THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 1959.
THE MAIL BOOK
BOOK PAGE by
PAGE by George Millar
COULD
THIS BE THE
TRUTH ABOUT
RASPUTIN?
FOR INSTANCE: His real
NAME WAS WILKIN AND
HE WAS INCORRUPTIBLE!
Give the gulls
some good food, said showman Todd
By GEORGE MALCOLM THOMSON
1.
THE NINE LIVES OF MIKE TODD." By Art Cohn. Hutchinson, 21,
TN all the history of human literacy, few books have been more badly IN
written, than this one. Its style is unspeakable ("All true cigar smokers are successful because they can't stand to smoke cheap cigars; they keep in the chips so they can afford ropes that will not asphyxiate them"); its hypocrisy revolting ("By nature, he hated the tawdry, the blatant, the pretentious. He respected the humble dignity of his father, but he was not willing to pay the price of poverty for it").
It almost seems that Cohn had studied oil the bad writers of his time and set out to excel them. Yet the sheer awfulness of this noisy shicon Engilsh proves to have a certain hypnotic effect. It is even appropriate to its task, which is to tell the life story of Avrom Goldbogen, later Michael Todd.
Todd came up the hard way of show biz-strippers, girlie shows, too many suits, lies, THE SEARCH FOR CAPTAIN lated by Robert Keo (Deutsch, houses, wives; bankruptcy, gin
Walter nd in SLOCUM, by
Magnes 15%). A German platoon opera-the stora
rummy, wows, flops. These were Teller (Deutsch, 21).
foundations may ting against partisans in Russia.
of his interest the many who have. This is a gruesome but remark-fame. enjoyed the greatest small-boat ahly gripping book that makes
Slocum's book ever written.
une appreciate a hot bath, "Sailing
Alone Around
ESCAPE FROM CORREGI- Work" (Hort-Davies, Mariners' Library).
RASPUTIN-A New Judge. He was a genuine pacifist. He However, he provides a ilvely
by Heins Llepman, would take gifts of ment,
sliken stroo
Rasputin translated by Edward Fitzgerald' cuftans, coft - Irather boots, thunder the bearded. Starex (Muller, 189.).
houses, servants, bodyguards, strides T perhaps history's He would take every woman he wendest nixiure ef monster
He would dance all and healer. - Encicl
the
DASPUTIN
Reverything
appals; night and drink wine by
ทน about hogshead. But he kept
money for himself. Ho Was
Fim is big, bigger than life, bigger than death.
while I read this
кер my wind
Als), biography switching unethically to another long-bearded politician Iron. the Orthodox Church, a bishop who hus VERY little in commun with the Russian mendicant frise and Starex miracle ma!),
Wilkin ti sounds alpont English, and it was Rasputin's
father's surname.
He was a hard-driving drover on the Steppes until amultion drove him to a monastery. For crude peasant with knobbly handa and reasy hair the only chfree to power was by the back door of religion..
Enslaved
According to Herr Liemarı, Rasputin weeld never have got near the Czar's household and inslaved the lovely Czarina by thrice saving the life of her son had he not been planted there es an agent of powerful Right- wing and pro-war societies,
His personality and healing gilts were da potent that he soon grew too big for his would-be masters and fouted them.
loved the Hu sants and was not preparea
i have them butchered in war.
incorruptible,
A thousand lines he flaunted his vast strength and courage, but never more rensationally thro in ss fight with six red
Assassins.
Biking the
sireels at night
he entered an ill-li alleyway by the Neva, Steps behind han. and a shot whistlod past his ear.
With one swift and tranen- dous bound he leapt forward and upward, and with his great at he smashed the lamp and plunged the alleyway into darkness...letting himself fall to the ground." "Shots passed over him.
Big brother,
makes good
THE MOUNTAINH OF RASBELAS, by Thomas Paken- ham (Weldenfeld & Nicolson, 218.).
THANK goodness I am netther Socialist not peer, but were I Lord Pakraham I should feel extra proud this week of Tom, the oldest of my eight children.
On leaving Oxford Themes Pakenham went to Abyssinia. He got on so well with Abyssiniana — admittedly 315 notfeed ino dark Karateman looking up *Pakenham" Debrett - that they provided mules, interpreters, and armed guards, one of whom slung a Bren on his naked shoulder
He then ran up the alley and altacked the six arined men. Ife had killed one outright and knocked out another when the police Intervened to save the Their kindnçages have been iumvinder from the pale-eyed imply rewarded. Mr Pakan- Rerlila.
ham Tode off to examina
flat.
all
The story of his murder by copped mountains where the Incredible, elegant Count possible claimants 101 the Yursopov is well known, but is Ethiopian throne used to be here given in terrible detail, mmented. since Rour Liegman personally ertza-qxrmined the ages cual la Paris.
This biography purports to te based en Rasputin's dossier kept by the Ochrana, the secret polies of Czarist Russia.
I don't think Herr Liepman's book can be taken too zerkusly na history since, apart frein ha calm about the dessler, he quotes no sources.
WOMEN AND
THE SPELL OF MR. DALLI
By JOHN LAMBERT
TOM PAKENHAM KINDNESS RETURNED
He examined many ether interesting things. He took exocllent photographs. He has Beljomanish love for people End architecture. Without straining, his book is humor. ous and percipleni. It is well planned well written, und well produced.
A thoroughly professional job ay a promising writer, now 25, who paid his own expenses with newspaper oreles.
Luca's
TONI DALLI, a husky young tenor who got
£6 10s. a week for lifting steel bars a year ago, | home-coming recently bought himself a £3,000 car. His formula THE SECRET OF LUCA, by for getting into the Cadillac class: high notes and Inazio Biloae (Cape, 15s.),
hairy chest-With-a-brazen, brilliant smile he admits: "Perhaps I have not had a big hit record, yet. But it seems I have something more potent-hese people, and I say. a romantic appeal for women
oug that tenazio Slionë
should step writing
peasants. I have lived
abcat tmong
the
DOR, by Edgar P. Whitcomb (Wingate, 158.). Remarkable for found it disillusioning that its malve honesty, and absence o much of Stocunts master of heroles-although the author piece was done by rewrite men, had the courage to SWIM away and that in the end the great 'from Corregidor.. No book could uld sailor neglected both his be more unlike "Boldness Be own person and his famous My Friend," Unintentionally
ttle ship the Spray.
amusing in places, and in others DEFORE THE GREAT equally touching. SNOW, by Hans Pump, Jrans- -London Express Service).
JACKY'S DIARY
BY
** JACKY MENDELSOMN
AGE 32
Putting on Maurlee Evans as a malo Homlot, Mab West as a Temale Catherine II of Russia.
explained, "To
Not art-pful! Not money "Following us for food," the ('I owe a million, What am I first mate supposed to do? Cut down on garbage." my cigars?"). Not women, ("In fact," said the sleek blonde in the bikini to Cohn, "he's n prude." Not even success."
No garbage
The Bondices of the sex wor Same baste insecurity com- was outraged when Todd sug-pelled him constantly to assert pested she should play Catherine himself. for laughs, It was a drama. Mi West knew, She had written it herself.
The question raised by this book is: What was Mike alming at? What made Avrom run?
YesteRDAY we got up Bright & EARLY & went on A PICNICO
So We Rode Some more Miles to A Nother Bround which didnt have any fire-Place But at least there was grass.
"Garbage? No вса Evils following my boat are going to cat garbage, Toss them some decent food if
Writing at top speed and the top of his volce, Cohn had no time to answer the mea! - portant questions about Todd. Nor had he quite ilme to finish the book, He was killed last year in the same sirplano crash on his subject.
While he was making Arount the World in Eighty,Days, the Anal triumph of his carcer, Todd What he leaves here is stood on the bridge of a ship material for the script of a new observing the hundreds of bed- "Citizen Kane." H
anyone gulls that followed ft.
wants it.
The 1st Picnic ground we went to there was no more Ground Left as it was taken by some PEOPLE Who" eps up even Brighter
turned out we didnt need A fire-
Place As None of the Matches Worked ANY HOW Which is funny AS testED them Before We Left &
They ALL Worked O..
There was A Cow in the grass & Went over to Pet pensants are great sit only it chased me on Account of it WAS A BULL
Here, Luza, who has done 40 yours in sol for a murder he did
That certain potency has "How does such a boy get hot craunit, comes home to his puld off powerfully for this money to learn how to sing village. Although another has 26-year-old Italian who onco For ine, like my friend Sophia | confessed to the crime, the had to beg for bread. He has Loren, there is only one way: peasants. reecat his home- Iapped up applause at Laя to make use of what we have coming. It upsels them. Vegas. lie has turned down been given,
Les has only three friends, Bollywood film contract. "Look at that, girl, Sophin. boy, an old priest, and Andrea, And he has cornered the best She is born hear the gutter, but the bright man of the village
a
of the crles, reviews from the wants to be a big drumatic who has political Influence in Connie Francis in their actress, Is crazy, you think? Rome. current West End season,
Gymnasium
#
"But she has sort of Luca, sad and résigned, is a resuty, and she uses R. Now challenge to the vigorous sho La 3 dramatic star and Andron. Why had he allowed nover does she lose the dignity humself to be shut away in His voleo 19 now being that is inside her.
prison? Why had he insulted nurtured by top operalle "So when I come to Britain the judge? Why, even now, is teachers. His muscles are kept five years ago I know, that 1 be stubbornly sent about his rippling, by daily exercises and cannot afford pride. I work in Innocence?
a slit shirt.
a weekly work-out in a gym- the mines. I'sweal in the steel Among the bitter natives of nuslum. And Dai has few works. I make anoney for the hot Italian hills the strange scruples about singing urlas in singing lessons.
scarch for truth develops with "If women like me it is my the urgency of a detective story. Good fortune. So why should I WIZ great artistry it "My music teacher, he is not make use of l Sure, moulded into an ending of much distressed," he explains. remelimes It brings problems beauty and merit. A lovely "He says it is not artialle for a They telephone me, they write book, and not a sad one. tenor to sing twice a night in a letters. But I am not embar-
muale hall. But I say 'Listen, rassed, only groterų)."
maestro, what do you want me
to do starve? There has been
enough hardship in my life',"-
Demonstratively, he runs his
•
Ambition
Also on my shelf.
What is his ambition? "TO IN FLANDERS FIELDS, by
handa, through his carefully cut a dramatic tenoz in opera," Leen Wolf (Longmans, 958.). hair, "All my life, till now, I he answers. But that I hope in Many a writer now is turning to know what hardship
Here, finely de when I am 35, when maybe i The Other War, will be a fat man, but with fold, is the story of Pisschen- says. "I am the big boy of a poor family with four brothers such a re volce it will not decle, the 1817 Brush consive
through luid emut. ** and four alators..
matter."
And if he falist. Dalli con NORMANDY REVISITED, by "I finish school when I am even laugh at that. So I can A. J. Lielding (Gollanes, 186.). 10 years old, because it is a still lift steel bars, can't It I This constvo, emicitly pro responsibility to be the big boy can still sing, it only to myself felout New Yorker writer takes of a poor family. Sometimes. It is not a Cadillac that counts. a Journey, from Wegmouth to wo starve Sometimes, my It is only making the most of the Normandy bal-labelds. I sainted mother and me, we have if that matters.
te a books of well-balanced and: to beg for bread to liya.
-London Express Bernice).
neatly doetalles memories,
1959, King Features Syndicate, Inc.
hworld rights reserved.
On the Way Home a NAIL got in the tire & Pushed out ALL THe aire So Daddy took out a machine & Pushed it back in Agin it must be A Magic trick as He kepy ON Saying Magic Wordso
SPMG
MAGIC
WORDS
Later on Daddy Wanted to show Me The Beauties of Nature & ONLY WE COULDNT FIND ANY Just a Bunch of flowers & trees & Stuffe
3-15
CHILDREN:
Daddy caught Poison Ivory aLL ADD VICE FOR over his Arms which itches VERY bad & Hes Not Aloup to scratch Which is the best part of itch- ING
Picnics are good cause they Bive you a chance to eat Raw Hot Dogs & Hamburgers ALSO the country air is Very Healthy Soif YOU GO ON A PICNIC Make Sure & breathe
YOU FROM JACK