''The Secret of Polichinelle'' (French: ''Le Secret de Polichinelle'') is a 1903

comedy play Comedy is a genre of dramatic performance having a light or humorous tone that depicts amusing incidents and in which the characters ultimately triumph over adversity. For ancient Greeks and Romans, a comedy was a stage-play with a happy endin ...

by the French writer

Pierre Wolff Pierre Wolff (1 January 1865, in Paris – 1944) was a French playwright. Biography Pierre Wolff was a Jewish writer, who wrote numerous plays, as well as some libretti for operettas. He was the nephew of journalist Albert Wolff. His dramas wer ...

. A Boulevard farce it premiered at the Théâtre du Gymnase 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 ...

. It has been adapted into several different languages including English and Spanish. A 1904 American version was translated by

Mildred Aldrich Mildred Aldrich was an American journalist, editor, writer and translator. She spent her early career as a journalist and editor in Boston before moving to Paris, where she continued working as a foreign correspondent and translator. In 1914, sho ...

and staged at the

Harlem Opera House Harlem Opera House was a US opera house located at 211 West 125th Street, in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Designed by architect John B. McElfatrick, it was built in 1889 by Oscar Hammerstein; it was his first theater ...

Synopsis

A respectable middle-class family discover that their adult son has had an illegitimate child with his mistress. Both husband and wife believe the other does not know and tries to keep it a secret from them.

Film adaptations

It has been adaptated into films on several occasions including: a 1913 short film '' The Secret of Polichinelle'' directed by

Henri Desfontaines Henri Desfontaines (12 November 1876, Paris – 7 January 1931, Paris) was a French film director, actor, and scriptwriter. Filmography As director * 1908 : ''Hamlet'' * 1909 : '' Le Puits et le pendule'' * 1910 : '' Un invité gênant'' * 1 ...

, a 1923 silent film '' The Secret of Polichinelle'' directed by

René Hervil René Hervil (1881–1960) was a French actor, screenwriter and film director.Goble p.322 Most of his films were made during the silent era. He directed the ''Maud'' series of films between 1912 and 1915 starring the Anglo-French actress Aimé ...

and a 1936 sound film '' The Secret of Polichinelle'' directed by

André Berthomieu André Berthomieu (16 February 1903 – 10 April 1960) was a French screenwriter and film director. He was married to the actress Line Noro. Selected filmography Director * '' Not So Stupid'' (1928) * '' The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard'' (1929) * ...

.Goble p.508 The same year a Swedish version '' The Family Secret'' was also produced, directed by

Gustaf Molander Gustaf Harald August Molander (18 November 1888 – 19 June 1973) was a Sweden, Swedish actor and film director. His parents were director Harald Molander, Sr. (1858–1900) and singer and actress Lydia Molander, ''née'' Wessler, and his brother ...

References

Bibliography

* Goble, Alan. ''The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film''. Walter de Gruyter, 1999. * Mason, Hamilton. ''French Theatre in New York: A List of Plays, 1899-1939''. Columbia University Press, 1940. 1903 plays French plays adapted into films Comedy plays Plays by Pierre Wolff {{1900s-play-stub