Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1896-12-10
BLOW AT THE CLAQUE.
French Decision In Lawsuit Which De-
clarcs Against Hired Applause.

HtoLSn DeclbiOu III u LaWSIiL WniCu Do~
clares Against Hired Applause.
An action for breach of contract
brought by one of the leaders of the
Paris claque against the director of the
theater with which he was connected,
has ended in manner which will prob
ably cause some little CONSERVATION
among the class it chiefly concerns.
The contract was pronounced void and
the plaintiff nonsuited, on the ground
that hired applause is contrary to pub
lie order and good manners, hinders the
expression of unbiased opinion and de-
stroys the liberty of the paying public.
This seems to be excellent common
sense and might well be taken for an
English judicial utterance. But they or
der theatrical matters so differently in
France that the decision of the civil
tribunal has all the charm Of the UNI
expected. The Paris claque is much
more than recognized institution; it
is not merely tolerated. For three-quar-
ters of century it has been a complete
ly organized system, regarded as unas-
sailable within the boundaries of law
and order. Moreover, the Judgment is
in curious contrast with one given in
Vienna on a cognate question not long
since. Here the fiscal authorities inn
posed new and burdensome tax on the
chef de claque of the court opera house.
That functionary appealed to the APP
pointed legal tribunal, but the decision
was against him on the ground that
"hired applause, being marketable
commodity, was legally subject to tax
ntion."
1t was in 1920 that the Paris claqucrs
first became amenable to anything like
a general control. In that year a GER
tain nj. Santon set up bureau for the
purpose of systematizing the loose
methods by which paid professional ap-
plause had hitherto been provided by
and for the Paris theaters. That shrewd
entrepreneur not only raised recruits
for the service, but trained them for
the several branches of the profession
for which they were destined. The
manager of theater devoted to COM
edy, farce or vaudeville, had but to noti-
fy his requirements 10 the central Office,
when he was duly supplied with suita-
BILE contingent of ricurs. Tragedy and
melodrama required support of diff
ferent character, and accordingly,
skilled pleureurs-chiehy women
were at hand ready to take their seats
among the paying public and to bestow
the tribute of their meroenary tears
upon the wrongs and sufferings of the
stage heroine. Bisseurs, the autocrats
of the encore, were held in reserve for
operas and concerts while to the COM
missaires and chatouillers was in.
trusted larger discretionary power in
the way of leading applause according
TO the particular circumstance of time
and occasion. The latter was also
charged with the unenviable duty of
endeavoring to suppress any manifesto
tons of discomfort among the audience,
and to stem the rising tide of disapprov-
al, task calling for no small amount
of tact and experience, and not always
successfully accomplished even by
their aid.
During the T5 years which have
since elapsed the claque system has un-
dergone many notifications, and has
been reestablisbed on an entirely differ
ent footing. The gradual overlapping
Of the various forms of dramatic enter
tainment, and especially the increase in
the number of the Paris theaters, made
the old methods cumbersome and final
ly unworkable. For some years past
the handling of the whole machinery
of the claque has been intrusted to very
well-known leaders, each of whom is
responsible to a certain number of the
aters for the supply of the necessary
hired applause. There are thus some
half-dozen groups of theaters, the di-
rector of each house belonging to one
group severally contracting with the
same chef de caque.
AS might, perhaps, be expected from
its position and traditions, the Thenter
Franchise holds aloof from these arr
rangcments. Not that its director ig-
| Horch lHe power OF lne claQUe, Dut
chooses to keep it entirely within his
personal control. As consequence.
the system finds its expression in this
house in its least aggressive form. The
salary attached 10 the post of chef dc
claque at the Francaise is small one,
having been some time ago reduced
from 9300 per annum to half that
figure. The leader receives, however.
for his free disposal 20 free seats every
night, which amounts to considerable
augmentation of his salary. He at
tends the final rehearsals of new plays.
and makes notes of the speakers and
situations which the author and stage
manager wishes to be applauded But
his functions are limited to "leading"
the public, instead Of coercing them.
At the Theater Franchise, also, recalls
are left entirely in the hands of the
public, though the claquers are expect
ed to support them when madc.-PaU
Mall Gazette.
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