1958-02-01 — Page 8

R

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1958.

MY CRACK-UP

The young Mr Chips, and his wife-Graor Garson

OBERT DONAT smiled as he look ed out on the snow and sunshine from a room in Mayfair. And his gentle voice said:

"It is so good to see life again. There have been long times during these last four years

when I have been so desperate, so afraid, that I could not face any body-not even my family"

and

How I Rode It

by ROBERT DONAT

THIS is the first time that one of the biggest names in the British theatre has spoken openly of his in-tho-shadows life of the last four years. It is a story of a talent struggling against tremendous odds-and winning through to a confident comeback.

Donnt, ong of the world's

stars who is clasped rather tightly, in- as it must anybody who is biggest

loved, by dicated that he might be trying to shake off sick- admired, even

of meeting ness." millions for his perform- frightened

in such films. as people again. "Goodbye, Mr Chips," "The 39 Steps," and "The Ghost Goes West," ls back in very big way.

ances

14

People...

with a

wry laugh at

He is to star with Ingrid:

a film called H additted that fright Bergman in "Inn of the Sixth Happi himself: "I have always ness." He is an actor in big been the sort of person who style again, besieged by wants to back out of things offers from our British pro- at the last moment, ducers, and from Hollywood too. And he is a man scared!

I asked him how he had managed to bear up during the worst days of his col. lapac. "I don't think I did," he answered. "I just knew that suddenly I had

collapsed. I had to give up give up my future."

a film. It seemed I had to

Challenge,

Back Today

brave. I don't think any body can be brave in such circumstances.

ing I would break down when I opened my mouth, that my visitor would aoo me racked with coughing lost in despair."

Ho chuckled. "It was infuriating," he said, "to be offered some of the finest screen roles in recent years and to know that somebody else would have to play them."

I asked what the turning point had been. He rubbed his nequiline nose reflec tively. "Who can say?" ho said. "Perhaps it in a building-up. a regrowing within oneself.

"I do not talk of being cured, because that would be fally. i. am still not entirely well, but I am going on nicely. I cannot ativise because no two people ure alike, not even asthmatics.

ROBERT DONAT—the face that charmed the “30a".

The truth is that I feel the the panic inside myself la ot root of my illness

"But now I feel an optimist in spite of myself. I'm looking forward to the future,"

"They oven agreed to turn off into hla shell. The smile became the central heating in the studio cautious. overnight so that it would be cold-so that my asthma would; Then suddenly his arras swept not be affected by the warmth, wide in a big gesture. "But The technicians sat in overcants right from the time that I felt do know that everything seamed. and I was scared slift." the challenge to do something, It is difficult to know

"The television people wanted what to do, or what to say,

"I could not stand up to me to do a New Year's Eva pro- gramme. 1 thought, 'No, I when somebody tells you

clasped hands relaxed as the strain even of ordinary. No, I can't! But they Bomething like that. back.

most terrible thing Especially when they are

Only

about meeting people is he went on: "I was not very conversation. I kopt think somehow thought I could, one subject was that always always they speaking about the sort of long private ordeal that forbidden for discussion- Donat has faced and fought. the break-up, last year, of y: How are you? It Bomehow crumples me up,

"And I have grown worse,

with the happiness of being I'm afraid, about poople. SUDDENLY his tightly

his marriage to actress

For four years now he Renee Asherson.

has lain in waiting for his

His adviser told me: "It

body to respond to his urge is not that he in bitter to keep on living. Hin voice one of the most about his marriage. The noble in the world has position is rather the con been almost stilled, racked trary. He is grateful to only by agonising attacks Renee, for she helped him of asthma. And his great all that she could.” talent as an actor, his min reason for living, has been wasted.

"Wonderful'

Donat himself helped mo over the awkward moment. He smiled more broadly. "Well, I'm back now," he said. "Its wonderful, as well as frightening,"

FORTUNATELY

Donat sat in a blaze of Sunahine in the window. seat of the hotel room. At first glance he looked lika an ordinary man of 53. Neat. pin-stripe suit, crisp white shirt. Assured smile,

But his face despite the studied calm, still had a hint of romantic wildness, His voice, soft yet astonish- ingly clear, still had the vigour of a dominating per- sonality. Only his hands,

CLOCK

REPAIRS

The

Old Chips

ZANIES,

W

He paused and gave a short, triumphant laugh. "But I made it," he said. "I didn't even.

Not once!"" cough,

I felt like sharing his laughter. Then suddenly Danat went back

John Lambert

The Olympic Cross

Only watch manufacturer, to be honored with this diam tinguished award, · Omega has timed the Olympic Games for over 25 years, Today Omega enjoys the implicit conádence of the international sporta com- munity when Olympic r cords and medals are ál staka and tima is reckoned. in 10ths and. 100ths of is. second.

HUDSON

الله .

3.

-MADDŒEKS.

Save Myers

Engineers in the sizzling heat of the Sahara; scientists in the ico-bound solitude of the arctic; sportsmen in the dim depths that are 'skin-diver's realm--Here is the kind of company you keep when you wear the Seamaster, the self-winding Omega high-precision. watch that defies the elements.

The self-winding Seamaster movement is triple scaled. The clements can't reach it. Tropical heat leaves it cold. Arctic cold leaves it snugly indifferent. Accurately and reliably, the Seamaster ticks off the most exciting seconds of your life.

Wear the Seamaster, and you participate in one of the great watch-making auccess stories of our time. The story goes back to World War II when Omega

was commissioned to design a watch the soldiers, sailors and pilots of Britain could confidently take with them into combat. Restyled and reinforced for sports wear, this.watch became the post-war Seamaster, since. further strengthened and perfected and today the world's most popular sportswatch. Also battle tested, in submarine hulls and jet aircraft fuel tanks, is the scaling device which protects the Seamaster movement against water and condensation to a depth of two hundred feet.

Armored ruggedness and Omega precision ----- these make of the Seamaster a timepiece, that has what it takes to share with you the zest of high adventure and the stresses' and strains that go with it.

OMEGA Seamaster

The watch the world has learned to trust, Some day you will own one!

Socilib Suisse Pour Pindustrie Horlogère. S.A. Geneva, Switzerland,

ONTES LTD

OMEGA ★ ZO