Author. He gained fame as a prolific French author, who spent his childhood and youth in Aillières (Sarthe), where his parents were restaurant owners. After his secondary education, he was trained at the École nationale supérieure de la Police. Prior to World War II, he joined a brigade of the International Criminal Police Commission, the predecessor of the present Interpol. At the beginning of World War, II, he joined the air force and became a pilot before becoming an active member of the Resistance. During the liberation of the city of Lyon, he met William Leonard Langer, a real OSS agent, bearing the number 11174. After a variety of jobs after the war, he created the James Bond-like French spy hero Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath, agent OSS 117, around 1949. The first issue appeared on August 15, 1949 and was an immediate success. He wrote 91 OSS 117 novels and many others until his death, of which many were adapted for the screen in the 1950s and 60s. Though the first "OSS 117 Is Not Dead" film with Ivan Desny in the lead was already made in 1957, a popular series of several OSS 117 films started no earlier than in 1963 - following the French release of "Dr. No" - with Kerwin Mathews in two (1963/64), director André Hunebelle's discovery Frederick Stafford in two more (1965/66) and finally John Gavin and Luc Merenda in another two (1968/70). In 2006 the action spoof "OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies", starring Jean Dujardin, became a surprise international hit and led to two other film adaptations with Dujardin. From 1966 to 1985, his wife Josette Bruce took over OSS 117 adventures and wrote another 143 novels. Then in 1987, François Bruce (son of Jean Bruce) and Martine Bruce (daughter of Jean and Josette Bruce) published 24 more novels. He died from injuries of a car crash.
Author. He gained fame as a prolific French author, who spent his childhood and youth in Aillières (Sarthe), where his parents were restaurant owners. After his secondary education, he was trained at the École nationale supérieure de la Police. Prior to World War II, he joined a brigade of the International Criminal Police Commission, the predecessor of the present Interpol. At the beginning of World War, II, he joined the air force and became a pilot before becoming an active member of the Resistance. During the liberation of the city of Lyon, he met William Leonard Langer, a real OSS agent, bearing the number 11174. After a variety of jobs after the war, he created the James Bond-like French spy hero Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath, agent OSS 117, around 1949. The first issue appeared on August 15, 1949 and was an immediate success. He wrote 91 OSS 117 novels and many others until his death, of which many were adapted for the screen in the 1950s and 60s. Though the first "OSS 117 Is Not Dead" film with Ivan Desny in the lead was already made in 1957, a popular series of several OSS 117 films started no earlier than in 1963 - following the French release of "Dr. No" - with Kerwin Mathews in two (1963/64), director André Hunebelle's discovery Frederick Stafford in two more (1965/66) and finally John Gavin and Luc Merenda in another two (1968/70). In 2006 the action spoof "OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies", starring Jean Dujardin, became a surprise international hit and led to two other film adaptations with Dujardin. From 1966 to 1985, his wife Josette Bruce took over OSS 117 adventures and wrote another 143 novels. Then in 1987, François Bruce (son of Jean Bruce) and Martine Bruce (daughter of Jean and Josette Bruce) published 24 more novels. He died from injuries of a car crash.
Bio by: Fritz Tauber
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