Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Eiffel Tower Wedding Party
The Eiffel Tower Wedding Party
The Eiffel Tower Wedding Party
EIFFEL
TOWER
WEDDING
PARTY
^
translated by
DUDLEY FITTS
PREFACE
Every work of the poetic order contains what G id ^ in
his preface to Paludes, so aptly calls Gods share. ^ i s
Share, which eludes the poet himself, can surprise him.
Such and such a phrase or gesture, which originally meant
no more to him than the third dimension means to a paint
er, has a hidden meaning that each person will interpret in
his own way. The true Symbol is never planned: it emerges
by itself, so loh ^ s ~ th e bizarre, the unreal, do~^ ^ n t g r j n t o
fliA
rp r* K n n T n ff
154
T H E E I F F E L T O W E R W ED D IN G PA R TY
T H E E I F F E L T O W E R AVEDDING PA R T Y
155
U2?tEvery living work of art has its own ballyhoo, and only
this is seen by those who stay outside. Now in the case of
new work, this first impression so shocks, irritates, angers,
the spectator that he will not enter. He is repelled from its
true nature by its face, by the unfamiliar outward appear-
156
T H E E I F F E L T O W E R W ED D IN G PA R TY
T H E E IF F E L T O W E R W ED D IN G PA R T Y
157
158
T H E E I F F E L T O W E R W ED D IN G PA R TY
159
T H E E I F F E L T O W E R W ED D IN G PA R T Y
j- t
160
T H E E I F F E L T O W E R W ED D IN G ^A R T Y
1922
Les Maries de la Tour Eiffel was first played on June 8,
1921, by Rolf de Mares Swedish Ballet Company. The chor
eography was by Jean Cocteau and Jean Borhn, the decor
by Irene Lagut, and the costumes and masks by Jean VictorHugo. The musical program was as follows:
Overture
W edding March (entrance)
The Generals Speech
The Trouville Bathing Beauty
The Massacre (fugue)
W altz of the Radiograms
Funeral March
Quadrille
W edding March (exit)
Georges Auric
Darius Milhaud
Francis Poulenc
Francis Poulenc
Darius Milhaud
Germaine Tailleferre
Arthur Honegger
Germaine Tailleferre
Darius Milhaud
During the course of the action there were three ritournelles by Georges Auric.
CHARACTERS
PH O N O G R A PH I
PH O N O G R A PH I I
T H E OSTRICH
T H E H U N T ER
T H E M A N A G ER O F T H E E IF F E L TO W ER
T H E PH O TO G RA PH ER
T H E BRIDE
T H E BRIDEGROOM
T H E M O T H E R -IN -L A W
T H E F A T H E R -IN -L A W
T H E GEN ERAL
T W O BRIDESMAIDS
T W O USHERS
T H E CYCLIST
T H E CH ILD
T H E TROUVILLE BATHING BEAUTY
T H E L IO N
T H E COLLECTOR O F PA INTINGS
T H E ART DEALER
FIV E RADIOGRAMS
DfiCOR
The first platform of the EifiEel Tower. The backdrop rep
resents a birds-eye view of Paris. Upstage, right, a camera
at eye level: the black funnel forms a corridor extending
to the wings, and the camera front opens like a door to
permit the entrances and exits of the characters. Downstage,
right and left, half hidden by the proscenium arch, two
actors costumed as Phonographs: their bodies are the cab
inets, their mouths the horns. It is these Phonographs which
comment on the action and recite the lines of the charac
ters. They should speak very loudly and quickly, pronounc
ing each syllable distinctly. The action is simultaneous with
the comments of the Phonographs.
I.
Tower.
PH O N O H . Look! An ostrich. She crosses the stage. She
goes off. And heres the Hunter. Hes tracking the ostrich.
He looks up. H e sees something. He raises his gun. H e fires.
Heavens! A radiogram.
PH O N O I.
PH O N O
I.
hunting?
PH O N O H . I was trailing an ostrich. I thought I saw it
on the cables of the Eiffel Tower.
PH O N O I.
PH O N O
PH O N O I.
End of
th e
dialogue.
now!
PH O N O I. W ell, its like this: my cameras out of order.
Usually when I say, Steady, now, watch for the httle bird
a little bird comes out. This morning I said to a lady.
164
W edding March.
belle.
PHONO I. The ushers, strong as Turks.
IDD
It makes me dizzy!
What?
years old.
PHONO I. But who is this charming bicycle girl in shorts?
166
PH O N O 1I5
PH O N O I.
you?
PH O N O H .
PH O N O I.
car .line.
It is the General who answers her, for he has
PH O N O H .
PH O N O H .
girl.
PH O N O I.
T H E E IF F E L . T O W E R W ED D IN G PA R T Y
167
bathhouse.
I End of the dance. The photographer throws a bathrobe
(over the girls shoulders; she exits into the camera, skippip^, throwing kisses.
PH O N O S I AND
He bows profoundly.
PH O N O S I AND H .
16S
PH O N O S I AND n .
Hello, Mama.
PH O N O II.
Hello, Papa.
PH O N O I.
PH O N O II.
party.
PH O N O I.
PH O N O H .
PH O N O I.
PH O N O II.
PH O N O I.
PH O N O H .
PH O N O I .
im a g e o f h is g ra n d m a .
He
has our
eyes.
PH O N O I .
view.
PH O N O H .
PH O N O I.
PH O N O
169
PH O N O I.
PH O N O
He shall be a Captain.
n. Architect.
Boxer.
PH O N O I.
Poet.
PH O N O H .
PH O N O I.
PH O N O H .
PH O N O I .
PH O N O
n. Bullets.
PH O N O I .
macaroons.
The Child bombards the guests, who flee w ith screams
of terror.
PH O N O H .
Mercy!
PH O N O I .
him up.
PH O N O H .
PH O N O I .
PH O N O
PH O N O
PH O N O
PH O N O I.
170
T H E E I F F E L T O W E B W ED D IN G PA R TY
Be damned.
my own life!
PHONO I. But what is this other noise?
PHONO II. The Manager of-the Eiffel Tower. What is he
saying?
PHONO I. A little less noise, please. Dont scare the radio
grams.
PHONO II. Papa! Papa! Look at the radiograms.
PHONO I. There are some big O nes.
PHONO H. The wedding party gets up again.
PHONO I. You
PHONO H. c o u ld h e a r
PHONO I. a
phono h .
p in
PHONO I. d r o p .
p h o n o h . The trapped radiograms fall onto the stage
and flutter about. The guests run after them and jump on
them.
T H E E I F F E L T O W E R W ED D IN G PA R T Y
171
Music, music!
PH O N O H .
PH O N O I.
Papa! Papa!
PH O N O H .
What is he saying?
PH O N O I .
eral.
PH O N O II.
would you?
PH O N O I.
As y o u
lik e .
172
PH O N O I .
Dirge.
PH O N O S I AND H .
PH O N O I.
Ahhhh! Ahhhh!
Poor General!
T H E 5 IF F E L TOWER W E p p p i G PARTY
173
Funeral march.
PHONO II. The father-in-law is pronouncing the eulogy.
What is he saying?
PHONO I. Farewell farewell old friend! Since first you
girded on the sword, you have given evidence of an intel
ligence far above your rank. Your end is worthy of your
career. W e have seen you brave the ferocious beast, care
less of danger, nay, unaware of its very existence; and flee
ing only when you began to understand at last that it did
exist. And so once more Farewell, or, better. Till w e meet
again: for your kind will be with us as long as there are
men upon the earth.
PHONO II. Three oclock, and that ostrich isnt back y e t!
PHONO I. She probably wanted to walk back.
PHONO II. That is stupid. Nothing is more fragile than os
trich plumes.
PHONO I. Attention! The Eiffel Tower W edding Party,
a quadrille, played by the band of the Garde Republicaine:
director, Par^s.
Quadrille.
PHONOS I AND H. Bravo! Bravo! ray for the Garde R^pub-
licaine!
PHONO II. Oof, what a dance!
PHONO I. Your arm.
PHONO n. Mister Photographer, you wouldnt turn down
a cup of champagne?
PHONO I. You are too kind. Im overcome.
PHONO II. When in Rome . . . But what does my
grandson want now?
174
T H E E I F F E L T O W E R W ED D IN G PA R T Y
can
PH O N O I.
PH O N O I.
PH O N O H .
No, no, I
s a id
no!
PH O N O I .
in time!
The Ostrich walks about invisible, the h a t on its head.
Enter the Hunter.
Have any of you seen the ostrich?
PH O N O H .
platform.
PH O N O I.
an ostrich.
PH O N O H . No, the sea is calm. Well, I shall hide behind
this phonograph cabinet and wait for it.
PH O N O I.
T H E E I F F E L T O W E R W ED D IN G P A R T Y
175
a cab.
He opens the shutter of the camera. The os
trich disappears.
PH O N O H .
PH O N O I.
PH O N O H .
PH O N O I .
PH O N O H .
PH O N O H .
PH O N O I.
tive.
176
P H O N o n .W h o s e is .it?
things!
PHONO n. Is it signed?
p h o n o I. God never signs But I ask you? is it paint
ed] And what texture! Observe the style, the nobility, the
joie de vivrel It might almost be a funeral.
PHONO n . I s e e a w e d d i n g p a r t y .
PHONO I. Then y o u see wrong. It is more than a wedding.
It is all weddings. It is more than all weddings. It is a
cathedral.
PHONO II. What do you want for it?
PHONO I. It is not for sale, except to the Louvre or you.
See here: you can have it at cost price.
PHONO H. The Dealer displays a huge placard.
Tower.
PHONO n. The Photographer is getting ready to take the
picture, but whats this! His camera is speaking to him.
What is it saying?
T H E CA M ERA ,
PH O N O H .
T H E CA M ERA.
PH O N O
177
PH O N O H .
PH O N O I.
PH O N O H .
PH O N O I.
dove!
PH O N O H .
One.
178
Two.'
Same business for th e Father-in-law and Mother-in-law.
Three.
'
j
*
(
!
she goes!
;
''
The camera starts to m ove to the left, its bellows stretching out after it like railway coaches. Through openings the
w edding guests can be seen, waving handkerchiefs; and,
underneath, feet in motion.
PH O N O I.
CURTAIN