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The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Season 2 Episode 16

Paris, September 1908

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 6/19/93

Young Indy meets the iconic artists Norman Rockwell, Pablo Picasso, George Braque, Edgar Degas and Henri Rousseau in Paris.

Fan Episode Reviews (1)

Indy learns about art from the famous artist Picasso!

8.7

By pferreira86, Jul 16, 2009

Oh, are we in for a good episode. Viewers might like to know that this episode was re-edited in 1996 to form the second part of the TV movie 'Passion for Life'. As you'll see in my review that's not the only interesting thing I noticed. More on that soon.

Indy's with his family in Paris, France sightseeing. However, Miss Seymour is determined to use this time to educate the young man much to his disappointment. When his parents leave for a couple of days Indy escapes his tutoring to see Paris in more detail. An aspiring teenage artist Norman Rockwell shows Indy the real culture France is famous for and soon they both find themselves helping a frustrated Pablo Picasso produce a perfect piece of art to rival Edgar Degas. Can Indy help when an increasingly suspicious Miss Seymour is tracking his whereabouts?

I'm sure if you've read my other reviews you can see how bewildered but amazed I am that one week they'd air an episode with an eight year old adventure seeking Indy and then the next week the network would show an episode with a teenage Indy fighting in World War One. Needless to say the audience were confused by this foolhardy approach to Indiana Jones and the ratings of course suffered. Now imagine you show an episode where a teenage Indy is apparently good friends with the famous artist Picasso and then some weeks later show an episode where an eight year old Indy meets him for the first time. Of course 'The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles' got cancelled. I would just like to point out how I admire this bravery in storytelling. It doesn't make sense but it forces the viewer to join the pieces of Indiana Jones life together. George Lucas later re-edited the stories into a more understandable continuity so there shouldn't be any confusion if you're watching this on video or DVD. But it's still an amazing way to make a television series. Having met the renowned Pablo Picasso young Indy begins to realise the guy isn't exactly working with all paintbrushes. You see when you have someone like Picasso who continually plots against other artists, steals other people's girlfriends, hosts wild parties and fires a gun every time he disagrees with something you know he's not going to be the easiest of people to get along with. The guy is clearly insane although you could make the argument that all genius is driven by insanity. Picasso is looking for inspiration. He desperately needs a painting that will make his main competitor Edgar Degas look amateurish. He needs something original but so far his collaboration with Braque hasn't produced any results. One thing this episode excels in is atmosphere. In helping this crazy painter Indy and Rockwell discover an underground culture of seedy clubs where men secretly meet up to challenge or argue with each other about their careers. It's a hidden Paris that comes alive on screen. Actually, pretty much everything comes alive on screen whether it's the aforementioned parties; smoke filled club interiors or the jolly and merry French exterior locations. Finding out Picasso is going to have one of his wild parties Indy can't resist. If only it wasn't for Miss Seymour who doesn't have the word 'entertainment' on her teaching agenda. Indy waits it out which leads to arguably the funniest scene in the whole TV series where Miss Seymour finds Indy in a little makeshift bed in the closet with both people terrified to see each other. The acting is very good, especially Danny Webb playing Picasso. Webb brings a total frustrated insanity to the role and when he's on screen there can be no doubt you're watching an arrogant genius that craves attention. If there is a flaw in the episode it's the ending where everything sort of fizzles out. Miss Seymour arrives and Rockwell gets Picasso out of his predicament by conveniently inventing cubism. The audience doesn't see the end coming with the finale definitely in need of some tweaking.

So Indy has made some interesting friends and learned that the key to innovation lies in expressing the human soul or perhaps in the case of Picasso should that be twisting it? A fun, funny and an insightful look at the historical competition between some of the world's most famous artists.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Corey Carrier	Young Henry "Indiana" Jones, Jr. at age 8-10
Sean Patrick Flanery	Young Henry "Indiana" Jones, Jr. at age 16-20
George Hall	Dr. Henry â€œIndianaâ€ Jones, Jr. at age 93

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Danny Webb	Pablo Picasso	Guest Star
Lukas Haas	Norman Rockwell	Guest Star
Jean Pierre Aumont	Edgar Degas	Guest Star
Margaret Tyzack	Helen Seymour	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (1)
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- Non-fiction characters appearing in this episode:
  
  Norman Rockwell - 20th century painter and illustrator (1894-1978)
  
  Edgar Degas - A French artist famous for his work in painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing (1834-1917)
  
  Pablo Picasso - Spanish painter, draughtsman, and sculptor (1881-1973)
  
  Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler - Art historian, an art collector and one of the premier French Art dealers of the 20th century, he was among the first champions of Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque and Cubism (1884-1979)
  
  Georges Braque - Major 20th century French painter and sculptor who developed cubism with Picasso (1882-1963)
  
  Gertrude Stein - An American writer who became a catalyst in the development of modern art and literature (1874-1946)
  
  Alice Toklas - Life partner of Gertrude Stein (1877-1967)
  
  Fernande Olivier - Bohemian artist, model in many of Picasso's Rose period paintings, and his lover (1881-1966)
  
  Henri Rousseau - French Post-Impressionist painter (1844-1910)
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QUOTES (0)
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NOTES (3)
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- In the original broadcast when Fernande Olivier poses nude for Picasso actress Nathalie Cardone's rear was censored by digitally blocking her behind with a desk corner. The re-edited TV movie Passion for Life uses the original uncensored shot.
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- This episode is included on Volume 1 Disc 2 of the DVD collection. The companion documentaries are on disc 3, and they include:
  -Theodore Roosevelt and the American Century
  -Ecology - Pulse of the Planet
  -American Dreams - Norman Rockwell and the Saturday Evening Post
  -Art Rebellion - The Making of the Modern
  -Edgar Degas - Reluctant Rebel
  -Braque, Picasso - A Collaboration Cubed
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- Part 2 of the video Passion for Life with British East Africa, September 1909.
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