1959-02-21 — Page 13

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY

*1959,

want to LIVE!

She screamed

Nerve broken, Barbara Graham (Susan Hayward)

shrieks, 'I Want to Live."

Coward

signs for

Guinness

NOEL COWARD and Sir Ralph Richardson will

be joining Alec Guinness in Sir Carol Reed's production of Graham Greene's "Our Man in Havana." Catching Mr Coward for a screen comeback-apart from a guest appearance in "Around the World in 80 Days,” it is his first film in nine years is the show business coup of the year for Carol Reed,

The other night Sir Carol let the public In on the simple secret of how he managed to sign Coward where so many other producers have been soured by refusals.

Said he: "I just rang him up, three weeks ago, and asked him if he would like to do the role in the Alm. He said if he liked the script he would love to. And that, to my amazement, was that."

CROSSWORD

13

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18

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(4, 6)

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Across

London

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14. Orkney LONDO

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16 Mimio 13).

But there was more to it

AT

T half-past eleven on the morning of June 3, 1955, they took beautiful Barbara Graham from the death cell of St Quentin Prison, California. She staggered the fow faltering steps that led to the gas chamber-and there she was put to death.

Society did not lose much. Barbara Graham, in spite of her beauty and u certain culture, was a vicious lot.

As a teenager she was utterly emorni. Early on thô became a heinous prostitute, and worked In every dirty angle of the game, She would lure men on, diavo them akarged; sho worked the dope game, she perjured herself a thousand tienes over,

Sho was first sent to prison when she failed to beat a rap When sho came out, she married handsome Ilenry, Graham, bartender and depo addict..

To hún shu boro a baby, Then aho left him to rejoin two *former ocnipanions, both gambles, absolutely worthless characters.

She and her two friends were picked up on a murder charge. A third companion turned State evidence.

The case against Barbara Graham was that she struck a blow with a revolver, which Caused the death of an elderly widow, Mabel Monahan,

It took the hury five and n'half hours to arrive at a verdict of "Guilty as Charged." It took the State of California two years lo get Barbara Graham wirapped to a chair in the gas chamber of St Quentin Prison.

Now, it is all over. It is revocable. But somehow the State of California in particular, and the whole of the US.A. In general, has a bad · conscience about li, Why?

Apart from the San Francisco Police, the man who did the mest to send Barbara to death, and then did the most to save her, was Edward Montgomery, Ed Montgomery is the fiction writer's ideal newspaper- man,

During World War II, Ed Joined the Marines, and having finished the little bit of troublo -on his side of the War, he joined the San Francisco Chronicle, and then the San Francisco Examiner, where he is today,

Ed Montgomery is fearitss. He is a journalist with a sense of vocation. Ho docs hot care what pull anyone has with govern- ment anyone else. When Ed found corruption in high places, he exposed it. They gave him a well deserved Pulitzer Prize for it in 1951.

Edward S. Montgomery work- ed on the Barbara Graham

case, and when he found the weeple sisters playing senti

JOHN

LUFF

made. The chamber is hygi:nl- cally clean. It aeons synewhat like an aquatitum with a rustic cottage shaped roof. Thero in glass all around so that the privileged newsmen and oficials can better see the victim die.

Away behind a cover with remote control to the death house, two chemists work with a sefintific application.

It is their duty to see that upon the given meñent, pellets of death-dealing vapour explodo in the chamber. It is all as bright and spotless as a well- run dairy.

It is the 1055.

morning of June 3,

• Barbara Graham knows" she is to die at 10 am, but an hour before that 11mc, Governor Knight orders à delay in execu- lion,

her

So having made what was presumably

last 'date' Barbara Graham steels herself to drag out her living hours on

hope.

At 10.05 a.m. five minutes later kan Barbara's original ap- pointment with death, Governör Knight of California telephones te Warden H.O. Teets of San Quentin Prison, telling him to proceed with the execution be- cause the State Supreme Court and Federal court had refused to intervene.

It is now Warden Teets" un- pleasant duty to inform Barbara that the new execution hour la 16.45 năm.

So the procession forms up, and Barbara is led to the chamber of death where the morbid and tilt sympathetic ogle around the glass exterior the better to witness her death struggles.

At 10:32 a new petition for habeas corpus ia died with the State Supreme Court,

ment, he, tore Barbara to shreds." A 10.46 am, another Førder As probably the greatest crime for delay of execution is sent reporter in the world, he led to San Quentin -the-way-and-exposed Barbara So-Barbara Graham, just

Graham for what she was.

about to step into the gas chum- ber is ordered back. As she is Lalten Weeping and hysterical to her cell, she shricks the shrick that has echoed around the world:-" WANT TO LIVE!” A 11.12 am. the State Supreme Cours denied the newest petition. Warden Teets What was the evidence? The tells Barara that the revisett Prosecutioni stated

that

the timetable in the ghastly Itinerary killing blow with the revolver between death cell and gas but was made by a right-handed. chamber will be 11.30 am.

Graham wal

Then ho Jound himself dissatisfied with the Jury's Verdier. Immediately he turned about, and led the newspack the other way. But nothing Montgomery could do would save Barbara Graham from the gas chamber.

person. Barbaru

than that. The Coword role is a plum piece of comedy: a sort of mad dog of an English-eft handed,

nan who goes out in the Sceret

The second point is even more

Service and nearly gets serious, and loves a nasty taste

Scorched

to star Vivien Leigh.

A

I

suppose at even such moment, an attractive woman likes to look her best, so Bar- bara Graham dil the best she in everyone's mouth.

could. Unfortunately, she is to Barbara's alibi was that she wear a kind of lengthened at the scene of the stethoscope so her dress is some- murder. Her wilnesses: ono

what disarranged. worthless husband: a six-montti. A kindly wärdress loans okt baby son

Was not

As a congenital Har, Barbara fell easily into a trap the police prepared

Barbara a' sleeping mask so that when dying in the gas chareber, she does not have to meet the vyes of the men crowding round to witness her misery.

And there ly no doubt that Noel Coward is now nostalgic lor Britain-and a big role to bring him back to the British public. He is at the moment busy With plans for his first West End piny in three years, "Look After Lulu." It is a comedy While in prison, she was in

formed that a friend of a friend Barbara Graham was four --- Nor-wits he mise the sunshine for her angerworld exculong minutes late" for the the Tast which he says lie heus to was prepared to sell her su slibi: "dave, she made on earth. Eno smile. Polities and heroes such She bought it in every gense was strapped to the chair and *ka Eerot Flynti, permitting, the of the word. The policeman stood er 14gs were strigued kole transport Carol Reed film will start with up in court and produced, his what in case she lashed out as

locations in hot Havana

10 evidence co

tape-recorder ho she fought to escape the April, He will be, back in had smuggled into gaol while poisonous fumes. London for the late summer he pretended to be selling her presentation of "Look After an alibi. Lulu,” All in all, that will mark 1050

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[SOLUTION

35 the year that Noel Coward returned to the London becne,

"I have been keen to make a film with him ever since," says Sir Curol, "Now I think I have a part that is right for

As the guard captain inves her in the gas chamber," he whispers "When you hear the pellets drop, count ten and take a deep breath. It's casler that way."

Barbora asks; "How would you know?"

the

In fairness to the San "Our Man in Havana" Biso Francisco Pollo, it is necessary marks ៧ Nusion for Ralph to say that they knew what they Richardson with Carol Reed, were up against. But what

11.42 am. and the doctors are the director who gave him his would an English Judge have to antifled she la dead. She was 32 biggest im hit with "The say of such procedure?

years of age. The question now Fallen Idol."

The inevitable delaya took arises, why have I told you all ploc. A repowned American this with such detail, and psychologist was called in. Ho answer is because every scrap at saw sermons if ink-blots, books this story and more Is in the in ragged patterns. He dealured United Artist film, "I Want to Barbara utterly amoral-but a. Live." person constitutionally unable to Susan Hayward portraya 11:0 kill.

murderess with a performance Two years dragged by. It is rarely equalled in flims. The the night of June 2, 1956, and script

based upon Ed. Barbara is making her peace Montgomery's reporting. with God. She has written My dirst reaction WOS letter to Edward Montgomery campalga es dar as I could

against the showing of

bim."

CHESS

by LEONARD BARDEN

The player who attacks from-thanking him for all he has done

in trying to save her life.

San Quentin, Calif. June 2 1964

Dear Mr Montgomery,

There in't much I can sUSA, with words, they always falt me when most needed, but pleans KNOW that with all my heart I have appreciated. everything you have done for me. /

the word go may sometimes and his plans como unstuck, but he will also obtain such victories as in the following Ruslan game: 1 P-K4. P QB4 2 KKBJ, P-Q3; 3 P-Q4. PXP: 4 KtXP, K KB3; 5 Kt QB9, P QRI: 5 B-K2, PK4; 7 K-Kt3, B- K2: B-X3, QKt-Q2; 0 P- KKA, P-R3; 10 P-KR4, P QK4: 11 P-R4. P-KU; 12 KQ6, KtxK; 13 QxKt, R QK1; 14 B-QB4, 0-0: 15 F-KW,PXP: 16 PXP, Kt- Kt: 17 BXK, QXB; 18 P "Ktô, B÷K3; 19 QxB), Resigns.

Solution No. 6607: 1 Bzr ·|| knows

Sincerely

Barbara Graham

morbid horror.

bo

such

My feelings' now are that you should see it. But by you, I responable audience of such years that you can help. frame or at least, influenco legislation.

The sim was made by Walter Wanger, a responsible, highly cultured man,

I have it on his quthority that the film is makia, with two doctors in mind. The frut:

She Catholio. A priest Terribly though it is in subject, enters her cell Sho wishes to it is nevertheless, a raro medium, make her consiensions.“ KTobe for a vivid portrayal of·cturuster

what she will move

fthreat 3.QR8), RxB; Barbare herself, the priest, ondan the second: while citteers un We hold laws that depsand capital

83, or 1. HÉMOINE KURA God

Ba the loba KLÁRNE Carloss effects: followes the at-dawnN. EMERITA changes of pins, per

· Landen Exorose. Herukas“,

Barbara Graham strapped in the chair waits for

the cyanide pellets to explode

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