1952-06-23 — Page 4

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THE CHINA MAIL, MONDAY, JUNE 23, 1952,"

LOSING THEIR WAY

World Copyright. By arrangement with Dally Fierald,

The Election Race In The U.S.

Don'tbank too much

on the Primaries

From R. M. MacCOLL

Washington.

HE Taft-Ike hubbub of the past few days concerning which of

move on his behalf is building of the best-known and most up.

respected of America's TV and There are no speeches, no radio commentators has just fold campaign buttons to wear in the whole nation on his coast- the lapel, no big radio and TV to-coast broadcast that as far as

elections theso

are concerned

THE ORACLE OF W.5.

HE film producer's world is a restless

propaganda, "belly laughs, big business, tem. perament, nationalism, on- tertainment, bad, guessos, overdrafts and the sale of Ice-cream. Sir Michael Bal- con has made the best of it; At least, after 80 years, ho is still in it. That makes him, in his own words, a "professional survivor." The feat has earned him the respect normally reserved for those who have success- fully been over the Niagara Falls in a barrel.

And with endurance has come power. He produces his own films at Ealing. He is G director of Odeon Theatres, the largest cinema

Hou, one was, in tha: restless

world of films, found a formula that makes him, after 30 years,

the Professlesst Survivor.

The name in MICHAEL BALCON.

by MILTON SHULMAN

After about 200 mictures for Gaumont British, Gainsborough and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and a serious nervous treakdown, Balcon turned up in 1938 at Ealing Studios. His main alan until then had been to make money.

owners in the country. He se his duty to go on making advises the. National Film them. For this agony he braces

The war was

not only an Finance

Himself with a discreet sedative. Corporation 'on

upportAmily for belter Alms, It Aims suitable for Govern Michael hicen wis born in encouraged an idealistic and, a distinctly native ment loans. He is chairman Birmingham, the youngest of above all,

to their subject- of two groups of indepen- Ove children. He describes his approach

father as a "soldier of mis matter. Most astonishing of all, dent producers. He has be- fortune whose efforts at make the publle actually liked them. come a kind of oracle. to ing a livelihood ranged from

probably the whom the industry looks for being a merchant. to plonces

prospecting in South Africa, He accident or an economy wave was nover very, successful at that was chiefly responsible for he beg mig of those light- heared domestic flims known

answers.

But

#1

the

Yet he has neither the any of them. wealth of a. J. Arthur Rank Leaving Birmingham Gram- as Ealing Comedier. "Hue and nor the creative talent of a mar School at 17, Balcon was Cry

first. Then, follow- Sir Alexander Korda, He chant. An adverse medical corti Whiskey Galore," "ind Hearta ed "Passport to antion," The. Lavender owes his present position ficate cut his Army career in the

apprenticed to a diamond mer

FULL MOD,*** The White Suit."

to the rather prosaic gifts 1914-18, War to two days and and Corones" und "The Mən in of experience and good sent him into a rubber factory. sense. In the highly-colour- A short spell selling advertis Their common denominator ed atmosphere of filming flims after the war seems to

have been all the preparation he was gentle anarchy. They were making these drab qualities needed for a dlm career at the purpled with little people dety shine out like reassuring top. In 1920, at the age of 24, ing their own littleness And audicrices not beacons.

he borrowed enough money to they delighted make a picture called "Woman only at home but in Europe and to Women," with Betty Compson America, where nothing is so and Clive Brook. It made a funny as a rebellious English- profit of £80,000,

No nonsense

breath sweet the two shall grab the for really there, and several key "there is no real democracy in mers, spolcrete alt, in prostices

at the

publican Nomination President has temporarily stolen the limelight, and ob- scured the fact that, who ever does become the Re-

same time publican champion, it yet

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remains that many shrewd and dispassionate observers of America's political scene are still laying long odds on a Democrat, going back to

Нойве the White

next January.

Members of

In his quiet suits, mild man- plays his part of a film

Congress with America." whom I have rocontly talked He meant

by this that into the point of understatemen consider Sam

of the spite of all the sound and fury But the total effect is one of "better bets,"

Is the

Over

...

Up and down

D

bouncing

Aldas ko

bail

man.

pro doing what they could do much The better. But here were films they "The Lodger," "The could never make. They had n

Train.***** Sunshine

transport.

Comics the next American Presi- at Ealing Studios and more. "The. Good Companions

are down. Just who be- alsout his tiny self-effacing offer Ghost . "Journey's. Ead," "The flavour and touch too clusive for Sowerful men sitting far out of "Sir Michnél,”.....

is decided by a very few people call him "Mickey" than Foreman Went to

Six a year

Balcon was shrewd enough, to seo that this was the long-lost answer to the problem of British Since then he has been up film production. It was, futile out in the open, the manoeuvr-und-finance-and-no-nonsense, and down, with the persistence to compete with Hollywood by

the claims of this and that which may account for his of Age Snag sumber of delegates, the fuss

ducing winning ways with bankers, PIG drawback - Sam cele- the Primaries and so forth, it Dbrated his

Thero very little when the

is nothing Tsarlika 70th birthday means

chips this year and that's bit

on the elderly as Presidents go. (Septuagena-,

"Sun Demetrio London," with rians Douglas MacArthur

and

like Ivor Novello, Alfres nervous, extremely Alben Barkley the public eye, and as the re Vice-President

ics out of the cult of some "deals at a high smokes cigaretics with a furious Ittencock, Noel Coward, Cicely

För the

four years past determination, and bounds rost Courtneldge, Conrad Veldt, Jack running principally because it is level.

Jessie Ealing films have been remores And don't forget that Presi-lessly from chair to chair. Talk- Halbert, George Arliss,

Stewart

Granger, Jessly indigenous. Balcon profers "don't supposed that their arteries are you

dent Truman himself, in an un- ing to him is like watching a Matthews, shoot Santa Claus," "We never hardening up a little.

Although Alec Guinness and probably to rely for his six scheduled Rayburn's buckers want him guarded moment, recently de-human metronome,

a yeny upon original had it so good," and the tried

completely aloof from scribed the Primary elections as he quivers all over while mok- anyone else in the business you Akms

material rather than adaptations political maxim that you don't ta

all the preliminary free-for-alls.

ing a public speech, he considers can name.

of novels or playa.. He has sur turn

out the party In power "Let Kefsuver, Harriman, Sez

rounded himself with a light when times are prosperous,

tors Kerr and

and Russell and the

Little

of jike-minded group And Iri spite of

talent. prices and talk of a com- ing reccssion, the great mass of small men and women

Why?

Because

nil the

all over the country are living the good life, and "cating high on the hog,"

Powerful Move

WHO

to

are

more

or

"cyowash."

rest of them cut one another's In the Lansbury housing project, now

throats," is the way they put it

And one of Rayburn's most devoted adherents,

rents, Oklahoma's a year old, Wayne Mineau finds a-

Scuator Mike Montoney, says: "Our man is a tenth ballot pro- position, not a first ballet one"

not many people think that a nets boyish. Republican could beat him in

the November Elections But assuming Truman change his mind and res doesn't

may

"Eyewash"

-

Angeles, is only 52--and is a· ALAI Stevenson, born in Les "draft" (conscription) of which boy as far as politics are con- Democrats wistfully talk when cerned.

GLIMPSE OF

NEW LONDON

to

But no formula is a guarantee in the film business. Along with the successes Ealing has also turned out Alms like "Dance "Pool of

Hall," "Secret People Alency".

London," "HIS

"Eureka Stookade” which have received crilical receptions rang- Ing from tepid to lukewarm. - -

Yet what, Indeed, is a bad film? Good notices and no pro- Ats or large proflis ́ and bád ultra.notices? Balcon admits that he

doesn't know.

ccm-

NCE it was one of The nominations are decided

the ruins that Goer- at Chicago on a series of ballots ing knocked about' a among the delegates. the lucky Democrat-

be roi lot. Now it is one of the The age song to-be? If Truman liked to rend by teaming ather Ray

corriers London is shaping change his mind at any time up burn or the 75-year-old Alben up a bit.

the 50th minute of the Barkley with a' much younger eleventh hour at the Democratic. Vice-President, such as Illinois It had no easy birth, this National Convention in Chicago Governor. Adlai Stevenson or Lansbury. Last year a lot

Not far away, at the next month,

is not the New

York's

multi-millionaire of top-hats and striped 84-year-old Fiona Digby, slightest

est doubt that he would Averell Harriman,

trousers watched its painful headmistress. of Ricardo modern Trinity Church,

munity life is... olive.

"I maite films I-Uke," He told be accepted immediately, And Harriman is 61-but looks and delivery as London's piece Street nursery school.

me. the More than 120 attend

"I would never deliberate- of -Festival "live architec-

ly make a fim I thought had no Headmaster Mills and his weekly neighbourhood women's ture."

youthful staff are deter meeting a hundred old-timers chance at the box-office. A cer- mined to cut down the aged 65 to 81 amble comfortably tain amount of idealism in films

Grandfather's Today all is different.

Afternoon, doesn't do any harm," "chalk and talk" of school-

play- young mothers discuss, Striped trousers you don't room. Among fünfors aged read, knit, sew, enjoy games and ever they fell pessimistic Kr II there is an unbreakable see. But you do see 500 new. 8-11 you sometimes see a change übtary books; and youth panicky about their

the Democratie houses, chances, deadlock at

flats and mai- class quietly at work-alone work shows steady progress. who are we

between Harriman, sonettes, three pubs, two and without supervision. Talking point for church battle with Ike, at so doing Convention"

Taft or Mr X7 Kefauver. (Truman

autheclics: the Sunday congre Here is a name you have Harriman, personally dislikes churches, three schools, a

Rival Illustrated "news-gations do not increase. scarcely heard of Sam Ray Kefauver) and Senator Richard buzzing market-place, and

a major -en- egg-bald, Russell of Georgia, they might an entirely new version of Rayburn

papers" are bura, shrewd, well-liked, has been easily turn to one of the two the old spirit that charac-thusiasm of one group. the respected Speaker of the septuagenarians, Rayburn or torisés hard-working East Mills tells B significant In general, the new neigh

Less extravagance bourhood begins to thrive, decided to Londoners,

story: "We

know just how significant, in-the abolish the age-old 'please lives of its familles is this yellow- And like a bright strange teacher may I leave brick Landon splash of New more rational distribution of flower on a bombed site, all the room idea. A child Town-in-mintature, you need go box-of receipts, less extrava this that is new is seen wishing to leave the room no further than Lansbury's gant production, a growing growing alongside all that simply gets up and goes -- Saracen Street.

House of

favours

Representatives for Barkley, as the only way. many years. And # уст I don't want to sound cynical, powerful. behind-the-scenes but I ought to tell you that one

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Despite its chronic state of crisis, Sir Michael now feels that the industry is in a healthier state than ever, before, Wa have had many periods of fatse prosperity. But we recently touched rock-bottom and we have started to rebuild on a sounder basis," he said.

His optimism stems from a

foreim market and a determina-

is grimly worn out in the as, indeed, you and I would. At No. 30 you meet Barbara tion on the part of the people Poplar-Stepney-East India

and Jim Bostock. He is a print and the Government to keep Dock Road atmosphere.. "For one week only there ing worker, she a full-time British films alive.

was chaos. Half the school moler. They have a boy of six, 'Balcon's ́own rewards – after seemed to throng the cor- boy-girl twins of eight weeks. include rocket wifi n twin boys aged three, and now three decades of frenetic activity ridors. But today you oc- * casionally see a boy or girl alphabetically and are going. en Cecil Day Lewis, the pot, 3 book Jim and Barbara started daughter, Jill, who is married to above all, a neighbourhood proceeding quietly to and that way-so the children are at Cambridge, a farm in Bussex

from the classroom.”

Lansbury is becoming

for children and mothers,

In what must be three of ·

Throughout the

Tachodia, A

Alan, Brign and Colin' (twins); and a brief-case full of woric, Denis and Elatrio. (twins);

Ho reads three or four scripts London's finest schools

A three-minute stroll with a week, attends a buzz of direc- nursery, infant-Junior and

mother gets. Alan to primary tors' meetings, discusses finance secondary — a bold experi- sweeping generosity of glass, school and the elder twins lo over dinner, and keeps an un- ment in teaching goes on, light and colour mage the old nursery school. By 1954 the complacent eye on the work of

fashioned oned shake their heads news throughing his own studios, jo A remarkable blend of ad say: "The place will be althy their brothers through

Kocently soution, (cske en his educational neighbourhood.

own films had him.gotting educational freedom, in- in a year." formality, self-imposed dis- They were utterly wrong. A ometto the Bostocks par un alto come admiste

three-bedroom | Greek corvette from achlové fine respect for the beauty of 4d, a week, including heater-gastrative duties for a unit in cipline, creative

Ireland, organising : facilities for -of a Alm about' zenship has come to this chidren, and of the first two

windows that went, one was Mr B. tell you imply: There the shooting- part of East London, under amashed by the wind and another are many trees around us now, railways in Britain and sendlog the driving initiative of, by the staff.

And I aknost feris ilice the country, some technicians to

Ito tells you all this as if you spectacled George Mills and At small tables, each seating. fyhen you hear thore wordi 150 Mine M. B. Scotter, hends four children, Junchline: conver- yards from East India Deck Roadshould feel sorry for him. But of the Susan Lawrence pri- sation in the freth alry canlcan you know you are in the presence don't be fooled by that anxious, mary, Mr J. Doyle, of Car counds more genuine, no poller of achievement, and begin, hope sad look in his eyes, He would and les fatuous than in many fully to see, the prospect for be miserable doing sariling dinal Grillin secondary, and big teardops

tomorrow's London,

inent and proud young citi. "our Tichool" consumes the and electricity. "