Page
THE MOST
PROVOCATIVE
MAN IN
+
PARIS
Jean Cocteau
THIS is personal_testament by the most pro vocative man in Paris — poet, artist, playwright,
and 'film producar. · Cocteau, who will execute in July his first painting commission in England, made this highly personal, highly opinionated statement in an interview with John Cruesemann, And had a word to say about the legend created pround him.
THE
A city in a sad
place when
HE spirit of creation curvelves the luxury of belog poor. Now poverty (that is to is the highest form say lending a Bohemian life) of the spirit of con- costs too much, tradiction. To change the rules of the game is the role of genius. To disobey stale rules is the great motive of action for youth and for heroes.
Every hero rebels against the customs of his time. A tragedy of modern youth is that it is too free to do what it wanta. Youth has not got the chance to disobey, and out of this comes indle termination and laziness. It may be that this Bl-fated liberty comes to us from the New World, where children have the right to act as they wish, to beat their parents. and even to kill them.
THE FREEDOMS
bury
young people cannot afford to go to the bars and restaurants. This is why They often themselves in the cellars, but is in the cellars where "the
wine" is to be found, EXPLOSIVES
tun
THE CHINA MAIL,
WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 1959.
。
and if I am attacked it is my double they are fighting, and do not receive the blows.
THE OTHER
I
THIS is the Magic!
KNOCKED on a door
Day #
in Shepherd's Bush, London, and said to a summery, wispy: young- ster: "Is mother at home
Mrs Kathleen Robert- son?" and she said: "I am Mra Robertson." And later she said: "Thank you for not laughing."
F
This was important. Married teenagers are son- sitive,
Most of them had
to fight to marry and now they need to forgel they are too young and don't know their own minds and are going to live to regret it.
Kathleen Robertson, aged just 19 and mother of two, made me tea in a wedding- gift teapot and told me. about this difficulty of get- ting accepted..
Best thing
"People are always saying: 'Aren't you young to be married. I do feel sorry for you.' It's usually women in the shops.
sury to contradict but the avant-garde. For the Avant- Kurde starts standing up and
rds by sitting down. Auducity.
"Men are kinder. They even In Paris there is always
bought At Wool-
seemed pleased to call me Mrs." quarter which is in the fore worths, the price Is the same
She married her front.
husband, Once, long ago, it was for everyone,
Recently I had the honour of Stanley, £13-a-week demon- Montmartre,
Today audacity consists there dining at the British Embassiralor, when sho then Monipar-
trying to be banal.
was 18 and passe. Now i la St. Germain fure in
at the side of another victim of he 18, nearly three years ago. des Pres. ill-minded people And it is in not reaching Bris legend: Princess Margaret. Next Neillier can say believe that these quarters are stage that a poet or a painter day were
why they fell my mouth in love; it was magle, apparent- the rubbish dumps of the elly. monstrates his power and his words ridiculous and unbecom-ly, as it always is. But both How wrong they are! Even It
ing But those words were can say marriage is It is necessary To nothing new comes from these
be
the best spoken by that other one. explosives of the spirit" pinces it is there that
log in their lives. original without wanting The anibussador and his wife compounded.
are to be; all
at once that I had deliberate know
rot Kathleen said: "I'm suure these words, and that young marriages work if you
e
genius.
put
criginality is only destined spoken
They had been put Into thereally know each other first."
for an early death.
Right and left in our time have come to mean some thing strictly political and THE DANGERS derogatory. In my youth one was of the Right if one The danger for youth is this criminal The young
was was searching for nothing at being too free and with
out a chance to struggle it waits asked: "Why have you killed new, and of
the Left if for things to happen from the your father?" He replied one found something new. outside. Youth does not find in "Because he had told me you
The Left was ✡ are free to do what you like, epiritual revolution,
place of self starlling reasons for $v-
and our ing. So I thought would teach patriotism in art him a good lossen."
That is the reason why youth clusive that when Look, for 40 years in the asked me:
a journalist so often regrets the War and "Who are the great the Resistance, where the realm of art we have ahakan artists of France?" I was able venture has been played out. the tree. Now It is bare of to answer n once; "Picasso, Youth has not bothered to take fruit and of birds and looks like. Modigliani, Stravinsky," with the trouble in quarry for ad itscarecrow. advise youth out reminding myself that one ventures in its own heart not to gather our fruit which was Spanish, one allan, and mind. Jole on ground, but to plant the other Russian. a seed and grow a new trec, however gawun it may be.
wan
ex-
LEFT AND RIGHT
R-
and
mouth of him who disguises
FUTURE
himself as me, Leporello This seems true. The teen- disguises himself in "Donage marriages which fail ́are Giovanni" in order to receive often, 1 found, the quick ones. the blows in place of Don The couples who meet int Clovanni.
March, marry in May. It does happen.
The Robertsons knew cach
four years other
before they the married. Now, wholever women in the shops say they und own dignity have their
own gown-upacas, and their marriage is good.
1
their
by MERRICK
But there's
no
formula
for what follows
when lovers
like
these
decide
to get married
Marca: Wines
Maureen, of Ealing, who married two years ago when he was 19 and she 17.
They did it the tough way. They married 1wo months before
Roy went abroad
WINN
Yes. And perhaps the people who talk mast nonsense about marriage are the ones who need to defend themselves, whose own marriages are possibly recky, who want to prove that marriage, or at least monogamy, is a law of nature which probably is not,
#L
So marriage has been made Icas of a natural thing and more monstrous expedition, sign-
A
posted with obsessive cliches and cheap advice.
Give and take. Pull together. Have a sense of humour. See the other's point of view. And
all the rest the mad search for the "happiness" formula which can never be found because it does not exist,
A great doctor once told me: If you marry simply to be happy you're probably not very STOWN UP."
with the R.A.F. for 1 months. He got bark, two months ago, nover having seen his 18- rules month-old daughter.
1 asked the questions which, if asked honestly, de not offend. Were they disappointed now, after 21 months? Did Roy feel tied down" Had they ever wished they had waited?
One rule
He also said: "There are no for successful marriage, but this: after the romance has gone you should go on liking one another.
So I comic across teenage morringes which by all the "rules" should have succeeded, but failed.
And. Maureen, who laughs R And the happiest marriago I. lot, laughed now and summed came across, by for, was one
up like this: "Listen, we've got which Broke every rule in the nver
the up-in-the-air stage marriage counsellor's book.... and now we're just ordinary.
Different
"Now we've got
a different love, not so exciting, but a better
one. We're not dis appointed in il.”
And Roy, now a £10-a-week TV salesinan: "What husband doesn't feel tied sometimes? The point is to be honest about
Maureen understands.”
{t.
Most young marriages lower class, or upper
John and Freds married wher
he was 10 and she 18, to get away from awful homes and beenuse she was pregnant,
They had no money, no home and lived four years in one room in the home of fruit in-laws. They had two more children accidentally.
I called on them, meaning to stay an hour and stayed three hours.
I stayed for the reason their family doctor stays when he visits them-"There's noth are ing wrong with any of them, but elasa, 1 often pop in Just to help
They quarrel, naturally. She three months ago when she was says he always fiddles with the 10, and he 19. car when lunch is ready; he
Mrs Eles told me: "We liked because these are the youngsters myself believe in people again." says she
takes more notice of the boy, so we'd nothing against with money. the chlidren than of him. the usual stuff.
All
it. And plenty of older people merry who are no wiser."
And since you ask me what I think about tomorrow. I will answer you by saying that the young people of 25 to 30 zvem to have fallen between two stools, between our civilisa
which on
they have not known and the
outline of future civilisation, there does exist Anuther _generation be- Tween 10 and 10. for Another dunger
young
They are full of grace people is that they mix up love or passion as if it were an, and of revolt against the I love youth. It is youll
lness which must be cured. A weariness of false old age, which sets the pace, even Today politier makes a mess violent sentiment impinges an in clothes. Fashion
of everything. Moreover
which the their personalities, they "believe
so many of their tight has langor comes from the Left, by which I mean
gone over to the themselves occupied by a power older brothers and sisters
But they them. I know accept and in front of tiffs healthily, that which "disturbs grands couturiers
who nobody would dare to declare many young people who destry which they resign them-much guilt, and there is range themselves against himself of the Right.
what they love for fear of being each other.
Nel to conform
has become annihilated by a power alien to selves as in the
presence sign
whatever of the bag- right," Fashion - springs from St.
the convention of today, and their own, because they belleve of a fatalistic event, as if packing their seniors predicted. Tropez, from Greenwich Village, Academy it was
wheri I entered the French themselves victims of an enemy of our good fortune they
They met in repertory a year Kathleents mother-in-law, go when Michael the one scan- invasion, and from Chelsen. It con
was stage bdalous act that, I was able to As-for-myself,-what-pro------
have only inherited the Mrs Ireno Robertson, told me: manager and Anne his assistant.
marry and said they should together from
9 a.m. till 11 walt." She added: "I can't p.m.-thén found we still think why. I married at 17." hadn't seen enough of
cach ather,
no
'I cried'
can accept
without
their
100
Bo on with it. They'l do all
The middle-class the coming pro youngsters, fessional people, usually have
It works
}
I asked John, who to B21, 2in.
and rather thin: "How could
She added, with Anne listen to walt for the national average ing: They've Koi A lot to age for marriage 25% for men learn, Money for instance; and 23 for women. they're a bit extravagant, But
But not all. I say nothing and let them get 19 and 20, are students who afterwards you grow sure. Now Jill and David, you have been so sure at 167" He said: "I wasn't. It's only asked me not to publish their I'm sure." begies because they have been
And I asked Freda, 4tt. 11in. married only a fortnight and
either parents
colleges and well alled out, about rush- huve completely got over L lag into marciage with the first Jove, not having known ölher Jill said: "Everyone was very laves, and she said much against 119 marrying. They said we must walt and put our studies first,
bought us__ready-made-al Recomplish.” To jump to the tects me in this era is that spectre and not the sub. "I cried when they wanted to Anne told me: "We worked
tonators for
midday dinner. Right was a scandal and a mir- Blue jeans and coloured shirts, prise to a world which believed people have woven around
fashion
this charming
is itself avant-garde, Inimutable. And thos0 who would try lo ape it only make themselves absurd.
Morally the problem is different. In
Montparnasse
me a personage who bears
To be avant-garde has become no resemblance to me and the bourgrals attitude par ex- whom
I would celler.ce, and Raymond Hodiguet
in 1920, was niready right in wish to meet.
ny youth in pointing out that it was no we could allow longer routine that it was 'neces-
have no
This personage replaces me in Paris.
I live in the country,
stance.
-(London Express Service).
Tomorrow:
LEONARD BERNSTEIN
IT MAY LOOK GOOD-
but
How do YOU know it
WON'T SHRINK
WON'T STRETCH
WON'T FADE
AND IS GUARANTEED
(Cost and tailoring charges refunded)
The answer is simple -
?
Ask For-
Grafton
CEPEA
POTTER'S
NEW SEASONS DESIGNS
IT'S THE BEST YOUR MONEY CAN BUY
NOW ON SALE
Most parents resist joenage murrying, while their strength lasts, but two who did not were Mr and Mrs John Eelas, of St Jolu's Wood.
"Tho
nor
Advice
"They
"We decided li must be love."
And she said, with an insight
people have: Their daughter, not many Anne, married Michael Cager
so young, safely, is I had such then got so desperate we were
happy childhood."
"You don't pick and choose in loving, unless you aren't capable of loving, You just love, and trust yourself.
"They told uo wo shouldn't were very wise and marry untli we were grown up. reason I've been able to marry their
right. We even fried taking But we wanted to grow up
advice. We separated, together!
years now, back together in three weeks" for us."
We have, for eight and it has worked
So there you are. Teenagers
One of the stock, state objec tions to teenagers marrying is our advisers was really con- will go on rushing into marriago
And David said: "None at this: they marty dream, like cerned about our feelings.
all of us, but are less able to
foce the waking up to love with ils hair in curler
too young, ignoring advice, not
They were simply thinking knowing their own minds, and. what would be good for them
emcertainly, will live to thes were in our place
regret it morgentrully think this is why so many
true. It is not true, for instance, people, advising others about them won't.
ot py Coster and his wife marriage, talk nonsense,"
But just as certainly, most of
London Express Service).
RUSSIA IS THE MOST-MARRYING
-COUNTRY IN THE WORLD-
RUSSIA recently announced the
results of her first complete
census since before the war.
It put her population at 208,826,000, which is lower than Western experts had estimated. They forecast that it would be about 220,000,000.
The China Mail News-Chart below, based on the census figures, shows some, of the other outstanding facts—such as
WOMEN OUTERNICE NOW BY
3,500,000 MORE BIRTHS THAN DEATHS EACH YEAR
20,400,000
London Express Service.
that Russia has the highest marriage rate in the world.
She also claims the lowest death- rate in the world-7.5 per 1,000 a year. Women outnumber men, but only because of war casualties. The numbers of men and women,under 32 are about equal,
COMPARISON: In England the marriage rate la: 7.5 per 1,000; birth rato 16.4; death rate 11.7.
CLAIMS HIGHEST YEARLY MARRIAGE RATE IN THE WORLD
2. MARRIAGES PER 1,000' POPULATION -
POPULATION 208,826,000
· MEN: $4,000,000 WOMEN: 114,400,000
HORN HINTAROTE 4
25 PER 1,000
· POPULATION
FASIA
NEWB-CHART BY JOHN BODER