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Jean Passepartout
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Jean Passepartout, a character in Jules Verne's novel, Around the World in Eighty Days, is the French valet of the novel's English main character, Phileas Fogg. His surname translates literally to "goes everywhere," but this is an idiom for "skeleton key" in French. It is also a play on the English word "Passport."At the beginning of the novel, Passepartout has just been hired by Phileas Fogg after Fogg's previous valet failed to meet his exacting standards. Passepartout, who has lived an irregular and well-travelled life, is looking forward to a restful employment, as Fogg is known for his regular habits which never take him farther afield than the Reform Club.
Ironically, on Passepartout's first day at work, Fogg makes a bet with his friends at the Club that he can circumnavigate the world in no more than eighty days and Passepartout is obliged to accompany him. In addition to the wager, the valet has an additional incentive to complete the journey quickly: he left a gaslight burning in his room and the resulting expense of wasted gas will be docked from his salary.
In the journey, Passepartout plays a critical role in Fogg's adventures, such as rescuing Aouda from a forced sati, and becomes a friend of the pursuing detective, Mr. Fix. Passepartout discovers that Fix suspects Fogg of robbing a bank, but decides to keep that information to himself, since his employer seemed to have a busy enough agenda without having to deal with that worry. Unfortunately, Passepartout realizes too late that this means Fogg does not have the opportunity to discuss the allegation with the detective and prove his innocence before returning to Britain and being arrested on the spot by Fix. Finally, when the group arrives in London seemingly too late, it is Passepartout who discovers his employer actually still has time to complete his journey and win his wager.
The character of Passepartout serves several purposes in the narrative — as a point-of-view character for Verne's French readers, and as comic relief, both in his reactions to the strange places and events he encounters, and in a tendency to get trapped, abducted, or, on at least one occasion, left behind.
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Filmography of Jean Passepartout (2 films)
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Around the World in 80 Days (2004)
, 2hDirected by Frank Coraci
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Action, Adventure, Romance, Western
Themes Sports films, Films based on science fiction novels, Martial arts films, Children's films
Actors Jackie Chan, Steve Coogan, Cécile de France, Ewen Bremner, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Broadbent
Rating59%
During the late 19th century, an unidentified Chinese man robs the Bank of England. To evade the police, he becomes the valet for Phileas Fogg, an inventor, taking the pseudonym Passepartout. Phileas, just before Passepartout arrived, had been trying to break the 50-mph speed barrier, and after succeeding with the help of Passepartout, they head to the Royal Academy of Science. There, Fogg is insulted by the other "brilliant minds", in particular William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, who believes that everything worth discovering has already been discovered. Phileas is pressured into a bet to see whether he can travel around the world in 80 days. If he wins he will become Minister of Science in Lord Kelvin's place, if not he will destroy his lab and never invent anything again. Phileas and Passepartout start their journey around the world, taking a carriage and leaving London after a confrontation with Inspector Fix, a corrupt officer hired by the Royal Academy of Science to stop them.
, 2h47Directed by John Farrow, Michael Anderson
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure, Romance
Themes Seafaring films, Transport films, Films based on science fiction novels
Actors David Niven, Cantinflas, Robert Newton, Shirley MacLaine, Charles Boyer, Cedric Hardwicke
Rating66%
Broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow presents an onscreen prologue, featuring footage from A Trip to the Moon (1902) by Georges Méliès, explaining that it is based loosely on the book From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne. Also included is the launching of an unmanned rocket and footage of the earth receding.