FRANCE: Gigolos

The solace of many a dowager at Paris is the ubiquitous gigolo, a male who lurks in smart dancing places and is ready, for a modest tip, to offer gallantries to ladies whose age or ugliness induces them to buy what others can command.

Last fortnight M. le Prefect of Paris Police Jean Chiappe released an interesting survey of the life of the gigolo based upon police investigation.

Points: i) The earnings in tips per gigolo per night generally range between 70 francs ($2.80) and 200 francs ($8.00); 2) A large percentage of Paris gigolos are not French; 3) French law does not permit the arrest or restraint of a French gigolo as such; 4) The Ministry of Labor has announced an intention to scrutinize more closely in future the applications of foreign males who seek permits to work as “dancers” in France. M. Chiappe expressed the hope that much good will be done by refusing permits to “foreign dancers” who appear in reality to be gigolos.