Yves SALGUES "La Légende de Django"

François RAVEZ

Hi everybody,

In relation with another topic on this forum (namely the thread by Dennis CHANG about the meaning of Django's name) I wanted to check some information and only had available at this time the pdf of 'La Légende de Django' by Yves SALGUES.

There are some anecdotes that are not found elsewhere and often very small details are mentionned (like for instance the name of the guy who indicates to Jack Hilton where Django is [Bobby Laplaze] or what Django's mother was cooking the day when Guérino came to their caravan [rabbit with noodles]).

Sometimes there are mistakes in the names (the xylophone virtuoso Carlito instead of Cariolato or Madame Frankie instead of Madame Franchi [aka Lulu de Montmartre]). It seems to indicate that Yves Salgues has collected some direct testimonies.

I don't want to use the word questionnable (hi Scott ;>)) but I would like to know if someone has more information on this text and how Salgues obtained such detailed anecdotes. It was written in 1957-58 so rather soon after Django's death. Yves Salgues was a journalist who also wrote a biography of french singer Serge Gainsbourg. Salgues was addicted to heroin since the end of the 40's but that is not a reason why we should not trust him.

Best

François RAVEZ

PapsPier

In the biography of Gainsbourg by Salgues I have noticed the same thing: strange details... Perhaps they are not true (or at least not verified) but they are plausible and, in my opinion, they contribute to the atmosphere, to describe the characters.