Jean de Létraz

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.

Jean de Létraz
Born
Jean Félix Deletraz

23 February 1897
4th arrondissement of Paris
Died3 June 1954(1954-06-03) (aged 57)
Rueil-Malmaison
OccupationDramatist, screenwriter, dialoguist

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

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)
  • 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, directed by Gideon Wahlberg and John Lindlöf (Swedish, 1937, based on the play Bichon)
  • La Fessée, 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)
  • Frédérica, 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, 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, directed by René Sti (French, 1950, based on the play Nous avons tous fait la même chose)
  • L'Extravagante Théodora, directed by Henri Lepage (French, 1950, based on the play L'Extravagante Théodora)
  • Voyage à trois, 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, 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

Television
  • Au théâtre ce soir :
    • 1969 : Bichon
    • 1978 : La Fessée
    • 1979 : Une nuit chez vous Madame

References
  1. "Obituaries". Variety. June 9, 1954. p. 63 – via Archive.org.
  2. Simone de Létraz on lesarchivesduspectacle
  3. Jean de Letraz directeur
  4. Deutsches Literaturlexikon
  5. Catalog of Copyright Entries
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