Bunuel_Luis_My_Last_Breath

told me that Marie-Laure and Charles de Noailles stood at the doorshaking hands and smiling and kissing all the guests. At the end ofthe show, they resumed their positions to shake hands goodbye, butalso to hear what everyone had to say. Apparently, their guests leftquickly, and in total silence.The day after, Charles de Noailles was expelled from the JockeyClub. Apparently, the Church also threatened to excommunicatehim; his mother had to go to Rome to negotiate with the Pope. LikeChien, L'Age d'w opened officially at Studio 28, where it played topacked houses for six days. The Camelots du Roi, the JeunessesPatriotiques, and the right-wing press, however, attacked the theatrein full battle dress, lacerating the paintings at the surrealist exhibitin the foyer and smashing the chairs. (In the annals of Parisian culturalhistory, the episode is still known as "the scandal of L'Age d'w. ") Aweek later, Police Chief Chiappe closed the theatre; the film wascensored, and remained so for fifty years. It could be seen only atprivate screenings and in cih6math+ues. Finally, it opened in NewYork in 1980 and was shown again in Paris in 1981.I saw the de Noailles each time I returned to Paris. They neverblamed me for any of the trouble with the film; in fact, they weredelighted that the surrealists received it so enthusiastically. I rememberone of their parties in 1933 at Hykres where all of the artistsinvited were told to do whatever they wanted. Fearing trouble, Daliand Crevel declined the invitation; but Darius Milhaud, FrancoisPoulenc, Georges Auric, Igor Markevirch, and Henri Sauguet accepted.Each composed and conducted a piece at the municipal theatre;Cocteau designed the programs, and Christian Bkrard createdcostumes for all those who wanted to come in disguise.Meanwhile, Breton was forever urging all of us to produce, so Idecided to take him up on it and write a text in an hour. The finishedproduct was called Urn Girafe; Unik corrected my French, andGiacometti, who'd just joined the group, agreed to go down toHyeres with me and cut a life-size giraffe out of pasteboard. Each ofthe giraffe's spots was attached by hinges and could be opened easily