La Petite Chocolatière

Examiner of Plays' Summary:

This is a rather old-fashioned French comedy, illustrating the contrarieties of feminine emotion. Paul is a government official betrothed to the daughter of his chief. He is staying at his little country villa with his friend Felicien, a painter and F’s “model” Rosetta. (She is of course F’s mistress, but passages indicating that relation have been carefully cut out – rather needlessly, especially in a French play). Enter, as they are going to bed, Benjamine, a daughter of Lanistolle, the millionaire chocolate-maker. Her car has broken down. Felicien. A buoyant Gascon, gets the idea of breaking off Paul’s marriage and marrying him to la petite chocolatier. He goes and bursts the remaining tyres. Paul who hates the invasion and resents Benjamin’s commanding habits, gives up his room to her with bad grace. In act II Julie, the bonne, has gone off with the chauffeur to get another car from Paris, but owing to their love making they have missed the train and she comes back alone at 9 instead of at 6 so that nobody has been called. Then Paul’s chief and his daughter come to lunch: Benjamin insults him and he goes off in a rage. Paul furious with Benjamine. Même jeu in act III, when she visits him at the ministry and by her tactlessness gets him dismissed and the marriage broken off. The more Paul abuses her for her offences the more she falls in love with him, but he will have nothing to do with her and denounces her furiously. All come right in act IV when she, repentant, thinks of entering a convent and he at last finds he loves her. This is of course the merest outline. It is filled with cleverly written examples of the spoilt girl hating indulgence and being fascinated with rudeness. There is no harm in the comedy, and I hate to interfere after such care has been taken by excisions not to offend the Office. But I have marked a passage in act I page 44 when the chauffeur reassures Julie’s fears of his conduct by saying they would not have time, and another, act II, p. 15 where in Julie’s account of their proceedings there is a joke on a “rater”. But I do not think that either would really give offence. Recommended for Licence. G. S. Street