NOTES ON NOTES
by CARL MYATT
He rose from poverty
HE
E was born in Mexico City, one of a family of 15 children. His father was a postal employee named Moreno. Young Mario Moreno was born into almost abject poverty-the kind from which one rarely escapes.
to
stardom
on this
album entitled "Send For Me" It's just that she has finally utilised another facet of a re- markable talent.
But Mario better known to- Days,” and his latest film for lived his life completely and he London you'll hear day as Cantindas was one that Columbia-"Pepe."
isn't finished living it, not by a got away. Today he is at the But unlike some famous per- long chalk, top of the heap. He is the analities of similar occupation, Cantinflas tried his hand at highest paid actor in the world. Cantinflas has not forgotten boxing and was a failure; next
There is still that husky, He owns eight cars (a Jaguar, what it is like to be poor. It be turned bullfighter-not a
breathless delivery, the gentle a Maserati, a Cadillac, two is estimated that this remarkable serious bullfighter but as the Mercedes, an Oldsmobile and a man gives away 65 per cent of Mexicans say, a "torero bufo" or caressing of a note, but the phrasing is more emphatic and Pontiac), his own plane, five his income. He is a Robin Hood clowning_bullfighter.
she belts into some of the blues ́residences, is a' stockholder' in with a differere. He works for Cantinflas started his acting members particularly the title four film companies and owns a the poor, collecting money from career in tent shows, made his formidable percentage of the rich who pay
to see him debut at the Folies Theatre in tune with gay abandon. She swings and swings and gets "Around The
and World In Eighty perform. He is a man who has Mexico City
eventually tremendous backing from the wound up making advertising Jimmy Rowles orchestra. Jim- shorts. The agency which hired my, a fine jazz pianist him didn't realise what a gold own right, also did the arrange, mine they had on their hands, ments."
Reel Corner
KATEDR
O'REILLY-
in his
but they were soon to find out. Tunes you'll hear on this LP To their utter astonishment the include "Everyday" "Cheatin'
agency discovered that instead On Me," "Trav'lin' Light,"
of struggling to get theatres to Get On The Right Track" and screen their ads free of charge, many others. the movie houses were com- peting with each other to pay for film rights,
Thus Cantinflas the master comedian was born. He has been raking it in-and paying it out just as fast-ever since.
On Liberty LBP 3171.
IN
CONTEST
conjunction with
the screening of the film "Pepe," this column is running à competition, the ques- tions for which are all based on the
movie and its 35 stars.
Closing date for entries Is Thursday, March 9.
Send your entries in, marked "Pope," 17 21 Club, China Mall, 1-3 Wyndham - street, Hong. kong:
There will be slx prizes double-passes to sca
"Pepe."
it ever
【IGH-STEPPING
since their big double "Perfidia"
hit of
and
-
Cantinflas arrives here to- "Walk, Don't Run,” is that morrow for the gala premiere of great, new, swinging group "Pepe." We are glad he could calling themselves the
We hope he likes us.
come.
LIE LONDON
JULIE
"Ventures."
This quartet
was recently named the most promising group of
of the 1960" by Billboard maga-
1
}
And here are
questions:
2. Sammy Davis
well
*
the
1. Can you name the young star who Bobby Darin recently married? Jr is known for his singing. Is it true that he is also a talented musiclan?' Answer yes
or no.
3. Hedda Hopper is (a) a (b) a dramatic coach; (c) à gossip columnist?
lovely face and the zine the most informative caressing voice was in
comedienne;. the magazine of its kind in the process of being called a world. "type" artiste. She has a tremendous following as
The group is composed of two electric guitars, an electric bass singer of the torchy type of and a drum. Bob Bogle and ballads the late night Don Wilson, voice. Her critics and she group started as a duo and were couldn't have had many — tion
later joined by the rhythm sec- of Nokie Edwards and But the great to any other kind of song; driving beat the two guitarists had achieve when playing
co-leader of the
Thistory is recreated for the motion picture industry."too much cream can make without a rhythm section, now
week we publish another picture to show you how insisted she could not adapt Howie Johnson.
4. Dan Dalley, who co-
stars In "Pepe," is famous for his.... .5 Andre Previn la a musician. What Instru- ment does he play? 6. If you heard someone referred to as "The Volce," could you guess who that person was?
The scene shows an incident the practical side of making a one rather ill,” I was once stands them in good stead. It In John Wayne's film, "The film.
told by a young man who is one of the secrets of the Alamo," which is made in the
of this young and This certainly is an exciting Todd-AO process.
"The Alamo” tells the story said he had cot tired of success
talented combo. The Ventures, groupas this album proves. of a 13-day siege of a mission listening to Miss London. fin more than
hear them play John Wayne ventured every fortress in Texas, when. 185 I disagreed with him, but the gap left by the Bill Haley among adequately You'll
other tunes, "Per- fought 7,000 until this week I never really combo (now in semi-retire fidia," "Hawaiian War Chant," "Harlem Nocturne," "Blue Tango," "Moon Of Manakoora"
had a defence. Now Julie has made an album which should
ment).
penny he possessed, and so did frontiersmen
number of other people, be- Mexican troops. lieving that the way to make films is upon such a scale that The stars in the film are silence the critics once and for Dancers love them for the and others. people have just got to see John Waypie, Richard Wid- all. It is not a "new" Julie beat they lay down.
them
mark, Laurence Harvey, Frankie Avalon, and Richard Boone.
The film cost 64 million John Wayne produced and Hongkong dollars to make! directed the film.
Think of that. Or if you reckon
In English money, £1,000,000. It had a wonderful opening
in London, and Royalty were
Armies of extras took part at the premiere.
in the film, and they all had to
be dressed and fed apart from This is how Todd-AO should the numerous. cameramen, be used. Wouldn't it be technicians, make-up men, and derful if we could see it all the others:connected with way in Hongkong.
ZOO'S WHO
THE PARROT FISH, DISTRIBUTED WORLD-WIDE THROUGH TROPICAL WATERS, HAS A STRANGE PRACTICE OF DONNING A NIGHTGOWN BEFORE RETIRING... AS NIGHT APPROACHES THE FISH STARTS SECRETING A TRANS- · PARENT MUCOUS ENVELOPE FROM A SPECIAL SECRETORY/
·SYSTEM. IT STARTS WITH -THE MOUTH AND IS EXTENDED
BACKWARD, UNTIL THE TRANS- PARENT ENVELOPE COMPLETE LY ENCLOSES THE BODY..
IT IS BELIEVED THAT THIS THIN GARMENT MAY AFFORD SOME PROTECTION
AGAINST NOCTURNAL
ENEMIES.
THE PARROT FISH STANDS UPRIGHT, WHILE
Won- that
HAVING THEIR TEETH PICKED BY SMALLER FISH.
On Dolion BLP-2004.
The Hit Parade By Ted Thomas
AS the offbeat cha
Hacha replaced rock 'n
roll in the fancies of Hongkong's youngsters? The latest locally-made LP "Offbeat In Hong- kong," seems to be out- |- selling all others — and surely that isn't only be- cause it features a local singer and a local band.
As a dance I find the off- beat tricky and difficult to learn, but the teenagers seem to have taken to it like ducks to water and can now be seen at every public dance showing off their paces.
The staid old-orthodox cha cha has almost, disappeared in the light of the new beat and, ́since it first arrived here a year
ago, it's been unchallenged.
Wo
WONDER what ever hap- pened to the diminutive "Rock-a-fellas.” This group of tiny performers amused
1. Wooden Heart-Elvis Presley.
2. Where the Boys Are-Connie Francis.
3. Calender Girl-Nell Sedaka.
4. The Story of My Love-Paul Anka.
5. The World, is Getting Smaller-Mark Dinning.
6. Perfidia-The Ventures.
7. I Will Follow You-Eydie Gorme..
8. Let's Go Off-beat-Kong Ling.
9. Yes, I'm Lonesome Tonight-Dodie Stevens. 10. You Are the Only One-Ricky Nelson. 11. Dear John-Pat Boone.
12. Many Tears Ago-Connie Francis. 13. Don't Read the Letter-Patti Page.
14. Somebody-Johnny Nash.
15. Wait Till Tomorrow-Elleen Rodgers. 16. Rubber Ball-Bobby Vec.
17. Three Steps to Heaven-Eddle Cochran, 18. Devil or Angel-Bobby Vee.
19. Lop-Sided Over-Loaded-Brian Hyland. 20. C'est Si Bon-Conway Twitty.
★
at
the
microphone several times best they appeared
notably in Radio Hongkong's Radio Clubhouse, where they delighted a capacity studio audience with their Interpreta- tion of the rock 'n roll Idiom, If anyone has heard of their present whereabouts and for.
and entertained Hongkong tunes I'd be glad to hear.
nightclub audiences for В
couple of years and then ap- parently disappeared.
Whilst they were at their
THE
HE next, youngster who writes and says that his
Is "One of the few gennine fan clubs in Hongkong" should take the trouble to include the actual document of authorisa- tion from the parent club in Britain ог the United
States.
Until then-I shall continue to say, as I have always sald, that these clubs are little more than a racket to corner the airwaves of Hongkong for their own selfish means.