Not on the Lips

Gilberte Valandray guards a prior but unvalidated American marriage, a secret she keeps from Georges. Only her sister Arlette knows the truth, and she remains discreet. Gilberte continues to host a circle of admirers who flirt with her, using the secret to control the social game.

Secure in Georges's confidence, Gilberte cultivates a circle of lovers, including Faradel and Charley, turning flirtation into a social performance. She enjoys the attention and the power it gives her to maintain the secret. The dynamic foreshadows the tangled loyalties to come.

Georges invites American Eric Thomson to dinner to discuss a deal, unaware that Eric is Gilberte's first husband. Gilberte senses the danger but pleads with Eric to help guard the past. The secret teeters on exposure as the evening unfolds.

Georges remains secure in the belief that his marriage is formed by a lasting first experience, tolerating Gilberte’s flirtations as harmless. This trust makes him vulnerable should the past surface. The setup hinges on his quiet certainty about their bond.

Ten days later, a Paris soirée at the Valandrays’ house signals preparations for Charley’s new play, Âmes primitives, set in Mexico. Eric contemplates renewing his marital claim on Gilberte, while Gilberte hints that Charley is her lover to deter him. The social theater intensifies the web of double lives.

Faradel offers his bachelor flat to Charley, who invites Huguette to join him—and Gilberte is drawn into the scheme. Meanwhile Eric, about to take over the same flat, gives Georges the address, setting up a shared space that will entangle everyone. The flat becomes the stage for disguise and misdirection.

The following afternoon, all characters arrive at Faradel's flat under different pretexts, prompting the bemused concierge Madame Foin. Georges edges toward a revelation about his wife’s secret as the room fills with misaligned motives. The physical closeness sharpens the comedy of errors.

Just as Georges believes he has uncovered his wife's secret, Arlette declares that she herself is Eric’s first wife. She and Eric reconcile, with Eric choosing to support the lie rather than confess the truth. The reversal lets the others breathe, even as deception remains central.

Meanwhile Charley has been happily seduced by Huguette, adding another layer to the tangled romantic web. The liaison contrasts with the strategic ruses that fuel the others’ actions. The lovers’ entanglements push the story toward its comic finale.

Eric reinforces the lie to preserve social balance, choosing convenience over truth in the moment. He overcomes his longstanding fear of being kissed on the lips, preferring the comfort of fiction. The group navigates their masquerade with a fragile, amused calm.

Georges seems to have reconciled his suspicions as the web of lies settles into a playful resolution. Gilberte and Georges renew their trust, accepting the social performance as part of their life together. The ensemble exits with a mood of comic harmony rather than moral clarity.

Throughout the events, Charley’s Mexico-set play mirrors the characters’ disguises and performances, blurring art and life. The gathering ends as a satire of marriage, fidelity, and social theater. The audience is left with a playful reminder that appearances often govern happiness.