CROMMELYNCK, FERNAND

(1886-1970)

   Fernand Crommelynck was born in Brussels on 19 November 1886. A French-language playwright, he generated lively interest with his first production Le cocu magnifique (The magnificent cuckold [1921, filmed 1946]). He reached the height of acclaim with dramas such as Tripes d'or (Golden tripe [1930]) and Une femme qu'a le coeur trop petit (A woman with a tiny heart [1934]). His plays exhibit a mixture of poetic symbolism and mystical elements in which, through caricature, irony, and satire, the absurdity of human fate is expressed. Crommelynck died in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France, on 17 March 1970.