Jean de Létraz

French playwright

Jean de Létraz

Born	Jean Félix Deletraz 23 February 1897 4th arrondissement of Paris
Died	3 June 1954(1954-06-03) (aged 57) Rueil-Malmaison
Occupation(s)	Dramatist, screenwriter, dialoguist

Jean de Létraz, pen name of Jean Félix Deletraz, (23 February 1897 – 3 June 1954) was a French playwright, spécialising in vaudeville, who authored nearly 118 plays, among which the most famous is Bichon written in 1935.

Biography

His first of more than 100 plays was Opium, a one-act play starring Sarah Bernhardt during World War I.^[1] As well as Bichon (1935), other popular plays of his included On demande un ménage (1942), Descendez, on vous demande (1946), Moumou (1944) and La Fessée (1936).^[1] He was also a screenwriter and a dialoguist. A good number of his plays have been adapted to film.

From 1942 until his death, he was managing director of the Théâtre du Palais-Royal where he directed both his own plays and others. He was also a vice-president of a Paris theatre managers' organization.^[1]

His wife, Simone,^[2] took over the managing of the theatre up to 1965 and staged some of his posthumous works.^[3]

Novels

Nicole s'éveille (with Suzette Desty, 1926)
Nicole s'égare (with Suzette Desty, 1926/27)
Un homme... deux femmes (with Suzette Desty, 1927)
Douze Nuits d'amour (1927)
Nicole s'abrite (with Suzette Desty, 1928)
Un couple passa... (1929)
La jeune fille et les amants (1930)
...tu m'aimes? (1932)

Works in the theatre

Adapted

1931 : Chauffeur Antoinette, comedy in 4 acts by Robert Blum, based on a novel by Jean de Létraz and Suzette Desty^[4]^[5]

Author

1934 : Mitzi-Moutzou, opérette in 3 acts, Théâtre des Capucines, 31 March
1935 : Bichon, three act comedy, Théâtre de la Michodière, 3 May
1936 : La Fessée, Théâtre de Paris
1939 : La Poule et le chasseur, Théâtre du Palais-Royal
1940 : La Familiale, Théâtre de la Michodière with François Périer
1942 : On demande un ménage, 3 act comedy, Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 22 October
1942 : Le Fantôme de Madame, Théâtre Saint-Georges, November
1943 : La Dame de minuit, Apollo, May
1943 : Épousez-nous, monsieur, 3 act play, Théâtre Michel, 21 December
1944 : Moumou, Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 24 May
1946 : Descendez, on vous demande, comedy in 3 acts, Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 16 March
1947 : Et vive la liberté, play in 3 acts, Théâtre des Variétés, 19 April
1947 : Une nuit chez vous, Madame !, Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 9 May
1947 : Chasse gardée, play in 3 acts, Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 9 May
1948 : L'Extravagante Théodora, Théâtre des Capucines, 26 May
1949 : Le Voyage à trois, Théâtre du Palais-Royal
1949 : Nous avons tous fait la même chose, Théâtre de la Potinière, 26 February
1950 : Les Femmes de Loth, Théâtre du Palais-Royal, March
1951 : Une nuit à Megève, Théâtre Michel, December
1952 : Monsieur de Panama, Apollo, 6 December
1953 : La Pucelle d'Auteuil, Théâtre du Palais-Royal
1955 : Elle est folle, Carole, directed by Simone de Létraz, Théâtre du Palais-Royal

Theatre director

1947 : Et vive la liberté by Jean de Létraz, Théâtre des Variétés
1948 : L'Extravagante Théodora by Jean de Létraz, Théâtre des Capucines
1949 : Le Voyage à trois by Jean de Létraz, Théâtre du Palais-Royal
1953 : Occupe-toi d'mon minimum by Paul Van Stalle, Théâtre du Palais-Royal
1953 : La Pucelle d'Auteuil by Jean de Létraz, Théâtre du Palais-Royal
1953 : ... La Mariée en a deux ! by Jean de Létraz, Théâtre du Palais-Royal
1957 : La Pucelle d'Auteuil by Jean de Létraz, Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique
1958 : Les Pieds au mur by Jean Guitton, Théâtre du Palais-Royal

Operetta

La Belle Saison, music by Jean Delettre

Filmography

Chauffeur Antoinette, directed by Herbert Selpin (German, 1932, based on the play Chauffeur Antoinette)
- The Love Contract, directed by Herbert Selpin (English, 1932, based on the play Chauffeur Antoinette)
- Conduisez-moi Madame, directed by Herbert Selpin (French, 1932, based on the play Chauffeur Antoinette)
Fräulein Liselott, directed by Johannes Guter (German, 1934, based on the play Glück im Haus)
Bichon, directed by Fernand Rivers (French, 1936, based on the play Bichon)
Odygdens belöning [sv], directed by Gideon Wahlberg and John Lindlöf (Swedish, 1937, based on the play Bichon)
La Fessée [fr], directed by Pierre Caron (French, 1937, based on the play La Fessée)
Papà per una notte, directed by Mario Bonnard (Italian, 1939, based on the play Bichon)
Bajó un ángel del cielo, directed by Luis César Amadori (Spanish, 1942, based on the play Bichon)
Frederica, directed by Jean Boyer (French, 1942, based on the play Épousez-nous, Monsieur)
Adrien, directed by Fernandel (French, 1943, based on a play by Jean de Létraz)
On demande un ménage [fr], directed by Maurice Cam (French, 1946, based on the play On demande un ménage)
Bichon, directed by René Jayet (French, 1948, based on the play Bichon)
Nous avons tous fait la même chose [fr], directed by René Sti (French, 1950, based on the play Nous avons tous fait la même chose)
Extravagant Theodora, directed by Henri Lepage (French, 1950, based on the play L'Extravagante Théodora)
Voyage for Three, directed by Jean-Paul Paulin (French, 1950, based on the play Le Voyage à trois)
Descendez, on vous demande, directed by Jean Laviron (French, 1951, based on the play Descendez, on vous demande)
Moumou, directed by René Jayet (French, 1951, based on the play Moumou)
Une nuit à Megève [fr], directed by Raoul André (French, 1953, based on the play Une nuit à Megève)
Hurra – die Firma hat ein Kind [de], directed by Hans Richter (German, 1956, based on the play Bichon)