Henri et Tournée du Chat Noir

My friend Karen from NY reposted this youtube video on Facebook – Henri – le chat noir – the french existential cat. It is hilarious.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q34z5dCmC4M&w=510&h=289]

This video is getting viral now – at least according to Forbes’ “mon-dieux-save-us-from-the-existential-cat-video“.

Notice the graphic at the beginning of the video.  It is inspired by this 1896 poster from Paris for a cabaret started by Rodolphe Salis. This poster also appears during the video.

The creator of the Tournée du Chat Noir poster  – Theophile Steinlen – happened to be born in my neighborhood in Lausanne, Switzerland.

This is the original Henri video.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M7ibPk37_U&w=510&h=376]

There is a restaurant that is named Au Chat Noir at the location where presumably Steinlen was born or lived.

Sue bought this Chat Noir handbag hook (I think in Spain not France). She should use it at the restaurant.

Henri has a facebook page – Henri, le Chat Noir. I look forward eagerly for more of Henri’s ennui.

There was a little behind-the-scene video about Henri but it seems to have been taken down, presumably to preserve the mystique.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EHSQSF_QWI&w=510&h=376]

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