They were born the same year, one in Manosque, the other in Aubagne. The two giants of Provençal literature maintained a respectful friendship for a time. Until Giono took offense at the way Pagnol brought his novels to the screen and attacked him on copyright issues. The affair will bring them before the courts in 1941… which will have great difficulty deciding between them.
The story goes that Marcel Pagnol discovered the writings of Jean Giono on a train, returning from Brussels. To deceive time, the Aubagnais who is working on his first film (Mr. Poirier’s Son-in-lawwell forgotten since then and taken from a play by Jules Sandeau and Émile Augier) bought an issue of The New French Review. His attention is attracted by a piece of news, The Baker’s Wife. It is taken from John the Blueto be published by Grasset. Two days later, Marcel Pagnol left the publisher with the film rights to Giono’s five books published on rue des Saints-Pères: Hills, Regain, One of Baumugnes, The Star Serpent et John the Blue.
