1958-08-02 — Page 6

Page

THE CHINA MALL, SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 1958.

Men of speed The challenge

Fangio, Moss, Hawthorn, Collins... these men are legends in their own time for the thousands who jam the car-race circuits. But what are they really like, thoso hunched figures in hurtling machines? This series presents candid assossmonts of them as mon and drivers, Its first subject: the arrogant marquis ....... THE streets of the city were noisy at the best

of times. But this day it was bedlam in Milan. Despite the heat, the shabily-dressed man, with the air of a grandee, slammed the windows of his hotel bedroom.

Still the sound of excited Italian voices seeped - into the room as the crowds made their way to see the cars that were to tear their way round Italy in the Incredible Mille Miglia race.

But now with the windows Dend and the last page of a chut the noise was bearpble, The diary lying lonely in an hotel Marquis de. Partagu sut down ruum, to set those people who and started to write a letter. It brood en such things wondering was to a lovely girl.

but the accuracy of premont "Your frequent wishes that I tion. might drop dead might be With in hours of Partago reallard

than you didng there was an excitement think.

seen before or slice.

had

to accept

-by-

BEHIND THE GRIME AND THE GLORY.

proud

Portago

corner.

At bil parties he would fling but Portago rearlied home again, He had driven ton fast into fireworks and squirt-the guests no wealthier. with a water pistol,

#

•

shadow of Grand Prix racing fell aerom their faces.

That was the Portag-reck- Linda By this time the marquis, just

Christian hated it, No cho was surprised when

brutal, and in his middle twenties, was both less, charmng.

griny, despised it, and was calous. the marriage broke up Partago left for Europe to lead a scandal end, in an odd way, and growing Introsurative-that Fertago was obsessed. Unlike Fongis, Hawthorn, Moss and the to the circles in Linda Christian mol. a cavaller life.

an example

others, he could not look at D Blale and dissipated, bo which he moved.

Miserable and lonely after he racing circuit with dispassion, suddenly found a new thrti). 11 was bedraggled and dirty,

with a unemotional techni 題 Ineats stimulation, more He was charmingly, arrogantly

clan's eye. dangerous, moře deflant than brutal to all the preity waneh horse racing and the Cresta je met, He would demand a Run lad ever been.

great deal from them and give One hot day he went to see hotbing in return. a motor racing Grand Prix, Tho vlatence of speed, the sliding

care with their tryres squealing, brave. Hi the colour, the

а

He was also extraordinarily

дя reputation pageantry, and caring driver and on the peril the smell of hot oil on the our bobsleigh slogus was high. summer nir Tho

ROBERT GLENTON

At the same time, a mutur- car was racing to New York to cotch a Transatlontie, aircraft. His wife

Portago had deserted.

That motor racing hes nevar. In it was the chic, neatly He senled the envelope and picked up his diary. "Today is An expensive chartered air- lullored American wife whom u wonderful day," he wrote, craft was leaving a sun-browned

And at the airport at Milan "Tomrraw i don't want to be Spanish airfield. dead."

He passenger-in heavy un- an aircraft had just landed, In the waiting-room actress But tomorrow he would be relieved mourning her white face

Linda Christian was weeping, dead, Tomorrow he would die as blankly inexpressivo as the

regardless of the circle of sun- under the dusty olive trees of an discipline of marriage to the

burned facen that watched Italian roadside. And round ng noblest of noble Spanish blood shattered Ferrari would be could make her-was the mother

she had just been told that Bye of the Marquis de Portago, that the bodies of

man who swore to und their pensant extravagant, arrogant, charming, Portago the

Krimy Hudson of King Alfonso. marry her, was dead,

scattered children parents.

PARADE

her

brooding

In London a contributor with pound notes with gangster-like the initials "C.K.W.S." was carelessness. writing an obituary for The Times. He wrote "....The Mar- de Portago Was the quis bravest man I have ever met,"

The exception

Sombre....

*

divorce trem Tyrone Power, she had enught on aircraft nying Itely to France one hot

from

day in the summer of 1054. Across the aisle the marquis Gri silent arid somewhat petulant. I was his friend, an American. who eyed the lovely Linda.

But the next day when the Portogu lelephone rang i was

whe wanted to speak to her. He

* The tension

He smelled in the din, the lension, and the excitement the some reek of death that per- vedes the bull rings of his native country.

rsked Linda Christian to have Death was a challenge and he dinner, Already alarmed the bad to meet it.

effeat on her career of the

Often he laughed and knew raging gossip linking her name with that of nefor Edmund he would win. Often the face of Purdom, shr refused. So Portage the grandce became so sombre rang the next day. This time with unhealthy fascination, that he got a very firm refusal.

he seemed to have a death wisi. Passionately he begged Linda She said: "I have Just been never to bo far from him when accused of husband stealing he raced. She tried in retum and you are a niarried man. I to make him tum NF back for don't want to see you,"

ever on his car.

Portago told her he was ex- Portago wun. stout-pecting to he divorced. Then he reeing and Linda Christian, now. hung up. The next day he runs filled with premonition herself, "gain. Linda Christion surren- togged along. dered. She eald the one sen- tener that was to lead her in tears to a little brown plastered Itallan church.

He went

So they went to South AL Cuba, Portago America. flamboyantly, vividly led the held. But his car blow up.

imminence of disaster-all theso made the most exciting kaleido- scope he had over seun..

When mest young men

Once he turned up in 20 Take up car racing they stait humbly, in vehicles degrees of frost at St Moritz at derporately old, or the height if the nauson, un

wearing just small and outdated. But shaven and not the marquis. Ito grubby woollen sweater over his bought one of the best bare skin. Dressed exactly the cars that laly can make. same, less than a month before, In Rome, excited politicians His mother had to support he had been driving a Ferrari in the Argentinian Grand Prix. were already gathering at the him Gnancially. Friends say she Senate to demand that the Millo gave him an allowance of £1,000 in furnace of a sun. Miglu should never be racest a month, I have seen him pull

No one could deny the out an enormous roll of five- prah.

ness of his heart.

But to those who know the well, already the climate of his courage seemed to be changing

Now he was not nobleman who found a thrillin wus Bot There have been plenty of an exciting sport. It

and success which wealthy men who have tried to laughter

to dangor itself. become racing drivers. Every attracted him. It was a curious

skill has been addiction thing short of

physical, frightening challenge bought for them.

Portage was one of these. But drew him as certainly a

attractive woman. he was a rare exceptian.

We once slood together on the did not lack the skill, Steeple- chasing and the leo-bright risks edge of the Silverstone circuit. Partago's nolls were black and of St Moritz had given him a delicacy of touch, a quickness of ever-long. His hair was eye and a lean strength that in need of cuillag

She went Bock buying and served him well with his car.

Soon he was looked upon as a Stirling Moss and Mike Haw- did not stop even when she might have been posing for a sworn to love-eover girl Dorian driver who had far more than thorn, who in white overalls found, that another girl he had excllemcils and hazards all of his fair share of daring.

detergant advertisement, and Parker Ligh was living in excited the crowds, and other Fangie, of the well-scrubled Parts, only a mile or so away. renowned drivers raised their eyebrows.

A COLUMN OF THE UNUSUAL ABOUT PEOPLE AND PLACES AND THINGS

Steden

SILAGGY LION STORY: four years for winning ride a bicycle instead of driving Cattle

breeders

Gir advertising slogan competitions, a car. near Forest In Sourashtra State, They included a £600 cash where lions are proleted, prize. Her latest prize is a rrently Rijker 23 HORS -- week's holiday and £275-worth

of goods and clothing.

legitimately.

Pesterod by Insects during heavy rain, the lions strolled out

·

Alfonso de Portago was born Ir. London, He was educated bere. in France, In Spain, and in America. He inherited his title from his royalist father in 1942, Wealth, a feudal faith in the superiority of coste, and un- thinking gallantry were also his inheritance.

110

Ho

A

21

for

Dazzled

дв

Afterwards Fanglo looked at him and said quiefly, "I am a careful old

and the She agreed to meet Portago troubles these young men have

luncheon and dinner...

never happen to me."

And all the time the gain and again. Linda Chris

war dazzled. She found Mille Miglia was getting closer. im gay and vivid. She over- looked the fact that he had only badly one suit and two shirts.

Beside the Bomboyantly neat

At the age of 21 he became a small name in the home-racing nworld when he rode a 100-1 horse called Garde Tol in the Grand National. He was horse. man hoth occasions he fell badly, but he went on racing and eventually came third in the

air, -ho-to-board-meeting | Cheltenham Gold Cup,

Spaniard could have been mis- Forlago for his part Then suddenly he gave it all up. It was cruel to the race thunderously, or ruefully, taken for an underpaid mechanic

from a third-roto gerguga. homes, he said. Bat he went on some grass verge.

Except for the arrogance la his face.

Anishod Portago either

the

SVJE Bro W23

on seeking danger. Boon he ls record of success had a Ano record on the small, but Crests Bun.

tremendous.

I'll

One day

the

Madness

1937

It was a unique race with.

its own.

From Broscia in the North, it flashed its path across Italy down to Rome and back again, seemed looping

twice over the

unusually moved. The man who spennines in a giant ilgure-of-

was rumourci never to have given a girl a present bought Linda a silver compact. And at

eight course.

The big cars... the class In St Moritz when he was 38 and which Portago was to drive she 32 he asked her to marry covered the thousand miles of him.

Italian public roads at rucing circuit speeds,

He had had an exciting day. He turned to Linda und

wald, "All my life I've got what I wanted and you are not going to spoli my record now."

DOUBLE ROLE: Bing Crosby, become a father this due to summer, will become a grand- father in January,

He was known on every Hls 23-year-old son,

By this time he was married Grand Prix circuit in Europe. Dennis, FATIMAH MAKES IT FOUR, says he and his wife Pat to Carot McDaniel, a lovely

And he became n works of the forcent in search of prey TEEN: Mother of three sets of Sheehan are expecting a baby model from New York: She

We stood in the sun and he and pounced on and killed eattle twins und Ave other

driver that realest of all children, then,

was also an heiress.

Eare said to me: "I'm not very good in the neighbourhoo

konputs for sardonio hind two rubber

they 40-year-old

Although tapper

Ferrari, the Hallan motor-car ow, but I know that one day Breeders could not shoot the

children, the marriage was Fatimah Binte Tipuk, of Johore.

be the world champlon, Twelve-year-old disaster. liona

Tycoon. becausu

SISSIES: they were

Portago must have

Some men

and get married, So they drove the to boy triplets.

South Malaya, has given birth

Australion film star Colin Peter been an agony of a husband in

In between times Portago pur- Bom

old. But always Prow protected

sen, from Brisbane, doesn't think that antiseptic, careful new sued women. And treasure. they temporise with danger. les away before they could cat

much of English boys. "English world heross the Atlantic. With pretty Patsy their prey and sprayed rat poison

Morgan can't. If I once gave way to BEVERLY entile.

SLEEP'S ON: kids are sissles.

don't They

and Dibben, a girl who had blazed tear I would cut my throat." soon gat bored en the carcasses of the

returned, ate

their Eleven-year-old Beverly Nilsson fight each other or anything like quarrelsome, Doprived by the her own distinctive trall across

in now been six years in a that. They just play erkeket a centuries of duelling as an out the London night club scene, Minutes later I watched an

the year round."

let for his bubbling pride, he he

its way went zeeking warlime avibulance clanging Colin was addressing a press showed instead a

taking a hooligan Germun gold in Crote, Together through the cround conference at Sydney airport streak.

they got trapped down a well, Ught-lipped Portapu to hospital. after returning from London.

The luna

ey-and died.

COR.

She was taken unconscious from a wrecked car in Virginia in 1952 and is now in hospital in Yonkers, New York,

Though growing physically (she is Gft. tall) she remains in à mental black-out.

ART MODERNE:

After set ing the controversial British Tachiste paintings in an Auek- fund art gallery, one ity, (he in keeping his councillor Identity secret) went home, took the 'dirty lids of old paint tins and daubed a canvas. He called the result "London Lights." REMINDER: The wife of a

Then he sneaked into the ex- minister whose church hibition, and hung his "painting." rubbed this week for the second

During the month it was on thine in two months has put this. view there it was criticised by sign on the church safe: "Thou some and highly praised by shalt not steal"

others,

CANADA'S FIRST

*

•

40 YEARS ON THE ROAD: New Zealand's oldest motorist, 08-year-old Aucklander Walter CX- Reid's driving licence has

does not yet was pired-und he

know whether he will renew

"I am not as young as I used

to be. I have not decided whe- ther I will go for yet another test."

BAGS AND RICHES: A After clocking over 250,000 WAL government report discloses that miles without a single offence,

CASUALTY: IC.A.F. rescue some beggars in Maloya are so Mr Reld has garaged his car. He teams headed into dance bush well off that they employ other bagan driving in 1912.

miles north of Frederiction in beggars to do their begging for

New Brunswick where the them.

wreckage of a small plano which

Says the report: "In one case

crashed 19 years ago had just it was discovered that six big-

been discovered.

Kars

The wreckage was identified mendicant."

a small reconnaissance plane

World War Two casualty.

were working for one

in

school EQUAL PAY: A

•

·

WAS IT WORTH IT? A pri- soner escaped from Marshall Square prison cells in Johan nesburg by cutting his way out with an ordinary table knife. He

which crashed on September 14, 1936. It was the RC.A.F's first New Jersey has raised the pay serrated the blade himself and of its ghiut janitor to $8,000 sawed through an inch-square steel bar to allow himself to year the same ៦. . . A small plone pilot spotted the

eight-inch wreckage last weekend. It was newly-appointed school, prin- squeeze through an

opening. almost completely hidden by cipal.

Ten minutes after reaching undergrowth.

Iew miles away, WELFARE STATE: Opposi- his home a on board are to be re-buried in ion member of Parliament John however, he was rearrested by as RCAF cemetery,

that delectives. McAlpine has figured out the only persons to benefit under

The remains of the twʊ men

On return to prison it was

110 had developed a THE SLOGAN-FINDER: A the Labour Government's "shock found 57-year-old farmer's wife, Mrn the nation budget ore single hernia in squeezing through the M. F. Gilbert, of the North New men who have small incomes, small opening between the cell Zealand hamlet of Ruspekapoka, are non-smokers, non-drinkers, bars.

has collected her tenth prize in have six dependent children and

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A typical selection of words might be t

Trico Curry, Rice Trnov Crato Rato Bank filope.

-

•

WOMEN DRIVERB! A Texan wife waiting to incet her hus band at the airport here ran the family car into a parked air- liner,

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good 40 worsie, vera, 0003 77" 64 on Monday,

YESTERDAY'R GÜLSZESÜM "pin" glatten" Beard BITEYPAINT salin stali mad su vanh Xu, ALG

He

FERDINAND

MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN

JAMI, I'M

ASHAMED OF YOU-STEALING, THOSE TOYS-

SCARING THOSE,

LITTLE THINGS

JOHNNY HAZARD

IN A MOMENT THE JET WILL BE RAISED TO THE TAKE-OFF STRIP! BE READY, MY FRIENDS... YOU WILL GET ONLY ONE CHANCE! MAY THE FATES

BE WITH YOU?,

She could not resist him..

If the Spanish marquis and thw seiress were close before, now they were inseparable. But they were not any happler.

The light-bearied courtship soon became a turmoll which frayed the nerves of both. The

By Mik

uk

HOT THINGS MOTHER. TINY PEOPLE! JAME WRAP THEM ALL CAREFULLY IN A

FORCE BUBBLE1

YES. FATHER.

By Lee Falk and Phil Davis

NAKDA, LOTHAR, [NO

YOU'RE HEARING THIS--CAN YOU,

BELIEVE YOUR EARST

--WHAT'LL HAPPEN TO

US NOW!

12-14

NOW THE GUARD APPEQACHES PRINCE KIRI'S TRUCK! AT THIS MOMENT THE JET- CARRYING ELEVATOR STARTS RISING/

By Frank Robbins

Mountain passes, tiny bridges, feree bends, village, stracts-ali made no different.

At each Litto town thm Inhabitants, the doas, ttun chickeny thronged the pave ments and the verges, priding the themselves on crowding track until the last possibļu moment before the blur of the car's shape reached thesu.

(Continued on Page 7)

quick

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SWISSAIR

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for ECONOMY

$ $

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(Bolution on Pago 20)