The Chip with the ear

the Chip with the ear is a light comedy of Georges Feydeau created with the Théâtre of the Varieties the March 2nd 1907.

It is a Comédie based on Quiproquo S and misunderstandings between the characters who mutually suspectent all of Adultère.

Characters

The screen, act by act

Act 1

The scene is in the living room of Chandebise. It is learned that Camille and Antoinette have a love affair secretly and that Etienne is jaloux.
Raymonde, with which Tournel makes the court, is wary of the fidelity of her husband: the post office delivered its straps to him, lost to the Hotel of the Gallant Pussy, properly immoral establishment which is in Montretout, in Parisian suburbs. Raymonde requires of his/her Lucienne friend to write an anonymous letter with Victor-Emmanuel in whom she would propose an appointment to that the hôtel.
to him Chandebise returns and Raymonde believes capacity to catch it by holding up the straps. Finache, the doctor, discusses with Camille on the hotel. It is learned thereafter that Chandebise has problems of power and for this reason of the special straps which he does not dare to show with his wife; it gave its ordinary straps to Camille.
Receiving the compromising letter, Chandebise cannot believe in it and persuades Tournel which the recipient must be him, and which it is also Tournel which must thus go to go. It shows then the letter with Histangua, which recognizes the writing of his wife and, enthusiast on fury, decides to kill her like his supposed lover.

Act 2

The scene is on the first floor of the Hotel of the Gallant Pussy. Ferraillon await Camille Chandebise, having received a dispatch of its share. Finache arrives and takes a room. Then Raymonde comes and is let introduce into the room reserved in the name of Chandebise. Tournel comes to its go and is joyeusement surprised by finding Raymonde there. She discovers that her husband is faithful and refuses for him to go to the bed with Tournel. At the time of a small brawl, it presses on a button which reveals to turn the wall and a bed in which is lying Baptistin, suffering of rhumatismes.
Raymonde, frightened, precipitates in the corridor - where she sees Poche and confuses it with his/her husband. The turning bed made that Raymonde and Tournel are seen suddenly confronted with Poche, to which they want all to explain. Ferraillon, however, ensure that it is about their garçon.
Camille arrives with Antoinette. Indicator Pocket, both also are frightened. In full disorder Etienne emerges who comes to alert Lucienne, but it finds Antoinette with half naked in the bed of Rugby.
Lucienne and Chandebise arrive almost at the same time. It reproaches him for having written this letter and speaks to him about the fury of his/her husband. Both want to flee, but too late: Histangua arrives already and seeks his wife everywhere in the hôtel.
It follows a whole series of changes of room, Quiproquo S and misunderstandings between the characters.

Act 3

The scene is again in the living room of Chandebise. Antoinette affirms opposite Etienne whom it left this afternoon - only, inexplicably, the caretaker confirme.
Raymonde and Tournel return. She presses it to remain with her to face her husband. Lucienne returns, terrorized fury of sound mari.
Pocket is able to recover its jacket. Again, all take it for Chandebise. Finache, which one calls the Help!, declares it alcoholic. One puts it at the bed to cure it of sound délire.
Camille returns haletant. It tries to be explained in front of Poche, which it believes being his uncle. Pocket goes back to the bed. Then Chandebise returns, and Camille believes to see fantômes.
Histangua arrives and threatens Chandebise. It finds the writing paper on which Lucienne wrote the letter. It enters and explains all the Spanish intrigue to him. Lastly, with Ferraillon which confirms that its boy is same aspect that Chandebise, one attends the happy outcome for all the characters.

The comic one of the part

The Comique of the Chip to the ear is primarily founded on the Quiproquo which settles because of the extreme resemblance between Chandebise and Poche. The spectator, who knows that they are two characters who do not have anything to see one with the other, always has an advance of comprehension compared to the characters on scene: it includes/understands why it is useless for Raymonde, Tournel and Camille to be explained in front of Poche, and it knows that Chandebise is not the boy of the hôtel.
A comic technique is added to that by the means of the revolving bed which surprises especially the characters on scene and which thus makes laugh the spectator who knows the secret reason of it.

Film adaptations

the Chip with the ear , French film carried out by Marcel Simon in 1914.
the Chip with the ear ( has Flea in Her Ear ), Franco-American film carried out by Jacques Charon in 1968.
the Chip with the ear , French telefilm carried out by Yves Di Tullio in 1997.

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