1957-11-16 — Page 14

RECORDS by PATRICK GRAY

THE CHIÑA MAIL, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1957.

Mr. Bygraves nurses his secret ambition

0 the accompaniment of Mux Bygraves' singing

from the record-player in tho No. 1 dressing-room of the London Palladium, Max Bygraves said: "I love my work so much I'd do it for nothing. Honest, I'm a natural show off." -

I said: "But you do accept payment. much?"

How

He consulted the scribbles on the back of an old en- velope.

NUM

BYGRAVES... and Rolle

ניי

The fourth member of the porty explained: expected people to talk. But the truth Is that a publicity man involgled me into that party for a photo- graph. It was the first time I had be dancing in a night club in

"It seems," he said, "that during the 12 months end- ing April this year I earn. ed £72,000. The only come. three years.

dikn in Britain who earns Singer now

more than I do is NormAH

Wisdom."

HANGING the subject (mer. cifully, I thought), I said: "I remember you when you were the comedian. Nowadays, when 1 television set or a turn on record-player, you scem always to be singing a song."

Since neither Max By graves nor I consider discussion of other people's asked: money vulgar, "What do you do with It all?"

Max Bygraves (turning of the record-player) said: "Patter The former carpenter can wear very thin very quickly. and former Bermondsey re- Music' does not. Tell the same sident explained: "I pay a gng twice and the critics up you on the knuckles for putting over lot of it out on income tax, old material. Sing the same run a gun metal Rolls- Song twice and nobody com- licence number MB 1, of course -maintain a wife and three children and 18-roomed house in an Edgware."

Some change AFTER

meeting the afury- mentioned commitments there is still some change left out of £72,000 at the end of the year. Did Mr Bygraves blow the balance by whooping it up in, say, the West End night clubs?

He said: "I don't go to night clubs. I am Lilly man. Everybody knows that."

n

I asked how he could recount for the following item in a gossip column only last month

"Seen dancing at a West End club in the small hours yester- day-Indy Jane Vane-Tempest Stewart, sister of Lord London derry and Mrs Diana Ashe, the model. Lady Jane's partner was Halian film actor Carlo Justini, Fourth member of the party was comedian Max Bygravča."

plaias.

"I'm

no Gigli, but I have managed to make 15 records in the past five years, most of them good sellers. And not one of them mentions sex or religkt. Some weeks I get es many 25 400 letters from children.

But

work on play for me. alllough the stuff is tailor-made It doesn't it ine. You are looking et a frustrated funny men."

The richest frustrated funny man la British show business switched on the record-player.

"My latest record," ho ex- plained "Seven And A Half Cents (Decea F 10034). It's from the pajama Game. Ir I sound like someone taking the mickey out of Marlon Brando, don't worry, it's meant to sound like that."

This one is for those who follow Max Bygraves blindly. His current Palladium co-star Joan Regan is here too.

18

The CHEYNEY CULT gets

a lift from Debrett

silk,.......

100

ROBERT PITMAN'S

BOOK PAGE

they married. Then this year Mosley fan. Liko Mosley he took finer lawn In the whole of Laurolta herself died, So that up fencing,

London," Bathurst ("My frienda

Then, when he was 40, ho I nodded. It was very late, I. call meley"), already a suddenly put all his own love of was thinking that this was the rich man in his own right, finds swagger and action into some rort of hour when Peter Cheyney almself in possession of near- short detective stories. The liked to work. (Talking of him. ly all the Cheyney book rights. Evening Standard printed them. self in the third person he once The readers asked for more. A cald: "Cheyney's day starta A CYNIC

Standard man urged him to at 11.30 pini. and goes on unili write a novel. Cheyney wrote 3.30 a.m.. and Anishes with an Walle sal sipping whisky one. In 1990 he published hour's reading before bed.") Mr Bathurst finished his read- This Man is Dangerous, starring of Cheyney's poem, At the private oye Lemmy Caution. Cambridge Mr Bathurst thong It began "It was one of those I scholar. In London clubs nightë". It was one of those as a high-stakes books. It mado Cheyney's name.

ing

he

"HER skin is fair and smooth as silk with one beds known is a high-stakes

plump hand' gently sawing at the alr, the peer's son was He told me: reading me some of his favourite 'poetry:- "Her raven hair like fine spun silk....

"And sweet her painted mouth.

A British Crossword Puzzle

12

3

4

15

6

10 11

12

13

114 115

16

12.

18

120

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

131

ACROSS

Goods afloat_(3),

Supplies of flowers (6). al for a dancer (0)

ID It's not ti (0)

Recent nudience rescurch figures show that Max Bygraves is the most popular entertainer on B.B.C., TV, and 11.V. Ask him the secret of TV success nud the man who is known on stage (and sometimes off stage) na Big Head will tell you: "You use

lttle charm-and you leave them shouting for more. Also you play in hard to get with the TV coms panics. In the past year I've ap-23 peered in ally four major shows and yet they vote me best of the batch."

There is, however, one person who is going to Ind Max Bygraves easy to get. That is the theatrical producer who can come up with a ploy that has a fat part to suit Max Bygraves,

He told me: "I've even spent my own lolly putting writers to

12 Ruty back (5).

Sacking (7),

17

Garment (4

Says "yes" (7).

120

22

He keeps the snow moving (7), Purgative, drug 14).

27

Made a hole on the square? 175. Hey, quirki, (8).

2

Abner dead wood! 10).

30

Begisters indignation? 18).

Try out again (0).

The eyen have them (39).

32

DOWN

911ce7, 13, 21.

off (3).

Grark Forformance, perhaps (5), A fomly growth) (3)) Vehiclo drivers (0)."

7 Walka pompously (6).

9 They may be correspondingly"

kind (7).

1 Make a Disclosure about some

meat (8).

13. Abandona what one deserves (7),

لوڈ

ASTRZEL İmizer (4).

in Qutersts (6),

10 Painful swilling 14).

PS

A trople (a).

21 Dear chi

(0)

24 Style of architțelure (5).

25 Frailesine blida (5).

20 Juni what the doctur ordered?

181. 8 Artul dodgers (4).

FRIDAY'S CROSSWORD—Acros: 3 Haggling, # Reol:, 9 Cuten bee, 11 Chequers, 13 Degn, 15 Rebelled, ja Modurate, 18 Asps, 21 Recovery, 23 Entiron, 26 Tlet, 27 Tarping. hown? Erle, 2 Pole, 4 Agun, A Geri, & Imbur, 7 Grem,& Qual, 1 Erred, 12 Tevi, 14 Astir, 10 Luser 17 Devon, 18 A-scut, 20 Power, 31° Khoy, 22 Colo. 23 Evil, 24 Yurn.

VIGNETTES OF LIFE

NO ONE CAN INSPIRE SILENCE MORE EFFECTIVELY THAN THE BOSS.

"MOMMY, THE BUG-KILLER.

MAN IS HERE!“

THE SILENCE CREATED BY THIS ONE COULD BE CUT WITH A BUTTER KNIFE.

1'"CAN ANY OF

YOU GUYS LEND ME

LA FIN ? ~

HERE'S ONE THAT NEVER FÁILS.

#

Outside, the stately Kefsvgton streets were utterly stilt. In the big room the now voice savour- ing every syllable.

I was thinking of the most sensationally successful author

"My wife said that Peter ked writing poetry better than anything else. He wanted to make a pile of money from his thrillers and then write poetry for the rest of his life."

I

"Did súld:

you Cheyney well yourself?"

Cheyney's heir

head.

know

shook his I

asked Mr "Was it true that

Bathurst:

FOR FLOWERS Mr -Bathurst Inusal. He id: "Cheyney was an amaz- Ingly kind man. Kindness is the great thing. Take the present Duke of Marlborough. I'm in a club with Bertle Marl- borough to pay for the shooting at Blenheira. We each pay £400 · a year,

"Well, when I got coronary trouble one autumn I thought £400 for "Bang goes my nothing,

But Berilo would not take the money from me,

"Ha said: "You've hardly wam't

Cheyney had any shooting. It

take from me was £9 would 108, Awfully kind fellow, Bertie. Yet he'll send you a special bill for a few flowers you've picked to take home from Blenheim."

to Mr Bathurst returned

But, до sai listening, 1 was not thinking of the womni described in those lines. I was thinking of the man who wrote

"I mel him once during the really put himself into the 'ves your fault you were ill. All he

of his characters?” thema man who was born in war at a cocktail party. That surroundings very different was all. But when I married

À SHOWMAN from genteel Kensington; whese Loura 1 found that her loyalty mother was on, East End corel- for him was catching. He must "People say. so. But I think maker; whose father kept a have been a wonderful man. he was probably neling. He was cockle-and-whelk

stali

in Worked like a nigger.”

a great showman. Look at this Cheyney. He said: "I've often Whittchapel.

tie clip." The Hon. Hiley thought I would like to write-a Mr Bathurst chowed me the Bathurst undid his jacket book mystit. I've written pages result of the work. He unlocked "That belonged to Cheyney. It of company reports. People have a small room. ("I've had so used to have a great gem in the always said they're very read- many damned burglaries, Gol middle which my wife later able.

can't But I

manogo to lock_everything.") Inside had made into a ring. Upstairs dialogue. It must be a gift", volumes of Cheyney stretched to I've got В police truncheon I agreed. Outside, as I left, the ceiling.

which Cheyney always carried the leaves stirred on the pave Today, six Усака after "They're still selling pretty in his car."

ment. Not even a private-eye Cheyney's death,

But I fancit 1 The Cheyney well. Especially in the Empire. While clouds sped across the was in sight. cult lives Bercely on. His mean Australia, South Africa-they're bisek night sky Mr Bathurst heard a voice whisper; Eun-toting heroes Lemmy mad for anything of Cheyney's" took me into le garden. He one of Cheyney's many gifts, Caution, Kravinski, Slim Cal- I said; "Have you always said: "I challenge you to and a kid." loghan and their invariably been a fan of his writing?" avelle women still fit on

of the century. The crime writer

Peter Cheyney..

CULT LIVES ON

·

and

"Yes. But now I like to think a that I really know on

"Well, I take this chap into this room and say: 'I'll lay ten

"Just

CRIME SHELF

by Philip

Ookez

off the ending library shelves.

all of 1. A French im based

meet some Cheyney story is on its way to Now and then 1

fellow who thinks he's read Lundon.

everything that Cheyney wrote. And now the remarkable It might be a taxi-driver or Cheyner lawsuit is on its way someone like that. to the Lords, Just consider how

• RIGHT FOR MURDER. By hunter and the hunted; pace and much it tells us about the

Lionel White, Boardman, 10s 6d, interest maintained to the near success achieved even by the dead Cheyney. For the tax-men pounds to your one that you'll A crackling return to form by tragic end,

Break are trying to collect tax on the find a book here you haven't the author of Clean read. I haven't lost yeL"

(Aimed as The Killing). First- earning's produced by Cheyney's

A Оп wall was

an early person narrative by a complex. the two years after eighteenth century print of a books in

Gurdened architect who his death. Their climate of

We talked hears a plot Bathurst ancester.

to rob his own these earnings: £28,000,

about Cheyney's own history.

He was born Reginald Chey-Company, and graduates from Quite conspiracy to murder, But when he left White outstanding. ey

son.

of

In Kensington, on a cold October evening, I visited the man who is most concerned. He is the Hon. Heury Charles Illey Bathurst (aged 53), Viscount Bledisloe (ngtd 90).

The link between this peer's son and Cheyney, the man from Wallspel? After Cheyney's death in 1951. Mr Bathurst met Cheyney's, widow, Lauretta. A few weeks later

Breaking The Sound Barrier

ANYONE FOR DISHES ?

A SURE-FIRE WAY TO BREAK THE SOUND BARRIER IS TO

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR KITCHEN DETAIL.

COPA, 1957 BY GENERAL FEATURES

COMP. THE WORLD RIGHTS RESERVED, 7-29

"ARE YOU THE LADY WHO

REIGNS HERE ?

STARTLED INTO NOTHING TO SAY.-

chapel he called himself Evelyn Southouse-Cheyney. He wrote patter-songs for the music halls

(one title Reginald the Cherie); KLAIRED he joined his brother as a book- maker. Then, as Peter Cheyney, he ran a small news agency, and a small delective agency. But. except in his own day- dreams, he had small success. Disgruntled, Cheyney became

over-

THE BIG FRAME. By The

Gordons, Macdonald. · 10% Gt. A good idea gone wrong: dedi- cated homicide detective, with wife, risk his ex-prostitut reputation to smash a legal- seeming racketeer, Documentary detail as sound as ever, but the nelion skids in sentiment.

• THE WIFE_OF_THE_RED. Bill 6. MAN. Br

61. • · SKIN TRAP. By William Ballinger. Reinhardt.125, Good, suspenseful story of a Mole. Eyre and Spottiswoode. dogged Negro detective on the 12s. 6d. Could the sexual vitally heels of un escaped convict and of a giri's skin drive a man to his wife (whose bigarnous hus murder? Casson Duker, wine Sym merchant and amateur detective, band he has shot dead). pathy balanced between the puts his theory to the test. Full marks for really polished writ- ing, and London settings which range from the snobbish to the scody. Odd, obsessive, and excellent.

By Harry Weinert

WHO BELONGS TO THE PINK CONVERTIBLE PARKED IN FRONT OF A FIRE PLUG ?

YOU COULD HEAR A PIA DROP —-

"KNOCK IT OFF!“

SOMETIMES DIRECT ACTION IS THE

ONLY WAY.

-AND CERTAIN THINGS, SUCH AS PINK MINK,

HAVE BEEN KHOWAŁ TÔ CAUSE A LUEL IN THE CONVERSATION.

-

O THE CASE OF TORCIES, By Clark Smith, Hammond and Hammond, 109, 60. Low-keyed thrilles in the Bolchin manner, with Nicky Mahoun, an edgy investigating accountant,

embezzlement covering

and murder. In a mid-sized industrial Jungle. Expertly detailed Curl- neering background, with baleful side-swipes at Sublepla. Do not miss this one.

☞ THE SAINT AROUND THE WORLD, By Leslie Charteris. Hodder & Stoughton, 12s. 6d. Half a dozen exploits of the one man anti-crime wave. Tako your plek from a job lot includ- ing an oll-seeking sheikh, a theatrical wife-killer, and a murderous mudist.

Durable

enough stuff, but by now, the hero should be sprouting a few grey hairs

● MAIDEN'S FRAYER.

By

Joan Fleming. Crime Club. 10. 8d. Not a whodunit, but a will-it-happen, about an' in- nocent spinster who inherits a modest legacy, and becomes the prey of a shabbily sinister character, named Mr Aladdin. Splendidly developed ent ond mouse situation, guaranteed to delight all but single or nervous ♥ Indies.

2)

• RICH DIE HARD. Br Hatobinson. Beverley Nichols, 18. Periodic airing of a literary dinceaur-the country house murder, complete with a drawn- 10-scale map of the scene of action, Involved plot, glossily- detailed backgrounds, and more detection by.. an Inspired amateur-than setual orime,

• THE CRYSTAL WAVE, DY James Turnier. Cassell, 12s. 6d. Very iterary and doom-laden English thriller, beginning with the discovery of a young man tied nakod to a tree and stabbed through the Heart. Sinister East Anglian setting, with folk kore and lady archers enriching the action. Good and very grily,

● LEAD WITH YOUR LEFT." By Ed Lacy. Boxedman,, 10. 6d. Baby-faced bantamweight New York cop, sensitive about his size and hio. Jewish-Italian ancestry, puls Job abovo marriage in polving the murders of two ex-policemen. Violent, well-characterized, and almost aggresively readable. * Put t down if you dare,