Captain Brieux

**Captain Brieux** is a character from the film *The Island at the Top of the World* (1974). He was portrayed by actor Jacques Marin.

## History

### Biography

#### Film

Captain Brieux was a French inventor and aviation captain. In the late 19th century, unidentified Americans began funding construction of an airship known as *The Hyperion*. Due to the sponsors pulling out, the vehicle was not completed until 1907 when it was funded by one Sir Anthony Ross.

Brieux used the Hyperion to assist Ross in pursuing his lost son Donald along with Brieux's beloved pet poodle Joshephine. This lead them to the arctic where they found the isolated viking colony of Astragard. Here, they found Donald and made enemies with the viking priest Godi. Brieux managed to salvage the damaged Hyperion and escape while the rest of the party used boats.

However Godi shot Brieux and Josephine's airship with a flaming arrow, causing it to go up in flames. The Hyperion crashed on Godi, killing him and seemingly its passengers. However, it was implied that Brieux had modified the Hyperion so that he and Josephine could escape.

#### Disney Parks

Following the events of the film, Brieux rebuilt the Hyperion and docked it in the Videopolis hangar of, "Discoveryland", a futurist settlement in Paris, France. From here, Brieux was hired by many clients to assist in aerial navigation.

Amongst his clientele was Jason Chandler, a fellow inventor who was the president of the *Society of Explorers and Adventurers*, a guild of colonial globetrotters. Chandler and Brieux navigated the skies of the Mekong region where they documented several, "Legendary flying beasts". This map was completed before the year 1928 and printed with the crest of the society.

At some point, Captain Brieux mysteriously disappeared from Discoveryland. The Hyperion airship was left behind in its hangar with no trace of the captain. In the captain's absence, the Videopolis was used as a dining-service.

### Development history

*The Island at the Top of the World* (1974) was based on Ian Cameron's novel *The Lost Ones* (1961). The film was planned to tie into Discovery Bay, a steampunk-themed expansion of Disneyland proposed by Tony Baxter. Partly due to the failure of the film, Discovery Bay was unbuilt but carried over in part to Disneyland Paris' Discoveryland.

## Jungle Cruise appearances

### Skipper Canteen

In the Skipper Canteen's secret room is a map made by Chandler and Brieux. The map has illustrations of the Hyperion along with assorted flying vehicles and creatures such as Chinese dragons, a phoenix, and Maleficent's dragon form from *Sleeping Beauty* (1959). Fellow Discoveryland figures the Timekeeper, Captain Nemo, the Nautilus, Giant Squid and even Buzz Lightyear are referenced as authors of books in the library. The characters of Dreamfinder and Figment who were recycled from Discovery Bay are also referenced as customers of the restaurant.

### Other connections

#### Jungle Cruise

The crest used on Chandler and Brieux's map featured the tribal mask which used to adorn the Jungle Navigation Company's Amazon River Base. The Mekong river is also a feature used on the Jungle Cruise.

#### Plaza Swan Boats

Another element of Chandler and Brieux's S.E.A. crest were the figureheads of the Plaza Swan Boats.

#### Tropical Hideaway

On one of the walls in the Tropical Hideaway is an oar with a plaque reading, "*J. Chandler, Elaho River, 1882*".

## Other appearances

### Cafe Hyperion

Brieux is an unseen figure in this restaurant's backstory, themed to his hangar.