Willy,
You probably don’t remember this, but as a child I used to wander the halls of Paris Match on certain Thursdays. My mother was working there in the offices on the Rue Pierre Charron, and one time you gave me permission to come into the photography department.
In that room, saints stood shoulder-to-shoulder with saints: you, Pedrazzini, Roy, Saulnier, Camus and others. It gave me something to dream about.
I made myself as inconspicuous as possible and listened to your stories about women and stars.
You explained with a touch of humor how you managed to “seduce” Marilyn, Marlene, Joan and Brigitte into agreeing to the poses you’d though up.
During one of our lunches, you explained to me that I wasn’t “a real Match man” because I hadn’t married a model or a movie star like you did. Hey Willy, you forgot to mention that you lived with Dominique for 35 years, so I guess we’re tied!
Remember, Willy, that time when I was putting the finishing touches on one of my last issues for Match, and I woke you up at 2 in the morning so you could tell me the name of that art dealer who was friends with Edouard Stern, the banker who got murdered by his mistress in Geneva? You called him up, and the next day I walked into the office holding the only photos of the couple (to the dismay of our competition) and managed to get them in before the deadline.
That was a scoop.
Thanks for everything, Willy.
Didier Rapaud
PS – I hope you didn’t forget to take your camera. Where you’re going, there’s lots of women to seduce.
To See :
Willy Rizzo: Instantanés de stars published in the edition of 28.09.2011
Willy Rizzo Ode à la danse published in the edition of 15.12.2011
Willy Rizzo et sa tribu hollywoodienne published in the edition of 04.06.2012
São Paulo: Willy Rizzo published in the edition of 31.08.2012
Le Corbusier par Willy Rizzo published in the edition of 31.08.2012
Willy Rizzo: Funny Faces published in the edition of 26.09.2012
Willy Rizzo : Les plus belles femmes du monde published in the edition of 07.12.2012
