BAD MANNERS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22345, 8 March 1938, Page 14

BAD MANNERS

—— <> REBUKES IN COURT BEHAVIOUR OF A LONDON AUDIENCE (FBOU OUR OWN COEHESPONDEHT.) LONDON, February 9. Yet another Judge, Mr Justice Hilbery, has felt impelled to deliver a homily against bad manners at the Bar. Speaking at the Gray's Inn Debating Society, he made a vigorous protest against the frequent habit of barristers of addressing the Court with their hands in their pockets. The late Mr Justice Swift once made a' protest on similar lines to a barrister in Court. "Would you mind," he pleaded, "standing up, speaking up, taking your hands out of your pockets, and saying 'ladies and gentlemen' when you are addressing the jury?" Another time he declared that some counsel "come into a Court of law and conduct cases as though they had never been in a Court of law in their lives."

Ori one occasion, however, the tables were turned against a Judge. After several times rebuking the barrister, he exclaimed testily, "Really, I can never teach you manners!"

"I quite agree, my Lord," was the suave answer.

Even more regrettable, perhaps, in that more people are annoyed by it, is the notorious lack of good manners on the part of theatre audiences, and many protests have been expressed that the first night audience at Dame Marie Tempest's new play, "Mary Goes to See," did not abate its customary rudeness even in the presence of Queen Mary.

Punctuality had been especially requested by the management because of Her Majesty's presence, but this did not prevent late-comers, both at the beginning of the play and after each interval, from scrambling noisily into the stalls quiet near her box after the act had commenced. It was quite obvious that the seat-banging and whispers did not escape the Royal visitor's attention. There was a further embarrassing lapse from taste when from "the gods" came two loud shouts of "Speak up!" Nevertheless, Queen Mary appeared thoroughly to enjojr the performance of one of her favourite actresses. Those on the prompt side saw her rock with laughter at some o'f Dame Marie's observations, and when, in the second interval, she received the actress in her box, Her Majesty said she was enjoying the play. Manv theatregoers were struck by the resemblance —emphasised by the similar style of hairdressing they adopt—between Queen Mary and the "First Lady of the Stage."