THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1956.
W. Indian LIFE ABOARD MY YACHT
Federation Optimism
By
*
WAB born on
the plains of There would be Margot Fonteyn... Graham Greene... The Oliviers..
Hungary so far from the that I did not have flsh to cat until I was 80," said Sir
James Wickenden Alexander Korda.
W
THAT are the odds
11
new
is
Wesl Indian nation emerging from the Federa tion falks now taking place in London? Decidedly good The Federal insurament already drafted in Britain
And the capital? Trinidad, almost certain ly, according to heavy tip in London.
So, after a century of tal ** federal state seems very hely To be bur how will hardly any fuss in the British Caribe bean
can be But there are two
Maybe he optimism questioned.
sound reasons for it
One is the undoubted dere mination of delegates in avoid ruising new isanỰN that will use el alkatr vonference The utar Is that most
the work tow UTAN federation fras auty lan done bar wrappuik
it in final agreemen
The mood generating in Lon dur t leave Immigration prob- Jenu, O position
The capital. the powers f the federal court, cists and venue raising. until after the texclarend Agreement ว่า signed Then those other subsidint y questions can be settled by Federation in being
The Dangers
Lr
There are dangers One is 14 Dumania status question
רי 4
the
اده
OIMIT
Ruber apprainul +1 howtods short of motiey are to run a Federal state.
well Both Meulties 0:0 koera
they advance bul exit and must be negotiated.
suxested in London that wuftis Mr Manley of Jamaica
to press for Dominion status to come with Federation, Bul al- though he may want Dominion status he would be out of char- acter spoiling the conference through sticlting to this must.
For TRICE Federation there is a negotiating body for the West Indies and Dominion stius then almost autematic whenever the Federation wants
it. Britain certainly would wel come the request when it comes. Is the The revenue problem greater dieulty and the pro- spects of the conference depend mostly on the outcome of the nunce discussions,
Beyond that lits the task
of
the area's development, the real work of the
Federal
meat in coming years.
Kovern-
To find the vast sums needed, naturally the West Indies will turn to Britai
They should
not be hesitant is pressing Lot- don as hard as they can for the money, for they will be provid. ing that witiative in The Com- today most needru monwealth
tu
for its Reneral development
1 Landon has become back- ward in enterprise it is up the vigorous new territories provide it.
Case Of Malta
Multa is a different story... one where the odds on integra- tion with Britain have dropped sharply in recent weeks.
First to cast doubts in Weal- minster on the prospects was Tory MP Lake
Teeling. His chief complaint is that the people of Malta will not have had time before the referendum this month to consider the in- tricate issues involved.
Now the Nationalist Party say they are to boycott the re- ferendum. Mr Teeling estimates that they will carry about 10 percent of the electorate with them. This will
the prevent affirmative answer which Bri- tal has said she inust have before accepting the integration proposals,
Other observers have since confirmed Mr Teeling's views. Including Comanander R. Bower R.N., reired, who has much ex- perlence of Maltese affairs.
was
2
But if the referendum is failure, the collapse of the pre- sent Imaginative government seems inevitable, Malts will be where she
before-faced with the unsolved problem of her future and still dependent on annual grants from Britain.
COPYRIGHT)
ARTIE
"han 'on'
"Now I love the sea, so 1 bought a yacht. I loved that yacht."
called The
The yacht was Elsewhere. a war-time ak-sca rescue craft carefully converted and arranged with four private cabina, an observation lounge, a deck saloon, and a cocktail
bur
"think I wanted to spend £7,000 in getting it ready," sald Korda with a smile.
"But the job went on and on and, like some films, It went user budget."
KORDA & CRUISES
KORDA sold The Elsewhere a
ycar ago to A wealthy Frenchman--bui the hallway of his home there is a model of the yacht, correct in every de- tull. Often as he walked with me to the door Korda would linger by that model and
Tw member the remarkable cruises The Elsewhere had made
"I think sometimes maybe was the only one who wanted to move her about from place to place," he said. "My guests would be perfectly happy to st about on deck and mwim, or else when everyone did wurst to the skipper would come alerg and say 'It is "opeless," No ou เ something. So
# often Thought that sailors did 1904 want to sail.”
Once we were almost on the rocks... always Korda was phoning
THE MAN WHO MADE THE STARS SHINE
Wher
14
in could
half
J
lsx1 Korda the speak
languages dozen voltries
The Elsewhere, anchored the South of France at Antibes ut
liked because he
the people fluently and discuss their 1era
New He knew Paris, there.
of fures carried
crew A astonushing talent. There would York, Berlin, Roine, as well as
The London of which he was De Margot Fonteyn The KTERI ballerina, Graham Greene the proud willer, the Oliviers,
But u 510
few years ago he dis- Carol Reed.
and Korda with a revered after all his travelling French friend like Marcel Brighton!
enthusiasle. 1e was
"Such Pagnol the direcur. At other tunes
A wonder
f place And 21 Ingrid Berg- man and her husband Roberto never found it before."
אומ
Russellini joined the cruise
On board his yacht Korda was
He the captain.
knew about navigation and stuck to+ bridge.
"We ran into 4 bad storm, heavy weather and big seas, off the Greek Islands once he "We were blown off ORLE said. course.
All- "Then we saw a light other stilp. I called t
Tre **
The darkness--A1
дро near
island of something
I forget its name.
or other
"I will always remember what the other bout shouted back.
You are on it, they said. We were over the island- almost on the rocks.
KORDA & LEIGH
THERE
MIERE were quieter spells in the sun. "Vivien Leigh used to swim lot- such a wonder ful swimmer. Or we played Canasta lefl estly for bed but Vivien and the others would Sky up sarial (5 00 4.1 with Thoir Canasta.”
Carol Reed remembers the storma most vividly. " do not think I'm a good sea traveller-
KORDA & VALENTINO
The Life & Opinions of Sir Alexander Korda
RONDA (LEFT) AND AIR CAÑÓL NEED ON THE YAcht elbEWHERE
Edited By DAVID LEWIN
BOTH BEARDED FOR THE PAST
The matter was reported to Korda, He called the director immediately: "My dear fellow," not he wald "I hear you are well today. But I look in my diary and I find next Thursday being is your day for not wen.
11
The director reported for work within an hour,
KORDA & LEIGHTON
IN the just few years he personally directed pictures less and less frequently. "I find directing again is like going down the milne. There are days of darkness. You get up before the sun is shining and you до home at night. You never see the sun. I like the sun."
At Shepperton he made
1
Akm, "Home at Soven," with
Margaret Leighton, Italph
Page
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SANDEMAI
SCOIGH
Richardson, and Jack Hawkins Available everywhere $16.50 per Botta
an three weeks---just
what could be dône,
to show Bole Agent: DODWELL & CO., LTD.
When he saw the flist reel- that is 10 minutes on the screen -he did not like it. He came on the set that afternoon ond sald: "Boys, wo retukke reel one. We do it this afternoon,"
Now 10 minutes on the screen represents at loust four days' work, often dve, in the studio,
But Korda wanted it done in four hours-and because he was Korda and know his job the technicians and the actors did It. I doubt if there is one leading film man-with the exception of Sir Michael Balcon-who could more intimately, I realised why produce that sort of effort and
loyalty today.
KORDA & ELEGANCE
those Just months his death, as I came know Korda even more closely and understand him
Korda
During hefaire
Was
to
once Ph
Kreat
Al our last meeting together losses and its guins, there was we were talking of the future, che piece of advice that
it Because for Korda, who once made "The never forgot. Shape of Things to Come," had advice he ignored,
"I remember his eyes Axed ahead.
He had a now list of artists British cinema owner telling which included fresh names like me: Korda, fools make mi Anna Massey, Mary Ure, Ronald for wise men to show.
Shirley Eaton. Diane Lewis. Cilento, and he was starting out to pre which 이 them couki become as famous as the names on the old list.
He had new feas ilms with Kenneth More, Alec Gum- ness, and Laurence Olivier
Landon Films. Kurda's corn- pany, is to carry on. The Bims DUT crea when he is talking will still be made, and Big Ben, which Korda took as his symbol. will chime before them,
.
to me about his travels about his new home-life about the new "small boat" he would like to buy his mind would come back ngau to Muns. He was exelted about the new stars he had signed up. "There is Kenneth More
he can be a bik romantle natt." said Korda.
I never had the intelligence or the wish to follow that ud- vice. You may make
there is no one at the moment to replace him.
Bilent "WE
Alone in the realm of Aims he hod done everything from VE ure bi the show business
for mure writing sub-tilles
now."
roid Alexander pictures ("Came the Dawn" in Korda, "and we come from the Hungarian) to dubbing a plc- fairground and the fairground lure in a foreign language and barker. directing a picture.
money owing
cinema--bul where is the fun in owning einema?"
44
of
He hed wry sense liumour about his achieveinents. "Shall tell you my Krentest films?" he asked me.
He could manipulate money- and show how a script could be improved.
"My greatest flims ure those I announced-and never made. Very little could disturb him. "And maybe one of the best One day at Denham, to which is I Clauilus, which I started he invited the top film men of
finished." never
(1 Europe to work, a Continental Claudius" starred Merle Oberon director did not turn up on the
It and Emlyn Williams. stopped after three weeks when
was
hla
"The barkers may have worn
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checked cools and crude colours TONIC
while we are more elegant: but never forget we are the same.
"We are in the show business -and we should make a good show,"
I shall always remember him for his life and his philosophy as a Master Showman; the Man
(Copyright)
[THE END]
He was coking, too, al TV. Big screen in the cinema and small screen at home. You tell storles, you need stars for both, is a foolishness tur Airy men
By telephone from his hotel who Made the Stars Shine. to ignore the television."
Miss Oberon was in a car amush the director explained The plans are made to pro- outside a hospital. It was never absence: "It is my day for not duce two series of pictures for restarted.)
being well," he said, on showing
TV "Famous "But has he got the height British Trinis" and "Special
enough?" I said, remembering how More had Branch." wanted tu
in "Sound play Barrier" but lost the part to Nigel Patrick, who was taller
Korda
the rejected
ideu. "What have inches to do w❝THERE
Is hc
tall
as an
KORDA & CHANCES
arc
Lig changes coming in the show buRİ-
being romantic on the screen?" ness," Korda said. "It is surely
said, *Everyone can be no right thut
you drive today through whole areas of London photographed properly there is no such thing
you see the same films show - actor who can't come out in a
ing at the cinemas at the same time, scene because of his height or or uny- the shape of his nose.
Bald They
Gertrude thing.
tilts Lawrence couldn't be filmed. I another district, and then they Almed her.
are gone. This
bad for audiences who in three weeks-
**Romantic actors
have 211 Valentino.
of any sort of traveller," saya changed. 'Look Reed. "At night one Ume on Then it was all passion. Later the yacht it was so rough I came Donat who brought kept being bounced out of my sense of humour to it.
bunk.
and and up
"Then the
ܪ̈ܐ
move
روج
unless they are prepared 1บ move about-can miss a picture completely.
"There will be changes in the way cinemas show their films. "Now it is More, He has a In the future some cinemus "Everything was going round lot of humour. Look at the may take special programmes and down and the way he plays his love scenes relayed by the television-a big water was coming in and there with Vivien Leigh in "The Deep play could be televised right to was Alex on the bridge in the Blue Sea. He has maybe one some cinemas one night, then a dry, telling me how well the or at most two-passionate ballot the next, then perhaps a ship war riding. *See how scenes, The rest 1.5% under-
steady she is, he would say as statement.
1 was being sick again."
romance.
musical.
But it is still Then for weeks the cinema might show some film of out- have starting importance.
Korda relaxed immediately "Valentino couldn't on his yacht, But sometimes ected that way." there was business. He had a radio lelephone fitted, but he decided that in the whole of the South of France the best tele-
KORDA & BRITAIN
his
"Or else the lim-maker will produce his films and audiences will see them at home on the television-just by dialling a number on their phones, pay- muod
ing a special fee, and asking rapidly. After talking aboul for the pictures they want to romance and stars and "The have relayed on to their ste Elsewhere" i would sit down that night." with him for a meal in luis
and talk.
phone line to London was from E could switch
H
Nice airport.
So for whole afternoons of his holiday bo would take Alexa, his wife, along to the airport while he sat by a phone home
ing business deals and
ing on his pictures.
Korda knew exactly what his task as a showman had to be.
box talking to London organis- Wh
When he became caught up He had no extravagant notions. check-in the flow of his argument he He said: "The jcb of the film
liked
and to pace up
down maker is to entertain as many speaking with energy in an people as possible. accent which still reflected the plains of Hungary where he was born.
KORDA & THE GIRL
WHEN he wasn't phoning he He never lost his accent in all
KORDA & CENSORS
of raising
would be cabling. "I put the 20 years he had been In "THE questions
tastes and
education are into a Yugoslav port once when England. One day he said to Alex was in Switzerland. me: "I have had my upales and there too--but they are asides. "I cabled her long cables my downsies 边 the show Entertainment counts and it is
every day," he said. "Then I business." Maybe he caught my the most difficult thing of all.
Lound all the women in the eye at that expression "upales "You can affect an audience place were coming down to look and downates" for he went three ways-you can make them at, me and lough, They had on:-
laugh, make them cry, and make never seen * man spend so "I am British but I was born them sit forward in excitement. much
on cables to a woman a foreigner. If I covered up my "You should never degrade before.
recent and spoke perfect English them. I do not like some of the Alexander Korda liked to keep people would Bay *He is violent things I see put forward moving. Says Carol Reed: "I masquerading."
as entertainment today. went with him to Spain once to "So I never change my ac- "There are stories about dopo- look for a girl to "star with cent. I do not masquerade," taking and lunatic asylums and Trevor Howard in my Alim Sir Alexander Korda said a bealinga-up.
Outerat of the Islands."
strange thing to me.. "You "Some producers call these "Alex and I checked into an know; David, I have made no sort of stories 'crusades. but ut hotel in Madrid and while I star's career in the show bus- the same time there are, boasts was changing and having a bath noes--but several stars have about struggles with the censor- Alex decided to move on to helped my canter." Seville to look for the airi
I argued... think of Ralph
bave never hnd any there. Before I knew what was Richardson ... Merlo Oberon trouble with the censor---I happening he had packed my Laurence. Olivier. Ro- found it possible to make the Lealle Howard. most adult stories without having to fight the censor about
clothes, put them in a car, and bert Donat Then, with only a bath-robe But Korda insisted.
round. me rushed 10 into "No you remnot make a them. another car, for the journey to star, You can help a star, find.... “It is not enough Just to Seville
the right stories and see: they make a film--I always wanted "When we arrived, we moved are made the best way so that to make flime that I could be Into án hotel with à view; of the star, dan shine
proud of and films that would
the main street, and Alex was "But it. mamminazouten were spenk well for England 100, saying: T can't ste the girl we so simple then there would be at Incall his long career, with
go back to doman Meilyn Bronsons; around Alag gawind downmies, Madri
today, instead of only one.
kila
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