Louis Dega
Encyclopedia
Louis DegaLouis Dega (born 1890, Marseilles, France
- died unknown, French Guiana
) was a prisoner in the French Guiana
penitentiary of Devil's Island
. He was convicted of fraud
and counterfeiting and sentenced to fifteen years' imprisonment by France, where he became a companion of Henri Charrière
(also known as Papillon) for thirteen years. The two were first sent to a prison in Caen
, France
until they embarked for South America
in 1932. He had a younger brother named Joseph who tried to help Charrière escape from Barranquilla
prison in Colombia
. Dega and Papillon had previously met before embarking to South America, and made a deal in which Dega paid Papillon for protection. The two became best friends during their sentence.
Over thirty years after his escape, Charrière included Dega in his autobiography. Director Franklin J. Schaffner adapted the book to a movie in 1973, with Steve McQueen
playing Papillon, and Dustin Hoffman
playing Dega. Their exploits together were greatly dramatized in the film.
France
The 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...
- died unknown, French Guiana
French Guiana
French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...
) was a prisoner in the French Guiana
French Guiana
French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...
penitentiary of Devil's Island
Devil's Island
Devil's Island is the smallest and northernmost island of the three Îles du Salut located about 6 nautical miles off the coast of French Guiana . It has an area of 14 ha . It was a small part of the notorious French penal colony in French Guiana until 1952...
. He was convicted of fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
and counterfeiting and sentenced to fifteen years' imprisonment by France, where he became a companion of Henri Charrière
Henri Charrière
Henri Charrière was a convicted murderer chiefly known as the author of Papillon, a hugely successful memoir of his incarceration in and escape from a penal colony in French Guiana....
(also known as Papillon) for thirteen years. The two were first sent to a prison in Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
, France
France
The 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...
until they embarked for South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
in 1932. He had a younger brother named Joseph who tried to help Charrière escape from Barranquilla
Barranquilla
Barranquilla is an industrial port city and municipality located in northern Colombia, near the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the Atlántico Department, it is the largest industrial city and port in the Colombian Caribbean region with a population of 1,148,506 as of 2005, which makes it Colombia's...
prison in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. Dega and Papillon had previously met before embarking to South America, and made a deal in which Dega paid Papillon for protection. The two became best friends during their sentence.
Over thirty years after his escape, Charrière included Dega in his autobiography. Director Franklin J. Schaffner adapted the book to a movie in 1973, with Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen
Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
playing Papillon, and Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
playing Dega. Their exploits together were greatly dramatized in the film.