Marcel Aymé (pronounced 'Ah-may') was France's equivalent to Thorne Smith. Aymé wrote fantasy stories which, like Smith's, tended to feature unobtrusive men whose lives are irrevocably changed by an unexpected encounter with the supernatural, not always ending happily but usually with a bit of sex along the way. There are also distinct similarities between Aymé's works and the stories of James Thurber. Some of Aymé's best stories, intriguingly, were written during the Nazi occupation. (This is especially evident in his bitter story 'La Carte'.) My own favourite Aymé tale is 'La Grace', about an ordinary man - a decent individual, but hardly a candidate for sainthood - who suddenly finds himself equipped with an unwanted halo. Desperate to get rid of this inconvenience, he proceeds to commit every imaginable sin ... but can't get rid of that halo.
The French television programme 'Theatre Tonight' offered a 1973 production of Aymé's play "Other People's Heads". It's a good choice for the television format, as the characters are kept on a single set by one character who holds them prisoner in a room. Several other plays -- notably 'The Petrified Forest' -- have also used the hostage situation as a successful conceit for a one-room drama.
Frédéric Maillard is a procurer: the French court system's equivalent of an assistant district attorney. Maillard is an extremely respectable man, so of course he has a few guilty secrets. Maillard has an attractive wife, Juliette, but he also has a mistress: none other than Roberte Bertolier, whose husband is Maillard's fellow procurer.
Tonight, the Maillards and the Bertoliers are celebrating Frédéric's greatest triumph. He has just convicted a man for murder. What makes this conviction so noteworthy is the fact that there was absolutely no evidence against the defendant, a man named Valorin ... yet Frédéric convinced a jury to convict Valorin purely by means of his own eloquence. Valorin has received the death sentence. The victory party is so jubilant that none of the celebrants is particularly disturbed when news arrives that Valorin has escaped.
Guess who's coming to dinner. Valorin arrives chez Maillard, and proceeds to hold everyone prisoner. Now, they will listen to him ... or else.
SPOILERS COMING. Aymé's script skilfully combines drama, suspense and comedy, as the dishonesties of Maillard and the others are exposed. Valorin insists that he is innocent of the murder, and now he reveals an alibi which he was prevented from offering at his trial. On the night of the crime, Valorin was miles away ... having sex with Roberte Bertolier! There are several good performances here -- especially that of Georges Aminel as the desperate fugitive -- and the entire play is well-paced and expertly directed. I'll rate this 9 points out of 10.
The French television programme 'Theatre Tonight' offered a 1973 production of Aymé's play "Other People's Heads". It's a good choice for the television format, as the characters are kept on a single set by one character who holds them prisoner in a room. Several other plays -- notably 'The Petrified Forest' -- have also used the hostage situation as a successful conceit for a one-room drama.
Frédéric Maillard is a procurer: the French court system's equivalent of an assistant district attorney. Maillard is an extremely respectable man, so of course he has a few guilty secrets. Maillard has an attractive wife, Juliette, but he also has a mistress: none other than Roberte Bertolier, whose husband is Maillard's fellow procurer.
Tonight, the Maillards and the Bertoliers are celebrating Frédéric's greatest triumph. He has just convicted a man for murder. What makes this conviction so noteworthy is the fact that there was absolutely no evidence against the defendant, a man named Valorin ... yet Frédéric convinced a jury to convict Valorin purely by means of his own eloquence. Valorin has received the death sentence. The victory party is so jubilant that none of the celebrants is particularly disturbed when news arrives that Valorin has escaped.
Guess who's coming to dinner. Valorin arrives chez Maillard, and proceeds to hold everyone prisoner. Now, they will listen to him ... or else.
SPOILERS COMING. Aymé's script skilfully combines drama, suspense and comedy, as the dishonesties of Maillard and the others are exposed. Valorin insists that he is innocent of the murder, and now he reveals an alibi which he was prevented from offering at his trial. On the night of the crime, Valorin was miles away ... having sex with Roberte Bertolier! There are several good performances here -- especially that of Georges Aminel as the desperate fugitive -- and the entire play is well-paced and expertly directed. I'll rate this 9 points out of 10.