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PATRICIA TAKES YOU WITHOUT A MAGIC CARPET INTO A WORLD OF LAUGHTER AND LIGHT - 29/10/21
Hello my little darlings, today we're going to keep it simple, no fuss, no muss.
Today, like every other time, we're going to offer you the chance to eyeball, lick and cuddle your screen.
According to a recent study commissioned by the New Yorker, it would appear that living in close proximity to my shoes increases the libido of not only those who wear them, but also those around them. So if you want your sheets to sweat, there aren't 10,000 solutions.
Apart from that, October 29th 1946 was an immensely important date for all fairytale lovers, as it saw the arrival on French screens of Beauty and the Beast.
At the end of the war, Jean Marais dreamt of bringing to the screen a work that would wash away the past conflicts, and he asked his friend Cocteau to take on the task.
The latter accepted and offered to co-direct the film to Marcel Pagnol, who declined at the last minute as he had just broken up with the film's lead actress, Josette Day, to go into bed with Jacqueline Bouvier, who would inspire many of his later works.
But let's get back to Beauty and the Beast, based on a tale that has been adapted in many different formats over the years, and in many different countries. Initially, Jean Marais wanted the beast he was playing to have the face of a deer (wonder if Miyazaki didn't get wind of this and use the idea for his creations), but Cocteau thought it would be ridiculous and not at all frightening. In the end, Jean Marais's dog, a Husky, was used as a model for a more disturbing make-up base.
It took three hours to fix the mask of the Beast and one hour per claw. Shooting was no picnic, and certainly the two main actors involved knew that they were giving birth to a rare work, as they each developed symptoms that delayed them from fulfilling their dream. In the end, this film is unquestionably one of the most important in cinema. Like Peter and the Wolf, it is a seminal work for all primary school children. The film was awarded the Louis Delluc Prize and sold almost 4 million tickets.
I'm telling you all this because it's obviously important, but also because it's a direct reference to the book I wrote, Patricia, a funny, unrivalled tale for adults. A book that should have won every prize, starting with the Pulitzer, but was sacrificed by its publisher. We'll do better next time and the time after that. Cross my heart, ladies.
In the meantime, I encourage you to read Patricia, to reread it, to organise orgies during which you declaim it, a Hobbit sword in the other hand. Kisses on your feet, which I love like home.
Inspired by Coteau's film, there was one of the last good Disney adaptations that respected the tradition of musical creations. Here it is:
And let's not forget the contribution of our master, Philipp Glass, who composed a score dedicated to Cocteau's film:
