Jean de Létraz, pen name of Jean Félix Deletraz, (23 February 18973 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. 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). 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.
His wife, Simone, took over the managing of the theatre up to 1965 and staged some of his posthumous works.
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
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 : ÃÂpousez-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 àtrois, 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 àMegève, 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
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)
- ', directed by Gideon Wahlberg and John Lindlöf (Swedish, 1937, based on the play Bichon)
- ', directed by Pierre Caron (French, 1937, based on the play La Fessée)
- PapÃÂ 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 ÃÂpousez-nous, Monsieur)
- Adrien, directed by Fernandel (French, 1943, based on a play by Jean de Létraz)
- ', 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)
- ', 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 ÃÂ 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)
- ', directed by Raoul André (French, 1953, based on the play Une nuit àMegève)
- ', directed by Hans Richter (German, 1956, based on the play Bichon)
Screenwriter
Television
- ' :
- 1969 : Bichon
- 1978 : La Fessée
- 1979 : Une nuit chez vous Madame
References
External links