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Remembering Edith Piaf the Little Sparrow: La Vie en Rose By
Arnie Greenberg (Pictured above, a scene from the Olivier Dahan film, La Vie en Rose) I've walked the streets of Belleville, looking for the places where Edith Piaf once lived and sang. I've searched the Pere Lachaise Cemetery for her last resting place. I've listened for years to her birdlike shrill voice. I've felt the words that she sang so often: "Non, je ne regrette rien"… (No I don't regret anything). But I regret that I was born too late and in the wrong place to have seen her. Seeing Her Not in a Dream... But I did see her last night. No, not in a dream or in a mysterious resurrection. Last night I attended the Canadian opening of the Olivier Dahan film La Vie en Rose, and I was swept away by a portrayal of the Sparrow that captured, for me, my dream to see what is as close as one can of the lady herself. Thanks to the incredible and electrifying portrayal by the 32-year-old Parisian actress, Marion Cotillard, the great singer-performer stood before me. I was drawn into the misery and tumultuous world that young Edith grew up in, including her uncaring mother who abandoned her, the period she toured with her father, who was a circus performer, the years of her blindness and growth in show business from street singer, to music hall performer, to world-class star.
(The grave of Edith Piaf at the Pere Lachaise Cemetery) This was a woman who sang on street corners, slept in alleyways and cheap hotels, until, at nineteen, she was discovered by nightclub impresario Louis Leplee. It was he who gave her the name Edith Piaf as she was small but with a strong voice, like a sparrow. Marion Cotillard's Wonderful Portrayal One must see the wonderful portrayal of Edith by Marion Cotillard. There is only praise from this writer of the performance of this actress. You watch Edith suffer and grow, only to die all in a short span, as Piaf died before she was 50. She had tried to perform at the Paris Olympia, although her strength was gone and she collapsed on stage. Within eighteen months she was dead. Her cancer-ridden body was smuggled back to Paris from the South of France, near Cannes, secretly so her fans would believe she died in Paris. Her funeral was attended by about 40,000 fans, and traffic was blocked throughout the city as cars came to a complete standstill. Because of her lifestyle, the Archbishop of Paris denied her a Mass, but the funeral itself was an outpouring of sorrow for the tiny waif who had captured the hearts of people the world over. During her life she began a world tour and became an international celebrity. On that tour she was injured in an automobile accident. The result was a lifelong dependency to morphine. Her great love was the Moroccan boxer and world champion, Marcel Cerdan, but he was killed in an airplane crash. She married singer Jacques Pills in 1952 but divorced him in 1956. In 1962 she married singer/actor Theo Sarapo, with whom she stayed until her death. Some of the more famous songs Piaf made popular were Padam Padam, Milord, Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien, La Vie en Rose, Hymne a L'Amour and Les Trois Cloches. A Pilgrimage to the District Where She Grew Up Today I continue my pilgrimage to the district she grew up in, her last resting-place and the small museum dedicated to her not far from the Bastille on rue Crespin du Gast. It's
not easy to find but well worth it. If you get in touch with the director, he
will make an appointment for your visit. He will also give you instructions and
the access code to get into the building. Edith Piaf was a very small woman. Even Marcel Cerdan's boxing gloves are on display. It is a unique collection made possible through the efforts of the 6,000 members of "Les Amis de Edith Piaf" and their director Bernard Marchois. Edith had many friends, including Marlene Deitrich, Jean Cocteau and Maurice Chevalier. She acted in films, and some say she was responsible for the rise to fame of Yves Montand. See the Movie First There is no admission charge to the museum. But before you go, visit your local movie theatre for the treat of the year for those who ever admired France's favorite singer, the Little Sparrow. Edith Piaf was alive again last night, even if for only a short time, thanks to a talented actress named Marion Cotillard and a wonderful supporting cast, including Gerard Depardieu. After the film, I returned to my collection of Piaf discs. Not that I really needed a reminder of the greatness of this tiny waif. Musee
Edith Piaf, 5 rue Crespin du Gast, 75011 Paris.
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