1958-04-12 — Page 14

GOLDEN

BALL... KEEP

THE

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 1958..

BOOK PAGE

THE richest man in America, Commodore Cornelius

■ Vanderbilt, 'was in 1868 an alling satyr'of 74 whose two principal interests were sex and seances. Anyone offering ofther was welcome at his Now York mansion.

Whort his butler ushered in one day a pair of buxom,

ON ROLLING ALONG! bright-eyed, handsome Indies who offeret both, they

BY JOHNNY DANKWORTH

were very very welcome,

The blustery commodore's temperaturo shot up, and ho at once announced himself ช willing, patient for a course of treatments,

JAZZ la booming. It is right bang in the middle of its healing contact"

greatest Heyday since the Golden Age-the late lady visitors smiled sweet.

ly and set to with a will. "Ewenties and the early 'thirtles.

Jazz clubs are bursting at the seams. Jazz TV and radio audience figures have reached an all-time high. The great jazz artists are household names. Jazz records are selling faster than they can be pressed. Artists like Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie are touring the world playing jazz anit enjoying wild receptions.

once

Paris, Rome, and London The result is that all over the are flourishing jazz centres, world a career in jazz, Jazzmen born in Britain, hancy. Is becoming secure and

respected. Germany, Sweden, even Japan, are making their mark on the American jazz arone.

It is another Golden Age for jazz. But this time the Golden Age in stretching all over the globe, not just over the United States.

any

Although only mediocre mediums,

Victoria Clain Woodhull and her deliciously alater, uninhibited were wizards at mixing a potent brew of flesh and fantasy.

life, all it turne

Tennessee,

by

DEE WELLS

Commodore Vanderbilt thrived stulloni, and fraudulent on it,

fortune telling, Vietorin, Tennessee, and the colonci were The story of the two sisiers uneasily settled in Prisburgs and the millionaire must surely when two creatures from the be one of the most fascinating lost joined the menage, ever fold. It proves that no mut-

Dr Woodhull ter how hard art ties to copy

had COIL? out are pale crawling back, and the ancient Greek arntor, Demosthence, dropped in often to entiven, the end dining-room table

Eersions, Both were Dr Woodhull looked after Vic- toro's two children, and De- mosthenes directed the Iouise- hold's, desilny.

carbons.

Is succbse deing jazz

In Victorin Woodhull Does the poet-in-the-her sister, good?

American author Jazz picture suft the Larret

Irving Walince has unearthed a kcene? Or does a man play a couple of real life McCoys who better, holtør, more exciting chorus if he knows he is going make fictional scarlet wonien and Scarlett O'Haras seem as to eat afterwards?

virtuous as vestal virgins and as coki na yesterday's porriaga, Their saga is one of the high spots In THE SQUARE PEGS

(Hutchinson, 218.)

Of course he does.

We have

had the same amateur-protes. tional arguments in spor L The pro, is slowly proving that he is the man who wins la the long run,

never

When

he

mpping useful,

a

pronounceri change of locale would do them Road, the obliging Greek added that if they moved to New York "thereafter only great and good events would befall.".

of

charting a vivid career that linked seances with big business

THE ROAD-SHOW GIRL RAN FOR PRESIDENT

SIGN VERE

"Martia

the blustery commodore at once announced blusolt a willing patient

Solidly settled in New York, free love, fair labour laws, and with Commodore Vanderbilt

under Brm control and the commodity business in full swing. Victoria looked around for even bigger fish to fry.

*

.

Once out of gnol, things worn even.bleaker. Frienda Including Vanderbill-deserleä her. Sho was and her reputation never Ily-fra- grant, now recked. She was fast rauning out of money and looked, at 34, close to being all washed up.

if life followed the... conven tional morality of movies and

novels, Victoria would have neen finished. But life doesn't, and she wasn't.

DISCARDED

E lectured on free love sill, and she practised free love still. Colonel Blood had been discarded. But she had not Jost her interest la men. She seduced even her innocent offico boy, of 19.

Then she tried to folst him... oft on Tennessee.

The offler boy demurred: "I don't care for her," he said,

"Oh, don't say that," replied men who didn't practise what Victorin, "nobody can love me short skirts, Sister Tennessee they preached. She named who doesn't love Tennie." At never one to be left behind, was HAM29. And, ypically, she that the office boy fled. running for Congress on The went straight for the throat sume ticket,

of the biggest prey.

Virtue, as they say, is a own But when election day, 1972, She carefully singled out for only reward too, as Victoria reward. It is pretty nearly. Its seondal

had her biggest attack the man, who found cut offer a short-lasting broken like a thunderclap and was perhaps the most prominent conversion to religion. Other Victoria found herself sadly Amorlenn preacher of his time, Isolated in time and space. Her Henry Ward Beecher. Women roodles nto the lot of the girl

-zuleler rewards and sugar-plum rip-roaring ideas had proved to flocked in their hundreds to who shrugs a shoulder be far too advanced for nine- hear him preach. Some stayed shakes the right tree. ieenth century America. She behind after he left the pulpit. war in guol. She got tew voles.

rulled Already something of a wheel in the equal-rights movement, she widened her orbil and decided to run for President!

Colonel Blood, seeing In this

further his own advanced licas

It is not difficult to under-

Long before the Vanderbilt stand why. Jazz has

venture, the asters hud first hit Jazz is much too big a thing the road travelling with their vitality and integrity and

Mobile as always, they pack- little hide-bound tradition,

to devote, only half a lifetime to shifters family's take-oiled up, and went. Demosthenes Even a whole lifetime is not medicine show. Victoria made didn't fail them, and following his directions they wound up In nt antrimony It is one of the few sur. enough. Besides, prosperity will early stab

bedroom affect a great Jazzman. with a Dr Woodhull, but shed the

Cornelius viving forms of spontaneous Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman both him and the snake-oil Vanderbilt. musfe in a world that is cry- have never relaxed their efforts when she realised that clair-

bank voyancy offered better plek ing out for spontaneity. It because of their sturdy da colourful, not gaudy. It balances,

Ings. is uninhibited, without being

of ectoplasmr chaotic. To understand it

but empty of real conflence, they used the Van- an freedom, female emancipa- requiries intelligence rather

camure, and Victoria always bit stock market know-how to iriously turned out speeches and derbilt money and the Vander- tion, and labour reform inclus- than intellect.

On the other hard, torrs old macu

and lack of public recogri-solid masculine materialisations set themselves up a profitable articles for her. These were duly published in yet another tion can end in tragedy, as !!

sideline, Woodhull and Cloflin's Weekly, a 16-page paper run by Vicloris,

Small wonder that the lover of "serious" music, finding it all. too serious at times, Is being persunded to increase his repertoire to existence, include jazz.

1

TRAGEDY

Pursuing blis vas cozy,

clo saxist Charlie on

did for one of the greatest of all juzzmen, "Yardbird" Parker,

Parker lived + inferable was misunderstood and neglected throughout s curtailed life, and died a pauper. -And the not-so-gullible No one is going to persuade me pop-fan, watching the de- that his last few years, when he clining standards of the was a fired, sick and broken "pop" ́ ́und" senatng thy man could not have been made business at work rather ranted the security and recog

productive if he had been than music. is turning to ten he deserved. jazz for something more enduring.

So my guess is

that the Golden Ball is going to keep on for Jazz, and not only ralling rolling but snowballing all the time.

After

cocked for more

delivering a tecture spiritualism one night, Victoria.spotted in the audience the dashing Colonel Blood,

Falling lato

If Cornelius thrived on ther treatment, the girls did not do tee badly either. With Tennessee bold move an opportunity to

In his arms, and Victoria in his

little sideline.

COOL PROFIT

stocks

were blackmailed

around,

THROWN OUT

For he was, ulas, built in the

mould Fame Vanderbili.

Shaking town

and

GL. Cornelius Vanderbll's heirs for

dollars, Victoria Conquer Britain,

Commodore 100,000 sailed off to It didn't take

Having rolled up score at her long.

from amout 50 seductions his own parishioners, the much- respected Rev. Beecher was also looked maintaining a long-term lolson concern.

One thing loading to another.

Marlins Bank in London:

to be a healthy going It W05. John

BAD MOMENTS

ot

family, plas, took B vlasy of tho

THE scandal had started out 1 as a family affair, but co all Victoria's affairs, it was more far-reaching than that. Victoria's campaign gained.

with Mrs Tilfore Victorin Biddulph Martin was 38, a full and she TVES Her

wilig mother, convenient THE brokerage, Brm of Wood- momentum,

hnted first broke the good news to Mr partner in the family, bank, and, trance, she announced to this hull, Cladin and Company enthusiastically nominated by Colonel Blood, had brought Tilton (wro knew it already) be looked eligible. Ho was. Ho

the Equal Right astounded gentleman: "Your was established with Victoria

Party, suit against him, for assault and, and then broke the story to the felt for Victoria like a ton Publielly poured from her battery». destiny is to be linked with and Tennessee or sole opera¬

The case was thrown world. She made it quite clear gold bricks. tors. -mine in marriage.”

When word got around weekly journal, and publie-

out of court, but was taken up that it wasn't the affair that that these pretty lady brokers tigre men

by the Press, who blazoned shocked her, but only the sanc

the female thonious hypocrisy of the A Civil War veturan, he was were-backed by the great Van-to sponsoring her at political headlines about

Presidential candidate who kept principal players. already linked in marriage, and derbilt, business boomed. When meetings.

the wa

father of two word got around that

her ex-husband and her, lovči with her under the same root.

Mr Tilton then sued the Rev. Haferent childpen. But like Victoria, he and shares weren't all they sold, wowth believer in the occult, business boomed faster.

Her Presidential aspirations Beecher for allenation of affee- Juzzmen are sincere and free thinking, socialism, and painstaking artists No Jazzmadynuced soclus theory, 50

as gated, and threatened son John wrecked, Victoria was roused to tion, and Beecher, lying through American lady, had her investle

his teeth, called upon God worth his salt has ever played cheerfully abandoned the

his witness and was acquitted. with Immediate disinheritance if. worse because his wallet was and became Victoria's lover.

Victorio, who had at one timo be married his gaolbird Jazebel.. well lined or his stomach full.

counted bath the Rev. Beecher

six solid It took Vloloria her Run out of town after town?

and Mr Titon among

year to whitewash Her scarle}, for blackmail, suspected ow

lovers, was led off to gadi,

background and wear down the cider Martins. But sho did, and at 45 she married her -beaming - banker -- and moved with slätely respectability into his town house in Hyde Park Gate.

Yes, ibat Golden Ball is going

to roll even faster!

VIGNETTES OF LIFE

THE EASTER BONNET

he

101

With a hodgepodge platform of enlightened radical ideas, and hysterical tunney of the weirdest sort, Victoria haran- After a single year. "on the reet Wall Street, that is gued away and attracted crack- the sisters had cleared

pois from all directions. A million dollars cool profit, and With equal fervour, she hada tidy annual income, of endorsed world govemment, 50,000 dollars.

occult healing, votes for women,

Happy Easter

HOW DO

I LOOK ?

QUIT!

"DIDN'T YOU.

FIND ANY EGGS, DEAR T

"NONE OF THEM. MATCH MY SHOCKING PINK

PETTICOAT AND SASH

WE'LL HELP

YOU WITH

·YOUR CALORIES,

COPE. 1937 BY CINÉRAL FEATURES COMP, TM-WORLD RIGHTS RESERVED,

Tigh action against her de nuuncers.

Slir lashed about in a fury the double standard against of morality, and hypocrifleat

BY HARRY WEINERT

I'M NOT GOING TO BED WHILE THOSE RABBITS

ARÉ RUNNING

AROUND

LOOSE!"

"MY GOSH/ YOU MIGHT“

THINK THEY WERE WOLVES

OR

SOMETHING!

TIME TO RETIRE AND THE LIVESTOCK

HAS DISAPPEARED.

"ILL SWAP

YOU A

LOOKIN' EGG

FOR AN EATIN' EGO

When large patches of white- wash began to flake of Victoria WEB 扣 for

uneasy moments. But she pushed .on with her usual commendable: gudacity, and actually success", fully sued the British Museum.

committed for having.

the Unpardonable libel, of keeping. on their Shelves "scurrilous pamphlets" about her former life and good umes.

Marriage with Martins. Bank was extremely happy.

When Mr Martin died in 1897, Vic- Lorin was truly grief-stricken, but her spirits revived when she Inherited his estate and 800,000 dollars. · She retired Worco- stershire and proceeded to fling the 800,000 dollars around :› with heavy abandon unii sho,: too, died in 1927 at the age, of 90.

And Tennessee? Sull'ogging" after big sister, she had Invaded Britain too and found an acorn-landed English oak to. shake. Taking one startled. hoppy look at the widowed -merchant,-Sir Franels Cook,-und his 2,000,000 dollars, she turned respectable, married him, and never looked back.

HEAVENSI MY CORSAGE

CRIME SHELF

By PHILIP OAKES

make

✔ TROUBLE IN WEST TWO) By Kovin, Flingoraid. :• ́Heine=" minn, 128, ed. "Brillantly uns predictabis "counter-espionago : thriller which should James Bond look to his Tourels, Sinister agents-working behind a facade of drinking clubs' and '

4. super brothels routed by laconie pair of clubland heroes. |Highly recommended.

ITŠ A PROBLEM, ALL

● DUNNY LAKE 18′′MISSING. By Evelyn Piper. Booker and i Warburg,» 12a, 64, 3. Nallybraying Suspenso, story about a frighten- ind young mother' unable to con- vince anyone that. her · thrées year-old daughter, miming from school,?, over: netually. existed. |Bhool of red, herrings, AZUREKI

somes hectic over-writing, but peal cliffhanger for all that,

***(London. Expreti: Kersted) S