time, Duroy's main lover Laurine de Marelle, their young daughter, who comes up with the nickname Bel Ami. Jacques Rival, a journalist Norbert de Varenne, an old single bitter life-tired poet who is among the Vie Française staff Monsieur Walter, the owner and chief editor of the Vie Francaise Virginie Walter, his wife, later Duroy's lover Suzanne Walter, their marriageable daughter, later Madame Du Roy Rachel, a prostitute to whom Georges turns in times of financial crisis Adaptations Film and television The novel has been adapted for film and television several times: Bel Ami, a 1939 German film The Private Affairs of Bel Ami, 1947 American film starring George Sanders Bel Ami (1955) Bel Ami (1971), a five-episode BBC TV series Bel Ami, also known as Bel Ami: Beautiful Friend and For Men Only, a 1976 Swedish pornographic version, starring Harry Reems which had the tagline "Harry Reems' Last Adult Film" Bel Ami, a 1983 French mini-series Bel Ami, a 2005 French/Belgian TV movie, starring Sagamore Stévenin Bel Ami, a 2012 European co-production film with Robert Pattinson, Uma Thurman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Christina Ricci and Holliday Grainger Theatre Miláček, a Czech stage version of the story, premiered on 11 April 2008 in City Theatre, Mladá Boleslav. It was directed by Pavel Khek, with Petr Mikeska in the title role of Georges Duroy. In July 2011, Bel Ami: The Musical was staged at the White Bear Theatre, London. It premiered on July 12. It was written and directed by Linnie Reedman, with music and lyrics composed by Joe Evans. In February 2014, a contemporary musical adaptation of the book, Bel-Ami, was staged at the Charing Cross Theatre, London, performed by students of the London College of Music. The music and lyrics were written by Alex Loveless. Cultural influence John Braine, the English novelist, stated that his favourite author was Guy de Maupassant and that his first novel, Room at the Top (1957), was based on Bel Ami, but 'the critics didn't pick it up'. References External links Bel Ami, free English translation e-book at Project Gutenberg. Free audiobook: Bel-Ami Městské divadlo, Mladá Boleslav Bel Ami: a film official website 1885 French novels Novels by Guy de Maupassant French bildungsromans Novels about journalists Novels set in 19th-century France Novels set in Paris Picaresque novels French novels adapted into films French novels adapted into plays French novels adapted into television shows