[DÉCOUVERTE] Soyez témoins ! | L'assassinat du roi Alexandre 1er de Yougoslavie
Summary
This France Culture episode features eyewitness accounts of the 1934 assassination of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia in Marseille. Journalist Clair Guyot and Fox Movietone cameraman Georges Méliès recount the chaotic scene, highlighting the lack of security and the immediate panic. They describe filming the attack, the king’s death, and the subsequent struggle to transport the historic footage abroad amidst intense media competition.
Topics discussed
Introduction: Witnesses of the King of Yugoslavia's assassination
Mr. Clercquillot's testimony: Fear of manifestations
The royal cortege and security arrangements in Marseille
The procession begins: Observations from the press
The assassination: Chaos and the King's fatal injuries
Aftermath: Official announcement and witness interrogation
Mr. Meja's arrival: Fox Movitan operators in Marseille
Filming the King: Positioning and technical preparations
Capturing the King's anxiety before the attack
The shooting: Meja's perspective and the assassin
Chaos, evacuation, and securing the film footage
Discovery of the assassin's weapon in a hotel fridge
Press logistics: Editing and transmitting the news
The funeral and a recollection of a colonel's advice
Listener testimony: Critique of security failures
Identifying suspects and the speed of news transmission
The fate of President Barthou and the confusion
The assassin's dual revolvers and the film's perilous transport
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