*
THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 1958,
she ever posed for pin-ups.
A sex-symbol regrets that she
ANITA EKBERG. "No one will take me seriously.”
TRY LOOKING AT MY
FACE,
NITA EKBERG invited me round to tea last week. "No- body," she said, "seems to be interested in my face."
She was wearing. I should add, a tourniquet of a sweater which guaranteed to wrench any man's ailing vision back to 20-20. Her skin reminded me of the champagne-peaches they serve in Harry's Bar in Venice and she looked the 2 week-end on as attractive as Riviera.
SAYS EKBERG
Roderick
SHO
room
"It was," she said, rather Only in her hands did she for endless pin-ups, all seem to have gained any guaranteed to tear atten- bitterly, "until the producer weight since last we met. tion away from your face?" locked himself in a Around 18 carats at a guess
though it was difficult to It was a mistake.
"Indeed," she said, "I did. with it and went to work
with a munt-uxe." Now I tell exactly without my have to fight to make people jeweller's glass.
take me seriously.
"I have," she said, "a not unattractive face."
I told her she could say that again, and so she said that again.
"The trouble is that when they put me in a film no- body bothers with my face," she said. "Instead, the cameras prowl all over my body like short-sighted scientists with Geiger coun- ters."
Her big mistako
"As an impartial observer of life's vagaries," I said, "It seems to me that you have brought this upon yourself. Did you not pose
Even Miss Dors is tired of the Dors legend
OUTSIDE, the sun shone
DIANA'S SECRET-'I'M SO SCARED OF GROWING OLD'
in the wintry sity. In- side, the gramophone played softly. Mood music. Diana Dors sat before the fire, her stockinged feet curled be- neath her.
'There WAS # bracelet with two hearts round her left ankle, but no inscription. She was wear-
ing a black sheath dress, Let's face it: when I met and her blonde hair fell like him I was earning £1,000 n spaniel's ears on either side picture and he was only of her face. She was read selling water-softeners."
"Are you bitter?" ing a book of poems by Rupert Brooke,
A
It was 11 a.m. in the first week of the New Year. time for reflection.
*
"Yes," she said. "I know "Yes" she said. "There's o a lot of producers grimace real Dors. Insecure unhappy, and scared of growing old. You when my name is mention- wouldn't know it though. I've ed. To them I'm a joke, hidden her pretty carefully." not an actress."
"Have you?" I said.
"No," she said. "No, I'm She traced the contour of run the chair'a arm with her not bitter. I won't Hamilton down. He's an finger. extraordinary man. Maybe he really does believe he
made me what I am today."
"A kind of Franken stein ?"
She said: "Will you be lieve me when I tell you this nobody's more sick of reading about Dora' CA- capades than 1. But I seem
"Yes," she said. "A kind fated. Trouble follows me of Frankenstein.” like a dog."
"You're glad 1957 is "Everything you do over?" smacks of publicity," I said,
she
"It was my worst year "I know,"
said. ever," she said. "One dis- "What's that saying: 'He aater after another." who lives by the sword shall
perish by the sword.' That's "Once you and Hamilton
how it is with me."
11
"I suppose I should make she said. "To shut up. Or New Year resolution," to marry some nice charac- ter and raise a family,"
The last record finished play. ing and the gramophone switched itself off. I was warm in the room, but the coffee in my cup
was already cold. I drank it and walked to the door, leaving her with the silence.
"Your friend Tommy I Yeardye?" I asked.
1
"He's nice," she said. "Quiet and shy. He's been a wonderful friend."
Other friends?
"What about your other had parted," I said, "why did you continue to live next friends?"
Has great hopes
HAVE nows of Robert Donat -whose magni@cent voice and acting have been absent for too long.
He talked ta mo only a few hours after his New Year's Eve broadcast. And it seems that the asthma which we dogged him all his life and which struck him down y pary ago
finally bas checked.
four been
I cannot say I am cured," he saki, "But I have turned the
"Are you really telling me door to each other? You "Friends? There are people corner. And I have great bogies it's just coincidence that must have known that who come and cat my food and for my career.” when you're around boats would result in oven more drink my drink. They aren't burst into flames, policemen publicity 7" gat pushed aside, and people fall into pools?"
1.
friends..
"Sometimes," I said "I didn't see why I should Icave my home," she said: Found quite wire,"
She smiled.
Danst-the sofo-velcod aler
of such memorable nime "you The Ghost Goes West, The 39 Steps, and Goodbye, Mr Chipa
de -has never been out of mand.
"I wouldn't lie to you," "But now I'm going. To u she said. "That's bow,it la," farm, or somewhere."
"W, you go back to Holly- 'It isn't truo’- "Looking back," I said, wood?"
"what has really
been worthwhile?""
Now, I am told, there is talk of his playing in the next Ingrid Bergman nim, The Inn of the "Yes," she said. "I have a Elgidh Happines. couple of aims still to do there, But I won't stay, I'm a-nervous
She flicked through the poems idly. Then she said:
"Two films," she said, "Someone wrote the other "Yield to the Night and got such a-sick pain druido I day that Dennis Hamilton A Kid for Two Farthings. had been my Svangall when Nothing elao." we lived together; that he
person, deep down. Sometimes Inspiration!
.
wood aren't good for the nerver. Joyod anging charmes Dow can't morb. Places like Holly JULIE LONDON, that dark- It's too onry to end up (adeshing - filming in London, tela"me, who drinking yourself to sloup bar vocal corda" just before, ä;
recording session,
made me what I am; that he "Would you say the kind your wrist in the bathroom, or has a special recipe for inspiring
made me want to be a star. of publicity you've had over
..
"Is there a roal Dom!"
That's not true. I always the years has hurt your car-ked. "Or did shot lost dromed at being a star. dar?”
KOKINWZNEN RÄong the line?".
She has two vodimE-LIN ohmoa đủ quial' manetsolási,
con-
"If one's got a fairly at tractive face," she tinued, riveting me to the sofa with a look, "and one is built like a woman-only more so-Hollywood thinks
"Does Mr Steel also feel you should concentrate on dramatic roles?"
Encouraging
"Yes," she anid.
"He's
of the most beautiful faces in "How many more are coming show-business. Given a chance up?" I asked.
to live down her pin-up pust, she might emerge as an actress of sensitivity. The only question Ist will she ever be given this chance?
Idiotic parts?
1
For a while, the Ek and ent in a silence broken only by the sound of muffins being munched, Then I said:--
"I almost hate to tell you," *Three. Dunkirk, Ica he said. Cold in Alex, and then I Was Monty's Double."
1ם
"I'm amazed," I said, "that
made they haven't
you honorary member of the Army and Navy."
"Sa em 1," he said,
We walked on for a while, and then he said:-
"What lies in store for you? More idiotic glamour parts or "I make £20,000 a plature, . some really dramatic roles?" but after tax there isn't much left. That's why I bought a "I want to make a love farm in the country. Sort of
never leaves the camera
my times I feel like going to the story," she said. "One in which sozurity for my old age, Some face. After all, there's nothing tax people and telling them
I'm wrong with my late."
live abroad, like oft to Noel Coward and the others "You can say that again". I WO
vald,
So she said that
again....
Rebellious
Was in re-
bellious mood. As we walk-
of you only as a sex-symbol. very encouraging. Remem- Joe Nothing else. I wish
"Why don't you?"
"You know," he said. "It's the most damnable thing—but I like it here. I don't want to Ro...."
Like a queen
ISS Jayne Mansfeld, talk- ing of Mickey Hargitay, whom she married recently--
turn a
so ber it can't be much fun ed down Bond Street together,
Box- he said: much I'd been able to sit being married to a
until decent parts symbol, and to keep getting "I wish 1 weren't taken so it out
for granted. I suppose came along. But I couldn't, letters asking for photo- much
graphs and dates with the trouble is I never slosh my I needed the money.”
your wife It couldn't be wife or get drunk in public. I'm
"He treats me ke a queen. too damned respectable by far." "Haven't you made any worse you know."
He walts on me, looks after films which don't make you
We dodged across the street, me, and won't let me 1 said I knew, Though I and he continued:
hand. If I hand him a can of hang your head?"
wasn't sure that I did. After
vegetable juice he'll scold me. "Odd, you know. I've played You shouldn't do that, Jayne, all, it could be worse. He could
to Elen Maxwell, so many roles yet people he'll say. If he said: Let's go me only for my to Alaska and live, I'd go to nnud have to spend all his time remember on cruises.
periscope-up. periscope down Alaska and live; if he said: parts. I'm as sick of uniform "Give up your career, I'd give No. Mr. Steel is a fortunate roles as they are-but they're up my career...." man. For without doubt the the only decent parts offered delectable Miss Ekberg has one me nowadays."
"Yes," she said, not hang- ing her head. "Valerie be married which I made with my husband, Tony Steel."
"I didn't see it." I said. "Was it good?"
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