1958-01-25 — Page 7

VIVIEN LEIGH

EAUTY can irritate an actress.

BEA

And the woman who said this should know. Because Vivien Leigh for nearly' a 'quarter of a century has been considered one of the world's most beautiful, as well as talented, actresses.

I talked to Lady Olivier for 40 minutes in the pleasant, white stone house in Chelsea which she and Sir Laurence rent from composer Sir William Walton.

I had expected this 44-year- old actress to look, at Icast, her DRO.

But she is still alien, dark and freal-the words a. London itle used 24 years ago when an unknown 10-year-old Getress walked on stage and the next morning was proclaimed a star.

"Her name is Vivita Leigh. The small theatre bristled with opera glasses," this critic wrote iz 1933.

Another enthused: "This girl is different, it is just as if she stops out proudly, a star to begin with. There seems to be nothing wrong with her."

"She is the greatest actress to be discovered since Mogal Albanesi," a third declared.

And ever since-with few ex- ceptions-the same praise has been heaped on this small, fragile-looking woman.

By MARY MCALPINE

"I was a wife and mother of a child," she reminded me.

But, stili, she was only 20.

THE CHINA-MAIL, SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 1958.

MEN WITH A PROBLEM: WHICH COMES FIRST.

—SOCIAL SERVICES OR SAVING THE POUND?

AM aiready tired of arguments about why Mr Thorneycroft, resigned, and whether, he was right to do so. We just don't know, and only time will tell us. For time will show whether the Government is still determined to halt inflation in the next six months.· ̈'

But whether it is or not, there is one thing that standa out a mile from the recent statements of Mr Macmillan. Mr Butler, and Lord Halinham. That is that thoy regard the Welfare State £8 sacrosanct and believe that everyone else does too.

I think this is something

At 19, Vivien Hartley had about which we had better married a young London barris-make up our minds pretty

er, Leigh Hoinan. Sho look quickly, once and for alt, his first for her last singe-name, because Vivien Hartley or Hol- man is not a lovely enough to for a beautiful actress.

And although this 20-year-old slar vehemently told reporters her marringe and career would live happily together, that parti-

cular marriage did not lost.

Four years later she fell ko love with the young actor Laurence Olivier. In 1940, they both obtained divorces and were

married.

Praise for her ability. Praise for her loveliness. But about her loveliness.... "In the beginning," Lady Olivier sald, lighting à cigarette and sitting neat and upright in her chair, "I suppose good looks can be a help. But, on the other say hand, people are often Inclined to attribute more to them than the work that has gone into the creating of a character."

And she is known by her colleagues as un'inteose worker, Sometimes this work has severe- ly affected her health. Her breakdown in 1953 was attribu ted, in considerable part, to the strain of playing and Aiming Touessee Williams "A Streetcar Named Desire".

TWO actresses I've spoke to

the Oliviers aro ex-

ceedingly happy

"Sir Laurence,” one offered, "is totally devoted to her. He'll do anything for her."

The other added that Lady Olivier seems just as devoted to Str Laurence,

And Lady Olivier told me she "enjoys tremendously" working with and for her actor-producer. husband.

Tthat time, her husband London's A told a reporter:

"Vivien is not ambitious.

je her natural disposition that drives her at full pressure all the time. Like any great actress she wants to do beiter, I think she works too hard and I tell her so, but she is a very dif- cult person to adylie,"

I asked if she were sorry her daughter, Suzanne Holmen, had not fullowed her into a theatri cal career, though she attended

Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts for a short time, "No, I'm not sorry," Lady livler said. "Acting is a hard .profession, and there are

12,000 actors and actresses Britain.

NOW

In

"Unless a girl has terrific Intent 1 advise her not to ga into acting

Lady Ulivier, who admits to Vivici Leigh was born Vivien persistent stage fright, "parti- Hartley, daughter of an English cularly if I know who's out stock broker, in India in 1913, front, would like to play: When she was six she moved Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, and re- with her parents to England and piny Shakespeare's Cleopatra. want to school In England, I think I certainly hope-I France, Germany and Italy. could give

the part more to then did a few years ago."

"I always wanted to be actress," she told me, "as for

beck n can remember."

She was "cn awfully bad student" and, although she

most acute disappointment

of her stage life came, she told played in school plays, "there ine, in 1940 when she and Sir certainly was nothing startling Laurence played Shakespeare's about me."

"Remee and Juliet" Bruzdway.

in

She was once known to desert the stage at school. She was playing

"A Midsummer Night's Dream", forgot her lines, and ran off stage in tears. She refused to retumi.

Her headmistress remembers her as a "dreamer",

But the "dreamer" never seems to have been unrealistic about herself.

on

"I was a terrifle dop. I don't remember row how long it ran one month, I belleve but it was a great disappointment to

Us.

"No, we never know why R didn't go, I expect it just wasn't good enough." Would she like

It

to try El

Lady Olivier's large The morning, after her Arst

green might triumph, when reporters, eyes locked straight ahead.

would like to....but I photographers, movie niagnates

I really with contracts ready, erowded don't think I should. around her, she was "right feel Jullet should be played by

young, but not too ened"

retress,"

"It was exhilarating but frightening, 1 knew I had i terrible responsibility to live up to the praise and full the pro- mise,

She turned down better movie offers then the £50,000 contract she accepted from Sir Alexander Karda, because "the others did not allow me time to

act

young

If we really consider that the maintenaner of all the social services in their present form is mara important than the risk of Inflation, the safety of our eur- rency, the preservation of our jobs, and the dedence of the Empire, then we may

as well lie down and die now.

Because the time will come when we have lost not only our prosperity but also our jobs and our freedom as well.

So clinging DO

a

¡ÕES it not strike you as

Hitle odd that it should be who are holding Tory leaders out so manfully for the last one

"Actors

arc warm

and

Is the

Welfare State

so sacred?

by ANGUS MAUDE

TOAY M:P. FOR EALING SOUTH

six

07-

pchemes group pensions ranged through insurance com- panies for email firms and scat- tered industries. Above all, we must devise a rcheme of making these superannuation rights In- terchangeable, so that o man cũn change his job in middle age without loss of prospects.

Care

not

per cent of the social services? belleve firmly that scelat re Of course it will strike old- form is an essential part of Then we can restrict the no- fashioned Socialists as very odd Toryism. For it :cms to

me tional Insurance scheme to its indeed, because not even

that this dogged clinging to proper function of taking years of almost continuous ex- every detall of the existing or the minority who are pansion of the social services sdelal service machinery is not entered for by other scheins, or under Conservative government social reform at all, but almost there who have fallen on hard has shaken their convletion that the reverse. The Conservative times through slekness or other oll Torles are deeply committed, leaders seem to feel themaives misfortunes. to the destruction of the Wel- committed to conserving Social- fore State.

ism. as a little peculiar, too, even though

But it strikes me

THE OLIVIERS: Happy and Talented

She said, "It's wonderful to be new, gorgeous to be discover- , and it's wonderful to by at the age when you're loved for what you have done,

Lady Olivier does not mind generous people. I think criticism 50 long дз it is jealousy is created by the press. Intelligent - "when there is They frequently draw.compari- something to be fearnt from "sons that incite jealousy." -but she Ands "out-of-hand, Several months ago I was in unknowledgeable criticism pain- Stratford-on-Avon and talking ful and irritating."

to the stage door keeper. He She is a severe critic of her answered one question without own ims. "I am always em- hesitation. barrassed by my acting in some on

"Who are the nicest Oliviers." of every alm."

who've played here?

stage. And I knew I could not learn to act through films."

I suggested this was unusually sensible for a 20-year-old girl.

part asked if she found much jealousy in the theatre, and she replied quickdy:

"But the yearn between. just damned dimeult."

are

As we were saying goodbye I looked at this disconcertingly lovely woman and asked if she people ever tired of being stared at.

The "Oh, yes," she replied, "often.

"It's most embarrassing, though she think it is probably meant as a

compliment."

I asked Vivien Leigh if were frightened of slipping.

PICK OF THE PETS from the Notional Exhibition of Cage Birds maw open

TRUE BLUE

HAMMER HEAD

Splits nuts

and parties.

Tough.

Cooing won't budge it

£50

NEW BLUE SQUEEZE BILL

PREMIER

Sterling whistler

FOREIGN SECRETARY

BIRD

Hangs on Lo it's perch

- has to budget

WISE OLD OWL

BIRD

SANDYSTRIPED STARLET

Fond of Travel,: Trollope and being Premier

upside down

LOVE

BIRDS

Wait

ves on Estimates and hopes for the best

Hoots in tune and bides its time

•

The State could also under- write the contributions to in-

men who are temporarily imployed.

of

un-

c'ustrial pensions schemes Today's evil WHAT, after all, does social W reform really mean? Surely it is the reform of social evils and abuses? Quite apari irom the fact that inflation is poten- tially the worst evil or all to- day, are we really making much of á job of social reform in its true sense?

One can argu Interminably about details. Should parents pay 1d.. more for school meals? Should the national insurance contribution go up by another 30.7 Should we pay for our own tonics and aspirina?

Then, instead of a monstrous State scheme demanding heavy compulsory contributions for benefits that are unwanted by many and inadequate for most, we could have a residual scheme meeling real needs in a reason- uble way.

I

Free choice

HOPE we may yet live to see

a dav

when it is the rule rather than the exception for people to save for their own old

But it the future of the age. country is to depend on issues "I would hope that we might of this kind, then the country to further and breed a gencra- has no future,

ilon that actually preferred to

I do not even believe that the pay directly or through Inrur- British people want to deelde ance schemes) for its own the result of the next election on medical care and the education. this sort of basis.

of children, because of the Lenst of all do I believe there freedom of cholco this alone is any hope for the Conservative can bring

Party if it da reduced to haggling "But we never do this if at the hustings with Socialists our only object is to build ab who can always outbid it in pro- ever larger and more burden- misca and bribes. What is want some structure of compulsory

State services,

ed

is

When we are all dependent on

sensible alternative polley to Socialism.

No Tory wants to abolish the State, either the State will social sceurity. But Tories de be bankrupt or we shall be

otor should not-regard the slaves. Perhaps both.

social services in the same light If Mr Butler and Lord Hali- as Socialists. For one thing sham are still genuinely Tory they should not regard them as reformers, these are the lines on a primarily political weapons which they ought to be think

permanent means of redistri builng incentes so as to produce | an: egalitarian society,

Money needed

T

a Tory the

social services

Ing. If they will act on them in the next year, instead of worrying about the reactions of the British people to an extra id. on a school mcal, they will win the next olcellon. Otherwise are palliatives for social we are all in for a lot of trouble. evils. They are a means of helping those who suffer from poverty, unemployment, or ill health, either because of shiver misfortune or because

the economic system does not al- ways work very well. They should never be regarded, as Socialists tend to regard them, as enda in themselves.

The Tory alin should bc, not to perpetuale the social services in their present form, but to get rid of the cylis that make the social services necessary now.)

We are not, daing enough la this direction. Take the problem of the nation's health. We are spending less than £10,000,000 a year on medical research, but more than £400 million a year on health and hospital services.

Much health, such 08 rheumatic compistats, deficiency diseases and allergic troubles, is due to such, things as bad hour. ing, bad diets, and ignorance,

We neither know enough about these things nor do Enough on the basis of what knowledge we havo

Or look at our penalons policies. We have just put up the total "of retirement pensions under the 'national Insurance scheme from £463. million to

£622 million a year.

Yet the pension is barely enough to live on. The capital value og`all national Insurance benefits now contracted for: In £42,000 million, of which the liability to the taxpayer is 217,- 800 million. Every couple of years we push the National Insurance Fund further into the red, while alightly postponing the day of reckoning. It cannot go on.

What ought we to be doing? Certainly not seeking to ape the Socialists idea of setting up an even larger and more grandioso State pensions scheme, which will get into even larger finan- cial: dificulties and will certain- ly have to be made compulsory

| If it is to work at all!

Security

WE should bare gur thinking primarily on the Idàà of, an Expanding soonohy

rimo; in which, fully

which the level,

+We should pany pensions

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