The Thinking Space by Leona Rittner W. Scott Haine

Author:Leona Rittner, W. Scott Haine [Leona Rittner, W. Scott Haine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Modern, 19th Century
ISBN: 9781317014133
Google: M9qqCwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2016-03-03T16:13:14+00:00

We now consider Cocteau’s publications which were concurrent with the first incarnation of le Boeuf sur le Toit, i.e., 1921–27. After La Danse de Sophocle (previously mentioned) Cocteau published no further volumes of poetry for seven years. In 1921 he published Les Mariés de la tour Eiffel, La Noce Massacrée, and Le Gendarme incompris (in collaboration with Radiguet). In 1922 he published Vocabulaire, Le Secret professionnel, and Antigone. In 1923 he published Plein-Chant, Le Rose de François, Thomas l’Imposteur (novel), Le Grand Écart (novel), and Dessins. In 1924 he published Poësies 1916–1923 (2 volumes), Picasso, Romeo et Juliette, and Le Train bleu. In 1925 he published Cri écrit, Le Mystère de Jean l’Oiseleur, L’Ange Heurtebise, and Prière mutilée. In 1926 he published Lettre à Jacques Maritain, Maison de santé, Orphée, and Le Rappel à l’ordre. Lastly, in 1927 he published Oedipus Rex, Opéra, Le Pauvre matelot, and another version of Antigone. This does not include Cocteau’s numerous other works, his journalism in Le Figaro and Ce Soir, or his cinema—all of which were subsequent to this period.

In 1927 le Boeuf sur le Toit moved to rue de Penthièvre,62 and its atmosphere deteriorated with mysterious rapidity. The famous clientele who frequented le Boeuf at 28 rue Boissy d’Anglas disappeared for unknown reasons, and the magic evaporated inexplicably. Owner Louis Moysès established other nightclubs. Le Grand Écart and Les Enfants Terribles were both named after Cocteau novels in an attempt to repeat the success of le Boeuf. None of them, however, recaptured le Boeuf’s unique ambience.63 Hence, on rue de Penthièvre, the ox climbed down from the roof and never climbed back up again.

In June 1934 le Boeuf sur le Toit turned up again in the Étoile neighborhood. It now had a single orchestre led by André Ekyan, who was trained in “hot jazz.”64 The décor was lavish, with a center light in crystal candelabra and garnet furnishings in the best of taste. The music was soft and agreeable from a muted trumpet, an instrument that was extremely rare in a jazz orchestre at that time. The percussion player, Jenny Mengo, also sang the choruses in a manner that accommodated the necessities of dancing.65

We now return to our third famous patron of the original le Boeuf sur le Toit: Raymond Radiguet. Radiguet was born on June 18, 1903 in Saint-Maur and died on December 12, 1923 in Paris at the age of 20. He wrote two important novels, much minor poetry, one play, a number of literary reviews (e.g., in Sic, le Coq, l’Eveil, and l’Heure), and published within his own brief lifetime a few critical articles, of which nearly half were reviews of works by Cocteau. Additionally, Radiguet took part in Milhaud’s and Cocteau’s ballet pantomime Le Boeuf sur le Toit of 1920. In a letter to Tristan Tzara in January 1919, Philippe Soupault, André Breton’s associate, cites Radiguet’s name alongside that of Aragon, Breton himself, and a few others as being that of a writer “of great talent.”66 After Radiguet’s

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