1956-08-16 — Page 4

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VIVIEN LEIGH

THE CHINA MAIL, THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 1956.

SAYS

IT: TOO OLD'

By LOGAN GOURLAY

IVIEN LEIGH curled up in a corner of her dressing-room sofa be

the

neath the drawing on wall by Whistler (not of his mother) and made a candidl admission:---

"I'm too old, I'm afraid.

Too old."

She was not talking about retiring. She was telling me why on the after creating the port

stage in The Sleeping Priner she was not going to play it in the film version. (As everyone should

by know

thk fune Marilyn Monroe

opposite will play it Miss Leigh's husband,

Luurence Olivier)

Ma Loigh explained

really

could not have

I myself in the film.

Sur

דיי

played

"After all, the part does cull for a young girl. It's all right on the stage. The audience fan't

cluse and 100

YAHI can play younger parts.

deceive the "But you can't Alm cameras. They show up to much."

No division

being too She was perhaps harshly realistic about her

a precedent self-pixi setting among naturing leading ladies

Vivien Leigh and husband

Sir Laurence Olivier.

in his next large-scale Shake- spearion Alm which he plans to start next year.

"We're also hoping to do

together stage season

with repertory of plays,"

a

it

So the celebrated, often-criti- rised partnership of Olivier and Leigh will continue profession- ally. (He will only be having 40

In The Sleeping Prince winks

with Miss Monroe.)

And the partnership looks

of course. And of courao, she's

a Siamese puss

She can be aristocratically aloof, hissingly temperamental. or purringly friendly.

She can also in the well-bred feline manner be philosophically detached when necessary.

"When you're in the spotlight you have to be," she said, toy ing with the fancy box holding two packs of cards, which she keeps in the dressing-room for sessions

between of patience ncts.

"I don't pretend, like a lot of other stars, that I never read my notices. But I toke the bad

go mes calmly. Otherwise I'd out of my mind."

She had a diplomatie answer for the question"Do you fret criticisms about those frequent that your acting isn't as good as your husband's?"

.

"No. Nobody's acting good as his."

я да

1 changed the

to *ubject income tax--EVETY star's prob ler. But she sold: "No, I haven't any tux problems. Least, I don't think so. But leave

all that to my business man-

like continuing matrimoniully ager. He tells me what I owe- too after 15 years und many and I sign the cheques, rumours of riffs

At least they were on loving terms when Sir Lourence visited while I was the dressing-room there. Unless they were acting for my benefit-and hardly It's guld that any

think so. Woman looks young and beautiful after

a few gins, but I don't think I was influenced by the two pins and tonic 1 had beer: given -or by the heady flower scent from the vase behind

me

To me. Miss Leigh, in black slacks and matching blouse. looked like woman in the slim, unlined, at tractive thirties,

Hul then. I am not a camero

As a columnist I must report is now 42 (12 years that she

I

He said: "What about supper tonight. Puss?"

ILA

Fortunately for Mr Noel The Coward she will not flee

he has done, to country. escape the tax collectors, desert- West ing her part in his hit End play, "South Sea Bubbl:."

No admirers

"We're She sold: But don't worry. table, darling."

going out.

I' book the

$1

}} "That's

you, Puss."

Outside the stage door, when I left. 1 bumped inte erowd of eager men of all ages, Bul they were

fans and sweet of admirers of Miss Leigh.

Hey stage door 1 bang next of that well- She said: "No trouble, darl- to the front door

known theatre which Ing.

never closed the Windmill.

a

no

Then he was gone, after kiss- and many tims older than Missing her on the cheek and may- Monroe),

ingr

Miss Leigh has one in part lined

will present up which

no age problem-and which she

P.S.--As tet Mins Leight. entering

has or leasing.

for her autograph been asked you by a young man mistaking her

the lady toho doda for Windmill bubble dance.

[/i

"Take

Care, Puss

See

later."

will not be

Miss offering to

She sometimes applies It

Puss Is Lady Macbeth, affectionate pel name Monrne.

Heaven help any young man hum too. But it suits her better who does. opposite her husband's Macbeth

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DID

T

HE Americans have suddenly become gloomier about the Suez crisis. Since

President Eisenhower and

Mr Dulles appeared in the telecast

ANYONE MENTION

SUEZ ?

which 26,000,000 AMERICA IS

watched and heard, there

has been breakdown.

I have to report a general

THINKING ABOUT

wringing of hands. melan- CZOCHYBACKEXTINSSA SINTEZIONANDARNWEITZMURNERICIÐU

cholin, and chronic depres ston.

Ever since I arrived back in New York after my

1 Hollywood sortie have been greeted with: "What mess!" a crazy, mixed-up And the suggestion is that the Americans want little part of it.

No one seems to remem ber, if they ever knew, that the British hurried up their departure from the Canal Zone at the United States'

insistence.

I would like to cable that

Britain's bold stand and our

OTHER THINGS

DON IDDON'S DIARY

NEW YORK

of re-establishing stability

3.

Tuesday

Dynamiting

and other

Some of the comment here and the French will have to go

11 is jarring. There is that in the alone as far as using force

influential extremely

Unfied is concerned, while the United

murmurs somo States News and World Report: Stats "War talk, 's noted, develops couragement--and I'm not too other sure tast

tha when interests of

of this even-from nullons are hurt. When U.S. sidelines. Interests are hurt and firmness

The hands of President Elsen- is asked it's warmongering."

hawer are not merely tied, The Almost every section of the man is in an election jacket-a Any hint of send- Press here is urging caution, straitjacket,

restraint Even vare,

the Ing American troops to help Hearst Press, uften so bellicos quernational law would result quell the Nasser revolt against

sirys: "Caution does it

And

the New York Daily News, the in the Republicans being tagged To be called a biggest-circulating newspaper in "war party."

the Uited States, is back on the "war party" is a sure way of

vid isolationist land and say losing the Presidential election. ing: "We get the uneasy im- Here

New York and pression that British and French politicians hope to push the throughout America, despite the Suez headlines, the main topics United States out front in the

and attention

job of selling the world-wide of conversation fracas kicked up by Egyptian Dre:

dictator Nasser's theft of the Suez Canal."

By a supreme irony, Senator. Joseph MéCarthy, our old critic, now steps forward, as a friend and says: "Nasser is a crackpot and a screwball, whose grip on the Suez Canal should be broken by military Delion."

can newspapers

1. The President's health or luck of it,

2. The duci between Vice- President Richard Nixon and Harold Stassen,

3. The Democratic Presiden al Convention at Chicago,

Could there be anything more At the significant than this? Fiesident's last press conference almost all the questions askedi by one of the, best-informed groups of men and women in were nbout the Fresident's state of health and the Stassen movement to dump Nixon.

in the Middle East; that sabotage of Western-controlled relations between the oids in the Arab world. Western Powers, particular- Whatever we do we DFC ly Britain and France, and damned, according to several the "uncommitted third" of diplomats at the United Nations I have quoted from Ameri- because they the world have been and in Washington. They tell

are printing what the American people are damaged deeply; and that a me that, of course, if Colonel

saying about the Suez crisis. Let breach between the United

us get one Nixon He

straight-we America thing absolutely Ike He is States on the one hand and

moral and Britain and France on the

is fighting economic pressure from here in

expert only caught in other has been opened or

struggle

ngainst to the an election brought into the open.

There will be no use of force There were only two ques- dump him.

by the United States.

tions to the President about straitjacket. Washington hints the

and Suez und Nasser, and one was same thing. And the Herald Nasser bucks down under the Tribune's Marguerite Hig- pressure

movements of troops and warships were being hailed here as a forthright and ad- mirable notion. But would not be true.

it

a

But who

move

of the multi-nation

would be a triumph for the gins, married to a general conference and moral force it who is a friend of Mr Elsen- West. hower, reports solemnly American opinion,

that? expects that in

here except At the United Nations if Britain and France use Scarcely anybody

Mr Dulles, and ho may be headquarters in New York, force there will be:

indulging in wishful thinking. 1. Guerilla warfare through- where the atmosphere is

He cannot be happy about like a morgue, the diplomats out the entire Arab world:

2. Dynamiting and other American reaction to the seizure tell me bluntly that the

ihe of the Suez Canal of

Sucz sabotage

by Д

-Tobber West has already lost hopes waterway; and

dictator.

cari

Nasser,

year

This le +lection Nasser knows it, You cannot asked by a Frenchman and the expect any leadership of the ether by a Texan. West from this country until

Instead of taik on Suez there the election resulla Novem is the macabre probing into Mr ber, or perhaps as tate as the Eisenhower's bodily functions inauguration of a new President and the chilling statement of next January.

Leadership has come to D grinding halt, despite Mr Dulles television speech and the President's presence,

If the multi-nation conference is defed by Nasser, the British

THE LIGHTWEIGHT BRIGADE

S

INVADES LONDON

Must Englishmen continue to go out in the midday sun wearing suits as thick as carpet felt?

William

Chicago

Stassen

He sparked off several questions.

McCain, of the Daily News, that "people are afraid you will not live another four years,”

The President, whose ap pearance and voice had changed noticeably since his operation for leitis, answered ail ques- tions with dignity. He did not. offer much information on Suezy

Suez? Nasser? They are not being talked about In Chicago this week, or next,

thomh

The business of Government

worsted.

sult Eden 10oz.

(Average weight Sir Anthony

virtually summer suits in unlined worst goes on, but President Eisen-

hower and Mr Dulles are de weight of English suit-cloth is debarred.

ed. Prices: 14-22 guineos. again setting

parting for San Francisco for the

16-190zs.)

Barristers, for example

Not all Americans know how next week, w

Republican convention If Londoners were dropping. fashion pace for men? Years ago, he pioneered a

Marilyn The Prime Minister looks con like flies in a topical heatwave to dress for summer, spicious on the Government you could scour the Temple from Monroe, sleek as a crocus, Nassor will have to do some» hat. Now he is The Man In front bench. Butler, Macmillan, end to end and you would not locked it fashion-odds with her thing very drastic, of Erilain the Lightweight Suit. For Monckton-most of the top men find a single dead barrister with playwright husband Arthur and France will, for Americana Sir Anthony is one of the in the Cabinet adhere strictly to his jacket off. The same goes Miller when they arrived in minds to be taken off their

for stockbrokers few public men in Britain the striped-trouser, black-jacket who conspicuously changes niode. his wardrobe during the And members

summer.

and bank London,

employees.

of Parliament And yet every summer

He

national

Kreat

pastime tha Presidential, political. conven wore a light, i-fitting";

tlong. in general? Only a handful of thousands of light-clad Ameri- men jacket over dark trousers.

He was badly dressed.

Should this American preoc- them Over

cane: pour

w their ow with cupation depart from

Tinto Lon- Commercial TV's newscaster particular affairs, their un

don, show- Ludovic Kennedy came up willingness to support any th.o d.

By

British prejudice against lightweight clothes is deep rigour, wear PETER CHAMBERS the the screen the other night in rooted. By convention, all for poll-

MENURUT British his shirtsleeves, Hot, Isn't it?", of force, and their great gloom

about the Suez crisis dissunde how you he said, obliquely excusing this Britain from the decision sho, ticlons upstanding Englishmen are

can keep outrage on English clothes con has taken? Not at all supposed to sweat out the lid er kyn

lounge suit, Louders of this cool and still look smart, vention. summer in hot Berge.

lightweight brigade beo Aisne

Actas, of course, are per- On the same night the BBC British Empire and Common

If my recent four of the

www: wearing Bir Anthony is defying con- Lennox-Boyd (Colondal Socro-

* | woslih" taught me anything. It? :lounge

t. But won that the free world wenta vention. He rose to areas the tary), Commander Flobert Allan mitted to dress like Americans, nowarader

naturally: House on the Suez criada wear (Sir Anthony parliamentary rawPoter Ustinot the other dark

GADOR Britain to lead. It was dem ing a bright blue lightweight private secretary), Lord Hin-

striped Americo

nest and forthright notion the Will Sir Anthony's fashion- "members" of the British family, wuit, It was not only, bright chingbroke, and Richard, Stokes," and Habt. It was shiny, The E

setting example got the English-ray Britain must, stand, fant, thin to change his ideas about, bezakanLTERATION,

never joined

coula mean'at wo Pod It is Mad dogs and Emelishman go nh to, buyica? out in the vinidday & mans But

shine. Is in the cloth, a filk-and- Mr Stokes, in the opinion wool lightweight mixture which the, Houre, rather exaggers at ready inade prices costs about He wears suits, that are prace

¿tionfly white;;;; 20 gulhead antiq

Aprileskies creatiori:

brown as

floated on himig

have

hat you enough to do/15 in multa as thick

·