A documentary retraces the historic moments of L’Olympia for its 130th anniversary

Paul McCartney moved, Jacques Brel given a standing ovation in a bathrobe: L'Olympia is told in a documentary on Canal for its 130th anniversary, between strong archives and rare testimonies, such as that of Jean-Louis Aubert, king of freeloaders before the success with Telephone.

These images have entered the history of the Olympia in particular and the music hall in general. Cameras were rolling in the famous Parisian hall with red letters on October 28 and 29, 1966 to immortalize Jacques Brel's farewell, even if it was not his last formal concert. The singer of Mathilde will return seven times - including in a big striped bathrobe - to greet the audience between the curtains who remain to give him a standing ovation.

This is a sequence that we see in L'Olympia du rêve à la scène, a documentary directed by Agathe Lanté, created by Canal, broadcast on this channel and in replay on myCANAL. These moments have traveled the world but are accompanied by lesser known testimonies. Like that of Marilyn, emblematic waitress at the artists' bar, near the dressing rooms and not accessible to the public, a place which now bears her name. This woman with thick-rimmed glasses remembers that Brel “vomited with stage fright” every time before entering the stage. Episodes which date back to the glorious days of Bruno Coquatrix, general director from 1954 to 1979, who remained in the legend.

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Paul McCartney, who had seen others with the Beatles, was caught by the cameras, very moved, when he returned to sing Blackbird, to the cheers of the crowd, during a solo concert in 2007. The best anecdotes come from Jean-Louis Aubert. The singer confesses that, in his younger years, he had fun entering without paying through “the air ducts” with his friends. Spotted one day by the police on the roofs, he accidentally crosses a glass roof. And still manages to enter the room, his face bloodied. People in the audience congratulate him on his makeup because, that evening, on stage, there is Kiss, a legendary heavy metal band, whose bassist enjoys spitting fake hemoglobin.

The emotional sequence goes to Patrick Ullmann, known as the photographer of L'Olympia, who was literally part of the walls. Bruno Coquatrix left him the keys and even set up his room in an unoccupied space under the stage. Patrick Ullmann evokes Edith Piaf, during one of her last appearances, “a little candle that will go out” before entering the stage and being reborn in front of a sobbing audience. The Olympia has been owned by the Vivendi group (which includes Canal) since 2001.

The documentary L'Olympia from dream to stage will be broadcast on Canal on December 20 and 26.