Biography for
Alexandre Dumas père More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

24 July 1802, Villers-Cotterêts, Aisne, France

Date of Death

5 December 1870, Puys, France (stroke)

Birth Name

Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie

Mini Biography

His paternal grandparents were Marie Cessete Dumas (a Haitian slave) and Marquis Antoine Davy de la Pailleterie. Antoine disapproved of their son, Thomas-Alexandre, joining the French army under the "Davy de la Pailleterie" name, so Thomas-Alexandre used his mother's surname instead. He became a valued general of Napoleon, and after he married the daughter of a local tavern owner, Thomas-Alexandre had a son of his own. This son was Alexandre Dumas, who became world-famous as the author of "The Three Musketeers" and "The Count of Monte Cristo".

IMDb Mini Biography By: Nichol

Spouse

Ida Ferrier

(1 February 1840 - September 1846) (separated)

Trivia

Father of Alexandre Dumas fils.

Was afraid of travelling to the USA because he feared being sold into slavery. He was son of a woman slave from the Saint Domingue island (later renamed, Haiti), where his French father was born in 1762, and lived a large part of his life. Thrand slavery was still in existance in the USA at that time).

Many of his novels were originally written as newspaper serials.

Has a wax figure likeness of himself at the Black Facts and Wax Museum in Los Angeles.

Alexandre Dumas (fils) once came into his father's room and found him reading The Three Musketeers. Dumas (pere) finished the book and looked up at his son and remarked, "You know, that was actually pretty good!".

His son, Alexandre Dumas (fils), was a noted writer also, but of religious liturgy. This was a point of contention between father and son. Alexandre (pere), felt his son could do much better by writing popular fiction, as he himself had done. Contrarily, his son felt his father had soiled the family name by ignoring the church throughout his life and refusing to write religious doctrines.

Although he he publicly disowned his son, Alexandre Dumas (fils), he was forced to rely on him for support in his old age.

Twice fled the city of Paris, France, to escape from his creditors.

Claimed to have fathered over 500 children.

Personal Quotes

"How is it that little children are so intelligent and men so stupid? It must be education that does it."

To someone who insulted him about his mixed-race background: "It is true. My father was a mulatto, my grandmother was a negress, and my great-grandparents were monkeys. In short, sir, my pedigree begins where yours ends."

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