Here’s a scene from Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Quai des Orfèvres. Suzy Delair is fun to watch but what I really love about this scene is its Balzacian sweep through 1940s Parisian music hall culture. It begins in a music publisher’s shop and continues with rehearsal at home and in the venue before closing with Suzy on stage, but we don’t see just her, we see the audience and the other performers. We also briefly see her friend and neighbor Dora the photographer, whose sweater makes me jealous. Should I make myself one that says “MADELEINE’S SWEATER”?
I guess I have to see this movie! I have a deep fondness for le music-hall. As my class project in college French I got up and performed a Charles Trenet song.
— not this one, but it’s a great example of his wordplay:
In another conversation somewhere recently I mentioned “The Entertainer,” which gives a much darker, English view.
MADE
LEINE
SWEA
TER
Fun song.
I’ve yet to see The Entertainer but you’ve reminded me there are a couple of nice English music hall scenes in The 39 Steps.
Very helpful sweater consultation, thank you LBS. Makes me want to sharpen my scissors. You ought to have one with your name but you’d have to wrap the text around to the back side . . .
What would you charge to make me one?
That depends whether you want the cashmere model or le coton piqué. I am in the process of sourcing tasteful mushroom shades of wool felt for letters but in the meantime please know there would be a substantial discount if you were to perform Charles Trenet numbers during the fitting.