Habib Benglia (1895-1961) was a French actor from Algeria. He made himself famous at the theatre, and played in 25 films between 1926 and 1959. In Paris, he was quickly swept up by negrophilia, becoming a sexual icon at the cabarets and in the theatre. At the Folies-Bergère, he accompanied Josephine Baker on stage, wearing a short grass skirt to resemble her. The year before, Benglia had caused a sensation at the Folies by dancing with a white girl. J. A. Rogers, visiting Paris for the Amsterdam News, reported that this sight—'of a magnificent Senegalese Negro nude, save for a loin cloth, dancing with an equally striking white woman, similarly dressed'—had caused 'the crackers who are here in great numbers to gnash their teeth with rage... In the dance, the woman sat on his knee and caressed him. It sure made the Mason-Dixon folks mad...' (Josephine, p. 136). Here, Colin de-sexualizes Benglia by showing only his head above the neck—but he has imbued him with statuesque contours and a determined gaze, reflecting the common attribution that Benglia was like an ancient statue. Rare!
Imp. H. Chachoin, Paris
literature: Colin Affichiste, 69; PAI-LXXX, 27
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