THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1959.
LIMELIGHT by THOMAS WISEMAN
A real shower!
TERAY-THOMAS
-Terry's verdict
on our comics
IN his autobiography published this month Terry-Thomas makes a remarkable admission. "Most of us," he says, referring to comedians, "are megalomaniacs. Straight actors," he says, "have humility; but variety people are lacking in this desirable trait." That is one reason why Terry- Thomas now likes to think of himself as an actor (Carleton Browne: I'm All Right, Jack). "I've grown up," he says, "variety hasn't."
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As he does not develop this fascinating theme any further In his book, Filling the Gay Max Parrish, 10s.), I went to And out why great comedians should be so much more rogant than other immortals.
Terry-Thomas was rendy lo # the gap In amusing autobiography,
The survivors
said,
very his
"that
"I am sure," he there must be some comedians who DTC not megalomaniacs. The ones you never hear of,
"It is such a difficult pruten- slon in which to make your way |that only the most egotistical
can possibly survive,
"A comedian is on his own. An actor can always claim that
New nose--and name-for Jackie
AFTER BIX YEARS in show- business, Jackie Collins, sister of Joan Collins, decided she wasn't getting anywhore. Bo a little while ago she went to a plastic surgeon to have
shortanad, her nose
diatod eight pounds off her weight. gst., bringing her down to put her hair up and gave it a red rinse and burst upon the world an Lynn Curlia.
Bo far the world has taken the transformation with
"I feel much equanimity.
laugh. To think you can do that you have to
be a megalomaniac.
he is merely interpreting his Mad genius
author. A comellan has no one
tu' whom he can pars the buck.
"What I object to is when "There he is alone on other comedians insist on treat the stage expected to ing me as an audience. That's a
his make
audience frightful bore.
• BY. THE • WAY ··
by Beachcomber
better about Miss
myself,"
says nothing Curtis, "but spectacular has happened yet, except that former friends of mine don't recognise me now. "The trouble l that in there aren't English flimsa many opportunities for giris.
your Changing
по Jan't To get any. really enough. where you'd have to change your ex."
I wouldn't be all that sur- prised if somebody does that, too, one of these days.
"The trouble is they feel lost an audience.
Onc without comedian insisted on telling me at length how he writes new material for himself every werk, and then compelled me to listen to it. Stuff that he'd done with me in Southend 15 years before.
RATTIGAN
FINDS A NEW THEME
rue story of Rex Harrison's
ingle marelaze to y Kendall is, I suppose, one at the moet moving personal dramas to come to tha" public's attention In recent years.
THAN A STİMİT Like Harrison managed for two years to keep up & front to the world and to his wife-knowing that she was ayingthetra the mina.
TO
of how this was done know only vary Hello, But there Lens man who knows the 'whole story-retenta Kattigan, ong of Rex Narction's rest friends.
Eu know Harrison and Kay Kendais intimately throughout the years when Kay, without reading it herwell, was dying. No Walchid this terrible drama unfolding scenza
scent, Involved in it a thile friend."
A painter?
But, at the same time, Ratti- Kan was also able to observe this terrible story with an author's detachment and it has, Inevitably, so fired his imagİES- tion that he is going to write a play on the theme 'of ` Bex and Kay.
Tas main character may be a famous painter instead "or" a Jamian seter; but, in effect, it will be their story.
And I can tell you that the play will be written without sentimentality. Rattigan knows Rex Harriton too well to in- dulge in say phoney menti mentalitation of pls character.
⭑
* *
fellow comedians with samc degree of compassion, he has become rather fed up with the variety theatre.
Nowadays he profers the com pany of actors. The great
about thing bctors," he said, "is that they have at somo stage of their career been taught to listen. This ancans they can listen to me. That is something very few comedians can do.
"When I found myself listen-
Then
old there's
Jimmy Edwards. He's a frightful egotist. Really arrogant. Quitz nauseatingly erudite anyone ing with all outward signs of joy who's more crudite than mo is to people like Tomuny Trindor nauseating. A real shower. and Ted Ray recounting their "And of course, Frankie old goge, I realised I had found Ifowerd mod genius. I was my vocation, I was an actor.
him
PLANS to bring Piccadilly dumped on the moon when we on a train joules with
Circus into line with the have learned a little more about once when I was quite succes Thomas believes you have to be.
Irful and he wasn't quite so best contemporary thought make that unfortunate luminary.
by
successful
you
become a ""because
to
To be a comedian, TOTTY
mad. "I am quite mad myaclt," he assured me, "only a mad- it clear that, instead of fairly the idea becomes practicable we successful. ugly buildings plastered with might also dispose of our litter
"ile spent the whole journey man would consider embarking
he un such a career." adverlisements, we shall have and refuse in this way. A daily telling me how
"As a rule dustmen was, all the house, records he'd manned rezily hideous buildings, plaster rocket
would shoot the Jitter into broken and he told me how I comedian," he said, ed with advertisements.
luner bins. Falling should conduct my career to be you need to draw attention Jas nobody thought of gigantic
yourself. In my case I suppose a success like him. surmounting the bax-buildings, that, satellite bins anchored th
you could say I have a terrible the stratosphere might serve the which are so popular, with a
"Tommy Trinder, of course, inferiority complex, whatever noo-Gothic spire, to relieve the some purpose. There is some-
Ted RAY that means. Most of my friends monotony? And as the build thing grandiose in the idea of is an awful egotist.
But Tony great heaps of earth's flotsam, isn't quite so bad.
also suffer from this affliction. will be ings of
Buy, even Jetsam, doited about Hancock hasn't any ego at all. designed primarily to curry
I'm amazed how that mon has advertisements, why not dis- the stratosphere like buoys in a
got so far because he hasn't any pense with windows and make fairway.
push.
In fact, he's downright the entire structure a gigantic Standstill hoarding?
tomorrow
Is
for
companies.
humble.
" was the fourth son. After me came a girl, I was three and a hair. I had been coddled up theer, But with her arrival
I was thrown aside and my 1litie Snapdriver: Mr Turmoyic, Nothing to do with me you spoke of unliquidated assets. "Peter Bellers is qulic modest sister got all the attention.
picture, "To keep in the Secombe.he bui Harry MAN was fined the other The process of the Law applies to, A
day for sitting, fully only a liquidated assets in the always has to have an audience, started pulling funny faces.
have been doing that ever since. clothed, in a bath on display cast of joint sock
"A1
once That, old man, is how comedians Turmoyle!
somebody there ha outside an ironmonger's shop in
said: 'What getting assets
all, are born." we Fulham, and singing gaily, If machinery
suffer from is up to date unliquidated?
is.
*** that Ironmonger
The Snapdriver:
term is he will advertise the bath which
trouble I' I can be just is so comfortable that it needs meaningless in law. Nobody can
as bad. If a hundred and no water,
Induces
11 even appoint unliquidator or an
people tell ma that a those who lie in it in their official non-receiver.
Turmoyle: armchair, to clothes, as in an
joko I've cracked isn't raise their voices in carefree here?
funny, I'll still 80 on song.
and do
prove them all wrong.”
How to dispose of litter
I
Then why am I
Gooseboote: Why, indeed? Cocklecarrot: Why are any of
NOTICED in a correspon us here, if it comes to that?
dence column a suggestion
that our atomic waste should be
(Dead silence.)
(London Express Service).
154 Pictures Save
Mr Maraini
it--to
Though Terry-Thomas is pro- pared to view the foibles of his
By QUENTIN CREWE
MEETING WITH JAPAN. By Fosco Maraini. Hütchinson. 50s.
FOSCO MARAINI'S first book told too little. It had the alluring_title,
Secret Tibet. But when you came to read it, it turned out that he had, penetrated only a few hundred miles into the country and had never been to Lhusa, the capital.
His new book on Japan suffers Unlike most people who live this action proved Maraini's from the opposile fault." He has for long periods in the East, the sincerity and placed the gurd Loo much to my,
author has kept his own values in a Izumiliating position. intact..
It is hard to decide if it is a
guide book, a history, a diary,
or a cludy in philosophy,
The values
-It is the problem of differences
Differences
in values which interest Marind His comiusion
most He examines
mlriutely,
them
19 that the differences between East and
West are as diromental
46
He doesn't and it ridiculous those between different species
He willes mippets of all these that in Tokyo "it is possible to of animals-but just as under- in haphazard fashion with little chance on a full-blown service standable. pretence of a theme. The book for the soils of old hats
It is disappoiting, therefore,
la saved, as was the first, by the to enter a telephone exchange to find so little beyond the usual
Just at the time of the stairs statement of loyalty to
bellant photographs.
ibe
Murair, an Italian, first went brief ceremony of thanksgiving poor to explain the war to Japan before the war to leach for the loyal service given by atrocities, and no assessment of at Kyoto University, The fall the apparatus which they had Japan's future save a couple of of Italy in 1043 muddenly trane harassed by so much work." formed, him, in Japanese byes, He wooopts the difference in all happen again.
muttered winings that it could photographer +Maraini From an ally into an enemy. cultures.
rather than a writer. The 184 With his wife and throe Once he used this knowledge of photographs makes up for all daughters' he was interned in Japanese customs dramatically, shortcomings. They are some of hideous conditions until the Diring a hunger striics in his the bat ever taken of Japan. dintent of Japanio prison camp the warder accused It is a pity though, that the
50
In a spirit of genuine forgive him of being a liar and a traitor. coloured ones should be news and understanding he went He promptly sclzód, a kitchenbadly reproduced, and the Eng- back. In 1980. This book is chopper and cut off the little fish publishers have not pre- prompted by his last joigndy finger of his own left tank vented (any of then so well se but covers sölife of his original picited it. Algy wach throw 11 at the the Germany (bel tiofa:
warder. Br Japanese standards- GfLondon Represa Bervices.?!
stay.
→IMES change--but some things
remain unaltered. While Horse
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