Jean de Létraz

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	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 , 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, , 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, , 26 February
• 1950 : Les Femmes de Loth, Théâtre du Palais-Royal, March
• 1951 : Une nuit à Megève, , 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[]

•  [de], 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)
  •  [fr], 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)
•  [sv], directed by Gideon Wahlberg and John Lindlöf (Swedish, 1937, based on the play Bichon)
•  [fr], directed by Pierre Caron (French, 1937, based on the play La Fessée)
• Papà per una notte [it], 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)
•  [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)
•  [fr], directed by  [fr] (French, 1950, based on the play Nous avons tous fait la même chose)
•  [fr], directed by Henri Lepage (French, 1950, based on the play L'Extravagante Théodora)
•  [fr], directed by Jean-Paul Paulin (French, 1950, based on the play Le Voyage à trois)
• Descendez, on vous demande [fr], 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)
•  [fr], directed by Raoul André (French, 1953, based on the play Une nuit à Megève)
• Hurra - die Firma hat ein Kind, directed by Hans Richter (German, 1956, based on the play Bichon)

Screenwriter[]

• 1931 : , directed by Roger Lion
• 1931 : Le Lit conjugal, directed by Roger Lion
• 1932 : The Triangle of Fire, directed by Edmond T. Gréville
• 1938 : Le Monsieur de cinq heures, directed by Pierre Caron

Television[]

•  [fr] :
  • 1969 : Bichon
  • 1978 : La Fessée
  • 1979 : Une nuit chez vous Madame

References[]

External links[]

• Jean de Létraz at IMDb