith PiafÉdith PiafÉdith Piaf , born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads...
, called "Mon légionnaireMon légionnaireMon légionnaire is a French song created in 1936 by Marie Dubas, with lyrics by Raymond Asso and music by Marguerite Monnot. Marie Dubas toured the United States with this song in 1939....
", about a woman's longing for an embittered Legionnaire with whom she had a brief affair and who refused to tell her his name. The song was reprised by Serge GainsbourgSerge GainsbourgSerge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
in the 1980s, the male voice singing the lyrics made famous by Piaf. The new version of "Mon Légionnaire" was a hit on French dancefloors. - Another of Piaf's songs was "Le Fanion de la LégionLe Fanion de la LégionLe Fanion de la Légion , is a French song created in 1936 by Marie Dubas, with lyrics from Raymond Asso and music from Marguerite Monnot, and which was later taken upby Edith Piaf and became identified with her.- The song :...
" (The Flag of the Legion), describing the heroic defence by the garrison in a small Legion outpost attacked by Saharan tribes. Both songs were written by Raymond AssoRaymond AssoRaymond Asso was a French lyricist.Born in Nice, France, his parents separation saw him leave for Morocco at the age of 15. After his arrival he tried numerous professions, including: shepherd, factory worker, chauffeur and nightclub manager. Between 1916 and 1919 he worked as a Spahi, a type of...
, a Foreign Legion veteran who was Piaf's lover in the late 1930s, with music by Marguerite MonnotMarguerite MonnotMarguerite Monnot was a French songwriter and composer best known for having written many of the songs performed by Édith Piaf and for the music in the stage musical Irma La Douce....
. - The Legion adopted still another Édith Piaf song as their own, "Non, je ne regrette rienNon, je ne regrette rien"Non, je ne regrette rien" , meaning "No, I'm not sorry for anything", is a French song composed by Charles Dumont, with lyrics by Michel Vaucaire. It was written in 1956, and is best known through its 1960 recording by Édith Piaf....
" (No, I regret nothing), during the 1950s when members of the Legion were accused of being implicated in a failed coup d'etatCoup d'étatA coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
during the Algerian War. Today it is still a popular Legion "chant" sung when on parade, adapting it to their unique marching cadence of 88 steps to the minute.
Other
- Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
performed a song called "French Foreign LegionFrench Foreign Legion (song)"French Foreign Legion" is a popular song.The music was written by Guy Wood, the lyrics by Aaron Schroeder. The song was published in 1958. It is best known in a version sung by Frank Sinatra which appears on some versions of the album Come Fly with Me....
" about joining up if a girl does not marry him. - The indie-rock band The DecemberistsThe DecemberistsThe Decemberists are an indie folk rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States, fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy. The other members of the band are Chris Funk , Jenny Conlee , Nate Query , and John Moen .The band's...
wrote a song called "The Legionnaire's Lament" on their 2002 album Castaways and Cutouts. The song describes the homesickness of a French legionnaire on duty on the Algerian-Morroccan border in the early 1900s. - In 1959 Chad Valley released the board game Sahara Patrol. This was a game for two players: who either took the part of the Foreign Legion or the Arabs, and fought for control of forts in the Sahara. A year later in 1960 the English card game manufacturer Pepys produced the Foreign Legion Card Game.
- Radiohead's song "Cuttooth," a b-side to 2001 single "Knives Out," features the lyric "I would lead the wall paper life/ or run away to the Foreign Legion."
Biography and Autobiography
- Adrian Liddell HartAdrian Liddell HartAdrian Liddell Hart was a British soldier, Royal Navy officer, author and adventurer. He served briefly in the French Foreign Legion and portrayed it in the 1953 book Strange Company.-Early life and career:...
, son of British military theorist Basil Liddell HartBasil Liddell HartSir Basil Henry Liddell Hart , usually known before his knighthood as Captain B. H. Liddell Hart, was an English soldier, military historian and leading inter-war theorist.-Life and career:...
, wrote an account of his time with the Legion in Indochina in the 1950s in Strange Company (1953). - Simon MurraySimon MurraySimon Murray CBE is a British businessman, adventurer, author, and former French Foreign Legionnaire. He was the oldest man to reach the South Pole unsupported, at the age of 63.- Early life :...
wrote an account of his service in his 1978 book Legionnaire: The Real Life Story of an Englishman in the French Foreign Legion. The book is notable for its descriptions of the brutal training of a Legionnaire, the Algerian War and the failed "Generals' putsch" against de Gaulle. - Ante GotovinaAnte GotovinaAnte Gotovina is a former Senior Corporal of the French Foreign Legion and former Lieutenant General of the Croatian Army who served in the Croatian War for Independence...
's biography The GeneralThe GeneralThe General may refer to:Film and television:* The General , a Buster Keaton film* The General , a John Boorman drama about Dublin criminal Martin Cahill...
, written by CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n writer Nenad Ivankovic, is mainly about Gotovina's service in the Legion during the 1970s. - British writer Tony Sloane wrote the autobiographical The Naked Soldier (2004), describing his five years of service in the Legion with the 2ème REP2nd Foreign Parachute RegimentThe 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment is an Airborne regiment of the French Foreign Legion. It is a part of the 11e Brigade Parachutiste and the spearhead of the French Rapid reaction force.-Indochina:...
and 13e DBLE. - Gareth Cairns Diary of a Legionnaire when he served in the 2eme REP, where he served on various overseas missions over the following five years.
- Padraig O'Keeffe's biography Hidden Soldier mentions when he served as an Irish Legionnaire in Cambodia and Bosnia.
- Jaime Salazar's Legion of the LostLegion of the LostLegion of the Lost is a novel by American writer Jaime Salazar, about an American in the French Foreign Legion. It was published by Penguin Putnam in August 2005.-Plot introduction:...
(2005), is based on his experiences as an American citizen who joined the Legion in the late 1990s out of boredom with his life in corporate America. - Dominique Vandenberg's autobography "The Iron Circle" talks in depth of the martial artist running away to the French Foreign Legion to become a 2REP Paratrooper. (2005)
- Milorad UlemekMilorad UlemekMilorad "Legija" Ulemek , also known as Milorad Luković is a former commander of the Serbian secret police special unit, the Red Berets , convicted of the assassinations of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic and former Serbian President Ivan Stambolic and organiser of the attempted murder of the...
wrote a partially biographical novel, Legionar, describing his early years in the Legion. - Australian lawyer David Mason wrote the autobiographical "Marching With the Devil" (2010) depicting his time in the Legion during the 1980s serving in France and Djibouti.
Novels
- In Robert LudlumRobert LudlumRobert Ludlum was an American author of 23 thriller novels. The number of his books in print is estimated between 290–500 million copies. They have been published in 33 languages and 40 countries. Ludlum also published books under the pseudonyms Jonathan Ryder and Michael Shepherd.-Life and...
's The Bourne UltimatumThe Bourne UltimatumThe Bourne Ultimatum is the third Jason Bourne novel written by Robert Ludlum and a sequel to The Bourne Supremacy . First published in 1990, it was the last Bourne novel to be written by Ludlum himself. Eric Van Lustbader wrote a sequel titled The Bourne Legacy fourteen years later.A film titled...
, Jason Bourne enlists the help of a former Legionnaire and a new recruit who fled Tennessee for quadruple homicide. - OuidaOuidaOuida was the pseudonym of the English novelist Maria Louise Ramé .-Biography:...
's 1867 Under Two FlagsUnder Two Flags (novel)Under Two Flags was a best-selling novel of the late 1860s by Ouida. Perhaps "her best" novel.-Plot:The novel is about The Hon. Bertie Cecil ....
was probably the first English language novel about the French Foreign Legion and was filmed several times, most notably in 1936. - P.C. Wren's 1924 Beau GesteBeau GesteBeau Geste is a 1924 adventure novel by P. C. Wren. It has been adapted for the screen several times.-Plot summary:Michael "Beau" Geste is the protagonist. The main narrator , by contrast, is his younger brother John...
tells the story of three brothers who run away to the French Foreign Legion. His 1926 sequel Beau Sabreur tells the story of the further adventures of the two other brothers from Beau Geste, Hank and Buddy. - In Biggles Foreign Legionnaire (1954) in W. E. John’s BigglesBiggles"Biggles" , a pilot and adventurer, is the title character and main hero of the Biggles series of youth-oriented adventure books written by W. E. Johns....
series set in the '50s, the eponymous hero and his protege Ginger join the Legion as part of an undercover operation trying to unmask a gang of multi-national arms dealers who are instigating war in global conflict zones. - The chronicle of Richard HalliburtonRichard HalliburtonRichard Halliburton was an American traveler, adventurer, and author. Best known today for having swum the length of the Panama Canal and paying the lowest toll in its history—thirty-six cents—Halliburton was headline news for most of his brief career...
's African flying adventure, The Flying Carpet, includes a description of the members of the Foreign Legion he befriends, plus several riveting anecdotes he hears from some of the older members. - Blood Money is a thriller about a former French Foreign Legionnaire, who must save the world. It is written by ex-Legionnaire Azam Gill from Pakistan.
- In Brideshead RevisitedBrideshead RevisitedBrideshead Revisited, The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder is a novel by English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. Waugh wrote that the novel "deals with what is theologically termed 'the operation of Grace', that is to say, the unmerited and unilateral act of love by...
by Evelyn WaughEvelyn WaughArthur Evelyn St. John Waugh , known as Evelyn Waugh, was an English writer of novels, travel books and biographies. He was also a prolific journalist and reviewer...
, a minor character named Kurt is introduced; Kurt had joined the French Foreign Legion in the absence of a German army after the First World War, but wounded himself to get out after the friend with whom he joined died. - The French Foreign Legion was one of the Hungarian novelist Jenő RejtőJeno RejtoJenő Rejtő was a Hungarian journalist, pulp fiction writer and playwright, who died as a forced labourer during World War II. He was born in Budapest, Austria-Hungary, on March 29, 1905, and died in Yevdokovo, Soviet Union on January 1, 1943...
's favourite subjects. Notable novels are The Three Musketeers In Africa or The Hidden Legion. - British publisher John Spencer & Co published 23 paperback / pulp novels in the "Foreign Legion Series" in the 1950s. These were written under pseudonyms such as Bruce Fenton, W.H. Fear, Jud Cary and Paul Lafayette.
- In Ford Madox Ford's novel Some Do Not..., the first installment in his epic trilogy Parade's End, Christopher Tietjens reminisces about his pre-war desire to join the French Foreign Legion, should war break out on the continent (he didn't believe England would ever be involved).
- In Man on Fire (novel) , the main character Marcus Creasy and his friend Guido Arrelio were members of the French Foreign Legion before becoming mercenaries.
Science Fiction and Fantasy
- Poul AndersonPoul AndersonPoul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories...
and Gordon Dickson, in their "Hoka" books, included a Hoka version of the Foreign Legion on the planet Toka. This was based on the popular culture version, with individual Hokas taking roles reminiscent of the stereotypes found in fiction about the Legion. The Hoka Foreign Legion plays an important role, living up to its model's traditions, in the story "The Tiddlywink Warriors." - Andrew Keith and William H. Keith, Jr.William H. Keith, Jr.William H. Keith is an American author. He served during the Vietnam War in the United States Navy as a hospital corpsman. He became a professional artist, working in the game industry with his brother Andrew, before becoming a full-time author...
's The Fifth Foreign Legion Trilogy chronicles the exploits of Legionnaires around the turn of the 30th century. These Legionnaires are members of the Fifth Foreign Legion which is a direct descendant of the French Foreign LegionFrench Foreign LegionThe French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
. According to the chronology of the novels, the French Foreign LegionFrench Foreign LegionThe French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
is considered the First Foreign Legion which was reorganized into the Second Foreign Legion after the First was destroyed, a process which occurred thrice more to make the present Foreign Legion in the novels the Fifth. The novels are rife with Legion traditions, terminology, and famous quotes. Although the Legion of the novels now serves the human Commonwealth as a whole (made up of EarthEarthEarth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
plus numerous colonized planets) rather than FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
alone, its composition and function are virtually identical to that of the French Foreign LegionFrench Foreign LegionThe French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
of the past and present. The three novels are titled: March Or Die, Honor and Fidelity, and Cohort of the Damned. - In Terry BrooksTerry BrooksTerence Dean "Terry" Brooks is an American writer of fantasy fiction. He writes mainly epic fantasy, and has also written two movie novelizations. He has written 23 New York Times bestsellers during his writing career, and has over 21 million copies of his books in print...
' The Elfstones of ShannaraThe Elfstones of ShannaraThe Elfstones of Shannara is an epic fantasy novel by Terry Brooks. It is the first sequel to The Sword of Shannara and the second book in The Original Shannara Trilogy...
, there is a unit of CallahornCallahornCallahorn is a fictitious autonomous country in most of the Shannara series of books by Terry Brooks. It first appeared in the opening novel, The Sword of Shannara.- Location :...
's army that is quite similar to the French Foreign Legion, named the Free Corps. Anyone is allowed to sign up with them, no questions asked. - In Jerry PournelleJerry PournelleJerry Eugene Pournelle is an American science fiction writer, essayist and journalist who contributed for many years to the computer magazine Byte and has since 1998 been maintaining his own website/blog....
's Future History, involving a future soldier of fortune named John Christian FalkenbergThe Prince (Pournelle)The Prince is a science fiction compilation by Jerry Pournelle and S.M. Stirling. It is part of the CoDominium future history series. The Prince is a compilation of four previously published novels: Falkenberg's Legion, Prince of Mercenaries, Go Tell The Spartans, and Prince of Sparta...
, there is a central role to the CoDominium Armed Forces, which fights on all kinds of planets far away in space, and which had been created out of the French Foreign Legion and still keeps many of its traditions such as the aforementioned "Camerone Day". - Pournelle's fellow SF writer David DrakeDavid DrakeDavid Drake is an American author of science fiction and fantasy literature. A Vietnam War veteran who has worked as a lawyer, he is now one of the premier authors of the military science fiction subgenre.-Biography:...
, the author of the Hammer's SlammersHammer's SlammersHammer's Slammers is a 1979 collection of military science fiction short stories by author David Drake. It follows the career of a future mercenary tank regiment called Hammer's Slammers, after their leader, Colonel Alois Hammer...
series, also bases his mercenary unit on the French Foreign Legion. More specifically, the Legion after the Second World War, when most of its members had fled from prosecution from the Allied War Crimes Commission. - Yet another SF depiction is Frank HerbertFrank HerbertFranklin Patrick Herbert, Jr. was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. Although a short story author, he is best known for his novels, most notably Dune and its five sequels...
's Man of Two WorldsMan of Two WorldsMan of Two Worlds is a novel written by Brian and Frank Herbert.-Plot summary :On the distant planet Dreenor lives the most powerful species in the Galaxy. All of the Universe is the creation of the Dreens, who possess the power of "idmaging", turning their thoughts into reality. They can create...
(1986). Part of the story takes place on Venus, with a war occurring on the planet between the French and their Foreign Legion and the ChineseChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Foot soldiers on both sides wear armored suits made of inceram, an incredibly heat-resistant material, to protect them from the planet's surface temperatures. Any damage to a soldier's armor which allows the Venusian atmosphere inside results in his body literally boiling into vapor. - In British comic fantasy author Terry PratchettTerry PratchettSir Terence David John "Terry" Pratchett, OBE is an English novelist, known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels...
's DiscworldDiscworldDiscworld is a comic fantasy book series by English author Sir Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants which, in turn, stand on the back of a giant turtle, Great A'Tuin. The books frequently parody, or at least take inspiration from, J. R. R....
novels, the "Klatchian Foreign Legion" parodies the French Foreign Legion (the region of Klatch itself being roughly analogous to the Middle East/North Africa). It is generally regarded as a "place men go to forget", and appears to be very effective in this, as evidenced by its members' frequent failure to recall its name, or in many cases, their own names. It is jokingly described as "Twenty years service and all the sand you can eat." - Science Fiction author William C. DietzWilliam C. DietzWilliam C. Dietz is the best-selling author of more than thirty novels some of which have been translated into German, French, Russian, Korean and Japanese...
has written a future history where the Legion is now the official armed forces of the "Confederacy", a multi-species political entity. The books to date are: Legion of the Damned, The Final Battle, By Blood Alone, By Force of Arms, For More Than Glory, For Those Who Fell, When All Seems Lost (2007), When Duty Calls (2008). The Legion in Dietz's novels still celebrates Capitaine Danjou and the Battle of CamarónBattle of CamarónThe Battle of Camarón, which occurred 30 April 1863 between the French Foreign Legion and the Mexican army, is regarded by the Legion as a defining moment in its history...
. - The Night's Watch in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and FireA Song of Ice and FireA Song of Ice and Fire is a series of epic fantasy novels by American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. Martin began writing the series in 1991 and the first volume was published in 1996. Originally planned as a trilogy, the series now consists of five published volumes; a further two...
series is a military organization similar to the romantic view of the French Foreign Legion. Many of the members of The Watch are sons of nobles with little claim to their father's holdings or criminals that chose lifelong service with The Watch instead of suffering the typical punishment for their crime (usually execution). One of the tenets of the organization is that all men are equal once they "take the black", regardless if they were noble or commoner before joining. - Robert AsprinRobert AsprinRobert Lynn Asprin was an American science fiction and fantasy author and active fan, best known for his humorous MythAdventures and Phule's Company series.- Background :...
's Phule's CompanyPhule's CompanyPhule's Company is a comic military science fiction novel written by Robert Asprin and originally published in 1990. The book follows the comedic events as Willard J. Phule, the rich son of a millionaire arms manufacturer, reforms a group of misfits in the Space Legion, a fictional organization...
novels revolve around a "Space LegionSpace LegionThe Space Legion is a fictional military force which is part of the Interplanetary Alliance, a federation government of numerous planets in a series of books by Robert Asprin, called Phule's Company....
" that any being can join. They choose a new name and their crimes are erased. - Philip Gordon WyliePhilip Gordon WyliePhilip Gordon Wylie was an American author.-Biography:Born in Beverly, Massachusetts, he was the son of Presbyterian minister Edmund Melville Wylie and the former Edna Edwards, a novelist, who died when Philip was five years old. His family moved to Montclair, New Jersey and he later attended...
's GladiatorGladiator (novel)Gladiator is an American science fiction novel first published in 1930 and written by Philip Wylie. The story concerns a scientist who invents an "alkaline free-radical" serum to "improve" humankind by granting the proportionate strength of an ant and the leaping ability of the grasshopper...
(1930) follows the adventures of Hugo DannerHugo DannerHugo Danner is a fictional character, the protagonist of the 1930 American novel Gladiator, by Philip Gordon Wylie. Born in the late 19th century with superhuman abilities via prenatal chemical experimentation, Danner tries to use his powers for good, making him a precursor of the superhero...
, an American man born with superhuman strengthSuperhuman strengthSuperhuman strength, also called superstrength, super-strength, or super strength, is an ability commonly employed in fiction. It is the ability for a character to be stronger than humanly possible...
, speed, and bulletproof skin via prenatal chemical experimentation. He later joins the legion during World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and uses his skills to combat the German EmpireGerman EmpireThe German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
. - In the Code Geass manga, Nunnally's Nightmare, the Britannian Foreign Legion appears as main antagonists.
- Max BrooksMax BrooksMaximillian Michael "Max" Brooks is an American author and screenwriter, with a particular interest in zombies. Brooks is also a television and voice-over actor.- Early life and education :...
's The Zombie Survival GuideThe Zombie Survival GuideThe Zombie Survival Guide, written by American author Max Brooks and published in 2003, is a survival manual dealing with the fictional potentiality of a zombie attack. It contains detailed plans for the average citizen to survive zombie uprisings of varying intensity and reach, and describes...
French Foreign Legionaires are mentioned in a recorded zombie siege at Ft. Louis Phillipe in North Africa, 1893
Art
In his oeuvre Danish artist Adam SaksAdam Saks
Adam Saks is a Danish painter. He lives and works in Berlin, Germany.- Biography :Adam Saks studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Art in Copenhagen from 1993–1999. In 1996–1997 he studied under Professor Bernd Koberling at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin.He is inspired by the French Foreign...
has concerned himself extensively with the French Foreign Legion and its colonial history as well as with the individual's solitude and aggression.
Pulp Magazines
Foreign Legion fiction was commonplace in American pulp magazines from the mid-20s through the late-30s. Magazines which published Foreign Legion stories include Frontier Stories, Battle Stories, Blue BookBlue Book (magazine)
Blue Book was a popular 20th-century American magazine with a lengthy 70-year run under various titles from 1905 to 1975.Launched as The Monthly Story Magazine, it was published under that title from May 1905 to August 1906 with a change to The Monthly Story Blue Book Magazine for issues from...
, Action Stories
Action Stories
Action Stories was a multi-genre pulp magazine published between September 1921 and Fall 1950, with a brief hiatus at the end of 1932.As an adventure pulp it did not feature the horror and science fiction of other pulp magazines. Instead it focused on real-world adventure stories...
, Adventure
Adventure (magazine)
Adventure magazine was first published in November 1910 as a monthly pulp magazine. Adventure went on become one of the most profitable and critically acclaimed of all the American pulp magazines...
and Argosy
Argosy (magazine)
Argosy was an American pulp magazine, published by Frank Munsey. It is generally considered to be the first American pulp magazine. The magazine began as a general information periodical entitled The Golden Argosy, targeted at the boys adventure market.-Launch of Argosy:In late September 1882,...
. Short Stories
Short Stories (magazine)
-Origin of Short Stories:Short Stories began its existence as a literary periodical, carrying work by Rudyard Kipling,Emile Zola, Bret Harte, Ivan Turgenev and Anna Katharine Green. The magazine advertised...
, in particular, included a lot of Foreign Legion stories. In 1940, a Munsey pulp, Foreign Legion Adventures reprinted stories from early-30s issues of Argosy; it only lasted two issues. Certain authors specialized in these stories. Among the most popular were J.D. Newsom, Bob Du Soe, Theodore Roscoe
Theodore Roscoe
Theodore Roscoe was an American biographer and writer of adventure, fantasy novels and stories. Roscoe's stories appeared in pulp magazines including Argosy, Wings, Flying Stories, Far East Adventure Stories, Fight Stories, Action Stories and Adventure. A collection of his stories, The Wonderful...
, and Georges Surdez.
P.C. Wren appeared in Blue Book in the mid-30s. The settings for Foreign Legion stories were almost always in North Africa, although sometimes "off-trail" locations were used, e.g. Indochina, the Western Front, Haiti. Stories often centered on the various nationalities of the soldiers.
Comics
- G.I. JoeG.I. JoeG.I. Joe is a line of action figures produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier , Action Sailor , Action Pilot , Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse...
villains Tomax and XamotTomax and XamotTomax and Xamot, also called the Crimson Twins or Crimson Guard Commanders, are the code names of identical mirror twin brothers in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero universe...
and Major BluddMajor BluddMajor Bludd , is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series of the 1980s. Appearing in both the comic books and the cartoons, Major Bludd is one of the series villains, a mercenary working for the Cobra Organization.-Toy:Major Bludd first appeared in 1983, he has had 6...
served in the French Foreign Legion before joining Cobra. - Mickey Mouse joined the Foreign Legion in a 1936 story by Floyd Gottfredson
- In the 1960s, the British boys' comic EagleEagle (comic)Eagle was a seminal British children's comic, first published from 1950 to 1969, and then in a relaunched format from 1982 to 1994. It was founded by Marcus Morris, an Anglican vicar from Lancashire. Morris edited a parish magazine called The Anvil, but felt that the church was not communicating...
featured a popular adventure strip called Luck of the LegionLuck of the LegionLuck of the Legion was a strip cartoon in the Eagle, written by Geoffrey Bond and illustrated by Martin Aitchison, that ran from 1952 to 1961....
, set in the classic period before WWI, of soldiers in blue coats, white kepi covers, white scarves and white (or red) trousers marching across endless desert under the gaze of treacherous Arab warriors. - The long-running British war strip Charley's WarCharley's WarCharley's War was British comic strip written by Pat Mills and drawn by Joe Colquhoun. It was originally published in Battle Picture Weekly from January 1979 to October 1985-Publishing history:...
spent many weeks telling a side story about the exploits of a Legionnaire called "Blue" (actually a British Legionnaire), most of which was based around the Battle of Verdun. Blue later made a return when the story moved on to the mutiny at Etaples (the hotly disputed Étaples MutinyÉtaples MutinyThe Étaples Mutiny was a mutiny by British troops in France in 1917, during the First World War.-Background:Étaples, about south of Boulogne-sur-Mer, was at the time a small town with a thriving fishing industry and a fleet of sail powered wooden trawlers, a few miles up the river Canche...
), where Blue was using a variety of identities whilst leading a group of deserters who were hiding out in the surrounding area. - The Legion is the setting for the UK comic strip Beau PeepBeau PeepBeau Peep is a popular British comedic comic strip written by Roger Kettle and illustrated by Andrew Christine. The strip features the misadventures of the eponymous lead character, Beau Peep, an inept and cowardly British man who joins the tough and hardy French Foreign Legion in the deserts of...
. - SnoopySnoopySnoopy is an fictional character in the long-running comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. He is Charlie Brown's pet beagle. Snoopy began his life in the strip as a fairly conventional dog, but eventually evolved into perhaps the strip's most dynamic character—and among the most recognizable...
, from the PeanutsPeanutsPeanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
comic strip, often imagines himself as a member of the Foreign Legion, usually defending or reclaiming Fort Zinderneuf (a reference to Beau Geste). He often embarrasses himself and his troops, the birds. Snoopy often leads them through the desert (the sand traps on the golf course), and in one story line went to Charlie Brown's school on the bus (apparently their "camel broke down"), and he and his troops were sent to the Principal's office, where they were attempting to be generous in surrender, offering the Principal a "free balloon if you surrender immediately". In the end, the "Foreign Legion" was seen next to Snoopy's dog house, when Snoopy explained that they forgot that Fort Zinderneuf was closed on Saturday. - In a French sci-fi comic AquablueAquablueAquablue is a French science fiction graphic novel by writer Thierry Cailleteau with several artists, Olivier Vatine and Ciro Tota and Stéphane Brangier . An adventure and military-themed series, it also places a lot of weight on interesting characters, ecological themes and criticism of colonial...
, the hero, Neo, must defend himself and his people against the Légion, an Earth Special Force which uses the same uniforms as the Légion Étrangère. - In the mangaMangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
Area 88Area 88is a Japanese manga series by Kaoru Shintani serialized between 1979 and 1986. The story is about a young pilot named Shin Kazama and his experiences at Area 88, a mercenary air force base secluded in the desert of a war torn country...
, the protagonist, Shin Kazama, was tricked while intoxicated into joining the French Foreign Legion to serve in a mercenary airforce in the fictional Asran Kingdom of North Africa. The office that handled his contracts was located in Paris, France. - Jeremy MacConnor, the main character in the Australian comic Platinum GritPlatinum GritPlatinum Grit is an Australian self-published comic book/online comic. The series is noted for sexy drawings of girls, surreal offbeat humor and tightly-written scripts. The series was created by writer/illustrator Trudy Cooper and co-writer Danny Murphy...
, is depicted wearing a French Foreign Legion hat. - The long-running King Features SyndicateKing Features SyndicateKing Features Syndicate, a print syndication company owned by The Hearst Corporation, distributes about 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editorial cartoons, puzzles and games to nearly 5000 newspapers worldwide...
daily comic strip Crock, by Bill Rechin, Don Wilder and Brant Parker, depicts the French Foreign Legion. - Jean-Paul "Frenchie" DuChamp, sidekick of the Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
hero Moon KnightMoon KnightMoon Knight is a fictional character, a mercenary-turned-superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character exists in the Marvel Universe and was created by Doug Moench and Don Perlin...
, is an ex-legionnaire. - Alien LegionAlien LegionAlien Legion is a science-fiction comic-book series and associated titles created by Carl Potts, Alan Zelenetz, and Frank Cirocco for Marvel Comics; Epic Comics imprint in 1983...
, created by Carl PottsCarl PottsCarl Potts is an American comic-book writer, artist, and editor best known for creating the series Alien Legion for the Marvel Comics imprint Epic Comics.-Early life:...
(Marvel Epic ComicsEpic ComicsEpic Comics was a creator-owned imprint of Marvel Comics started in 1982, lasting through the mid-1990s, and being briefly revived on a small scale in the mid-2000s.- Origins :...
) depicts a military unit called Force Nomad, composed of the "dregs of the universe". It mirrors the French Foreign Legion in many respects, right down to a heroic figure whose prosthetic hand is considered a holy relic to the unit. - Kyle BakerKyle BakerKyle John Baker is an American cartoonist, comic book writer-artist, and animator known for his graphic novels and for a 2000s revival of the series Plastic Man....
's The Cowboy Wally Graphic Novel included long sequences in which the main characters humorously joined the French Foreign Legion. - In the comic strip Modesty BlaiseModesty BlaiseModesty Blaise is a British comic strip featuring a fictional character of the same name, created by Peter O'Donnell and Jim Holdaway in 1963. The strip follows the adventures of Modesty Blaise, an exceptional young woman with many talents and a criminal past, and her trusty sidekick Willie Garvin...
, Modesty's sidekick Willie GarvinWillie GarvinWillie Garvin is a character in the long-running British comic strip series Modesty Blaise, as well as a series of novels based upon the strip. The character was created by Peter O'Donnell in 1963 and, alongside Modesty Blaise, made his first appearance in the story La Machine, appearing for the...
is a former member. - In the graphic novel Crogan's March by Chris Schweizer, the main character Peter Crogan is a member of the French Foreign Legion in the year 1912.
- A 1962 comic shows two members of the French Foreign Legion, with one explaining, "I was released by the Phillies."
- In Archie ComicsArchie ComicsArchie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
, a number of short stories have featured Archie AndrewsArchie Andrews (comics)Archie Andrews, created in 1941 by Vic Bloom and Bob Montana, is a fictional character in an American comic book series published by Archie Comics, as well as the long-running Archie Andrews radio series, a syndicated comic strip, The Archie Show, and Archie's Weird Mysteries.-Character and...
and various other male teenage friends joining the French Foreign Legion to forget a girl. Often they change their name to the same name as each other,and while the girls can at times vary from guy to guy, it often features one or all of them trying to forget the same girl who looks like Veronica LodgeVeronica LodgeVeronica Lodge is a fictional character in the Archie Comics books series.-Fictional history and character:She is called both by her name Veronica and her nickname Ronnie...
, but who goes by a different name. Usually they throw the picture away in a trash can at the beginning of the story, the pictues sometimes being the same exact picture. Whenever the girl who looks like Veronica, but with a different name, is used as the plot device, she usually shows up to tempt the guys somewhere in the story.
Films and television
- In BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sitcom Only Fools and HorsesOnly Fools and HorsesOnly Fools and Horses is a British sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom between 1981 and 1991, with sporadic Christmas specials until 2003...
, Grandad recalls the time he attempted to join the French Foreign Legion. - In the show Johnny BravoJohnny BravoJohnny Bravo is an American animated television series created by Van Partible for Cartoon Network. The series stars a muscular beefcake young man named Johnny Bravo who dons a pompadour hairstyle and an Elvis Presley-like voice and has a forward, woman-chasing personality...
, Johnny says that he was once kidnapped and forced to join the Legion. - P.C. Wren's Beau GesteBeau GesteBeau Geste is a 1924 adventure novel by P. C. Wren. It has been adapted for the screen several times.-Plot summary:Michael "Beau" Geste is the protagonist. The main narrator , by contrast, is his younger brother John...
has been the basis for three movies in 1926Beau Geste (1926 film)Beau Geste is a 1926 silent film, based on the novel by P. C. Wren. This version starred Ronald Colman as the title character. -Plot:The plot concerns a valuable gem, which one of the Geste brothers, Beau, is thought to have stolen from his adoptive family.-Cast:*Ronald Colman as Michael 'Beau'...
, 1939Beau Geste (1939 film)Beau Geste is a 1939 film produced by Paramount Pictures based on the novel of the same name by P. C. Wren. It was directed and produced by William A. Wellman from a screenplay by Robert Carson...
and 1966Beau Geste (1966 film)Beau Geste is a 1966 film based on the novel by P. C. Wren filmed by Universal Pictures in Technicolor and Techniscope near Yuma, Arizona and directed by Douglas Heyes. This is the least faithful of the various film adaptations of the original novel...
, one parodyThe Last Remake of Beau GesteThe Last Remake of Beau Geste is a 1977 American historical comedy film. It starred and was also directed and co-written by Marty Feldman. It is a satire loosely based on the novel Beau Geste, a frequently-filmed story of brothers and their adventures in the French Foreign Legion. The humor is...
in 1977 and one BBC mini-series in 1982. The stories all feature three brothers who hide out in the French Foreign Legion. The Carry OnCarry On filmsThe Carry On films are a series of low-budget British comedy films, directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers. They are an energetic mix of parody, farce, slapstick and double entendres....
team added their version of the story in Follow That CamelFollow That CamelFollow That Camel is the fourteenth Carry On film and was released in 1967. Like its predecessor Don't Lose Your Head, it does not have the words "Carry On" in its original title...
in 1967. - P.C. Wren's Beau SabreurBeau SabreurBeau Sabreur is a 1928 silent film produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by John Waters and starred Gary Cooper and Evelyn Brent. The plot was based on a novel by P. C. Wren. Only a trailer exists of this film...
(a sequel to Beau Geste), was made into a silent movie in 1928, but only the trailer now survives. Alansplodge (talk) 16:09, 13 November 2011 (UTC) - The 1939 comedy, The Flying DeucesThe Flying DeucesThe Flying Deuces, also known as Flying Aces, is a 1939 comedy film starring Laurel and Hardy, in which the duo join the French Foreign Legion. It is a partial remake of their 1931 short film Beau Hunks.- Plot :...
is one of the most popular films to star the duo Laurel and HardyLaurel and HardyLaurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
. The film begins with the pair joining the Foreign Legion and much of the comedy comes from their experiences. Laurel and Hardy had made an earlier comedy also set in the Legion, Beau HunksBeau HunksBeau Hunks is a 1931 movie starring Laurel and Hardy and directed by James W. Horne. Beau Hunks is a reference to Beau Geste. At 37 minutes long—four reels—it is the longest L&H short.-Plot:...
, in 1931, in which the pair enlist so that Hardy can forget a woman that jilted him. - In 1951, Burt LancasterBurt LancasterBurton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...
starred as a sergeant in the Foreign Legion in the movie Ten Tall MenTen Tall MenTen Tall Men is a 1951 Technicolor comedy adventure film about the French Foreign Legion. It starred Burt Lancaster, Jody Lawrance and Gerald Mohr. Though co-written and directed by Willis Goldbeck, Goldbeck walked off the film due to disputes with Lancaster with the film being completed by Robert...
. - In the 1952 animated cartoonAnimated cartoonAn animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
Little Beau Pepé, Pepé Le PewPepé Le PewPepé Le Pew is a fictional character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, first introduced in 1945. A French skunk that always strolls around in Paris in the springtime, when everyone's thoughts are of "love", Pepé is constantly seeking "l'amour" of his own...
tries to join the Foreign Legion and empties a desert fort with his stench. - In 1962, Stewart GrangerStewart GrangerStewart Granger was an English-American film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s rising to fame through his appearances in the Gainsborough melodramas.-Early life:He was born James Lablache Stewart in Old...
starred in the Italian-made Marcia o CrepaMarcia o CrepaMarcia o Crepa known as The Legion's Last Patrol in the UK and Commando in the US is a 1962 European co-production war film about the Algerian War of Independence...
(meaning "March or Die" in Italian), released in the U.S. as Commando (1964 film) and in the UK as The Legion's Last Patrol. Captain LeBlanc (Granger) leads a group of men across the desert to capture a rebel leader during the Algerian independence war. The haunting theme music was a number 4 chart hit in the UK the following year. - In a 1966 episode of the cartoon series Super 6The Super 6The Super 6 was an animated cartoon series which was produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises in 1966, and shown on the NBC television network from 1966 to 1969...
titled "Heau Beau Jest", the Matzorileys, three brothers who share the same body, portrayed legionnaires defending a fort's water supply against Arab raider Ali bin Loudmouth. - March or DieMarch or Die (film)March or Die is a 1977 film directed by Dick Richards, starring Gene Hackman, Terence Hill, Catherine Deneuve and Ian Holm.The film celebrates the 1920s French Foreign Legion...
(1978), (also known in France as Marche ou Crève) stars Gene HackmanGene HackmanEugene Allen "Gene" Hackman is an American actor and novelist.Nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two, Hackman has also won three Golden Globes and two BAFTAs in a career that spanned five decades. He first came to fame in 1967 with his performance as Buck Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde...
as Colonel Foster, an embittered Legion veteran who returns to Algeria from the Western Front shortly after the end of World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. - Les MorfalousLes MorfalousLes Morfalous is a 1984 action-comedy French film, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and directed by Henri Verneuil, featuring the French Foreign Legion during the Second World War.- Plot :...
(1984), a French film with Jean-Paul BelmondoJean-Paul BelmondoJean-Paul Belmondo is a French actor initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s.-Career:Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, west of Paris, Belmondo did not perform well in school, but developed a passion for boxing and football."Did you box professionally very long?" "Not very long...
, in Tunisia during the Second World War, a convoy of the Foreign Legion is charged to recover gold bars of six billion francs from a bank in El KsourEl KsourEl Ksour is a town and commune in the Kef Governorate, Tunisia. As of 2004 it had a population of 5,357....
in order to bring them into a safe place. - In the episode of The Young Indiana Jones ChroniclesThe Young Indiana Jones ChroniclesThe Young Indiana Jones Chronicles is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. The series explores the childhood and youth of the fictional character Indiana Jones and primarily stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Corey Carrier as the title character, with...
entitled "Tales of Innocence", Indiana Jones joins the French Foreign Legion in MoroccoMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
during World War I. - LegionnaireLegionnaire (film)Legionnaire is a 1998 film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as a 1920s boxer who wins a fight after having been hired by gangsters to lose it, then flees to join the French Foreign Legion. The cast includes Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Steven Berkoff, Nicholas Farrell and Jim Carter...
(1998), starring Jean-Claude Van DammeJean-Claude Van DammeJean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...
, depicted the Foreign Legion's battles against Algerian Berbers. In the 1990 film Lionheart, Van Damme stars as a Legionnaire who deserts in order to help his sister-in-law and niece after his brother is killed. - In SaviorSavior (film)Savior is a 1998 war film starring Dennis Quaid, Stellan Skarsgård, Nastassja Kinski, and Nataša Ninković. It is about an American mercenary escorting a Serbian woman and her newborn child to a United Nations safe zone during the Bosnian War and Bosnian Genocide.- Plot :Joshua Rose , a State...
(1998), Dennis Quaid is a former Legionnaire who has become a mercenary for the Serbian militia. - The MummyThe Mummy (1999 film)The Mummy is a 1999 American adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah and Kevin J. O'Connor, with Arnold Vosloo in the title role as the reanimated mummy. The film features substantial dialogue in ancient Egyptian language, spoken...
(1999) stars Brendan FraserBrendan FraserBrendan James Fraser is a Canadian-American film and stage actor. Fraser portrayed Rick O'Connell in the three-part Mummy film series , and is known for his comedic and fantasy film leading roles in major Hollywood films, including Encino Man , George of the Jungle , Dudley Do-Right , Monkeybone ,...
as Rick O'Connell, a member of Foreign Legion at the beginning of the film. - Beau travailBeau travailBeau travail is a 1999 French movie directed by Claire Denis that is loosely based on Herman Melville's novella Billy Budd. However, instead of the maritime setting of the novella, the movie takes place in Djibouti where the protagonists are soldiers in the French Foreign Legion...
(1999) by Claire DenisClaire DenisClaire Denis is a French film director and Professor of Film at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland.-Early life:...
adapts Herman MelvilleHerman MelvilleHerman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. He is best known for his novel Moby-Dick and the posthumous novella Billy Budd....
's novel Billy BuddBilly Budd (novella)Billy Budd is a novella begun in November 1888 by American author Herman Melville, left unfinished at his death in 1891 and not published until 1924...
to take place in today's Foreign Legion. While stationed in DjiboutiDjiboutiDjibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
, a sergeant-major feels increasingly threatened by a popular new recruit. - In the film Proof of LifeProof of LifeProof of Life is a 2000 American film, directed by Taylor Hackford. The title refers to a phrase commonly used to indicate proof that a kidnap victim is still alive...
, the character Eric Kessler, played by German actor Gottfried JohnGottfried John-Life and work:During the 1970s and early 1980s, Gottfried John played various roles in films by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, notably that of Reinhold in the epic Berlin Alexanderplatz . He is internationally known for his portrayals of General Ourumov in the James Bond film GoldenEye and Julius...
, lives semi-voluntarily in a rebel camp along with ransom hostage Peter Bowman, played by David MorseDavid Morse (actor)David Bowditch Morse is an American stage, television, and film actor. He first came to national attention as Dr. Jack Morrison in the medical drama St. Elsewhere from 1982 to 1988...
. Kessler pretends to be somewhat insane in order not to raise suspicions, but he is actually fully lucid and an ex-Legionnaire, as revealed when Bowman notices a tattoo (2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment insignia) on his arm. - Most recently, the Legion was revealed in a July 2005 documentary Escape to the Legion, commissioned by the BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television channel, Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
. In this four-part series, 11 volunteers with Bear GryllsBear GryllsEdward Michael "Bear" Grylls is an English adventurer, writer and television presenter. He is best known for his television series Man vs. Wild, known as Born Survivor in the United Kingdom...
explored the myths, romanticism and rigours of basic training in the French Foreign Legion. - The French Foreign Legion also appears in the Disney animated television series The Legend of TarzanThe Legend of TarzanThe Legend of Tarzan is an animated television series created by The Walt Disney Company in 2001, based on the Tarzan character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs....
in an antagonistic role, due to its leadership under the relentless and cruel Lieutenant-Colonel Staquait, who aims on several occasions to capture, imprison or kill Tarzan's newfound friends Hugo and Hooft, American volunteers who betrayed Staquait's orders to slaughter a village full of women and children. - Captain Gallant of the Foreign LegionCaptain Gallant of the Foreign LegionCaptain Gallant of the Foreign Legion was a half-hour black-and-white television series about the French Foreign Legion starring Buster Crabbe in the title role. Crabbe's real-life son Cullen Crabbe played the Legion mascot, with cowboy sidekick Fuzzy Knight playing himself as Legion comedy relief...
is a television series which ran on the NBC network from 1955 to 1957. Buster CrabbeBuster CrabbeClarence Linden "Buster" Crabbe was an American athlete and actor, who starred in a number of popular serials in the 1930s and 1940s.-Birth:...
starred as the title character, while his real-life son Cullen played his ward, "Cuffey" Sanders. - Secondhand LionsSecondhand LionsSecondhand Lions is a 2003 American dramedy film written and directed by Tim McCanlies. It tells the story of an introverted young boy who is sent to live with his eccentric uncles on a farm in the U.S...
(2005) stars Robert DuvallRobert DuvallRobert Selden Duvall is an American actor and director. He has won an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and a BAFTA over the course of his career....
and Michael CaineMichael CaineSir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
as Hub and Garth McCann, uncles to nephew Walter Coleman played by Haley Joel OsmentHaley Joel OsmentHaley Joel Osment is an American actor. After a series of roles in television and film during the 1990s, including a small part in Forrest Gump playing Tom Hanks' title character’s son, Osment rose to fame with his performance as Cole Sear in M...
. An important part of the back story is the uncle's service in the Legion. - In Season 3 of Deadliest WarriorDeadliest WarriorDeadliest Warrior is a television program in which information on historical or modern warriors and their weapons are used to determine which of them is the "deadliest" based upon tests performed during each episode...
, the French Foreign Legion went up against the Gurkhas.
Video games
- In Hitman: Codename 47Hitman: Codename 47Hitman: Codename 47 is a stealth game developed by IO Interactive and published by Eidos Interactive. It is the first entry in the Hitman series, followed by Hitman 2: Silent Assassin....
, all prime targets are revealed as former members of the French Foreign Legion. - In World in ConflictWorld in ConflictWorld in Conflict, or WiC, is a real-time tactical video game developed by the Swedish video game company Massive Entertainment and published by Ubisoft for Microsoft Windows. The game was released in September 2007...
, if the player is commanding NATO forces French Foreign Legion soldiers can parachute into the battle. - In Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness the character of Kurtis Trent is an ex-legionnaire.
- In Battlefield: Bad CompanyBattlefield: Bad CompanyBattlefield: Bad Company is a first-person shooter developed by EA DICE for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was released in North America on June 23 2008, followed by a European release on June 26. The game was hinted at just before the release of Battlefield 2, and then announced sixteen months later...
it is revealed through in-game dialogue that the primary antagonist, The Legionnaire, was a member of the French Foreign Legion who killed his commanding officer in a dispute and convinced the rest of the unit to defect and form their own mercenary company: The Legionnaires. - In Civilization VCivilization VSid Meier's Civilization V is a turn-based strategy, 4X computer game developed by Firaxis, released on Microsoft Windows in September 2010 and on Mac OS X on November 23, 2010...
the Foreign Legion is a French unique unit which receives a bonus when fighting on enemy territory.