''L'Idiote'' (''The Idiot'') is a
comic
a Media (communication), medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of Panel (comics), panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, Glo ...
mystery
Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters
*Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange''
Films
* ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film
* ''Mystery'' ( ...
play by
Marcel Achard
Marcel Achard (5 July 1899 – 4 September 1974) was a French playwright and screenwriter whose popular sentimental comedies Garzanti p. 3 maintained his position as a highly recognizable name in his country's theatrical and literary circles ...
. It was first performed in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
under that name at the
Théâtre Antoine in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
in 1960-1962.
An English version was staged on Broadway in 1961–62 with the title ''A Shot in the Dark'', adapted by
Harry Kurnitz
Harry Kurnitz (January 5, 1908 – March 18, 1968) was an American playwright, novelist, and prolific screenwriter who wrote swashbucklers for Errol Flynn and comedies for Danny Kaye. He also wrote some mystery fiction under the name Marco ...
and directed by
Harold Clurman
Harold Edgar Clurman (September 18, 1901 – September 9, 1980) was an American theatre director and drama critic. In 2003, he was named one of the most influential figures in U.S. theater by PBS. . The cast included
Julie Harris
Julia Ann Harris (December 2, 1925August 24, 2013) was an American actress. Renowned for her classical and contemporary stage work, she received five Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Play.
Harris debuted on Broadway in 1945, against the wish ...
,
Walter Matthau
Walter Matthau (; born Walter John Matthow; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, comedian and film director.
He is best known for his film roles in '' A Face in the Crowd'' (1957), ''King Creole'' (1958) and as a coach of a ...
, and
William Shatner
William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
as an incompetent Examining Magistrate. Matthau's performance earned him a
Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play
The Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actors for quality supporting roles in a Broadway play. Honors i ...
.
When
adapted to film in 1964, it was extensively rewritten in order to replace the Examining Magistrate with the inept police
Inspector Clouseau
Inspector Jacques Clouseau (), later granted the rank of Chief Inspector, is a fictional character in Blake Edwards' farcical ''The Pink Panther'' series. He is portrayed by Peter Sellers in the original series, and also by Alan Arkin in the ...
, played by
Peter Sellers
Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show'', featured on a number of hit comic songs ...
, who had earlier originated the character in ''
The Pink Panther
''The Pink Panther'' is an American media franchise primarily focusing on a series of comedy-mystery films featuring an inept French police detective, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The franchise began with the release of the classic film '' The Pi ...
''.
[Blake Edwards DVD director's commentary, ''The Pink Panther'' (1964), MGM Movie Legends DVD release 2007]
Plot
The plot concerns a free-spirited, guileless and amoral young woman, Josefa (
Julie Harris
Julia Ann Harris (December 2, 1925August 24, 2013) was an American actress. Renowned for her classical and contemporary stage work, she received five Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Play.
Harris debuted on Broadway in 1945, against the wish ...
in the original Broadway production), who works as a maid in the home of one of the most prominent and influential families in France. She was discovered in her bedroom, naked and unconscious, with the body of her Spanish lover Miguel across the room and the gun that killed him by her side. As the play begins, she is being brought before the Examining Magistrate to determine if there is enough evidence to take her to trial where, under the French legal system she will be considered guilty unless proven innocent.
The Examining Magistrate, Paul Sevigne (
William Shatner
William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
), is handling his first case since being promoted to Paris from the provinces. Before the case begins we learn he has an ambitious wife who adores living in Paris; she wants Paul to go along with whatever his bosses want him to do so they don't get sent back to the boondocks. Paul also gets a visit from his boss who advises him to "get a quick confession" and bundle Josefa off to prison to avoid inconveniencing her wealthy banker boss, Benjamin Beaurevers (
Walter Matthau
Walter Matthau (; born Walter John Matthow; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, comedian and film director.
He is best known for his film roles in '' A Face in the Crowd'' (1957), ''King Creole'' (1958) and as a coach of a ...
). When he interviews Josefa, she tries to confess to the crime, changing her story every time Paul brings up evidence that contradicts her statements. By the end of the first act, Paul realizes Josefa is lying to protect someone else. He confides to his clerk Morestan (
Gene Saks
Gene Saks (born Jean Michael Saks; November 8, 1921 – March 28, 2015) was an American director and actor. An inductee of the American Theater Hall of Fame, his acting career began with a Broadway debut in 1949. As a director, he was nominated ...
) the disastrous news: Josefa is innocent. There is an amusing scene in Act One in which Paul tells Josefa he wants to re-enact the crime "exactly as it happened". Josefa starts taking off her clothes, since she was naked when the shooting occurred, thinking that's what Paul means by "exactly". She is amused by the shocked reaction of Paul and Morestan when they notice her undressing.
The rest of the play involves Paul unraveling the mystery while ruffling the feathers of his superiors, incurring the wrath of his wife, and dealing with Josefa's obstinate attempts to protect her other lover (besides Miguel). Eventually, Paul learns the mystery lover is none other than her employer Beaurevers. A running gag is that Josefa seldom wears underpants and tends to trip over things, exposing her bare derrière; she relates that this is how her affairs with both men began. When Beaurevers learns that Paul knows about Josefa not wearing panties he quips, "I must say, your examinations are extremely thorough." Eventually with the mystery solved, the murderer is revealed and Paul is acclaimed a hero for fighting for the underdog. Josefa offers Paul her favors for helping her, but he thanks her and declines. The play ends with Paul sending Josefa back out into the world with instructions to find a nice guy and settle down.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Idiote
1961 plays
French plays adapted into films