OSS 117
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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OSS 117 is the codename for Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, a fictional secret agent initially from the pen of the prolific Jean Bruce. Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath is described as being an American colonel from Louisiana of French descent. After service in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), de La Bath worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), then the National Security Council (NSC).
Bruce wrote 91 OSS 117 novels for the French publishing house Fleuve Noir Espionnage series beginning with Tu parles d'une ingénue (Ici OSS 117) in 1949, predating Ian Fleming's James Bond 007. The first OSS 117 film N'est Pas Mort (OSS 117 Is Not Dead) film was made in 1957 with Ivan Desny as OSS 117.
Following Jean Bruce's death in a Jaguar car crash in 1963, a Eurospy film series mostly directed by Andre Hunebelle was successful. The role was played by Kerwin Matthews, then Frederick Stafford with John Gavin playing the role when Stafford was filming Alfred Hitchcock's Topaz.
Bruce's widow Josette Bruce continued the character in 1966 with 143 titles until her own death where the series was continued by two of her children with 24 titles. The last published was O.S.S. 117 Prend le Large in 1992. A recent film OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies both recreated and parodied OSS 117.
