Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-12-31
PARIS MUSIC HALLS
RIOT OF VuLCAR|TY
American Tourists Largely to
Blame for Bad Quality
of Shows.
From the Chicago Tribune.

"AtSAA W pldIlC tQe American tOurlStS
is the quality Of the early summer bills
at the Paris music halls. They are, so
Iar as we have been able to discover
them, unutterably stupid, and usually
the worst Of the list is the most pros
porous.
There is a reason for this. One of the
things the tourists Invariably brings to
l narls with him is a desire to be
shocked. To be here and not to be
shocked is to have the whole trip
spoiled. Therefore he USUALLY egged on
by her) arranges his playgoing sched-
ule by inQuiring the way to the most
Characteristic" which is to say the
"armest of prevailing entertainments.
Al tho Law Allows.
This. after a period of years, has re-
suited in placing the Partisan music
hali manager in rather ar awkward
position. He has done all thai the law
permits him to do and done it over and
over again. There is nothing left. The
living picture, which for years served
as an excuse for the introduction of
naked ladies, powdered, painted and
ramed and is still used for that pur-
pose In many Of h halls, has become
a worn excuse and nothing more, ever
10 the Travel club of Portland, Me.
In fact, SO common has the nude
woman become as a flashy feature Of
the finale in all Partisan revues that
she ceases to excite even the paid
ciaque. AT the Marigny. the other
night, IN undraped nymph rode in
a%straddle the neck of a husky chorus
taun and the audience all but yawned.
Another, strapped to a shield as a pink
AND white captive slave and carried on
the shoulders of o natives,
u neither comment nor applause,
even when her foot slipped and she
gently kicked one bearer in the ear.
Familiar American Music.
A second handicap for the Partisan
producer appears to be the music, All
that which is acceptable as having the
music hall spirit and swing evidently
Is composed in America, and by the
time it gets back here it is a feeble
echo of all the tunes the tourists have
been hearing for the last five years,
The principal dance at the Marigny
right now is ''Su1nurun,' the Olympic
OFFERS a pale imitation of a winter gar
den show of three years ago, while the
Moulin Rouge and the Folies Bergere
are trailing with the best efforts OF
our tunesmiths Of from three to five
years ago.
h comedy. Of course, Is awful. To
employ a fittingly ancient comparison,
there is only one thing sadder thar a
French comedian, and hat is two
French comedians. Unfortunately. they
"onh ~ pa's. tSeIelleI IS ~
peoause you 90 not understand them
NC tley are so 1mpresslvely
Ihelr own countrymen usually take to
the p~romenades as soon as they become
active, and the only laughs they ever
get are from such hilarious invention
as hanging an umbrella upon an arti-
anelai warl. Inc rough comedians en-
- 10 put over the low comedy IN
WI, Aiesielos loliles We're as gentle
anu rellned as Melville Ellis by COM
parlson.
Dancing Is Weird.
And the d%ancing, ONLY one thing
funnier than the French chorus girl
trying to dance can be found on his
side OF the ocean, and hat is the Eng
I,sh n1alron trying to one-step. The
rIehch route Is llthe and lissom. but
ssiuehtIy iot naturally hight on her
" : therefore,. When the local Ned
~urlls' inspired by a visit to Amer1-
ca ana a deslre to copy the American
shsie o. chorus figures. attempt to teach
go I.,w l. Is Done the result Is anus
ihs nNen t1e dalntlest OF them wab-
Die ABOUT with the conscious awkward
.Isa y, an alcohohc pallet girl. and
mnS.e. mere ana taere IN the line. there
"a; y 70 pc an imported American
49, -, - d Lalely Eirl from London, she
"a w iioehlIls TO improve the ensemble
eost . ne french sisters can't move
iast enough TO get out OF her way
se nI az we nave round nothing r..
Marian4 noSTi.H ~ ,he halls. AT the
col go 81 wa .iiuer' apparently a 10
cinap pup4tai eohieuiail, Is complnlng a
A ~ Viii d comedy sketch.
ri~ia. piolosue a Pa