Laughing Torso

LAUGHING TORSO

the floor also. The actors were dressed in black.
The men wore black tights, and painted on the
tights were legs drawn in the style of the Sumerian
artists. I met afterwards Jean Hugo and told him
how much I admired the stage setting, especially
the legs. He explained to me that the actors3 legs
were so ugly he was forced to design new patterns
for them. The effect was startling and it was
almost impossible with the black tights against the
black background to see what shape they really
were. Yvonne George took the part of the nurse.
I had met her once or twice at F.'s house. I
will write a lot about her later on as she became
afterwards one of my best friends. She was a mar-
vellous actress and had one of the most expressive
faces that I have ever seen. The show was great fun.
I don't know what Shakespeare would have thought
of it. We went to the bar afterwards and I intro-
duced Konody to Gocteau and Yvonne. As we
were already in Montmartre I suggested that we
might do a tour of the night clubs. FVand R. came
with us to Zelli's in the Rue Fontaine. Jo Zelli is
an Italian and certainly has the night-club spirit*
There is a bar with high perches on which, nightly
and all night long, sit rows of drunks, mostly journal-
ists. Very few French people are to be found there.
There is a very large dancing hall with a negro band.
I had been there once before with the Princess Murat
and Lady Michelham. When I came with them Jo
Zelli rushed up to them and screamed at the waiter,
"Royal Box for the Princess59; I did not think
much about that and we sat down at a table. On