1957-04-03 — Page 4

[Page

THE

LIBERACE

by

THE CHINA MAIL, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1957.

STORY

anton burney

Lee believes music is a great preserver and strengthener of peace. Music makes for happiness and who that is happy looks and hopes for war?

"When we had to declare war against Germany," he once said, "my eyes Bled with tears, for this was the uation of Beethoven, Bach, and a dozen other im mortals. rhehc. names alone should plead with the Germans never to go to war, when they

given so much to the world that is exquisite and of good with ather report.... And peoples everywhere. T they would be proud of their great- ness, and hot joglous of 18 and try to share and not withhold.

Well!

For my part, i do what I can to give huppiness, comfort and repose."

He is truly on Ambassador of the things of the spirit, Ells ready senlie. his natural grace, his tall, perfectly-proomed figure, ail contribute to his channs, But charm is not enough, and thou- sands have it; and thousands wear a hundred-dollar jacket... the differences le deeper then these external things.

They le first in the man him- Acil: utterly Mincere, genuine, without a hint of pre- fence, hypocrisy, or equivocation. And they Re et la his musie, which rises from the well-springs of his heart in a clear, refresh ing stream and comes wherever there are hearts willing to re

ceive it as a tonic, a liberator, 3 comforter, and friend. The world had always need of such music,

and never more than

great his genius, seldom became un loternational celebrity until well on into middle age. But cinema, radio, and television have changed all that, In De- cember, 1951, Liberace WON a relatively successful concert plants in America's Middle West. In January, 1952, he was already famous throughout the American continent. Within a few months more, his name had reached Europe. Africa, AsID, and Australia; his fame covered the world.

Such man creates a legend, He makes enemies, He carries controversy wherever he goes. He is news. His sayings are re- ported, and if they are bellers ro, misrepresented: for some editors are not looking for the truth, but for something unit to print to reverse the old tag. And to such as these n man like Libernoe la

easy game, because he neither answers back contradicts.

who gets the last laugh. No- body loves me but the people! motta the phrase is almost of mine, now. And even that has been twisted and interpreted as conceit. But I blame my elf for this--what critic ever under- stood a joke?”

He has some cause for bitter- ness, but in fact his denigrators have not made him bitter. Living in the shadow of es Lee docs the great musiclans he can find to room in his heart for little-

heals Music

and brings for th strengthens, and nothing mean.

Lee has one

of the world's largest fan-mails; so large that he maintains a special office to deal with. Every lelter is read and answered with sympathy and tact, but not every one can be signed and considered by the player himself.

less than six thousand Dever nor

letters a

What single week. man, even it he gave full time It, could write a thousandİ answers every day? But, because he

"Most of the

well.

He receives

feels it e vential to keep close to the great family of his admirers, Lee gives up much precious time (and it is a tax on his scanty leisure) to answering

16 utterly "My business is to play the

plano," he says, people who say I can't do it have never heard me; and many of the rest couldn't tell

the dir difference belwesi 'Chopsticks' and the Warsaw Concerto if you If they feel superior paid them. by calling me a charlatan,

a cheap thrill for them. The it's a critics talk about Art as if they invented 11; but they neither All love it, nor understand . now.

they

about it with do is talk We hour much about the "in their heads on one side and a croaset tempo

of modern life"

their lips. They sully sneer on Fand nowhere

This

not serve it. So, on the more Art than

whole, I'm very happy to dis- In the powerfully felt world of entertainment, It was please them. I'm in fine com- the lot of man, a few years since, pany, for when did any original to work hard at his profesakte und exciting artist escape their until in the fullness of time smears? Let them carry on and SUCCESS was achieved. A really criticise, so long as I can carry excellent player, no matter how on and play. I think I know

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GLOUCESTER ARCADE

17

1

It was

GILES

"Never mind about it being time you knocked off for your token strike-pass me that

NEWS FROM BRITAIN

******** spanner.”

By LES ARMOUR

"THE SLOUGH OF DESPOND"

A

RASPING

TT started a little

BITTER

NOTE HAS

and their Communist

ERUPTED

SUDDENLY

Ithan te week are more friends" of splending false in serialised in the Even in recully have be

became Prime ve MPs have

harder things about their front

of Commons for a

in

one

at least some of his letters, and Mr Macmillan announced, formation about the Rent Bill,

Conserva- some Meanwhile, be takes particular trouble with in his Brst public speech

been saying those from young people. since he especially if they have problems Minister, that there was no bench than have been heard in connected with music. indeed

difference between the House a desire to help young real performers that decided him to Communism and Socialism long time. A major revolt over launch hla plano teachers except that

one worked the Rent Bul resulted manual, in which hundreds of

Tory M.P. proposing an amend- the Government quickly and the other ment against questions that have actually

slowly.

and 10

abstaining on a been put to him are answered.

more And it emerged "They helped me when I was

again this subsequent vote, a kid," he says, "and it's up to week when Mr Brooke, the There was real

and genuine me now to help others."

Housing Minister, shouting anger in the fracas. manfully over o din of inter-

On the other side, a slanging MORE TOMORROW

ruptions, accused "the Labour, malch started' by Hugh Dalton

the

THE

Was

ديا

HE first thing I noticed allow her to splike the main- about the new £5 note brace as often as she would

like, she now lela rooms the unfamiliar ap- pearance of my old friend Britannia.

At one time this stern-faced, full-bosomed

always girl wos seated rather uncomfortably on a throne with a trident in her hand, staring vacantly ocross 'hu scas she once ruled.

WIB

Her headgear, which looked like an old-fashioned Areman's helmet,

tilted usually

giving the that she had been splicing the mainbrace with hor

rakishly backward,

mpression

re-

navy.

EVER

the vacant stare minded you of a matron who was trying to look dignified after a cocktail party.

The new Britannia, like the note itself, looks gay, colour. ful and even Continental, Har pretty little face has the gamin quality so much ad- mired in Paris sed elsewhere. Her Roman helmet is

is neat, sel attractive En on

off-the--face line above her shrewd, level eyes, and will probably adopted as the model for other spring hat by Dior, or one of those people who are always thinking up new ways for wamen to spend their money, Or yours.

*

bo

an-

When I met poor old dis- carded Britannia she was nol a bit jealous of her young rival, As her naval, pension will not

sailors at a seaport town.

"When you get old, dear,"

#In OLI the Frencla sil), Sailor's don't care.”

P.N.H.S.

now.

in

the Rent

INTO

BRITISH

POLITICS.

And so it goes....

careful

recently have been taking unfair advan- now Shops Bill permità retail situation for which meat deliveries upon the and responsibility lies dard opened old wounds

very largely Sabbath) but disapprove Inflicted

Dr Dalton's on the nation as a whole,

strongly of the sale of clothing Conservative back benchers, after allegation that Mr Morrison had

1 p.m.

on carly closing Attlee after the tried to usurp

on the other hand, feel that days. 1945 election, was fairly tactful- some of their leaders aro en-

Photographs may, however, be ly denied but behind the scenes trenched in a doctrinaire posi-

sold at any time on early closing tion-manifested

most clearly the episode cut deep.

days. Bill-which can All these have been surface only lead to electoral disaster. manifestations of u general and. The Socialists themselves are acutely conscious that they still growing political frustration.

You must be very Conservative leaders, glumly lack, six years after their de- what you buy, from whom you surveying their failing majoritles feat, a coherent political pro- buy it, and when you buy if or In by-elections and grimly battl gramme and that they are living you find yourself facing the local ing against threatened industrial on the government's failures.

magistrate. Things being what chaos, feel that the Socialista

Such

situation con only

they are, the magistrate will be breed bitterness—and bitter as bewildered as you, but his nes Hecif only brings mare clerk will be able to establish ill-conceived words and deoda. the nature and extent of your Mr Macmillan is far too in- sih from the massive volume that Mr which combines all the shop telligent to believe Galtskell is separated from Mr legislation Parliament has seen Khrushchev only by a disgree- fit to pass. ment on timing.

And Mr Brooke demand

can hardly British Socialists believe that and Communists are "friends".

who

JAPOLEON said that the Bri- The Tory back benchers have been in revolt over rents

were Я nation of mow, too, that rent reform is a shopkocpara and the British

urgent pubile need beat the blazes out

(and for one to my arithmetic and that people who have been him for it

1 an artifdally protected post- two other things), Napoleon, tion will have to suffer for the however, was right it banjem. common good,

Pigeon'a Servico.

National

Health

As so many patients now wide scribe for themselves # boy could tell a doctor that he she said, "The secret of hap- Yabout

YOU may be worrying was run down angl

strikce,

vitamin petrol

B tablets. He would get 100 on

on a shilling prescription, and could sell опе crushed tablet in a packet for od. to any sentimentalist worrying about a pigeon's diet.

According

piness is to know when you've had it,

So long as you can rationing, the Budget, where stow three good meals a day to find sunshine for your Bum down the hatch and have mer holidays, or even arine enough lolly for the odd spot Bittle thing like: "What shall of Nelson's Blood you don't I wear for Easter?

NATHANIEL

have to worry. Let youngsters have a bath good luck to them."

the and

Unlike some ex-Service people she never talks about the past, though she often puts on her ancient helmet and sings “Rule Britannia" to amuse the boys in the four-ole bar.

HER VITAL MEASURE MENTS,

ONCE 46-40-45, ARE NOW 50-50-50.

"'s because I've left off the old breastplate, dear" she said, "Like" leaving of your corsets. But aan fairy

But Mr Dercle Goodwin, Bri- tish Museum scientist, is worry-

because ing

the pigeons In Trafalgar Square are not getting enough vitamin B.

He says the shortage of this vitamin is giving them paralysis and is the direct result of feed- ing them on scraps of bread, though I seem to remember we were assured recently that our bread hack been reinforced with all the vilaming from A to Z.

that they Ho says further should be given crushed yeast tablets.

100 sixpences emount to £2 10s, a fair proft even for wide boy.

And who knows if pigeons are not suffering from a shortage of vitamins A, D, and C?

Why

not sell the baby's free orange juice and cod-liver vil in little

bottles

☆

I look forward to the day when there will be a pigeons cline in Trafalgar Square, with nurses in attendance and perhaps a psychiatrist to ask the pigeons if they are wor

matter of

Watish

The real difficulty is that when

of

四

The one thing Parliament has

politician fights politician the never boen able to leave alone public is unlikely to derive any is the shops. benent.

The

Flow

means,

present quarrels

chopkeepers and are almost entirely domestic citizen can nowadays be ex- matters between politicians pected to know what the legisla without much relation to needs tion says and of public business,

In truth-more than

are at British shipyards standstill.

Still ignorance of the law is never an

and the excuse

many fivers are a pirted with in a year by those who buy, sell, or eat the wrong kind of bun in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The new Shops Act adds twists,' makta BUN, with raisins, may with some additional

new friends bus and others some now enemies, Sunday at a

But it defies comprehension, CLASS.... DY their automoblies shall ya By the

red by the traffic, or the Aimpunity be bought in Eng- some M.P.S some

housing shortage,

or it an

an

unsympathetic father was the land on a

equivalent street. pigeon

Mr station and eater upon Barrett, of

omnibus, Should, however, the purchaser consume it upon tremear, he will be liable to a penally.

In any case it would be fascinating spectacle for foreign visitors,

not only proving to them that we are as mad as they thought we were, but that we are kinkt to all dumb crea- Bo here is a chance for the turos with the possible exception wide boys who sell packets of of singa. food for plgeuns to start &

(World Copyright)

a

A shopkeepty may sell you a If you doubt it. have a look at loaf of bread on Sunday after this from "The Times" noon and no questions will be advertising columns: asked. If, however, the loaf has "Mercedez-Benz... for sale, currants in it, he must be 9,000 milles; all modern con-- registered with a local authority, venlances, '21;745; naturalised The government now favours English gentleman buying Sunday trading in`ment (the Bentley,"

1

Cummings

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