''Knock'' (play)
Knock (French title: Knock ou le Triomphe de la médecine) is a 1923 French satirical play about hypochondria, written by Jules Romains. It was performed for the first time at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris on 15 December 1923 in a production by Louis Jouvet.
Plot
The ambitious Dr. Knock arrives in a rural village , Saint-Maurice, to step into Dr. Parpalaid's footsteps as the local physician. Unfortunately all villagers are in good health, which makes Knock realize that he has been duped by Parpalaid. He therefore decides to make everybody believe they are actually far more sick then they actually are...
Adaptations
Theatrical adaptations
Titled Dr. Knock, the play was presented at the Peacock Theatre in Dublin in 1932, with set designs by the 16-year-old Orson Welles.[1]:106[2]:329
Film adaptations
- Knock ou le triomphe de la médecine (1933) directed by Roger Goupillières and Louis Jouvet
- Dr. Knock (1951) directed by Guy Lefranc
TV adaptations
A British television version for the BBC's Theatre 625 series was broadcast in 1966.
References
- ↑ Callow, Simon, Orson Welles: The Road to Xanadu. New York: Viking, 1996. ISBN 9780670867226
- ↑ Welles, Orson, and Peter Bogdanovich, edited by Jonathan Rosenbaum, This is Orson Welles. New York: HarperCollins Publishers 1992 ISBN 0-06-016616-9.