« Kermesse aux Étoiles »
The published article, titled AT THE KERMESSE AUX ÉTOILES, I WAS VISITED BY SHADOWS, reads: “Across the entire Tuileries Garden, there was not an inch of ground that was not held, occupied, trodden by an immense and joyful crowd. The Kermesse of the 2nd Armored Division spread its stalls and stands from the Concorde gate to the walks of the Louvre. This was only the third time that these royal walks and façades had served as the setting for this extraordinary Lorraine festival. Yet it already seemed to have much older origins, much deeper foundations, so firmly had it already become a lasting tradition, rooted in the customs and sensibility of the people of Paris.” Kessel dwells above all on memories of Free France, of Leclerc, of the Libyan desert, and of the RAF: “There were also Canadian and American soldiers, commando men and RAF men, and many women in uniform. It was 1943, early spring. And amid the din of glasses, voices and the mechanical piano, a one-armed colonial sergeant talked with one of those young men who had come from France by the most perilous roads, driven by impatience for combat at the back of the barracks (…). ‘Seems Leclerc is forming an armored division… I want to join. He has promised to go all the way to Paris, all the way to Strasbourg.’ ‘He will do as he promised,’ said the one-armed sergeant. Was one of these two men at the Kermesse in the Tuileries last Sunday, or was I only visited by their shadows? (…).”
Numerous deletions and corrections, including several unpublished passages not retained in the article, which is considerably shorter than this manuscript.
The most popular Parisian festival of the postwar years, the “Kermesse aux Étoiles” brought together the greatest stars of the day to meet the public and sign autographs amid fairground rides and attractions, in aid of the welfare fund of the 2nd Armored Division. The first edition dates from 1948 and the last from 1954. Jean Gabin, Charles Vanel, Michel Simon, Simone Signoret, Yves Montand, Édith Piaf, Fernandel, Bourvil and Luis Mariano were among those who never missed an edition. Theaters, cinemas, shows, sports areas, carousels, children’s playgrounds, bars, refreshment stands, restaurants, raffles… everything was arranged for the festival! The Kermesse owed its success chiefly to the presence of numerous film and stage stars, but also of writers: anyone could approach their idol and have signed the booklet obtained at the entrance.
From 1951 onward, visual artists were also involved: Léonard Foujita, Marie Laurencin and Maurice Utrillo were the first, in 1952, to set up at tables before a large crowd; they entered into the spirit of the event and did not hesitate to add a quick sketch or a watercolor to their signature. It was an immediate success, each sheet being sold for a symbolic price, stamped with a large red or blue “Kermesse aux Étoiles” mark. In the following two years, the stamp became more discreet, the crowds even larger, and the artists were assisted in the sale and presentation of their works by renowned dealers and auctioneers. The beginning of the end. The following year caused a sensation, with the presence of American actors and stars such as Clark Gable, Gregory Peck and Katharine Hepburn, and writers such as William Faulkner and John Steinbeck. But excesses got the better of the event’s success: numerous “amateurs” and “dealers” took advantage of the occasion to acquire huge quantities of works at derisory prices, which were then immediately put back on the market and resold, stripped of the “Kermesse aux Étoiles” stamp to disguise their origin. Faced with this state of affairs, contrary to the altruistic purpose of their initiative, the organizers withdrew, and the project for 1955 was abandoned. A radical solution, but an early sign of an increasingly mercantile era!
Joseph Kessel covered the event as a journalist for the 1951 edition, before taking part in it himself during the last two years: Le Monde reported his presence at the 1954 edition: “[…] the organizers Alain Duchemin and Suzanne Massu gave last night the list of personalities who will join them in supporting the cause of the veterans of the 2nd Armored Division. Marshal Juin will sign his works there starting tomorrow. Beside him, great names of literature, from John Steinbeck to our eminent contributor Émile Henriot, from Joseph Kessel to Vercors” (Le Monde, 12 June 1954).
Accompanied by a blank booklet from the “autograph book” issued with each entrance ticket, intended to collect the signatures and drawings of the stars.