1955-09-28 — Page 4

THE CHINA MAIL, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER ~28, 1955.

SOVIET CONTRACTORS

ONL

and

IN ART AT WORK

By David Laidlaw

au-

Soviet Union, the thorities have always had great faith in this method

poser shouted into

NLY the Communists Statements like these con- He did not even bother to ste the Ibrettist that his her in person but aent her would really expect vinced

coll:borator was a man of high instruction by telephones, just; much marit from a work of integrity and he worked harder as "a housewife orders meat for

in due course he dinner," than ever,

Tho following art produced" "collectively."

instructions. sample of those In Communist countries, finished all the words for the

the Arst and second acts, and wrote For the first course, the com- particularly in

a number of lyrics for the re-

the nico need a telephone, 'wo maining two.

Lyrical morsel with a bit of AL this point Korchmarev body; that is, with thought in

second course of artistic creation. Their decided that at last it was time it. For the

for him to sepi a contract, give noveral choruses desire for a collective maa- “Only, the theatre can assess our romenile seasoning..

aly" he told the so on. terpiece has been especially work objectively,

lofty tone. "Let strong in the field of opera, librettist in n for of all forms of art this us sign a contract. is the most closely linked rally done by Bizet, Borodin andl Leoncuvalio." Whoreupon, departed to with what one might call Korchmurev

Leningrad with his wife. national mythology.

The authorities know well that one really first-class "Soviet" opera, which fired popular Imagination, would have more effect than any

This was

with and

John Heille

by

Old Vic PIN-UP?

I'd just like to be

in

a

MUSICAL

The first report in a survey of some of the new personalities in the theatre.

MILTON SHULMAN

at RADA while his parenta looked after the rest.

After a year and a half at the Royal Academy Neville got his first professional job. Appro- priately enough it was in

Midsummer Shakespeare Night's Dream at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre,

There followed two years of

repertory

work-at Lowestoft tho Birmingham doing and usual range of bread-and-butter plays from Wilde to Rattigan. But his real opportunity came with the Bristol Old Vic whero, after three years, he was taking the lead in classics like Henry V and The Wild Duck

Las. year he was promoted to London's Old Vic whore ho was given parts that exploited his looks rather than his act- ing Fortinbras in Hamict;

number of administrative shock in store for him. When cided to present It and the mat teenage girl, shufiling up the Like It; he was a robust, fessional wanting to be a pro- Orshino in Twelfth Night,

decrees.

But such a work has yet to appear, Moreover, it now seems

A

anyang else,

T the first night of Richard II at the The girl naturally resented

Old Vic, early this this method of collaboration,

year, the final cur- but Korchmarev swept her ob- Jections aside, saying that their tain kept bobbing up and deadline was at hand and that down like an exuberant yo this was no time for "poetic

Each time 廷

thin, and if he has not always ambitions he might have had

the stage. Born into scruples." So she gave in and yo.

at least for completed her ethereal-looking young man won, he has

working-class family-his father reluctantly

Was A motor mechanie - in assignment.

took his bow the gallery drawn.

1025, he can re- The ibrettist settled down

He was pleasingly roman- Willesden in When the opera was finally stamped and whistled its contentedly to await their re-

"Oh," said a tic as Orlando in As You member

football player before turn, but there was a rude ready, a provincial theatre de-approval.

"I was a bit surprised when MRC- Не left school when he was they asked me to do the big ter came under the jurisdiction aisle when it was all over, avenging Macduff in they got back Korchmarev an-

Old "I do wish the critics heard both; and in Henry IV he 16 and took a job selling spare roles this year," he said. He Vic for unced that everything was in of the Ministry of Culture.

and that a Leningrad now contract was drawn up and

In that." "Probably not," displayed his versatility by motor parts. It was as Brutus will be at the

Jullus another in a school version of

year, when his roles order theatre bad simed a contract approved by the Ministry.

her

will be even bigger. flory Hotspur and Caesar that he first came into companion. being with himsel! his wife. this, the young librettists were sighed

, ឆ៥ that the syslem of opera colies- with your wife?"

asked the again passed over, being men-"They always dash out be- a swaggeringly comic Pla- contact with the theatre.

Although he "authors of Lives is not only artistically

"and how loned enly as the

tol. His most and allotted fore the applause." unproductive, but that it often poet In cenazement,

Ile received the verse episodes,"

If capturing the devotion important dishonest practices, about encourages

following answer: "Lydia no remuneration whatever,

of schoolgirls were all that part, Richard This tendency was exposed by Pravda recently in an article ivanovna will be your employer.

was needed for stardom II, caught the She will indicate the text and called "Contracting the Muse,

you will do the writing.

there is no doubt that John tragic pity of hired beher named Korch- will

king's Neville would already, be the an opero, labour force,"

there.

downfull but the For this

young actor, missed

facets whose Richard II must have ugly set some sort of record in of this com- curtain calls, has taken plex charac- Richard Burton's place as ter. the pin-up boy of the Old Vic..

A composer marov was, writing

one from of the literary instituten as his librettist. KorchmareV

with a young poet

great pains to present

interested

me?"

Look breitist himself partnership.

You

poetic

Furious at this treatment, the withdrew from We Korchmarey had

a

When

they protested to the to Korchmarev's Ministry of Culture, they were told to apply wife. For the Ministry. "in a US someone completely urzen that this might hap special cimuse in the contract," had given her permission to in anything but his en and-as Pravda put the delegate the writing of tho

before leaving

libretio and to pay the writers "even Leningrad ire had begun to

The latter task she think about poelle

reinforce herself. ments for the opeus." As his found it convenient to ignore. wife was incapable of writing That this kind of thing is by verse, he engaged another young no means unusual in the Soviet composer," and unknown poel, this time anime

arl

In this he was abetted by his

wife. "Another

she told the librettist one day, "would long ago have made a

He From the start, he ta contract with the theatre.

her than he firmer line with operatic would have sold an

hnd done with her predecessor. cat in a

saying bag, as the But my husband cannot Now that he had secured a con- goes,

was unxious to speed do it."

To which Korchmarev tract, he

No longer did added: "No, I cannot and I am up production. proud of it. At such a time I he make soulful speeches about cannot be distracted by organi- the "world of sounds and half

melodies." Instead, he sational trifles, Money affairs heard

from the gave his new librettist the barest might distract me world of sounds and half-heard outline of the plot and ordered

the text accordingly."

melodies."

is shown by Pravda's comment: "Sometimes these 'contractors in art try to pass off someone else's ploy under their own name; sometimes to associate themselves with some ono cise's scenario; somcilmes over a young, to get control talented painter, or pocket the a promising young chisel of sculptor."

Collective art is apparently most profitable only to the heads of the collective.

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Handicap

Д

·

was fascinated

by the OX-

perience,

he

Accidental

Actore these days have a dis-

dismissed the concerting tendency to look ilke

prospect

of

Neville is no

POCKET CARTOON

By OSBERT LANCASTER.

US.S.R EN RAS

"Good afternoon. In view of the recent Foreign Office announcement, H.M. Inipec- tor is very anxious to have your co-operation in enabling him to draw up an additional assessment of Mesara, Burgess and Maclean's lia- billtits under Schedule E for the years 1934-1951. . .

SUBTLE RUSSIAN

MOVE

taking up act- everyone else.

exception. Dressed In his brown From Sefton Delmer, as a career, suit, sweater, blue shirt and

he

knew

is dif- that his parents somewhat obvious tie, it is

not ficult to associate this reserved could afford the lui- young man with the haughty, majelle manner he exudes on tion.

the stage. Selling Insurance In Willesden rather than wielding a scepire ho holpeld would seem to be a line.

club youth

and

R

USSIA'S solemnly sign-

ed agreement with the Finna handing them back the naval base of Porkala on the Gulf of Finland is subtle diplomacy indeed.

Under the treaty which

was to

Villainy, indeed, is something found Neville has still to conquer. organised and ran their Ho Ilves in Barnet with his His fragile features he be- drama ecction. When his wife and three small children longs to the John Gielgud-Leslie club won a shield for their and goes to work daily by Tube. defeated Finland had to sign Howard school of good looks

and performances the first act of Rehearsals tend to stifle hisses

and bring production of

Hamlet the local

Willesden give him little opportunity for in 1947 Porkala Neville is at a loss to ex- out the mother-instinct in su- Council was so impressed und any social life, and gardening have, formed a Soviet en-

diences.. As Richard II he

It asked Neville If he wanted and music take up any spare clave on Finnish soil until why Shakespeare never looked more fethal than

Hime he has

1997. Now the Russians to become an actor. plain

the kind of Ivor Novello about to crush a should evoke

has made his are getting out within three Assured of Noville's keenness, fan response one usually as rose.

in Shakespeare is months of the treaty. com- sociates with Johnny Ray at Neville himself is conselous of the Willesden Borough Counch reputation

accidental. He justing into force. his tuition largely the Palladium. "I think this handicap. That's why he agreed to

to be in companies They arc withdrawing all where the Bard was being done their troops and equipment and to Supply there is even a John Neville would love to play lago. "Most while the Middlesex County happened

"Un- He fan club," he said, with a lagos look so evil Othello would Council offered

small grant, for his keep.

has, for example, no great all they receive in return is a to trust them," he said, be a fool

burst of desire to play Hamlet, nor has freshening up of the 1948 treaty mote of awe in voice. giving himself a sidelong glance buruntule uristic enthusiasm he any particular views as and its prolongation for twenty

name in a mirror. "Not looking a

years, was thwarted by the fact that it how it should be acted. I think I "They embroider my on skirts and sweaters and conventional villain

was 1942, Neville was almost 18 relationship that sort of thing."

and the Navy wanted him. ·

his

could malco their more plausible."

But this dewy-eyed ad-

There is something miration should not detract

vaguely from the more solid achieve discusses his career.

hesistant about Neville when he

It is al ments of Neville's acting most as if he didn't quite belleve career. He has tackled a it himself.

varied collec- testing and

For there was nothing In tion of Shakespearean roles, Nevllie's youth to encourage any

pay for

raro

That Neville

to

But he has one secret ambi- tion. He would like to appear in An enormous British

It is a smart move by the Soviet authorities and is the first thot in a big diplomatic to turn the offensive aimed musical. Does ho

whole of Scandinavia. Into a whol neutral area and winkle Norway

It was not until three and a half years later 18 months Does he dance? No. were spent as a signalman in an sing? A little. "I wouldn't like oll tanker in the Pacific-that to end up as

musical comedy and Denmark Neville could think seriously star, but it would be fun," he And, anyway, again about the threatre. With sald, adding rather plaintively: West to

thero's bls ex-Serviceman's grant he "And was able to pay his tuition fees money in it.”

so much more

some.

Russia,

A SHORT STORY

STORY TOLD BY

P

LAIN

NATHANIEL GUBBINS

little Miss the same she wished she hadn't Snarslake was just put so much night cream on her - about to switch off the fee. bedside lamp in her flatlet

when the handsome young man opened the door quiet-

The young man said: "How stiver-sweet sound lovers' tongues by night, softest music to attending earal"

he liked her

BEAUTIFUL SPEECH

Like

So

did

hez

voice, too, That was another

The young man said:

"Sweet good-night! The bud of love, by summeru

ripening breath, May prove Q beauteous

flower when meet. *Sweet good-night,"

Text

ly, said "Hullo, Beautiful," THE young man's next remark thing her Aunt Florrie had said

about her. Don't worry about "When next we meet."

and sat on the end of her bed.

Miss Snaraloke had often

wondered what she would do,

was quite astonishing, In

gentleman after

C

out of NATO, it calls On the retreat from make a of her bases nearest

SORE POINT

A lot has been put into this offensive already. The Swedish and Norwegian Prime Ministers have both been invited to Mos cow and have accepted.

And дочу this freeing of Porkala. Porkola has long been a sore point not only with the Finns but with all Finland's Scandinavian neighbours.

The entire arca is about 00 miles, and has been sur- rounded with an impenetrable security belt, Finnish trains passing through on their way and from Helsinki to the main port So of Hango were delayed for all, hours while Soviet locomotives,

personnel took over from

the

a dorp, thrilling voice he said: your nose, dear, her aunt had he's a

"If I could write the beauty sald. If you study the beauty thought Miss Snarslake. Ho's engine drivers and Soviet train

columns you can always touch saying good-night for now and of your eyes

a bit of the right then we're going to meet again | Finns. And in

11 up with numbers fresh

powder so

that

It won't notice, and talk things over: number all your praces, you hove If a burglar entered her

nice eyes, a pretty The young man moved far- The age to come Sometimes she had

would say, figure, and a really sweet volet, ther up the bed, and for the room.

This poet lies;

the same Miss Saarelako first time Miss Snarslake rehearsed the whole thing, Such heavenly touches thought he was a bit bold to talk noticed his hands. They looked hearing her voice, very calm

earthly about them being lovers already. lean but immensely strong. "Good and British, saying

The young man's next remark kissed thee ere I killed

thec," evening" before she was

said the young, man. gagged or chloroformed,

"Pardon?" дакой

So she heard her shaky voice saying, "Good evening." and was surprised to hear the young inan answer, "I have loved you so long, my darling."

ne'er touch'd faces."

Mit Snarslake thought this very beautiful speech Indeed. She had no idea it was a quo- tation from Shakespeare.

was:

Her Aunt Florrie had always said she had the best eyes in the family, though this wasn't 2 great compliment,

as her that's a brothers and sisters oll had little piggy eyes like thetr

A NEW APPROACH other.

THIS thought Ms Saralake,

Snarsiske.

Miss

"Yet I should kill thee with

much cherishing,"

SHAKESPEARE

"FTOM fairest creatures we

desire increase, That thereby beauty's rose

might never die." Well, thought Miss Snarslake,

bit

much. Talking said the young man, reaching ubout bables before they really for her throat, knew each other. But, of course, young people of today were like that. Straight to the point and Still, a very handsome young no messing about. man had spoken of the beauty

She wished now that she was

THE door burst open and two bur new peach rayon men in uniform rushed into Instead of her old the room. Even at that moment Miss Sharalako noticed they The

young

moved

were not policemen, farther up the bed, his glowing eyes opening wider and looking looked straight into hers, burglar's

of her eyes, and she wished she

is an entirely new approach hadn't wiped off the mascara.

to the family Jowels, and sho almost miggered when she thought of family

Jewels and

the burglar's disappointment. Her only

grandmothilly jowd was her

she said was

"TAKE THEM & GO

gold locket. All MISS SNARSLAKE

at

the

man

"In my dressing-table drawer smooth black hair and well- lake. This is where I should

shaped head. you will find £11 98. Bd. and

1

Was

They grabbed the young man by the arms and hauled him off the bed.

..

quite

Porkala is

Special M. V. D. security troops occupied the sealed car- riages to make sure no one get off the train or on in transit through the Forkala enclave.

Until

ali recently windows were shuttered #that no one should be able to look out but that was relaxed.

Yes, thin freeing of the northern end of the sume polles to create a neutral belt. the NATO border which along the found its first implementation In the withdrawal from Austrin and

Krushchey the

visit to Yugoslavia.

Porkala is not the first place be evacuated by Soviet troops.

They havo nlready given up Port Arthur to tha Chinese. But the Chinese, un like the Finns, have a purely Communist Government

FULL SOVEREIGNTY.

Gome reports say that, in the conversations now going on with the Red East German Government, the Russlana . An- tond

to make a permanent. Soviet base of the land of Ruegen at the mouth of the Baltic.

But none of that han

yot been revealed in the pub..

of the

Oh, bo, thought Miss Snars

"Just in time saic the scream or jump out of bed and .bo Of course,

quite lock myself In the kitchenette, first man in uniform. gold loaket. Will you please

"If we hadn't tracked him Take them and go?"

ng, no more than 27 por

down hare," said the second to "For wooks I have watched laps and Miles. Searsiake,

face it she would, HAD STRONG HANDS Mis Snarsiake, you'd have you, drinking in your beauty," well-lot's

Ekit you

been victim No. 3. sak the young man "I have be 41 in January,

"Was he

Shako reciting followed

Young men often DUT she didn't scream or jump speare?" the first man asked. YOU 10 your office on never know.

preferred older sensible out of bed. She just stared don't know" said Mies fished reports. and followed foot and by bus | you he

home at nis

women with good figures like night. But I have

tions: never dared to call us now for wind pedang down a good handsome face, the dough, well. Simaralako.

All that is known officially to [id_s funny time to callowthens the poor boy was perkapa, Nobody cares what -

hard up and wanted security

do. And after all, when you strangling it on him id the that the Soviet Government are also thought, so that's; the 'Idea Watil he could make bis own way, think of the things that do. 20 second. "ile plays Romeo in Von, with nobody bothering.... the Broadmoor, theatricals on him being such a account This is Friday night and burslule character told her

bo But the sensible side of Man The young man said: probably knows

"Beauty too rich for use, for pretty boy." hot: to jump to conclusions. 50

the fret, man. You can colint she said agains fru • quiet, calmi "Beauty too rieta for us," yourself licky, about volce

thought, Saralake. That's@ymyynnik Mias Boaralake. “You will find the money many I suppose getting the latishe dy pumpos Mar

Dan. Very lucky wonna and the Cockrely in the drops off steps, Al Luke Wa Good fight. And thank you

thought Miss Sparslake. She

with a pension.

is it? He knows where I work. He knows I'm paid on Fridays, it the world

wages, iem National

are in the flat.

But" what was this nĒLIET,

drinking, ku brem, beauty?

Schratake waskan segab

4 a good "Egure but kinie sun. AlN

always rocile. Shake- *aparo before hom gets, the

copying the procedure of the Western allies in Western, Chér many and have handed back fill sovereignty to the';

"the earth too dear "Well, good-night, tilassata | Cherrian,

Clovew boir

their High shambermador and all the dol

old Canniston This give the Cam