'Ferry to Hongkong'
Inside story of the Big Feud
S you probably read in' last Saturday's
AS
gether pleas-
China Mail, Ranks launched the By JOHN LUFF our wed pot
premiera of "Forry to Hongkong,” In a very big way. And what is more, they
boar Welles make AAY
Lewals Gilbert had to say, then shake his head and
sav. "You mean it should go like this," or "How about irying it this way?”
engaged London's Festival all-round snub to Ranks and But by the time Ranks had
Then, in spite of what
•Hall for the party which pre- the artistes engaged to work built their studio out at Ders Roderick Mam had to 107 coded the glittering ovent, with him in the m
water Bay, things were really about Curt Jurgens complaint In short, Omon Welles has out of hand.
#bout Welles wanting to They decorated the Hall with Chinese nick-nacks, throw Intention of seeing the film, declared publicly he has no
Noel Purcel and Sylvin rewrite the script, I heard and In a fow rickshows, até what and what la more, ha wants Syms were approachable and saw Jurgens being most help- ful with suggestions and--on occasion-ruling a they imagino approximates nothing to do with anyone completely devoid of what is
ono to Chinese food, and gave he did not by refusing to at-
concerned with it. He showed known as ator temperament. thin shot right out, covery guest a pair of chop- tend the premiere and the
But the two internationally renowned stars, Welles and sticks,
Jurgens were by now strictly on non-profiting terns.
No doubt every one of the guesta reckoned it a gay party, and so it was tor, everyone save those who had an execu» Live Interest in "Ferry to Hongkong
There
bad feeling. that bad feeling was 12 AL transported half-way across the world. In feet, it began right here In longicong, and E Anished up by Orson Welles giving on
ро
was
party.
Things did not go well right from the beginning. The Lont- don press, keen to cover what they considered would be a prestige film, began to think
The person I feel sorry for ia Lewis Gilbert, the direc- tor of "Ferry to Hongkong." I do not know how other up news angles and the Dally directors direct Orson Welles, Express (and the China Mali) but it was obvious that Mr coverage to Orson Welles had a small opinion of gave large Welles with a really original
everyone on the art suvo Headline: "Thind: Man
Welles. Hongkong."
in
Now when Curt Jurgens saw this, he was not allo-
THOMË WISEM
Mr
would patiently to what
listen Im- Director
COT-
Whoever directed the film, Gilbert the it certainly was not, Lewis director, at any rate,, not whon Welics and Jurgens were on the set.
Whether
Lewis Gilbert was overawed by having two Infernationally renowned stare In the film, I do not know. But I do know that he was in very deep water at Deepwater Bay, and
f
the film has emerged with- ont drowning the plot, f will be a miracle,
imelight
The '20s linger on
the
generation which reached im- maturity in the "Twenties, Noel Coward was bliss.
He was successful before suc- ceas had become a dirty word and he never succumbed to the fashionable multise, disenchunt- ment or alcoholism wilch turn- ed other Bright Young Things into middle-aged wrecks.
Today, aged almost 00, he still lives in, und writes about, a world that has not existed for 30 years and probably never existed.
for
Noel
Coward
art 40 years ago, he replied that the burning issues of today were invariably out of date to-
morrow.
He talked about the ballet ho has just written which will be
IN CHARACTER performed at the Royal Festival
Therein lies his enorinatis charm. For Mr Coward The Cream has never eurdled and
Hall. I was set outside Buck- ingham Palace.
No. 1 was not sexy in the new balletle tradition. Sex
Britannia still rules the waves. outside Buckingham Poluce
· Meeting him this month I
would not have been very ap-
thought he resembled nothing propriate, he thought.
50 much as a character out of His GLOW play Look After one of his own more dated Lulu which will be seen in playa. He has achieved the re- London the Royal Court tour markable feat of becoming perlod plece in his own ilfelime, as It was a translation from the sexy, but that was permissible When he said to Margaret French and the Queen had Leighton, "Have you a horse uvedli in the original version. less carriage outside?" It was n In New York the ertiles had phrase entirety appropriate to killed it. In New York, unlike London, the publle took notice
the man.
Most of us would prefer to of the critics.
be lying in the Twenties. Mr Coward has succeedeil in doing
so in the 'Fifties. For this we
must envy him.
WITTICISMS
Ho. Als between his various Somebody wanted to know realdenves and his vorlous tax who was the best playwright collectors, tossing of plays, today? Mudesty, he sald.. ballets, novels, songs, epigrams, forbade him to reply. paintings-all with untortured He continued in this way, case seemingly impervious to plagiarising his own witteisms, criticism and oblivious changing styles,
BALLET
rt-
Noel Coward: bin legend la unfa
His
05 of his voice sounding like an old doing. Osborne and he, repre- will be forgiven Kipling's
scratched record, his face fold-senting diametrically opposed have been, ing like a concertina whenever attitudes, got along famously
cliches robed in silk when they met. he laughed.
dressing gowns will not be held "You will And," said Mr ogainst him. He is not as good "What do you think you will Coward "that it is very rare for a playwright as Rattigan, nor I asked him if he was at all be remembered for?" I asked
author to dislike someone as good Bong writer as Cole interested In writing about him and, frozen-faced he
who has praised his work. I Porter, but he is a greater per- sonality than any other show much I had liked his plays, and business figure of his time. that must have sent
me up enormously in his estimation."
HIS PLAYS He is not at all cross that Mr
contemporary Me and he te- plied; "Charm." I said he probably told Osborne how piled that Nude With Violin was probably right at that. which made fun of abstract art
Is indeed one of the was surely a very contemporary supreme charmers.
He con play.
charm the sting off most peg- When I mentioned that people's tongues even Mr Joha ple were making fun of abstract Osborne's, which takes
I'
BY. THE WAY
by Beachcomber
nome
•
is n fact well known to become essential, so that when meteorologists that if you go cars are able to move at all they on prophesying a certain kind of may cover the maximum pes- weather, the prophecy is bound able
Osborne once måde rather dis- paraging remarks about him.
And his outstanding achieve- ment is that in the fearful 'Fitties he has managed to re- every- mala os flippant about thing, including himself, as if no one had ever split the atorn.
Frank Capra, who used to be ane of the lending comedy "If I resented everyone who
directors in Hollywood, has an- has ever said unflattering things make a Bim
mouneed that he intendo to about the life of about TAC," observed Mr St Paul.
would not luve Coward, "Y
And ho has decided on the many friends?"
'His
actor who would be just right vast imperturbabilty being absorbs all criticisms. He has for the part; Frank Sinatra, alopped by the next jam. Short no regrets about his past-not If they say day after day, burns-of-very high-speed even about the length of it that rain is coming. when it between long periods of immo- sald that some of his plays might does come they can claim an bility will necessitate a higher have been better if he had speat accurate forecast. As the water standard of pedestrianian, than more than his usual four or five diviner said to Nosh at tho that obtaining at present, The days writing them.
pedes "Better?" time of the Flood: Judging by road-crossing test for
a be fullled one day.
ground before
,
he said, "Im-
-AND-DIANA?-
Out- from be
The Russians will be holding their own film festival in Mas- cow this August. Kenneth Rive, who distributes Russian films in the twitching of my litle hazel trians must be made more di-possible"
Britain, was asked by a Soviet twig, there is a good deal of cult, and only those who pass Blithe Spieli, written in five official to suggest some artists It should be allowed to cross days, and Private Lives, writ standing cinema water about."
roads,"
ten in four days, could not have this country who might Every modern
inconvenience A false note
heen Improved. You couldn't willing to attend,
It would be, salil the official, a very serious artistic festival tos not frivolous' like the Con-
ilnental
onrs. Five 'sald The Laurence Olivier, Alec Guin→ nces, Carol Reed, Michael Red- grave might possibly be per- suaded to make the trip to Moscow,
ARE wealthy vulgarians losing ❝ gave you Bottlerove on perfection.
Nor did he feel that he had
for the 3.157"
there
their nervor I have read many accounts of a Londen There somewhat irrelevant quandered his talents on house for which 45,000 in being words came roaring out of one many diverso targets.
Wao asked, and overy account of the roving microphones at a erophasises its gold-plated bath meeting of the World Friendship couldn't do? laps. Yet it repiting unsold, Union while Mr Eugene Plover
anything
FORGIVEN moro
to
inter-
and an
! Has no rich man or woman the was appealing for D
imagination to realise how these realistic approach faps would chime with the misk rational co-operation
"Ah, yes," said the Soviet "Well," he said, "you'll have official thoughtfully, "but do you egg-coales, the platinum tele, examination of relevant nugives | to give me a little time to think think
perhaps Diana Dora phone cover, and the chinchilla tions and counter-stageseilong in of; something" Ten minutes would come?” bed-linen? If it remains unsold, the
Ught of constructive | Jater he thought of something. why not misico it an exhibit, for planning.
T can't," he said, "perform on American tourists who come The not-so-distant past a trupeio or sow ladies in half-- here for a culturisation Intako?
ENDPIECE: Santiment is our hundred-million-year-old though the latter I have often Sust hits out
skeleton of a jellyfish dua wanted to do.")"
to have its place in the SUET, Esq., said yesterday, at Weymouth will probably Whatever, Mr Cowarth writes horror film: A new picture Ce din a sprach at a hunchies turn out to be one pisthese and I have not lived anything will not only introduce su ONESAN Mure and more care come mage-produced and, cold was of hly since Prevent: Laughterunt,
on to our roads, and the cone sorvenire,
hia Legend la sano, in his own monster,¦¦¦ but... siron the
gortion increases, higher trends sechandon Mehram service), ikcoping. His sentimentaisies monster's mether.
INSIDE SHOW BUSINESS
FIRST TIME TOLD:
THE
MYTHS
ABOUT
ME by FRED
ASTAIRE At 58 Fred Astaire has
I'M convinced that the general idea is that I'm a suave Joe who just dances from here to there. A grin- ning goof and kind of a sucker for anything. Too lightfooted and too lightheaded to know what it's all about.
answer is that
1
"Well, the am not that way at all. I am really bad-tempered, Impatient, hard to please, critical. Änd, su Jimmy Cagney said to me years "You know, your so-and- ugo: so, 31've got a little of the hoodlum in you!'
"At the risk of diallusion- ment, I must admit that I con' Liko top hats, white tle, and
tuls.
"I
n
The carefree, dressed, the debonair What a myth!
the
written his autobiography called 'Steps in Timo'.
In it Astaire takes
off his top hat, white tie, and tails and writes of the man behind the myth.
best- **Seeing themselves on the Astaire, screen is usually a chore for most performers. In my case frightening because I've
"My hats are too small, my it's couts are too short, my walk is always thought that I looked loose, I am full of faults, I rather peculiar. have a sense of humour but it "I've had my eye out for the won't always work for me. I am time when the years would always
top at the Shrewd Man
blowing
wrong things. I
my
simply show 100 much, even it
they photo
tell you I am a very annoying graphed me through three lace
guy.
curtains."
am always arriving at Astaire. is also a reúlist, Ha Astaire is also a shrewd man. dinner parties not wearing says there were at least five He and Ginger Rogers wisely dinner Jacket when I should, or times during his tong career decided that the best thing to de vice versa.
when flop nearly finished with a legend was to drop it. "Invariably, too, I don't know him, Now he looks ruthlessly They split up when everybody how to get there or what time at himself,
thought that their teaming to arrive.
What Things are always
about the present could go on for over, But, spilling on the tablecloth in front position of this career? I'm Astaire revenis, - they split up of me. Not always my fault, not nearly finished. Or am I? just la time, when the box-office but nevertheless, there It is. I don't know... The truth appeal of their musicals was Tako beet sauce or beet salad, about me is, however, that for beginning to drop oft. I have had some devastating come years I've been looking for And, most of all, he is a mian experiences with beets,
a quilting signal.
with the sort of common sento
HK$776
IT COSTS ONLY
MORE TO
(TOURIST CLASS
that will confound. Intellectuals who have tried to tag artistio pretensiona to his naine,
Says he "When you come to the evolution of the dance, Its history and philosophy, know as much about that as I
du about how a television tube produces a picture which is absolutely nothing..
"I don't know how it all started, and I don't want to know, I have no desire to prova anything by it, I have never used it as an outlet or as a means of expressing myself.
"I just dance."
(London Express Service).
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