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Fernande Grudet, Brothel Owner Known as Madame Claude, Dies at 92 Fernande Grudet, Brothel Owner Known as Madame Claude, Dies at 92
(35 minutes later)
Fernande Grudet, who under the name Madame Claude operated a deluxe call-girl ring in Paris in the 1960s and 1970’s that attracted the patronage of world leaders, business executives and playboys, and made her a byword for sophisticated sex, died on Saturday in Nice. She was 92. Fernande Grudet, who under the name Madame Claude operated a deluxe call-girl ring in Paris in the 1960s and ‘70s that attracted the patronage of world leaders, business executives and playboys and made her a byword for sophisticated sex, died on Saturday in Nice. She was 92.
Her death was first reported by the French newspaper Le Point. The news agency Agence France-Presse reported the death on Tuesday.
Ms. Grudet, a woman of modest background from the Anjou region, arrived in Paris in the 1950’s. After working a series of menial jobs, one of which may have been selling herself on the streets, she decided that the managerial side of the sex business suited her talents. Ms. Grudet, a woman of modest background from the Anjou region, arrived in Paris in the 1950s. After working a series of menial jobs, one of which may have been selling herself on the streets, she decided that the managerial side of the sex business suited her talents.
“Two things in life sell,” she once said. “Food and sex. And I was not meant to be a chef.”“Two things in life sell,” she once said. “Food and sex. And I was not meant to be a chef.”
Precisely how she built her business remains a mystery, despite two memoirs, larded with colorful and eminently uncheckable stories. But build it she did, grooming a finishing school’s worth of beautiful young women, many of them foreign, from the fringes of the film and fashion worlds, with a sprinkling of housewives looking for adventure, in the manner of Catherine Deneuve in “Belle de Jour,” and students looking for some extra cash. Precisely how she built her business remains a mystery, despite two memoirs, larded with colorful and eminently uncheckable stories. But build it she did, grooming a finishing school’s worth of beautiful young women, many of them foreign, from the fringes of the film and fashion worlds, with a sprinkling of students looking for extra cash and housewives looking for adventure, in the manner of Catherine Deneuve in “Belle de Jour.”
She zeroed in on “failed models and actresses, the ones who just missed the cut,” the high-society columnist Taki Theodoracopulos told William Stadiem, who spent many years interviewing Madame Claude for a book that never materialized but did yield an article for Vanity Fair last year. “But just because they failed in these impossible professions didn’t mean they weren’t beautiful, fabulous,” Mr. Theodoracopulos said. Ms. Grudet zeroed in on “failed models and actresses, the ones who just missed the cut,” the high-society columnist Taki Theodoracopulos told William Stadiem, who spent many years interviewing Madame Claude for a book that never materialized but that did yield an article for Vanity Fair last year. “But just because they failed in these impossible professions didn’t mean they weren’t beautiful, fabulous,” Mr. Theodoracopulos said.
Madame Claude was choosy. Only one in 20 candidates made the grade. Plastic surgery was arranged for those in need of little help. Requirements included beauty, poise and a familiarity with history, literature and current events. Also, talent in bed. This was assessed by Madame Claude’s testers, male acquaintances who took candidates for a trial run and reported back to Madame Claude. Ms. Grudet liked to call her charges “swans”; clients referred to them as “Claude girls.” The term prostitute, she once said, “was revolting and denigrating.”
She was choosy: Only one in 20 candidates made the grade. Requirements included beauty — plastic surgery could be arranged — poise and a familiarity with history, literature and current events. Also, talent in bed. This was assessed by Ms. Grudet’s testers, male acquaintances who took candidates for a trial run and reported back to her.
Working with nothing more than a notebook and a telephone, Madame Claude received calls with a terse “Allô oui,” made polite small talk and then got down to prices: up to a 1,000 francs for a night of bliss, about $200 in 1965, or $1,500 today.Working with nothing more than a notebook and a telephone, Madame Claude received calls with a terse “Allô oui,” made polite small talk and then got down to prices: up to a 1,000 francs for a night of bliss, about $200 in 1965, or $1,500 today.
Madame Claude kept 25 or 30 percent — sources vary — of the money earned by the young women she liked to call her “swans” and clients referred to as “Claude girls.” The term prostitute, she once said, “was revolting and denigrating.” Many of the Claude girls went on to enjoy success in film, fashion or business. Quite a few married rich clients. Ms. Grudet kept 25 or 30 percent (accounts vary) of the young women’s earnings. Many of her “Claude girls” went on to find success in film, fashion or business. Quite a few married rich clients.
In 1975, French tax authorities, who had begun taking an interest in Madame Claude’s business, estimated that she was taking in somewhere between 100,000 and 140,000 francs monthly, or about $500,000 in 1975 dollars. Her clients, whom she called “friends,” were a catalogue of the rich and famous. In 1975, the French tax authorities, who had begun taking an interest in Ms. Grudet’s business, estimated that she was taking in from 100,000 to 140,000 francs a month, or about $500,000 in 1975 dollars ($2.2 million today). Her clients, whom she called “friends,” were a catalogue of the rich and famous.
The soul of discretion in her heyday, she became a heavy name-dropper when the time came to tell her life story, which she did in two memoirs, “Allô Oui, or, the Memoirs of Madame Claude” (1975), written with Jacques Quoirez, the brother of her good friend Françoise Sagan, and one of her testers, and “Madam,” published in 1994, under the name Claude Grudet. The soul of discretion in her heyday, Ms. Grudet became a heavy name-dropper when the time came to tell her life story, which she did in two memoirs, “Allô Oui, or, the Memoirs of Madame Claude” (1975), written with Jacques Quoirez, the brother of her good friend Françoise Sagan, and one of her testers; and “Madam,” published in 1994 under the name Claude Grudet.
The “friends” included, Madame Claude said, John F. Kennedy, the Shah of Iran, Muammar Gadaffi , Moshe Dayan, Marc Chagall, Rex Harrison, Marlon Brando, King Hussein of Jordan, who told one of the Claude girls, “You and I are in the same business. We have to smile even when we don’t feel like it.” By her account the “friends” included John F. Kennedy, the Shah of Iran, Muammar Gadaffi, Moshe Dayan, Marc Chagall, Rex Harrison, Marlon Brando and King Hussein of Jordan, who, she said, once told a Claude girl: “You and I are in the same business. We have to smile even when we don’t feel like it.”
Kennedy, Madame Claude told Mr. Stadiem, came to her with a special request. He wanted a lookalike of his wife, Jacqueline, “but hot.” Kennedy came to her with a special request, Ms. Grudet told Mr. Stadiem. He wanted a lookalike of his wife, Jacqueline, “but hot.”
Madame Claude aimed to please, within limits. A client requesting a dead body, still warm, was rebuffed. Still, breathless need on the other end of the telephone line was music to her ears. Madame Claude aimed to please, within limits. A client requesting a dead body, still warm, was rebuffed, she said. Still, breathless need on the other end of the telephone line was music to her ears.
”It was so exciting to hear a millionaire or a head of state ask, in a little boy’s voice, for the one thing that only you could provide,” she once said.”It was so exciting to hear a millionaire or a head of state ask, in a little boy’s voice, for the one thing that only you could provide,” she once said.
Fernande Grudet was born in Angers, in western France, on July 6, 1923. Her father, who died of cancer when she was 18, kept a café and helped make ends meet by selling sandwiches from a cart at the train station. After graduating from Catholic schools, she made her way to occupied Paris.Fernande Grudet was born in Angers, in western France, on July 6, 1923. Her father, who died of cancer when she was 18, kept a café and helped make ends meet by selling sandwiches from a cart at the train station. After graduating from Catholic schools, she made her way to occupied Paris.
She claimed to have worked as a salesgirl at Les Halles, the central food market, and as a door-to-door Bible saleswoman. She also told various people at various times that she had joined the Resistance and had been deported to Ravensbruck, the women’s concentration camp. Even friends did not know what to believe. She also said that she came from a wealthy family.She claimed to have worked as a salesgirl at Les Halles, the central food market, and as a door-to-door Bible saleswoman. She also told various people at various times that she had joined the Resistance and had been deported to Ravensbruck, the women’s concentration camp. Even friends did not know what to believe. She also said that she came from a wealthy family.
In 1958 she set up shop as a “mère maquerelle,” or “mother pimp”, as the press often referred to her, using a term she detested. She took pride in a running a five-star operation and presented a well-maintained façade to the world. Meeting her for the first time, Mr. Stadiem described her as “tiny, blonde, perfectly coiffed and Chanel-clad.” Every day, at 8:30, she paid a visit to the hairdresser, who opened shop early for her. In 1958 she set up shop as a “mère maquerelle,” or “mother pimp”, as the press often referred to her, using a term she detested. She took pride in running a five-star operation and presented a well-maintained façade to the world. Meeting her for the first time, Mr. Stadiem described her as “tiny, blonde, perfectly coiffed and Chanel-clad.” Every day, at 8:30, she paid a visit to the hairdresser, who opened shop early for her.
The French authorities allowed her to operate undisturbed, perhaps, some theorized, because she passed along information about some of her more interesting “friends” to the authorities. The French authorities allowed her to operate undisturbed — perhaps, some theorized, because she passed along information about some of her more interesting “friends” to the authorities.
After Valery Giscard d’Estaing came to power in 1974, the climate changed. In a pincer move, the legal authorities went after her business, accusing of her of tax evasion, and the tax authorities presented her with a bill for 11 million francs.After Valery Giscard d’Estaing came to power in 1974, the climate changed. In a pincer move, the legal authorities went after her business, accusing of her of tax evasion, and the tax authorities presented her with a bill for 11 million francs.
In 1977 she fled to the United States, ending up in Los Angeles where she opened an unsuccessful pastry shop and, some of her friend suspected, returned to her old trade in a small way. In the mid-1980s, she returned to France, bought a sheep farm near Cahors, near the home of Ms. Sagan, and tried to keep a low profile. She was arrested for procuring and tax evasion and sentenced to a short prison term. In 1977 she fled to the United States, ending up in Los Angeles, where she opened an unsuccessful pastry shop and, some of her friend suspected, returned to her old trade in a small way. In the mid-1980s, she returned to France, bought a sheep farm near Cahors, near the home of Ms. Sagan, and tried to keep a low profile. She was arrested for procuring and tax evasion and sentenced to a short prison term.
After being released, she started another call-girl network — a small one with perhaps 20 “swans” — in the hope of earning a retirement nest egg. She was arrested again, in 1992, and, handed a sentence of three years, returned to Fleury-Mérogis prison outside Paris.After being released, she started another call-girl network — a small one with perhaps 20 “swans” — in the hope of earning a retirement nest egg. She was arrested again, in 1992, and, handed a sentence of three years, returned to Fleury-Mérogis prison outside Paris.
After serving part of her sentence and paying a fine of 1 million francs, she became, for a time, a highly visible figure, publishing her memoir and giving interviews to promote her video on the art of seduction. She spent her final years in penury in a pension in Nice.After serving part of her sentence and paying a fine of 1 million francs, she became, for a time, a highly visible figure, publishing her memoir and giving interviews to promote her video on the art of seduction. She spent her final years in penury in a pension in Nice.
Her legend inspired several films, some watchable, others not. In the 1970s, French audiences enjoyed two Madame Claude films, “The Pink Telephone” and “Madame Claude,” directed by Just Jaeckin, best known for the soft-porn film “Emmanuelle.” “Madame Claude” was released in the United States as “French Woman,” with a poster that proclaimed: “The Arab Prince, the Japanese Diplomat, the Greek Tycoon, the C.I.A. Bureau Chief — She Possessed Them All!”Her legend inspired several films, some watchable, others not. In the 1970s, French audiences enjoyed two Madame Claude films, “The Pink Telephone” and “Madame Claude,” directed by Just Jaeckin, best known for the soft-porn film “Emmanuelle.” “Madame Claude” was released in the United States as “French Woman,” with a poster that proclaimed: “The Arab Prince, the Japanese Diplomat, the Greek Tycoon, the C.I.A. Bureau Chief — She Possessed Them All!”
Françoise Fabian, who played the title role in Mr. Jaeckin’s film, got to know Madame Claude well. She did not like what she saw. Behind the polished image of “swans” and “friends” was a cold, calculating business mind, she said. Françoise Fabian, who played the title role in Mr. Jaeckin’s film, got to know Ms. Grudet well. She did not like what she saw. Behind the polished image of “swans” and “friends” was a cold, calculating business mind, she said.
“She was like a slave driver in the American South,” Ms. Fabian told Mr. Stadiem. “Once she took a girl on, the makeover put the girl in debt, because Claude paid all the bills, to Dior, Vuitton, to the hairdressers, to the doctors, and the girls had to work to pay them off. It was sexual indentured servitude.”“She was like a slave driver in the American South,” Ms. Fabian told Mr. Stadiem. “Once she took a girl on, the makeover put the girl in debt, because Claude paid all the bills, to Dior, Vuitton, to the hairdressers, to the doctors, and the girls had to work to pay them off. It was sexual indentured servitude.”