Deburau or Debureau, Jean Gaspard

Deburau or Debureau, Jean Gaspard (both: zhäN gäspär' dubürō') [key], 1796–1846, French pantomime performer, whose original name was Jan Kaspar Dvorjak, b. Bohemia. He became famous for his introduction of the pantomime character Pierrot at the Théâtre des Funambules. With delicate charm and pathos, he captured the essence of the ever hopeful but always disappointed lover. He is the subject of a play by Sacha Guitry and of Marcel Carné's film, Children of Paradise (1944).

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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