THE BISTRO
Mentor Huebner (c) 1962
Oil on European Painter's Board 22" X 26"

THE BISTRO

BY

The Bistro in this painting was our favorite hangout in Paris. Whatever happened to us, good or bad, whether we were tired or energized, we always had to stop there for coffee first, or we couldn't make it on to any other activity.

We were in Europe for two years. And we were on location for the film, "The Longest Day", long enough for us to have twins and long enough to have been bombed by terrorists in an open air market.

Mentor, was the only designer on the production, and created 4000 drawings for Darryl Zanuck, Fox Studios and the European and American Directors. Each of the Allied Forces was represented by a Director for their segment of the film.

I love to tell everyone, " Mentor designed the Normandy Invasion".

Prior to the ‘art department’ being sent to Corsica, where Mentor and the Directors and the rest of the crew lived for one month on a French aircraft carrier, and before it was moved to the Boulougne Studios, near our apartment in Saint Cloud, it had been on the Champs Elise's, squeezed into Darryl Zanuck's crowded office.

One June afternoon, while the art department was still in Paris, and we were still in our pre-twin stage, Mentor and I huddled with our small son on a tiny balcony outside the office's first floor windows, where we had a fantastic view of the Kennedy Motorcade.

Our son, excitedly jumped up and down waving a small American flag, as Mentor and I held our arms high our heads, and shouted, wildly, “ Yeah Kennedy! Yeah Kennedy! ”

JFK heard us and looked up. Seeing such a pathetic trio, alone outside an office window, and the only people on the outside wall of that building, he realized, at once, from our antics, that we were Americans. President Kennedy made eye contact with us, laughed and waved back. Jackie didn't.

After the auto parade was over and before the three of us could take one step out of the block and move on to Napoleon's Tomb, we stopped at our Bistro for coffee, and were greeted by smiling 'garcons', all nodding and chanting, “Kennedy. Kennedy. Kennedy.”

I personally, had never before and certainly have never since, felt as overwhelmingly patriotic as on that day of the Kennedy Motorcade, and that afternoon as we walked into our favorite Bistro.

It was rather nice.

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12 Paintings 12 Intimate Stories

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"MENTOR" Self Portrait Mentor Huebner (c) 1963 Oil on Masonite 30" X 24"	"MOJAVE GOLD" Mentor Huebner (c) 1953 Oil on Masonite 24" X 30"	" A PALACE OF FUN" Mentor Huebner (c) 1955 Oil on Masonite 24" X 30"
"THE BISTRO" Mentor Huebner (c) 1962 Oil on Painter's Board 22" X 26"	"SEXI BEACH BAR" Mentor Huebner (c) 1962 Oil on European Painter's Board 22" X 26"	"SAINT MARKS IN VENICE" Mentor Huebner (c) 1962 Oil on European Painter's Board 22" X 26"
"THE GRAND CANAL IN VENICE" Mentor Huebner (c) 1958 Oil on Masonite 24" X 30"	"THE FOREIGNER" Mentor Huebner (c) 1969 Oil on Masonite 24" X 30"	"HENRY FORD BRIDGE" Mentor Huebner (c) 1963 Oil on Masonite 24" X 30"
"MORTAL WOUND" Mentor Huebner (c) 1957 Oil on Masonite 24" X 30"	"BOURBON STREET" Mentor Huebner (c) 1953 Oil on Masonite 22" X 26"	"CALIFORNIA GOLD" Mentor Huebner (c) 1959 Oil on Masonite 30" X 24"