1 Page 14
A Premier's
Wife Sums
THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1959.
ROBERT PITMAN on new books
Him Up Is this why the Big Boss
THE Prime Minister's wife took a sheet of paper and wrote down her husband's chief qualities in a column on the left. Then on the right she added her own. She wrote:
Very patient. Very generous. Often says what) he dors not think.
He is a genius. He te to be de- pended on to
a certain de- Urec.
No patience, Only generOUS to those she lover.
Never saya any-
thing the doce
1101
think.
She is a dunce. She is not to be
depended on. The wife in question, I harten to say, was not Lady Dorothy Mucmillan. She was Mary Anne
Disraeli, whom Disraeli married
when he was 35 and she was 47.
Compared
A delightful new book now compares her with another di tinguished Mary Ann-Mury Ann Lincoln, wife of the Ameri- can President. The book's title: MARYANNEDY MRS LIN- COLN AND MRS DISRAELI, by D. H. Elleston (Murray, 18.).
Why did Disrnell marry his Mary Anne? As a young man he had declared: "1 may make many mistakes in the course of my life, but I hope that among them thall not make the
goes back to midnight toil?
FROM the tycoon's brand-new office high up near Marble Arch I looked
at the scene below. Huge stooping cranes scratched at some of the most expensive yards of earth in the world.
I had been swept upwards in aft which had sweet music seeping through Its walls ( goes on for ten minutes every half hour throughout the build- It makes the staff so content- ing," a young executive told nie.
ed").
I had been shown to the tycoon's reception roum, where exotle plants crawled up crystal panels from out of a thick con- temporary-style jungle.
tycoon Then I had met the himself. His room was panelled in aleek, costly wood. The furni ture was strictly in the super- rich business class.
mistake of marrying for love: Life in a seedy that, I am, sure, is a guarantee * of infelicity,"
tenement ...
Gollancz for the 'B.B.C, How as head of television, he left the B.B.C, in1950 in a 'rago at'
restrictions, money
How he
then proceeded virtually to invent British commercial tele- vision.
the
I
THE NEW FACE IN THE
SHOP WINDOW
FOR surprin effect the eye-tangling cover of this new novel, DANSE MACABRE, by Frederio Mullally, will have fow elyals on the bookshop shelves this week (Bogker and Warburg. .35m.).
There is also something else surprising about the novel, Eti author.
As a pobilelty, man he has worked for David Whitfield. No banged the publicity drum for Johnnia. Nay before Ray's Brat trip to Britain.
116 was engaged to help Damlale Elwes and Trasa Ken- nedy with their publia relations, and was said to have been paid by millionaire, Paul Gelty to krep Grity's name out of the pabers.
Not the sort of background, you might think, for a solid, serious novelist: "Yet this torrid talo (which among other settings taker in the new fashionable Mediterranean bland Ibiza) is in fact a solid and serious piece of work. I recam- mend it.
Cirencester,
FREDERIC MULLALLY
a
"Dear Mrs Josser,
Owing to a slight mlsunderstanding, I shall be here for 14 days. Please ask Mrs Vizzard to on un account ft the room. Tell her the rent
Insurances one by one. With- been for London Belongs to Mo,
Well, In another field that is me that he had lost because he will be attended to, prompt on
out the money I had earned the captive audiences of Britola 1 return. Also please look He said: "When I first put from my books I would: never would not belong to Mr Berne exactly what he had recently. In still opposed explial-punish-
polities Collins dearly wants to ment after Duke. His
will up the Idea ulmost everyone have managed." water
stein and Mr Pornell;
be an MP. He got on the short
Later I nced charging.
began to see the link The birdseed was against I, A few MPs.
descended. In the Easy to see, then, why. Mr pucket in in the top drawer bucked me. That was all. Then between books and the Collins Collins should keep writing. list for the cafe Tory seat of musical lift, refected on the living odd mixture of ideals, artistry, Juring television interests. with my hair-brush. Give him one day came
11 was a What has been an insurance in Instance of slick, new-style and ambling which is Nurman enough
penny. point. I opened the papers and question of simple logic, With the past could be an Insurance Torylam in action, he might Collins." Cover
initiative of Norman agată, Mrs Please tell
Vizzard it's saw that Lady Violet Bonham out the
have been expected to carry the. out against Collins there would have been But could Norman Collins ever selection conference with ease.. only for a forinight or sauner Carter had come
the des. Then I know WC 110 commercial television. "need such Insurance? Today his if i can get sollettors. # gels very cold please have would succeed. Duke down with you.
"But it was hard going for and me. I had no income coming Apain thanking you
at all, I sold off my life hoping that you and Mr in Josser are both well.
Yours truly,
Connie." Landon Betonga to Me (which;
Norman
business. I had come to talk also become a film) made at about novel, with ane of the least £20,000 for
Bull Mery Anne had 2 But I had not come to lalk fortune. Caler she said herself: "Even If he did marry are for ny money. If he had to do it ugain he would do it for love."
Lovable...
The new book
most unexpected writers of our Collins. 11 bold 170,000 hard-
himself. boek ecples alone. ge. With the tycoon Mr Norman Collins.
Let me explain why I chose this moment to visit him.
And ΠΟΛΥ, Norma Collins publishes a new novel.
I title: BOND STREET
Its
and
work
helps
Once Mr Collins wrote a novel explain that change In Dizzy's called Landon Belongs to Me, heart, There
Romething With a brisk, bustling. Dickens luvable even about bla
wite's like gusto wove the story
STORY (Collins, 10s.) 10
theme: the tangled ilves loves of the people who of in a big Londen store.
was
vapid chatter in company. At the people who lived my But why did one party, someone mentioned Dulelmér
Street, IL scedy building In South
he write it?
n certain lady's dazzling white tenement complexion, Sald Mary Annie: London, "Ah, I wish you could only see The story began in 1938 and Other Norman Collins books Londnul Dizzy In his bath, then you it took its lower-middle-class have appeared since
Belong to Me. But none would know what a white skin cost, with all their joys and
mood nearer its
and 10.**
troubles, through to the end of comes
manner than Bond Street Story. 1941.
The sensilive writers--who
to pull
Once at a country house a well-known Eeneral and bly wife occupled the bedroom geri to theirs. Innocent Mary Anne stunned the guests at breakfast next morning by announcing " have just slept between the greatest soldier and the greatest oraler of the day."
Do you remember the str
amung novel-readers when that can seldom manege
few hundred renders through
story was published in 19457
*
sensitive story...may Eagerly they reed about the singie Inhabitants of 10, Dulcimer gnore Collins, who packs halt 1 dozen stories into every Street, About poor, agring
But the hundreds of Connie, for example, who works novel.
want who West thousanda
in the cloakroom at a
back with
her
Eusto,
wil At Mary Anne's death large End night-club and lives in the who want "a good read."
make this the novel of the year quantities of her husband's hair second-floor
for the, booksellers. were found fondly hoarded canary, Duke.
But 1 was not worried about among her effects. She had One night Connie's club 19 whether people would real
the
always carried out all detalls of ralded by police. One of her new book, What puzzled me his hairdressing with her own fellow-tenants gets hand. Asked one local villager Holloway Prison
at her fancul: "Who will he get written in childlike
to dye his hair now?"
JDYS!-
a letter on wus: why ever ahould Norman
natepaper Colins bother to torite it?
hand. I Put yourself in his beautiful
A British Crossword Puzzle
16
122 123
#19
24
126
ACROSS
1 Bank counter! (0).
4
DOWN
12
2 No ball? Could be (5)."
Mobs run it sometimes (4), 3 Sorely burdened? (5). '
4 Whal д spinner will do
Quoted (5).
7
10TM Lash (5).
11 Sort of leaving certificate?
(4).
13 Lifelessness (10).
(0).
Di Mairinge suggestion, mag-
be (8).
. Records often burrit (4),
12 F
15 Impressive crenture, as it. Very foolish (6).
were (4).
10 Besitles ($).
19 Get into the middle (10)
(8).
1
the correct answer
19 Land of the graduetie? (5). 22. Give encouragement (4); A 14 Welcoming (8), 24 Weeper (5)...
17 Do uctors create, one? (5).
25 Beolt wrote of his fortunes 18 Golfers standing (0)..
(3).
20 Familiar giri (5)..
20. He comes from Marlow, 21 Nook (0),
England (4).
27 One by one we get a team
(0).
23 Front of the boat (4).
'YESTERDAY: B. CROSSWORD,—Acrocs: 1 Motto, 4, Orotan, .0 Scopech, 10 Brnes, 12 Budden, 14 Compere, 17 Lens, 19 Aspires, 20 Call-ant, 22 Oral, 23 Cistern 27 Talent, 29. Opera, 30 Yellow; 31 Fitter 32 Petal. Down 1 M-s-ic, 2 Th6«R.M., 3.Obero, Rued, & Tanner, 7 Assess, 9 Durance, 11 Relte-t, 13 Destiny, 18 Omar, 10 cater) Pur, 10 Near, 20 Opt. of 21 Latent, 24- Beep, 20 Eclat, 30 Nów-si, 20 Lane,
high-backed leather chair al the headquarters of Associated Televilon, where he is deputy- chairman. Glance at fils #plendid ofee. Glance 100 де his shareholding In the com- peny. It was once £2,250. 11 Is now worth £500,000.
Imagine yourself, then, a busy television bass with half a millon. Would yout do RS Collins does? Each evening, at 11 p.m., after the day's work is done, after dinner and family chal, ho goes up to a room at the top of his house in Hamp- stead Garden Suburb and works on his next novel until 1 a.m. The next morning he revises it before work begins.
Why?
Is this n man divided into two distinct people: author and tyccon? Or is there some direct novellst connection between Collins and Collins the commer- eial television man?
His first break
as a writer
In his oMee Collins told me about his career. It was hot, He took off his jacket and strode about the room in red traces. He is 51, but it was the stride of a TRON years Younger.
He said: "My father was an artist. Unsuccessful. by com- mercial standards. But he was a fine mnn. A much nicer man than me." The telephone buzzed on the leather-covered. desk. Mr Collins dealt with tha call "That was the Spankch' Ambassader," he told me.
Mr. Collins began Birlding again. He told me about his fiest break
writer and journalist
as
1
I wrote a letter to a weekly paper about capital punishment. Against fl. Robert Lynd saw It and led it, I met film and ho took me on us his literary asalstant in Fleet Street," Ho walked out
in a rage The buzzer went again, Some- one was inquiring about the team for a television, discussion, Bar Collins snorted: "Oh, you can't use him. Put old Kingsley Martin on instead.”
to the
Mr Collina went back Collina, story, How he luft Fleet Street for a big job with) Victor Gollancz. How he left
And without the royalties from his books there would have been no initiative frem Mr Collie,
In other words, If it hadn't
JACKY'S DIARY
JACKY MENDELSOHN
AGE 3/2
And on the "odd "edincidénco that one of those idonis...his name is a by-word for smooth But he was not chosen.
beliefs on hanging-should both success. Everything he touches Why? › In his offico Collins have started his career, and glitters. It is possible he should, and I talked about the Cirence- checked it so near the top. ever have a setback?.
ster fallure. It became clear to
—[London Express Service),
Last Night We WENT TO a Drive-in Movie,... Which is Like a Regular Movie, EXCEPT it isn't finished on A count of it Don't have A rOOF Yet.
Also They Don't Have Any Chairs, So You Forta) wa. In The Picture From inside of Your car. Which is a big Gyp, cause you can't find ANY Chewing Gum under the Seats There
Empty
.0
When we first CAME in a Guy gave us a Microphone Which is Plugged into THE Actors So You Can Make Them TALK LOuder, So Daddy paid him A
Quarter
Right NEXT TO US there was a man of a lady who were Playing Kissing Games, guess the MAN was Losing, CAUSE He had to keep on Kissing Her & Couldn't even Watch the SHowe
ALSO THEY GOT a Little house There where You Buy Pop Corn, French Fright POTATOES, HOT Dogs, Sodas, of other GooD foods
PS: if you dont have a 3⁄41⁄44 You Can also hear Better by Leaning our of the window.
aLL ARound US There WAS LOTS of those TiNY Little cars. They must of SNEAKed out of The Childrens Section when The UsHer
wasn't Looking
2959, Bing Featur
Oh Yeah! The Movie was ABOUT this Guy Who Shot a bunch of PEOPLE, and Then AN other guy finely Shor Hime. So then we went Home.
BAM
„World nights Reserved. | 8-9
Took Home THE
Microphone
that Daddy Boughls and p'm going
to PASTe it in
my SCRAP BOOK for
A SilverNEER
MY SCR
ap Booke