The New York herald., 1922-06-18
By BARRETT H. CLARK.


early in March, at the very
height of his powers, sitting
literally at work before his desk,
came suddenly and Unexpectedly
upon a city that Is by no means un-
used to shocks; but Paris spus
shocked. Bataille was in the midst
of one of his usual literary auarre,s
over the production of a new play
and the press was attacking and de-
Tending, while the dramatist himself
mingled in the fight in the best
French form. The author of "The
Torches" was by no means a popu-
lar personality. He was not a public
figure: he Stunned notoriety and
dreaded criticism that was not SYM
pathetic. He was wanting in those
gallant and ingratiating gestures
without which no one in France can
achieve real popularity.
But Paris was none the less
shocked: his enemies and those who
remained Indifferent realized that
French drama lost in him a powerful
artist Andre Antoine, the founder
OF the once celebrated Free Theater,
was by no means what We should
call a Bataille fan, but Antoine
wrote, two days after the dramatist's
death. that 'Bataille was scarcely
fifty. and in spite Of the variety and
richness Of the products he had al
ready left us, one cannot help think
ing what more might have been ex-
pected from such talent. Only a
few days ago he declared with his
usual courage and independence
. that he still had twenty years
ahead of him, and that he would in
time crush the resistance that SO an
noyed him."
The resistance to which Antoine
refers was simply unfavorable criti-
cism. In spite of nearly thirty years
In the theater. Bataille could never
bring himself to believe that the
critics were right; to him critic
sees either the truth (that the play
is good) or fails to see it
Henry Bataille's career began fair
Iy early. Born in 1872, he determined
at the age OF twenty to become a
painter and entered the Academic
Julian. He decided, however, that
literature was a better career. He
had attempted to write plays at
about this time. though nothing Is
known Of them. Antoine writes:
IT never met Bataille until re-
Gently. One day he told me that he
came to the rue Blanche with one
act play for the Theater libre. I
don't remember it. After
some years spent in drawing and
painting he went into literature.
That was the time of the beginning
of the Symbolist Movement. The
theater was considered an absolutely
inferior art by the youngsters.
Bataille took his first play, La Belle
au Bois Dormant to LugnePoe." :"
Antoine adds that this poetic drama
left him cold. But the next two plays.
la Lepreuse" and "Ton Sang"
made him regret that he had not
inscribed the young mans name in
his own Golden Book.
We are told that la Belle au Bois
Dormant" was Kissed by the audience
and damned by the press. and the
sensitive poet was so discouraged
that he practically determined TO
give up writing for the theater. II
was chance alone that made him a
dramatist, for the two plays TO
which reference has Just been made
would never have seen the footlights
had they not been demanded for the
occasion Of a benefit performance.
These plays were produced in 1896.
They were received with the utmost
enthusiasm. -Four years later he
wrote his first characteristically
modern play, "J'Enchantement."
Then aarao ord q