Demimonde whom Captain Rawdon Crawley lusts after in his younger days. Becky Sharp is perceived as a demimondaine before she is presented at court, and then becomes one when she travels through Europe after her husband abandons her. Possibly the most famous portrayal of the demimonde, albeit from before the word was coined, is in Verdi's opera "La traviata" (1853). The opera, in turn, was inspired by Alexandre Dumas the younger's "La Dame aux Camélias;" Marguerite Gautier, the heroine of the book and subsequent play, was based on Marie Duplessis, 1840s Paris courtesan and mistress to a number of prominent men,
Camelia (1954 film) Camelia (1954 film) Camelia is a 1954 Mexican drama film directed by Roberto Gavaldón and starring María Félix. It's based on the novel "La Dame aux Camélias" by Alexandre Dumas fils. In a bullfight, the bullfighter Rafael Torres (Jorge Mistral) gives a bull to the famous Mexican actress Camelia (María Félix). Unfortunately the show ends in tragedy, because Rafael is wounded by the bull. In full recovery, Rafael attends the theater where Camelia represents "La Dame aux Camélias" with the actor Armando (Carlos Navarro). In full function, Rafael purposely drops the crutches on which he leans to attract the attention