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The 1954 French flap:

The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.

October 1954, Louvroil, Nord:

Reference for this case: Oct-54-Louvroil.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.

Summary:

During the wave of reports of "flying saucers" sightings in France in the fall of 1954, the Press did not disdain to publish, or even make up, "edifying stories."

Thus in the local newspaper Liberté, Avesnes and Maubeuge issue in the Nord department, for October 31, 1954, it was said that "once", a sympathetic worker of Louvroil "tall like three apples" who wanted to make grown-ups laugh wanted to play "Martian", this new game he had learned about in the newspapers.

With "the few essential accessories", he dressed up in "Martian" fashion and headed for the coffe shops:

"Unperturbed, the owner of the tavern to which he had granted his first visit, asked him: 'What do you drink?' 'A glass of red wine', she heard as answer. Stupor, the Martian knew our languages ??and our wines?! Never mind, he continued his tour; more Martian than ever our hero performed a show of his composition in front of the monument to the Dead; a grumpy man took the thing very badly and threw a punch in his jaw. Our Martian, who knew a bit about our way of life, went to complain in... French to the police station. The most beautiful pranks on our earth sometimes end tragically."

The same story, more or less, was also published by the regional newspaper La Voix du Nord, local issue of Avesnes for October 31, 1954.

Reports:

[Ref. lib1:] NEWSPAPER "LIBERTE":

Scan.

THE "MARTIAN"
SPOKE OUR LANGUAGE

The time has come for the planet Mars and its saucers and other flying and smoking cigars: nothing like it to create a diversion; look up, we are told, and forget the earth, London and its agreements, Germany and its remilitarization, wages of famine and misery.

In truth, the saucers sometimes allow us to laugh a little: they allow the craziest fantasies which some happy young heroes of stories similar to the one we are going to tell you are fond of.

Once upon a time a gentle working man from Louvroil who wanted to make grown-ups laugh; was he taking himself seriously? No one knows: tall as three apples, he wanted to play "Martian", this new game he had learned in the newspapers, he took the few essential accessories, dressed in "Martian" fashion and began to wear it and started a tour of the coffee shops.

Imperturbable, the owner of the tavern to which he had granted his first visit, asked him: "What are you drinking?" "A glass of red wine," she heard him answer. Stupor, the Martian knew our languages ??and our wines?! Never mind, he continued his tour; more Martian than ever our hero performed a show of his composition in front of the monument to the Dead; a curmudgeon took the thing very badly and slammed a fist in his jaw. Our Martian, who knew a little about our way of life, went to complain in ... French to the police station. The most beautiful pranks on our earth sometimes end tragically.

Remember this story that made a city laugh and don't play Martian...

[Ref. vdn1:] NEWSPAPER "LA VOIX DU NORD":

Scan.

LOUVROIL

THE THIRTY-SIX STARS
OF THE MARTIAN PRANKSTER

We kept this story of the Martian of Louvroil for our readers' Sunday. And it will amuse a lot those "who do not believe in it", it will reassure the others.

One recent evening, "something" entered the town's café where an imposing municipal councilor sits imperturbably. This appearance, of small size, caused a moment of surprise among consumers that the owner nevertheless soon reassured with a: "Hey! Here's a Martian!"

Everyone, for a few weeks now, having a very personal image of the Martian, no client has denied these peremptory statements. The visitor also had the supposed characteristics of a supernatural and supraterrestrial being, with his tight cape, his big glasses, his feet half a league long, not to mention a belly of unusual prominence. His language was unknown. You could hardly tell if it was onomatopoeia or the deep sighs that betrays distressed hearts.

However, everything returned to clearly human proportions when the Martian was asked if he would "have a drink." The key phrase of the French vocabulary was very well understood by this hitherto undetermined being, who toasted generously at the counter. We had now recognized Dupont, this joker Dupont, who seemed to be having a good time amusing everyone after having worried them a little.

The rest was less cheerful for the "planetary" who wanted a little later to strike up a conversation with a walker. He was a North African who hadn't been frightened by all these stories of saucers, cigars and other flying melons. The reaction was immediate and unexpected: Dupont the Martian took an uppercut at the corner of his glasses which made him see all the stars in the sky.

And this is what you get with a simple idea to amuse one's fellow citizens. There are always some who don't like a joke and make it clear.

J.B.

Explanations:

Map.

Prank or journalistic invention.

Keywords:

(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)

Louvroil, Nord, prank, worker, invention, Martian, small

Sources:

[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.

Document history:

Version: Created/Changed by: Date: Change Description:
1.0 Patrick Gross October 30, 2020 First published.
1.1 Patrick Gross October 26, 2021 Addition [vdn1]. In the Summary, addition of the paragraphe "The same story..."

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