"PAS DE MARCHANDJSE"
163
As one might expect, most of the activity in the arts is in music,
theatre and the cinema. Nothing new of the slightest interest is being
done, but performances are going on at an almost normal rate. The con–
cert halls are open as usual, the chief difference being the large number
of music-loving German officers and soldiers in the audience. The French
movie companies, purged of their Jewish owners and personnel, are
'cooperating' amicably with Goebbels' film trust, and many of the old
stars are back at work. At least they don't have to worry about Holly–
wood competition any more. The theatres are also humming with activity,
almost entirely revivals of old plays. Typical of the trend here are the
metamorphoses of the talented young actor, Jean-Louis Barrault, and of
the actor-producer, Charles Dullin. These former leaders of the experi–
mental, 'advanced' theatre in Paris have turned traditional. Barrault
recently made his debut with the Comedie Francaise in Corneille's
Le Cid,
while Dullin has put on a big production of Moliere's
L'Avare.
The important literary reviews have not appeared since the blitzkrieg,
with the exception of the
Nouvelle Revue Frant;aise,
which resumed publi·
cation in November. Its recent issues have contained only two contribu–
tions of interest: another instalment of excerpts from Andre Gide's diary,
and a long po"m, "Narcisse," by Paul Valery. The only new literary pub–
lication worth mentioning is the fascistic
La Gerbe,
a sort of ersatz
Candide
which beats the drum dutifully for "la renaissance
Fran~aise."
In the bookstore windows the more recent books of Celine, in bright new
jackets, are prominently displayed. Nothing new of any literary interest
is being published. The Germans have issued their famous list of 'ver–
boten' books and ordered all the offending volumes to
be
removed from
sale. The Association of French Publishers, doubtless to show their 'coop–
erative' spirit, have also issued
their
list of forbidden volumes, which
turned out to be twice as long as the German list, adding the complete
works of all Jewish French writers plus the books of Daladier, Rey–
naud, etc.
The deadest of all arts in Paris today is painting. Picasso remains
in Paris, but most of the other leading painters are now either in the
Vichy zone or in the United States. The only exhibition of any interest
while I was in Paris was the Rodin-Monet show at the Orangerie.
It
is
worth noting that Hitler's aversion to modern art does not seem to be
shared by his officers. The more educated German officers are said to be
buying up as many canvasses by Picasso, Braque, Leger, Miro and other
'degenerate' painters as they can find. The story is even told that the Ger–
man
Kommandantur
offered Picasso the princely gift of three tons of
coal, which he is said to have refused with the remark, "I can freeze as
well as anybody.''
The political atmosphere in Paris may be summed up:
(I)
The relative friendliness of the Parisians towards the Germans
