Pierre Boulat
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Hotel Beau séjour
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Hotel Beau Séjour, on the Montagne Ste Geneviève in Paris is more than 4 centuries old. It is the cheapest hotel in France. 12 tiny rooms with very few furniture. No running water, central heating, telephone or anyone to help for the cleaning or service. But,it is the most looked for by foreign artists arriving in Paris. The only way to get a room there is to be an artist recomanded to the owner Madame Marabelle by an other artist, a former customer. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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A former house keeper, Madam Marabelle bought the hotel for 40 000 francs in 1930. She puts a point not to rent her rooms to any one but foreign artists, who very often can not manage to pay their bill at the end of their stay. Here, she is washing her laundry on the sidewalk. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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A former house keeper, Madam Marabelle bought the hotel for 40 000 francs in 1930. She puts a point not to rent her rooms to any one but foreign artists, who very often can not manage to pay their bill at the end of their stay. Her housing is not better than her customers'. Here she is getting warm next to a poële in her room. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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A former house keeper, Madam Marabelle bought the hotel for 40 000 francs in 1930. She puts a point not to rent her rooms to any one but foreign artists, who very often can not manage to pay their bill at the end of their stay. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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A former house keeper, Madam Marabelle bought the hotel for 40 000 francs in 1930. She puts a point not to rent her rooms to any one but foreign artists, who very often can not manage to pay their bill at the end of their stay. On the wall of her office the fees and the "declaration of the strangers" which is usually hanged in all the hotels of France, a map of Paris and a map of France. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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A former house keeper, Madam Marabelle bought the hotel for 40 000 francs in 1930. She puts a point not to rent her rooms to any one but foreign artists, who very often can not manage to pay their bill at the end of their stay. Under a very rough and autoritarian look, she hides a heart of gold and is very helpful. "I am a unique piece" she says -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 3 - Jeanne Press She is the only one in the hotel who is not an artist. She has been living here for 10 yearsn, in a room 3 meters square and makes her living as a worker in Plexiglass Alsthom factory in Colombes. A 9 hours long stressing day, standing up while cleaning the plexiglass. Here she is putting some lipstick in front of a mirror, before going to work. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 3 - Jeanne Press She is the only one in the hotel who is not an artist. She has been living here for 10 yearsn, in a room 3 meters square and makes her living as a worker in Plexiglass Alsthom factory in Colombes. A 9 hours long stressing day, standing up while cleaning the plexiglass. Before going to work she is desparatly looking for a handkechief in her small wooden cupboard where there is a discouraging mess. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 3 - Jeanne Press She is the only one in the hotel who is not an artist. She has been living here for 10 yearsn, in a room 3 meters square and makes her living as a worker in Plexiglass Alsthom factory in Colombes. A 9 hours long stressing day, standing up while cleaning the plexiglass. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 3 - Jeanne Press She is the only one in the hotel who is not an artist. She has been living here for 10 yearsn, in a room 3 meters square and makes her living as a worker in Plexiglass Alsthom factory in Colombes. A 9 hours long stressing day, standing up while cleaning the plexiglass. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 5 - Juanita Page and Charles Teasdale. They both are coming out of psychiatric hospital. He is 22 years old, she 23. He does ceramic and poetry, she makes industrial design for printed dresses that make them earn some money so they can continue to work their design, their painting. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 5 - Juanita Page and Charles Teasdale. They both are coming out of psychiatric hospital. He is 22 years old, she 23. He does ceramic and poetry, she makes industrial design for printed dresses that make them earn some money so they can continue to work their design, their painting. He usually stays in bed long after Juanita has had her coffee. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 5 - Juanita Page and Charles Teasdale. They both are coming out of psychiatric hospital. He is 22 years old, she 23. He does ceramic and poetry, she makes industrial design for printed dresses that make them earn some money so they can continue to work their design, their painting.They both look through the window a grey sky which does not encourage them to go out in the cold. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 5 - Juanita Page and Charles Teasdale. They both are coming out of psychiatric hospital. He is 22 years old, she 23. He does ceramic and poetry, she makes industrial design for printed dresses that make them earn some money so they can continue to work their design, their painting. Every morning Juanita wash with icy water she gets from the unique fountain of the hotel. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 6 : Tyyne Talvo, 25 years old, from Finland She came in Paris to improve her technic in ballet pointe. Everyday she goes from 11.00 am until 2.00 pm in Wacker studio, to work with Nora Kiss and the greatest ballet dancers in the world. On her room's walls some lithographs made by her friend Tuulikki, to illustrate a book that she plans to publish on the hotel. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 6 : Tyyne Talvo, 25 years old, from Finland. She came in Paris to improve her technic in ballet pointe. Everyday she goes from 11.00 am until 2.00 pm in Wacker studio, to work with Nora Kiss and the greatest ballet dancers in the world. For her last evening in Paris she asked Madame Marabelle and her friend Tuulikki for diner with champagne under her dancing suits drying on a string. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 6 : Tyyne Talvo, 25 years old, from Finland. She came in Paris to improve her technic in ballet pointe. Everyday she goes from 11.00 am until 2.00 pm in Wacker studio, to work with Nora Kiss and the greatest ballet dancers in the world. At Nora Kiss's, Tyyne Talco meets dancers from the Marquis de Cuevas' ballet troop. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 8 - Bruno Diemer This german painter, 28 years old, was an officer in the Luftwaffe. He has exhibited his work in numerous parisian salons with very good critics, but still can't make his living with his painting. Bruno chats with a friend, while working. sometimes he to ask what they think about his work. Sometimes he condescends to ask an opinion on what he does. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 8 - Bruno Diemer This german painter, 28 years old, was an officer in the Luftwaffe. He has exhibited his work in numerous parisian salons with very good critics, but still can't make his living with his painting. He sometime uses George Sinclair's girlfriend as a model. He always work hard. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 8 - Bruno Diemer This german painter, 28 years old, was an officer in the Luftwaffe. He has exhibited his work in numerous parisian salons with very good critics, but still can't make his living with his painting. He sometime uses George Sinclair's girlfriend as a model. He always work hard. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room numb er 9 - George Sinclair, a US music composer 32 years old. He sings in the Choir of The american student's Social Center Music Group. He also is a reader for the Seuil book publisher and once in a while participates to the translation of novels and other works. In his room he is training and works the movements of his lips in front of the mirror of his cupboard who is also reflecting the petrol lamp and a painting by Bruno Diemer. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 9 - George Sinclair, a US music composer 32 years old. He sings in the Choir of The american student's Social Center Music Group. He also is a reader for the Seuil book publisher and once in a while participates to the translation of novels and other works. George Sinclair has an existentialist friend, 20 years old, Denise. She comes to see him everyday and they both spend their time sitting on the coach and discussing during hours while smoking like mad. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 10 -Chambre n° 10 - Raphael de Leon This mexican came to Paris to find a way of living, an atmosphere, a climate which could help him find his way. He started learning piano, then painting, then dramatic Arts, but finally gave up. Having not found what he was looking for he plans to go home soon now. His room is just like a prison cell, hardly two steps large. He is making his laundry with the icy water coming from the only fountain in the hotel. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 10 -Chambre n° 10 - Raphael de Leon This mexican came to Paris to find a way of living, an atmosphere, a climate which could help him find his way. He started learning piano, then painting, then dramatic Arts, but finally gave up. Having not found what he was looking for he plans to go home soon now. His room is just like a prison cell, hardly two steps large. Bruno Diemer and George Sinclair are chatting with him, through the bars of his" cell". -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 11 - Richard Guston He is swedish journalist,working for a swedish press agency. He is not as poor as the other customers but wanted to live in the same hotel he was living when student at the french Sorbonne. He works a lot, surrounded by piles of magazines and newspapers, his feet on the low table, in front of his typing machine, just like a typical american journalist. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 11 - Richard Guston He is swedish journalist,working for a swedish press agency. He is not as poor as the other customers but wanted to live in the same hotel he was living when student at the french Sorbonne. Richard Guston is in love with a young french girl Lucette Buisson, working for a US travel agency. They met at the Cité Universitaire ball, three years ago, when he was still a student. She comes to visit him 4 times a week. They keep fighting all the time but get along very well together. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 12 - Joe Hedlund 17 years old, the son of a swedish builder. He does not speak a word of french and new nobody when he arrived in Paris where he was planning to study painting. He met some country fellows, who introduced him to Madame Marabelle. Every morning he goes to work to the Grande Chaumière, well covered, with his painting box and his sketchbook under the arm. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 12 - Joe Hedlund 17 years old, the son of a swedish builder. He does not speak a word of french and new nobody when he arrived in Paris where he was planning to study painting. He met some country fellows, who introduced him to Madame Marabelle. From 9.00 am until noon he studies drawing and painting at the Grande Chaumière, where he is the youngest student. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 12 - Joe Hedlund 17 years old, the son of a swedish builder. He does not speak a word of french and new nobody when he arrived in Paris where he was planning to study painting. He met some country fellows, who introduced him to Madame Marabelle. Joe takes his lunch everyday with the "tramps" rue Mouffetard. He toasts with them, Jacques Bord and the old Louise Makaf with wine, him with only water. The old Louise keeps talking but Joe does not understand a word of what she tells him about her life. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 12 - Joe Hedlund 17 years old, the son of a swedish builder. He does not speak a word of french and new nobody when he arrived in Paris where he was planning to study painting. He met some country fellows, who introduced him to Madame Marabelle. Fast cleaning and drink at the only water fountain, next to the entrance door of the hotel. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 12 - Joe Hedlund 17 years old, the son of a swedish builder. He does not speak a word of french and new nobody when he arrived in Paris where he was planning to study painting. He met some country fellows, who introduced him to Madame Marabelle. Joe tries not to light his radiator, in order to save money and has he is freezing he keeps his jacket all the time while at home. At night he writes to his parents, under the petrol light and eating a small cheese sandwich. -
Hotel Beau séjour
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Room number 12 - Joe Hedlund 17 years old, the son of a swedish builder. He does not speak a word of french and new nobody when he arrived in Paris where he was planning to study painting. He met some country fellows, who introduced him to Madame Marabelle. Joe sometime goes to room number 11, to talk with Richard Guston and ask him advises. As they speak the same language, they became friends and the journalist is keeping an eye on him.
Hotel Beau Séjour, place de la Contrescarpe
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Four centuries old, the hotel was, when Pierre Boulat shot the story in 1953 , the cheapest in France.
12 narrow rooms, basically furnished, without running water, central heating, or telephone and no one to clean or help. But it was also the most looked for by foreign artists arriving in Paris. In fact, the only way to get a room there, was to be an artist recommanded to the owner, Madame Marabelle, by another artist who would have stay there before.
She had been a house keeper and bought the hotel in 1930 for a pittance. She persisted only to rent to foreign artists – Swedish, American, German, Mexican, British – and ledded her business with a stick. In that Babel Tower, she officiated as full-time stepmother, occasionally confidente and sometimes even art critic when the settlement of the notes depended on the sale of a canvas. But under an authoritarian initially surly and voluntarily, she hid a heart of gold. It was a cheep story of hate and love.
