Great War Theatre

Henry Hubert Alexandre Kistemaeckers was born in October 1872 in Floreffe, a small town southeast of Brussels. He was the son of Henry Kistemaeckers (1851–1934), a controversial Belgian publisher often at odds with the censorship laws of the day. As a young man, Kistemaeckers attended the Royal Athenaeum at Ostend, the University of Brussels and published his first works while still in his teens. Kistemaeckers began as a novelist, but soon turned to playwriting for his livelihood. 'Instinct', 'Marchand de Bonheur', 'Le Roi de Palaces', 'La Passante' and 'Un Jour de Amour' are among his more successful productions. His drama 'Le Flambée' was adapted for the English stage by Peter Le Marchant and produced in London as 'The Turning Point' and in New York as 'The Spy'. The Broadway play 'Where the Poppies Grow', produced at the Theatre Republic in 1918, was adapted from Kistemaeckers’ 'Un Soir, au Front' by Roi Cooper Megrue. Kistemaeckers became a French citizen in 1900 after achieving success in Paris. Kistemaeckers was a recipient of the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, served as president of the French Society of Authors and was a member of the Society of Playwrights, Society of Men of Letters and the popular committee of the Society of Preservation against Tuberculosis. Kistemaeckers died in Paris on January 21, 1938, at the age of 65. Film adaptations of 'La Flambée' include:' The Spirit of France' (1916); 'La Fiammata', directed by Carmine Gallone (Italy, 1922); 'La Flambée' (fr), directed by Jean de Marguenat (France, 1934); and 'The Flame', directed by Alessandro Blasetti (Italy, 1952)

Gender: Male

Served in the armed forces? No

Scripts associated with Henry Kistemaeckers

Script Role
La Flambee Author