Django, Baro, and Gangsters

François RAVEZ

I went to the address of what was La Lanterne and had an interesting experience. From the exterior the place looks like an abandoned store front. Looking inside (through breaks in the blinds) I was barely able to identify four or five doors, one right next to the other on either side of the hallway.

Hi Ted,

When did you visit the place? Are you speaking of the shop on the left or on the right of the door with n°19?
What you have seen seems to indicate that the place had been turned into a 'telephone by Internet' shop a kind of business which flourished a while ago but that almost disappeared as anyone can do it at home now with a webcam in addition.

Best

François

François RAVEZ

Avenue Frochot today and a plaque at No 6 to our hero saying he lived there. Other notable people also lived there.

Among the notable people who lived there are : Alexandre Dumas, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec who had his artist's studio, cineast Jean Renoir and french singer and musician Patrick Hernandez who composed the famous disco hit 'Born to be Alive' (for which he daily receives $1000 of royalties) .

There is a legend about the house at n° 1 which is supposed to be a haunted house (two maids were slaughtered with a cudgel) and under a malediction (two of its owners died of Charcot disease, various others moved quickly from it).

Django lived at n°6, that's where Babik was born. Django's impresario Daidy (Andrée) Davis-Boyer lived next door. She told Yves Salgues how Naguine was holding Babik wrapped in a bed sheet in the same hand that she was holding the baby bottle and a Gauloise cigarette in the other hand and 6 or 7 gypsies heavily smoking around her.

On the left of the entrance of Avenue Frochot there is a building with a great stained glass (see photo). It was called 'Le Central', a former 'maison close' (a brothel). At the time of Django it had been turned into a Gambling Cercle. Probably another good reason for him to live in Avenue Frochot. Now it is called Villa Frochot and you can get an idea of what it looks like inside here :
http://www.lieuxdemotions.fr/lieux/villa-frochot/
It seems to still retains a strong 30's aspect. I can remember that when I was young this gambling place had a very bad reputation.

The other good reason for Django to live here was, as Teddy said the proximity, of the metro Pigalle. On this rare colour photo of place Pigalle in 1944 you can see under the big poster for the movie a small door. This back exit was probably the one used by Django to rush down in the métro stairs to find shelter at the slightest alert of aerial bombing.

There was also, according to Hervé Le Boterf in his 'La Vie Parisienne Sous l'Occupation', another reason for Django to move to Pigalle : he owed too much money to people in Champs-Elysées where he previously lived.

Best

François RAVEZ

Teddy Dupont

Here is a bigger copy of the Place Pigalle colour photo from 1944. Lucienne Delyle and Aimé Barelli performing at Le Chapiteau.

Svanis1337

Hahaha, nice try Teddy! It made me chuckle. :giggle: That was sneaky!

Teddy Dupont

You noticed? I doubted whether anyone would. :clap:

Teddy Dupont

I have been talking to Jon Larsen who says the family now says the surname should be written as Ferré even for Baro, Matelo and Sarane. Boulou and Elios have always been Ferré to me but after seeing it as Ferret for 60 years, I have real trouble suddenly changing the spelling for their father and uncles.

François RAVEZ

You noticed? I doubted whether anyone would.

I've got it!
Teddy you can't put an old head on Young shoulders

François RAVEZ

However the name sometimes appears as Ferré on some documents, especially by the end of 40's-beginning of 50's.

VeedonFleece

Teddy Dupont wrote: »

You noticed? I doubted whether anyone would. :clap:

It's the birth of a whole new genre: 'Où est Django?' :party:

A Gent

Fascinating article - thank you for posting.

Out of interest, what was Baro sent to prison for? Has anyone ever researched the court records or any police files kept on him?