1958-02-03 — Page 47

THE CHINA MAIL,

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1958.

Promotion for the man who began the Private's -Progress

THIS is the story of a man, a book, and the

Tickering unstendy spotlight which we

call fame. It is a story which proves that the quiet world of writing can be quite s tough and unpredictable na big business itself. It is the story of a young author, Alan Hackney, and hin satire On the Army, Private's Progress.

Perhaps you were one of the thousands who read Private's Progress as a book? Almost certainly you were one of the millions who saw it as < film or watched scenes on television.

For Private's Progress did something which happens in Britain maybe once in a scaro of years. It united highbrows and low- brows alike in a nationwide gust of laughter.

GOOD REASON

HEY had good

THEY

reason

to

They march again this time in - civvy strect

Terty-Thomax much fame in films as he had ever had on radio.

tough. Take just one episode. -the lecture on "The English Rallway System" which Private It brought Cox delivers during his platoun's current affairs period. Solemn Jy he begins:-

"My system with the railway)

What is dead simple. mutu ever do le art tile

"Couldn't afford to, old boy." waters.

Hackney said: "Mind

ROBERT PITMAN'S

Martic

"At lunch

BOOK PAGE

we talked about

Hackney, chronicler of Non-U you, the Boultings have been E. M. Forster's book about his

to mc. And Terry- life in India.

rushed

of

sat

1951

As the children from the tea-table, we down. Hackney said: "In I began a series of pleces for Punch about conversation in a Back bar. It was called Snax at Jux. That's where Mugge- ridite comes in."

I said: "I suppose Muggeridge

holpert you?

'Just the reverse. Peggy and on the I were managing nicely extra cook we got from Punch every two or three weeks for the Snnx at Jax articles. Then Muggeridge became editor. held a big dinner

tributors.

A SLIGHT TOUCH OF FLU-by

CUMMINGS

slight

temperature

Slight

Throat

He

for

con-

Light

novel

DAY 1

"It was the kiss of death. He told us he wanted less funny

me

some

stuff in the paper." Hackney handed birthday cake, then went on: "Well, Muggeridge hardly took

any more sluft from me. But i had to write something. So Peggy mode mo write up my Army anecdotes as a novel. That was Private's Progress."

ALMOST UNNOTICED

IN

ALL (Gol-

talk, has a slow cultured draw). very nice But the words are a surprise. Thomas has always been "Waugh argued with me when

He friendly. He gave a friendly smile.

Well, he sent us a I said there was a photograph N 1950 Hackney published a

second novel. Its uttle: of Forster In Indian dress la- Christmas cord last month." as sald

"Well, look, toshy works We looked down at the hulk ride. So I showed it to him, and YOU YOUNG LADIES out for yourself. The book sold of the oid wooden warship, Waugh said: 'Good gracious, is later, 13s. 6d.). Its theme: a war I thought it was over all between two sheiks in Aud Alan Hokery, the man

about 11,000 copies. Nol + 11.M.S. Cornwallis, now water that Forster? "

a blackamoor."

the Persian Gulf. It was very anri where wit

genius for fortune in tint, really. The film logged and being broken up.

д remarkable pon diatopac elirted it: all?

*Oh, made hundreds of thousands, of Hackney continued:

yes, From the docks, Hackney and funny and in

what actually to the college, way it forecast nice I went back When he

writing course. But I was silly enough and Evelyn Waugh wrote began and do sunnink barmy. Take it Private's Pourese over three to sell the Alm rights for a piece about my book. He invited Upstairs a few of the appren- happened in the Oman War. But passed al- years ago Hackney was teaching thousand. Not enough to reire me to his place in Gloucester lees-one with a skiffle beard somehow the book

-were sitting at desks in the most unnoticed in a sno! fur dockyard appren- on, you might say. Especially shire any time I was around.

cinesroom. Hackney told them: As we got up from the remeins tees at Sheerness,

since I've three children already

you chaps can clear off now," of the cakes and trifle, Hackney Now, after all those menthe of and another little Hackney on sæviss, I have been to visit the way." Hockney took me out

When they had shuffled out, explained.

asked: "Did they know him. AT THE SCHOOL FOR into the dockyard. The wind

about you and the Alm?" DOCKYARD APPRENTICES come cutting across the bleak

Hackney laughed. "My word. yes. It was the big thing for days. They crammed the oinema, and whenever they liked one of the Jakes they call- ed out: "Coo, good old Hacko?' '

As dusk fell, Hackney took me through the streets of Sheer ness to the pleasant old terraco where he lives.

here. You never want to from Gravestone East. Aluray go from Gravestone High Lord on the 2.5. They've only one collecun, Walt til at bloke over doin' the down platform and walk straight on a thugs you 'qu your ticket.

But Private's Progress · got results more solid than laughter, In the eighteenth century, when John Gay's Beppor'a Opera was produced by the Impresario Rich, everyone said that its suc- cess made Rich gay any rich.

Sinen 1936 Private's Progress has made lots of prople rich.

For British Lion films it beal all audience records. It turned the Boulting Brothers into the

AT SHEERNESS.

I went $123h The duck- gates, I wont post great, grotes- quely painted efales-gure- heads taken from old men-of- wor. A giant crane loomed argvinst 3 sky which way grey-pink with snow.

At the school I waited in the staff-room. It was littered with dog-eared exercise books, with tins of sugar ready for teachers' tea - break. Then entered.

two best-liecled private pro- Hackney's tali Bgure ducers in the business,

the

As I shook hands I said:

It took Ian Carmichael, an "So even after Private's Pro-

obscure actor, and made him a ITERA

WON

atar whose name means money. Trachtig?"

haven't given up

"E"

"1 found an excuse for down like shot Interesting place. He had a invatory there furnished like an Abyminian

irone-room.

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

VEN dute seems to be frozen in this strange continent.

This startling fact impressed itself

He On Byrd,

wrote:-

My men stumbled on a camp abandoned by early explorers 37 veurs before. The boards on the shack looked The nails were gleaming bright, Near the shack song a dog standing in the snow looking just as alert as our huskies —yet he had been dead for many years!”

new,

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1

"Bad luck that was. Hitchcock; bought an option on it for a film.

book

"Then, Just as the appeared, the Ruex crisis broke, People didn't want jokes about the Middle Fast Hitchcock dropped it. And, in effect, sa did the public. Pily. But look

thi

It was time for me to go. In the darkness outside the Kent

His pretty wife Peggy Was roads were quickly freezing. running a birthday party for But Hackney took me to a small Janc, aged three, Above the din room and held up a proof copy. she told me:~

"Alan tries ont all his stuff It was his latest novel on me. He says I'm like the PRIVATE LIFE (to be published old woman that Mollere read his by Gollancz in June), I saw that, plays to. It I can understand it contained all the big charne- the jokes, anyone can, But it ters from Private's Progress was me that made him write but this time in civilian life, Private's Progress. Me and Mal- colm Muggeridge,"

I frowned. "Muggeridge?" I naked

Hackney said: "The Boult- Ings are planning to do it with Attenborough, Terry- Thomas, and all the others. This Alon Hackney broke in: "It's time poor Windrush-he's played a long story, really. You see I by Carmichael-gets mixed up always had the idea of writing with the trado unions. The about the Army. During the war Boultings are planning to call it I actually heard that lecture on I'm All Right, Jack. And this the railway system. I used to line Hackney is getting his per- make notes on all the Army centage." absurdities.

I asked: "Why hasn't the "When I was at Maidstone book got the same title?" Barracks there were 10 blokes "Oh," said Hackney, "dear on the strength who had got old Victor Gollancz couldn't themselves joba at # focal understand the meaning of 'I'm brewery. One fellow even had a All Right, Jack' When it was milk round. But I never found explained to him all he said was time for a book."

"Very remarkable," "

IN

higher (temperature)

depressium

solicitous

care

hotter throat

DAY 2 (Energetic care)

DAY 3 (Care goes to bed)

DAY 4 (Self-service)

fremains

of one small день

Cummings

DAY 3. Even with India- rubber legs, shaking handa and aching head, back to work with boundles joy.

30,000 Algerians killed-but

still the rebels roll in

-

TRIPOLI.

TN the last few days I have seen French hospitals where Algerian babies are born and the oldest patient is looked after with tenderness; schools in country districts where little girls in multi-coloured dresses are happily to be seen singing French songs. I have walked around the modern University.

I have visited clinics where the Onest instruments in the world fight eye diseases and watched operations in surgeries which it would have been im- possible to improve. I have been impressed by the French Government's great fight to save Uto but have abso visited military HQs that plan with equal efficiency the killing of Algerian nationalists.

That is the tragedy of the country. Hore there is none of the optimism of Paris that the rebdilion is over. You arc searched in cinemas and Jurge

stores, and in a grim struggle of life and death the country is fundamentaly, divided,

BITTERNESS

LORD LAMBTON, MP

re

or

a tragedy

Springing not from misrule but from the offidsery of a health service which

has spent the balance of

nature

It is an

☐ 10

wet

The terrain Is everything

explained why the number of sucked mournfully

cigarette, Nor WGA he much they could wish, tor-jandi sams the rebels remained static.

Their method of replacement cheered up by the number of silli reach them from) over the is simple. They go into a remole times the captain slapped him borders. So to destriboj the village and tell the young men on the back and sald what an present lull, if you can call it a to fol them and it one bides excellent fellow he w06.

full, as hopeful, is unwise. – All they kill his father.

that the rebel have, toʻlo de 60 The casualtion reveal the effective system.

The main problem of this keep to the hills sod they can bitterness of the fighting, Last Our drive Wan

And trie curious. village is typical of all-over- continue indeinitely. your, 90,000 Algarians and 7,500 Around one corner

despite is the position that Feorsen uninst would be population. Last year,

the French were killed. But perhaps three old peasants kicking their murders,

birtha out- face if she to dotermined to the moat revealing stalistic is donkeys; around the next on numbered the deaths by two to continué her present policy, that the rebel army strength armoured car. And we arrived one. today of 20,000 man is exactly unexpected a the telegraph

The most hopeful aspect of In the afternoon I was to the scene is the separations, Crocs, the same as a year ago despite wires were destroyed.. the 30,000 killed. This illustrater

have flown through the hills in Algeria of the Southerp zone

of with that the size of the rebel

The village is in the centre of a helicopter but because

its all and perhaps most is only limited by the dumbas one of the 1,500 now com- cloud, drove instead. They are important new dad,nator.; for OF BATIKË and the Bacher munities, vaguely the equivalent, the gue:illas paradiso, covered it developments" coma "up" to of rural counella, which have with rocky scrub and fall of expectation - and, Pranos could

been formed. The limestone caves. Nor does the work. It with a' consentiun, of 200 A Boollon of the recently disturbimi country I went to Frasch argue that despite the civil aspect of the war encour- herself, Edorocco, Tam mod Kabelle, one of the first areas ultimate authority lying in Paris age the ikelihood of peace. plecs of Alpionu, afin qua enCOREA. to rebala wiki, rocky territory, the measure of well-government Hecently 40 Nationalists were the dominant indusson on the

and the released from prison and sont North Afriqui consta roughly the size of Yorkshire provided by these

avaDiablo,

To

Bany

and Lancashire, with à popul- higher authorities with Algerian home. Twenty of thems tion approaching a million. The ropṛeskntation will wetlafy the alread [people" kro' prinfilye and even desire for independence.

hevo

been murdered, in But certainly for her the

revenge for earlier deaths. In tragic circumstance.le, that lp, peacetime blood touds were The mayor of the village, fact, without prejudice it is presenă – tromblem - mpehar, In responsible fog, 300 drothea which has undid school god dificult to see the bright side, main, noi tròm' hər mürüte.

The rebels have: a.`from the effebomey of heat-De Jou A French caplain, drove now civil hall and post-office, to things.

me to a village and military port se unataven end in a dirty red vast reserve of the willing and servico (waking) in the heast of the hills "pod: tax, and regand trousoy. He unwilling to recruit from.