The Paramount of Georgetown                           De La Croix’s First Permanent Art Studio and Museum in the United States                                                                   Wisconsin Avenue, Georgetown, Washington, DC, USA

An Historical Perspective and a Tribute to de La Croix

 By Marinella Theodorakis

Established by the Karras family in 1946 as one of the oldest establishments in the Capital of the United States, The Paramount of Georgetown was bought by Maximillien de La Croix  de Lafayette, in 1990 and became its CEO and president in the same year. Under his unorthodox and unconventional leadership, The Paramount was destined to become a Washington’s landmark. And it did in less than 7 months!

As an aristocrat, a bon-viveur, a Parisian artist and entrepreneur extraordinaire, de La Croix gave  The Paramount a face-lift, a major social and artistic cosmetic surgery. He invested six million Dollars in this new project and did not care if The Paramount will generate profits or make him lose his shirt.  It had 3 spacious floors housing an international art show, French Cabaret acts, Opera performance, caviar, Champagne and Tournedos a La Princesse de Cleves. All under one roof. The genius of de La Croix amazed the Washingtonians, the international VIP patrons and made headlines in United States leading newspapers and magazines.

Eve Zibart of The Washington Post wrote in a Feature Article of the Weekend Edition about de La Croix’s Paramount: “The hottest spot in town, elegant, eclectic…The last refuge of the clever”. Details Magazine selected it as among the 300 best spots in America (Cover story). The Paramount has become a permanent gallery for famous artists and art as perfectly stated Martha Sherill in a 4 page article that appeared in the Style Section of The Washington Post and displaying de La Croix’s photograph on the front page of The Washington Post Style Section surrounded by a French countess and a crystal chandelier from La Boheme. I was a frequent visitor to The Paramount. It was really breathtaking place.

The art display included paintings by Boticelli, Caravagio, Houseman, Utrillo, Titian, many noted Renaissance and Baroque masters and Maximillien de La Croix. The Paramount was an oasis, a paradise for the residents of Georgetown as stated by Robert de Vaney in his article in The Georgetowner Magazine. This delightful madness and art-hospitality-fun-adventure-business empire lasted until 1992. Two years of pure magic, success, implosion and explosion of art, cabaret, life and social waves of people, patrons, artists, adventurers and mysteries. It was in that magical environment where de La Croix exhibited his work and made his grand entrance.

The world high society and America’s elite were the patrons of Maximillien’s delightful and mad creation. He loved it. He lived for it. He shared its moments and magic with friends, artists, philosophers, adventurers, mystics and half-crazy people like himself. The Paramount is gone now, so is Max or the “Great Mad Max” as his friends and the media called him. Maximillien’s paradise and museum was replaced by a shoe store. The magnificent 3 story building that once upon a time housed famous art and famous artists is currently an Iranian shoe store. The Paramount is gone but every body who is somebody or no body at all in Georgetown and the Nation’s Capital still remembers Maximillien de La Croix, the life and times he created. And so many things he created! From feeding the poor in the streets, to sheltering the homeless in his house, from performing on the Brazilian drums to creating and hosting the First Election /Beauty Pageant of Mrs. Washington in 1991, where of course, he was the president of the Beauty Contest Election Committee and Master of Ceremony.

Less than six months later, de La Croix came up with another and majestically crazier idea. He created “Le Marquis de Rochambeau” establishment! One of the most memorable and magnificent enterprises at many levels in America created by Maximillien and co-managed with giants in the industry such as Jacqueline Rodier, Pierre Robert, Kevin (Vahid) Jaffarieh, Jaco Hassanzadeh, Andre Duclos, Don Giovanni (Johnny O’), you name it, he had the best of the best in the business to watch over his business and empire.

De La Croix exhibited more than 50 of his original artwork at The Paramount for almost two consecutive years. Unfortunately, many of this splendid art were stolen or just vanished in thin air! And Maximillien had no regrets. Instead of complaining about the losses and other many mishaps in his life, Maximillien will gently whisper in your ears “Non, Rien De Rien, Non Je Ne Regrette Rien”, a famous song title by France’s great Edith Piaf. And talking about Edith Piaf, de La Croix was the first entrepreneur and showbiz producer to create a one hundred percent authentic Edith Piaf Cabaret Show in America by introducing and hiring for his establishment, the great vedette of the French song, Simone Marchand accompanied by France’s superb pianist Jean-Pierre Duclay, later to be followed by Frances sensation Jean-Luc Bruno of Paris and Duane Myers from the Opera at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.

THE MAN IS A GENIUS

A few years earlier, Maximillien wrote, directed and produced a world premiere musical melodrama “Marmara The Gypsy” at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC with a cast of 250 performers, dancers and singers which historically took place in Paris, France in 1942, bringing back the golden era of Montmartre, Rue Le Pic, Charles Trenet, Jean Cocteau, Danielle Darieux and the unforgettable Josephine Baker who was personalized in Maximillien’s play by an outstanding American stage performer Janice Price at the Kennedy Center accompanied by the accordion world and United States champion Marie-Rose Coppola. De La Croix’s art, plays and music were inspired by controversial events in his life, many ups and downs, world events, work by masters such as Georges Braques, Wassily Kandinsky, Pablo Picasso, Kassimir Malevich, Gino Severini, by writers and performers such as Sacha Guitry, Jean Cocteau, Emanuel Mounier, Marina Vlady, Simore Signoret, Gabriella Ferri, Xhatjidakis and many others.

The man is a genius! His art quality secured his place among the greatest cubist artists of our time. But what fascinates me more than his creativity, the 97 books and encyclopedias he wrote, IS his character. In other words, The Man Behind the Easel with a warm heart, daring thoughts, fanatic pursuit for justice, his goodness, his irresistible charming madness, legendary generosity and his “Non Rien De Rien, Je Ne Regrette Rien”.

Where is Maximillien de La Croix? I do not know. Nobody knows. He just vanished. I haven’t seen him in years. It seems like a century to me because I miss this man so much!

Marinella Theodorakis

References:

Encyclopedia Britannica/Books.com , The Washington Post , USA Today , The Georgetowner , Kennedy Center Stage Bill , Dramatists Guild of America , Marquis Who’s Who , Barnes and Noble , Washingtonian Magazine , Brooklyn Public Library , University of Virginia Libraries , The University of Hong Kong Libraries , Salon de L’Art Moderne