It Could Happen Only in Paris

Summary: 1955 BBC production of It Could Only Happen in Paris by Alfred Savoir of Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française. The production, presented under the European Play Exchange banner, came about as a result of co-operation between European broadcasting organisations (on which see Michael Barry’s article, ‘Exchanging Television Plays with the Continent’, in the Radio Times, 29 April 1955, p. 15). It included filmed excerpts of Parisien scenes.
Theatre play: It Could Happen Only in Paris [Le Figurant de la Gaîté] by Alfred Savoir (1883-1934) [more information]
Play synopsis: A light-hearted comedy. Albert loves the capricious Princess, but he is only an ‘extra’ sharing the stage with her in a theatrical production. Through a hoax he is able to meet her, but not as himself: he is so poor that he has only his theatrical costumes to wear.
Production history: First staged at the Théâtre Montparnasse, Paris, in 1949.
Date of transmission: Sunday 1 May 1955
Time: 8.30-10.00pm
Series: European Play Exchange
Channel: BBC Television
Production company: BBC

Producer

Claude Barma (also ‘special film sequences shot in Paris by’)

Playwright

Alfred Savoir (1883-1934)

Adapted for Television by

Claude Barma

Adapted for Television by

Isabelle Kloucowsky

Translator

Basil Bartlett

Composer

Jean Marion ('incidental music’)

Sets / Settings

Richard R. Greenough ('settings ... reproduced by’)

Set Designer

Jean-Jacques Gambut

Cast

Title: From the ‘50s: Plays from France (Blog article)
Author/creator: John Wyver (Author)
Reference: https://screenplaystv.wordpress.com/2013/08/04/from-the-50s-plays-from-france, published 4 August 2013

Title: Radio Times, 29 April 1955 (Magazine)
Linking notes: illustrated article, p. 14; Michael Barry’s article, ‘Exchanging Television Plays with the Continent’, p. 16

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