Swords at Lunchtime

Edouard Bourdet is director of the Theatre Franc,ais, better known as the Comedie Francaise, which is the haughtiest and most famous theatre in the world. Recently the Comedie Franchise was delighted to honor French Playwright Henry Bernstein's Judith. But not, in Bernstein's opinion, to rehearse it properly. Thereupon Bernstein naturally insulted Bourdet. Bourdet naturally challenged Bernstein to a duel. It was Bourdet's first, Bernstein's ninth.

Set for daybreak one morning last week in a Neuilly garden near Paris, the duel did not begin until lunchtime, because both swordsmen overslept. Arriving first, Bernstein found a policeman trying to forbid the encounter.* Said Bernstein, brushing him by: "You're not going to forbid anyone to do anything." As the challenged party, Bernstein had choice of weapons, chose epees; as winner of the toss, had choice of position, chose the sun at his back.

From the word Allez, 51-year-old Bourdet was fighting mad, lunged wildly at 61-year-old Bernstein's chest and abdomen. At first Bernstein took it easy, then gradually matched his opponent's aggressiveness, finally gave Bourdet a poke in the arm. This ended the fight. But not for Bourdet. Snapped he: "This is only a theatre duel." Begging in vain for another go, he finally strode fuming off the field, without shaking Bernstein's hand./-

Swordsman Bourdet is best known in the U. S. for his Lesbian play, The Captive, produced in Manhattan in 1927 and subsequently banned by the police. Swordsman Bernstein is best known for his play The Thief, which ran on Broadway for nine months in 1907-08, has been twice revived. His Melo, produced in Manhattan in 1931, was last year made into the cinema Dreaming Lips, starring Elisabeth Bergner.

*In the interest of public order; strictly speaking, dueling is not illegal in France.

/- In Havana last week Agustin Parla, noted Cuban flyer, and Jesus Gonzalez Scarpeta, newspaper writer, dueled with pistols as the result of an article written by Scarpeta. On their first shot, both men missed; on their second, Parla missed again, Scarpeta held his fire.

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