1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Samson, Joseph Isidore

SAMSON, JOSEPH ISIDORE (1793–1871), French actor and playwright, was born at St Denis on the 2nd of July 1793, the son of a restaurant keeper. He took the first prize for comedy at the Conservatoire in 1812, married an actress with whom he toured France, and came to the Comédie Française in 1826. Here he remained until 1863, creating more than 250 parts. He became a professor at the Conservatoire in 1829, and under him Rachel, Rose Chéri (1824–1861), the Brohans and others were trained. He wrote several comedies, among them La Belle-Mere et le gendre (1826), and La Famille poisson (1846). Samson died in Paris on the 28th of March 1871.