Punch (80.1881)

May 28, 1881.]

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

241

PARIS: SALON AND THEATRES.

"Pabjgi! O car a"—0 dear Paris! Yes, not dearer than London,
and -what matter when we had determined to give Burlington House
Academy a rest and to let the gay Parisians flash on us for few brief
moments like bright ap-Parisians in their own
Elysian Fields P

Two francs in the morning to see the Salon.
This keeps it select, cool, and comfortable up to
midday, when in comes the crowd which gives
a franc opinion. The Authorised Salon Cata-
logue, illustrated, is most inter-
esting as a memorial of the visit.
Why does not our Academy do
likewise ? Is it because there is
a difficulty of selection ? If so,
how is this overcome by the
Committee of the Paris Salon ?
Mr. Henry Blackburn's Aca-
Au Cafe de la Paix. demy Notes supplies a want;

but an authorised edition, care-
fully got up, and on sale at the opening of the Aca-
demy, might be a valuable work of Art in itself.
Let us take the first morning at the Salon:—
No. 911. Foubeiit. _ La Source. "Not 'Sauce,' "

said'Arry ; "it's chic." Any visitor referring to '■--——I

the original will see that we have added a little dress- No. 911.
ing of our own to this Source.

No. 1123. Heill. Un Suicide par Amour. A young lady who
has evidently "thrown herself away." The dress is rather short,

and she is only waiting for a train to finish
it. But why not " Entrainee" ? That
would have been the simpler title.

No. 1126. Hexner. Saint Gerome.
It seems to have been suggested by
Gounod's " Funeral March of a Ma-
rwhctte" — this being the Marionette
at its very last kick. This exactly
describes Mr. Hennee's view of what
Saint Jerome ought to have been, only
No. 1123. in a Henner-vated condition. Whether

the Artist is quite right, "according to
Cocker," as the saying is, we
don't know; but of course it is
correct according to Henner.
Woa, Eenner !

Advice to those who will pro-
bably be in Paris for the Grand
Prix:—Don't fail to see Les
Poupees de V Enfante at the
Folies Dramatiques. It will, of
course, be done in London, but
it never can be played and sung No. 1126.

so perfectly as it is here. Mile.

Simon-Gerard as Mariana, and Mile. Frandin as her lover, Manoel,
are the most fascinating pair we've seen for some time. Les Poupees
is void of all offence, and is far better in every way,—this important
particular included,—than La Mascotte at the Bouffes.
We will now pay our second visit to the Salon :—
No. 1212. Jazet. Le Boute-selle._ " Shall I give you a lift ? "
or, The Merciful Man is merciful to his Beast. It shows how a horse
may be elevated by a couple of hands.

*7

No. 1212. No. 1396.

.No. 1396. Lehoux (P.-A.-P.) H. C. It is called Mars, but the

Acrobatic Professor and his trained troupe of performing birds and
animals. He carries a property-head for some particular Circus
business, in a trick to be called " Two Heads better than One."

No. 1517. Manet. Portrait de M. Pertuiset, le Chasseur de
Lions. It's a wonderful picture this. The artful lion lying behind
the tree in a dog-sleep is just going
to show M. Pertuiset what it is to
be a Chasseur de Lion. An immor-
tal work—c'est d dire "Litera 'picta'
Manet." But we wouldn't recom-
mend such a lion as M. Manet to
put himself within range of Le
Chasseur's gun.

No. 1823. Perret (A.) Ex. Le
Semeur; i. <?., The Sower. We have

seldom seen a so-so-er picture, but j ^^'^^^P^^i

as this is a Sower subject with the L_______„__fS^ '•

Artist, we will only say that if we No. 1517.

had had to describe the picture

without any guide-book, we should have
said it represented '' a man practising
roundhand bowling in an open field,
while his wife in the distance urges
forward the wild career of a perambu-
lator." The title in English would
have been " Tom Bowling." (N.B. Not
" Tom Bowles" of Vanity Fair, whose
portrait is in our Academy.)

Those whom Providence has blessed
with affluence, we strongly recommend
No. 1823. to take seats at the Francais for Ze

Monde ou Von s'ennuie. The Comedy
is mainly a satire on a clique-ish Mutual-Admiration Section of
Society formed of pseudo-philosophers, men and women of
"culture," neglected poets, gushing journalists, interested toadies
and the uninteresting but influential toadied, of which the very
counterpart probably exists in every great capital. We certainly
have it here, both with the Pseudo-iEsthetics and Pseudo-
Scientists ; the former, on account of their high-art absurdities in
manner and costume, being more en evidence among ourselves just
now than the other idiots, who of the two are perhaps the most mis-
chievous. The tendency of the Pseudo-Esthetes, chez nous, is towards
the cultivation of a sickly sentimental paganism; while that of the
Pseudo-Scientists is towards a stupid, contemptuous, self-satisfied
materialism. It is difficult to satirise the latter on the stage ; they are
easier dealt with in a book. Of plot Le Monde oil Von s'ennuie
has very little. The original cast, with Coquelin in it—he is away
now—was perfect, with the exception that M. Delaunay has more
the air of a "got-up" old beau than of a veritable jeune premier.
Yet, for how many years has he not been accepted as our "first
young man " at the Francais ? And, after all, who is there among
the youngsters can make love with tears in his voice like the ever-
green Delaunay ? Mile. Samary is admirable as the ingenue, and
Mme. M. Brohan's impersonation of the spirituelle old Legitimist
Duchess, is the very perfection of refined dramatic art. The stage
management of the Second Act might be improved. The Francais
Company are not all in one line, each having a line of his own—and
when they are so arranged the effect is decidedly bad.

Daubray and Celine Chaumont have been playing Divorcons at
the Palais Royal for the last four months : but to those who have not
yet seen it, we strongly recommend the first two Acts. The third
is plotless, spun out, and unnecessarily broad. The two Acts are
simply a development, with a modern application, of the old piece
known here as Delicate Ground, a great favourite with amateurs.

But oh, those horridly uncomfortable Parisian Theatres ! If there
were a fire, the scene would be something fearful. Already the
Authorities are beginning to consider whether they can't improve
them a little. But material improvement is absolutely impossible
without entire reconstruction. In the most recently-built theatre,
La Comedie Parisienne, all the old stereotyped inconveniences have
been repeated. Even the seats at the Francais offer no exception to
the rule of discomfort; and everywhere the nuisance of the attend-
ants rushing at you for your coat and hat, and with a '' petit banc pour
Madame," is intolerable. When will they inaugurate the system
of " No Fees," and give regular " bills of the play," with full cast of
characters, as we do here, instead of allowing the visitor to chance the
purchase of an Entr'acte, an Orchestre, or a Paris Spectacles f On the
stage at the leading theatres they have the advantage in most cases
(scenery excepted) over us ; but in the front of the house they are
miles behind every one of our West End Theatres, except, perhaps,
the Strand.

A Fresh Phrase.-—Gentle Sir Stafford darkly denounces the
present Government as " a Soda-and-Brandy Administration." Does

picture rather suggests the triumphant entry into the village of an | he hope that it may result in what topers call a '' split" and a " go

vol. lxxx.