The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-03-09
KAM-HILL AND
YVETTE GUILBERT.
CASTOR Gayarni Chats About the
Latest Paris Fads.
Two Cafe-Concert Singers Who Cast the Par.
isians at Their Feet = How Gawky
Youth Invented q New Speciality.
Written for THE MORNING CALL


must always have its fad Sometimes this
fad is political, sometimes literary, some
times theatrical. One day it is lola,
another day Sarah Bernhard, then Boul-
anger, then Paulus. Paris must constantly
have its eyes or It's brains filled with some
thing or some one.
At the present moment the reigning fad,
which is scarcely month old, is a double
one. and, as often happens, the cafe-coneert
has furnished it. Kam-Hill on one hand
and Yvette Guilbert on the other have
turned Paris upside-down and set the Par
isians wild. Have you heard of Kam- Hill?
Have you heard of YvetteP No? Well,
have patience and l Will fully post you in
regard to them.
The name of Kam-Hill, presented in this
form and with this photography, offers you
something enismatical and mysterious 1t
has an exotic flavor which makes you dream
of sort of strange Arab, Of Moor OF the
ancient times, like the last of the Aben-
cerages. Well. you're away Gifts much
more simple than that.
KAM-HILL's HISTORY.
Once upon a tme-let me begin in the
style of tie old fairy tales-say about thirty
years ago, there lived man, an artist, who
was not without talent and who in his quality
of violinst was n member of the opera or
chestra. As that is an occupation which
does not make an individual wealthy, and
as he had the desire and intention of put
ting money in his purse, lie finally accepted
the p0sition-a much more lucrative one
of orchestral leader at the Casino d'0stende,
which since then he has not ceased to fill
with a Yeritabie ability.
The excellent artist had a great gawk of
son, who did not at all come up to the
paternal expectations. He essayed to teach
him music. but the gawk rebelled and the
various efforts bore no fruit. So it happened
that one fine day, when the boy had grown
up and caught onto nothing, papa said to
him, somewhat enraged at the total failure
of his endeavors to make anything out of
him: Ma fol, my lad, since you are no
good, get up and get | won't have you
poking about me any lOngerW
The papa IN question was named PerleT
and his son was called Camille-Whence
ham-Hiil, as you can easily see.
STRIKING IT RICH.
Lett TO his own resources, the young man
was forced to cast about for some means of
gaining his living. What should he do? lie
got the idea of singing in salons. That is
n career which is not always crowned with
success though sometimes it is. 1t did not
at first appear very favorable 10 him; the
success was modest. the gain also, and our
young man had begun to be pushed aside
when suddenly he found his field. But he
found it, it should be said, in such q way
as TO see PactOlus flow into his pockets. he
set about singing, with pnlegmatic comic
alty, either funereal dtties or the moUrnful
ballads of rogues run in by the police.
While singing in certain salons he also ap-
peared in l know not what low grade cafe
concert of thief slums, where he scored
crowds Of the curious So it happened that
after 4 little while he was offered an en-
gagement at the Eldorado at salary of 5000
francs per month. You can readily believe
that he accepted it. The public thronged
the Eldorado to hear and see him. and his
success has been such that all the salons are
now struggling for the possession of him at
fabulous figures. At present writing he
has in his pocket, besides his salary at the
Eldorado, 10000 francs worth of special en-
gagements for the season and don't know
how he IS going to fulfill all OF them.
PAYING FOR NoToRIETY.
Kam-Hil has grown very sharp and
adroit and has developed into an excellent
man OF business. He knows perfectly well
how to make the best Of the situation, caus-
ing himself to be cried up everywhere, seek
ing puffs in all the newspapers. and at this
moment lie is covering Paris mt his own ex-
pense with immense illustrated posters rep
resentng him in his grand solemn attire,
with his red dress coat and accessories.
For, though he sometimes sings in black
coat, be much prefers to show himself in
the following eccentric costume: Red dress
coat la Franchise, white vest. shirt with
red buttons, pantaloons and stockings of
black silk, white necktie and pumps, with
a tiny bouquet in his buttOnh0ie. Tall,
thin and dark, with somewhat bald fore
head, curled-up mustache and quite dis
tinguished bearing there is nothing so ex-
cessiyely drol as to see him sing in this cos
tune, with his imperturDable phlegm, the
Grand Aletingue du Metropolitan" or the
"Marche deS ScolaireS."
In songs of this kind he is truly unap-
proaehabie, and it's my opinion that Paulus
will have to look sharply after his laurels,
for Kam-Hill has struck an entirely new
and original note, and | should not be sur
prised il the threadbare repertoire of the
cafes-concerts took round turn il the path
he has so successfully opened.
GUILBERT AND HER CRUSH.
As to Yvette Guilbert, who is also serio-
comic singer, she has had no less success
than her cOnfrere, and to hear her is at
present AL the rage. | say advsedly to
"hear" her, for at the Concert-Parisien
where she causes literal crush, everybody
don't get to "see" her. To enjoy the latter
advantage seats must be secured long
while in advance; for, as the hall is always
packed to OverfiowlDg as soon as evening
comes on, and as her admirers are constant
iy arriving in dense crowds, you are fortu-
nate il you can get camp-stoOl as big as
your hand in one of the Hobbies, without the
possibility of seeing even the hem of her
dress
Like Kam-Hill, Yvette Guilbert was but
very short time ago in a little cafe-concert
of Montmarte or the Batignolles. Very in
telligent, very droll with her sang froid, she
was noticed by some young sports who en-
gagged her to sing at the Concert-Moderne OF
the Galerie-Vivienne, concert of amateurs
not accessible to the public. AS the censure
has nothing TO do with reunions OF that de-
scription, she sang songs there calculated
TO make the hair stand up on the heads of
gen1armes and raise their three-cornered
hats out of sight, among others certain
"COmplainte d HelOise ct Abeilard." need
not say any more, for you understand mel
THE CHEEKY DIvA's METHODS.
Yvette GGilbert is not pretty, but she has
q distinguished appearance. She Is about
30, tall, slender and finely shaped, with a
very mobile and very expressive counten-
ance. Clad in black decollete, severe cos
tune, she enters, walks down the stage
with counted steps, and, with mask of i'll
comparable seriousness, utters the boldest
and sometimes the most risky enormities
that the Imagination can conceive She
makes pr0dgious effect, convulsng an
audience by the most simple means-a
wink Of the eye or pucker of the lips.
which, so to speak, underscore her words.
In short, Kam-Hil and Yvette Guilbert
are the heroes of the day in Paris and felt
1t my duty to make you acquainted with
them and their peculiarltes.
CASTOR GAvARNI
------
MRS. Winslow's soothing Syrup,,
Has been fifty years by millions of moth
far thatr chi frap tvhf lie