Plot summary

Désiré is hired by Odette Cléry as a valet. She is the mistress of Félix Montignac, Minister of Posts, Telegraphs and Telephones. Désiré is assisted by Adèle, the cook, and Madeleine, ‘Madame’s’ maid. The summer holidays take this little group to Deauville, to a holiday villa. But here’s the thing, Désiré is a man whose appearance, self-assurance and profession—which is, in fact, hereditary—are not entirely in keeping with his tastes and mindset. As the son, grandson and great-grandson of a servant, he derives genuine pleasure from obeying—and indeed, Désiré says so himself: ‘Serving is a marvellous thing. It means having the right to be without a will...’ But, alas! Every coin has two sides, and his only real taste lies in his mistresses. Adapted from the play of the same name by Sacha Guitry, premiered at the Théâtre Édouard VII (Théâtre de Sacha Guitry) in Paris’s 9th arrondissement on 27 April 1927.