1959-06-20 — Page 11

Page: 14

THE CHINA MAIL," "SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 1959.

THE ROBERT PITMAN BOOK PAGE

After he's gone-who'll

Yachts? Caviar? Not wear Sinatra's crown?

for me, says Mr Maugham

CAP FERRAT.

HERE, on the English-speaking edge of

France, where Sir Winston Churchill is king, where Frenchmen walk down Beaulieu's Avenue Edith Cavell or take 'a, snack at Nice's Scotch Tea Shop, I have been investigating some startling stories about the greatest story-teller in the English-speaking world.

I refer, of course, to Mr William Somerset Maugham.

It was hardly Riviera weather when I flew in to see Mr Maugham. Below my plane Nice's blue bay had been stirred to a sickly yellow.

Above Mr Maugham's great white villa storm clouds crept up to steep' tawny hills like smoke.

T feared that my meeting of ever giving it. You see, 1 with Maugham might be quite have not set eyes on Pfeiffer for as stormy. For I had been read- 10 years, In all my life I sup- ing SOMEREST MAUGHAM-A pose I have been in his company CANDID FORTRAIT, by Karl G. for 10 daya," Pfeiffer (published recently -Gollancz, 188.).

'AT HIS KNEE

Pielfer lo

American professor of literature. Tho dust-jacket tells us ho "has known Somerset Maugham for

15 years.

Pfeifter Hilmselt comments: "Few men have known bim longer."

Maugham shook his head: "I doubt whether I could even recognise him in the street it I anw him now,"

an

of

A tendency

to suppress blographies:

I

modern willers are not interest. A life of ing in themselves. myself is bound to be dull, don't want to be associated with duliness,

as the liverted ser- any "Such

HE LAUGHS

He reveals that Maugham vants," said Mr Searle: ente said: "After my death Dr Pfeiffer will wrlie the authoritative work on Mour- hun." Pictffer goes on: "From that day, whenever I wanted enlightenment I sat at the Master's knee, pad and pencil in hand, and asked questions,"

Mr Searle fetched a copy

American edition of thie. "That is why I have directed executors 10 discourage book with Pfeiffer's pleture on my

That's why the Jacket. Maugham gazed any blography. perplexedly at Pfeiffer's domed I have asked people to burn head. He said: "A very vulgar my letters too. They have no MOEL OF particular interest. book-full of inaccuracies.”

them are simply notes-and in have case half of them been written by Alan here."

Outside, the sun grow low

terraced beyond the

orange The talk wurned from trees.

told Maugham

his Pfeiffer... favourite anecdote about the Duchess of Windsor. "Once we were playing bridge. When she as my laid down her hand partner she said, 'I'm afraid I have nothing for you here. sald, 'Oh, but you have a couple of kings. Without a pause she Maugham laughed again. "To replied, What's the use of judge from Pfeiffer you would kings? They always abdicate."- think I lived on caviar. · The

He talked about the Russians, trouble is that the man is a

new printing o irst-generation American born "They ure

German immigrants. He edition of my works in 'Moscow. enough they probably had no idea of Euro- And amazingly that pean life when he Arst met me. have sent me a cheque of £250 Something quite new," He ate it, dazzled, and thought Perhaps I had spaghetti served. for it. it was caviar,"

What do Professor Pfeiffer's years of research disclose? Some of his answern are remarkable.

The professor says that Maug- hom, a self-avowed agnostic, In fact yearning to belleve in God

and "is ripe for conversion Roman Catholicism,"

to

THE EVIL EYE

The professor

Bays Maugham, despite his praise of asceticism, surrounded himself with luxury when he moved into present villa ("lucried

hla

⚫ servants, a yacht...." specifles

Pfeiffer).

Maugham's creased fawn face creased further with laughter. He waved a tired hand as a servant in white linen jacket moved across the hall outside. "Would you call that livery?" naked Maugham...,..

"Then there was the caviar," sald Mr. Searle.

MYSTERY?

ད་ཡ

"I cringed when I read that," The professer accuses Moug- sald Mr Searle, and the han of being less kindly towards chapter about your yacht," his family than he might be.

Maugham threw up his hands.

BANNED

I had not asked Maugham about Pfeiffer's criticisms of his attitude as a family man. But the tenderness in his supposedly cynical eyes answer..

gave

mc my

Even more proudly, though casual air, he talked

Finally the professor says "Yes, Pleiffer writes about my that, in on attempt to appear yacht. You would think I were with n

Then the

a man of mystery, Maugham like Onassis, But I've never and about the visits of his friend, Str hap tried to suppress all a yacht. An American friend Winston Churchill. Maugham blographies. After of mine once bought an old con- Homing Pfeiffer as his blogra- verted trawler for himself.

Home of Pfeiffer recurred,

pher Maugham, says Pfeffer, gave him an auxiliary motor for understand the book. The man "did an about-face....He wrote it. That is all.

me that he must refuse to help me."

"Then the vulgarity. Pfeiffer calls my

daughter by her What is the truth about such Christian name, Eliza, through- out the book as if they were intimate friends."

assertions?

Maugham's secretary,

Alun Searle, met me at my hotel. Maugham's chauffeur drove us _to_the_big_green-shuttered villa.

Maugliam said: "I cannot once wanted to print a selection from my works and call it The Wit and Wisdom of Somerset Maugham. I couldn't allow it, of coursej How pretentious it would sound."

And Maugham's religion? I remembered the chapter Well, Preliter was utterly wrong the book where Ffeiffer and there, of course, Seafle told Maugham

me: "1 om a Christian mytelt, Maugham's daughter "and"une I would enormously welcome

are

met by

On the wall oulside was of ber fllm star friends painted the pronged symbol ("the swashbuckling hero of any sign of bellet from him. But

I have never once had a hint of

which is also embossed on many a stirring screen eple"). R." all Mutagham's books—a Moorish Pielfer: woltes; "As soon as symbol designed to avert, the they were out of carshot Evil Eye.

Maugham said irritably, I've fold Ellia' I don't care what people she knows. provided I

don't have to meet them

REVIVER

Undeterred.I entered. In the hall we passed a gleaming Matisso erayas ("One

On the sofa in his villa of Maugham said: "Ellza told me

THE SYMBOL

*I Look up my copy of Pleiner's book, I had learned Its value as biography.

Outside the scent of oraDIZO blossom hovered in the evening Matisse's own favourites," said she cannot even remember who sir. I passed the Moorish symbol Mr Searle). Opposita loomed Pfeiffer was."

painted on the wall, And, as Wa glant blue Picasso, woman

("Painted In 1904," said Me I asked about his attitude to I did so, somehow I felt pielfer's Scario, "One of the pictures Maugham blographies. Docs he volume witch sadly in my Picasso is trying to buy back as seek to be a man of mystery? Maugham said: "The lives of

an investment for his wife."").

We went on, past a Monet, a Renoir, a Bonnard. Then I came to Maugham himself. But it was not the cool, reticent Maugham portrayed by Pieffer. Warmly he took my hand. Tucking One flannelled, log under litra ho nat. bcaldo. me, oti the great sofa,

A quick

band.

-fLondon: Express Service).......

look round

An ESSAY IN AUTO- nairadiye) (mbro, short story BIOGRAPHY. Boris Pasternak, then novel), fold, with dignity *Bearlo fetched us whisky and | Collins and Harvill Prosa 15a and pathos, of two children lost ico: "Maugham rattled his long The author of Dr Zhivago ("my in the Autroilan doweit, and jest giana, Hegoaldi - HLA ay may most important work, the only to antety by on Aboriginal bor. advanced ake one feels lower at one at (which". E pm, not had heart by pix o'clock. This Ashamed') whole, this meetch of RHYME OR REASON

revives me in early years as an und y Boon" kabojas my. Had Masugbu, gone back on which were never prabila ndarjen

Bia wurd over the Preimer

"blography Maughori Bammide' FOR

* THE CHILDREN. JAMOS "1could not go back on sury. Vaaton Marshall, Michael Jossunt.

martin

JACKYS DIAR

BY

JACKY MENDELSOHN

AGE 34%

by ROBIN DOUGLAS-HOME FRANK SINATRA unchallengeably wears the diamond-studded crown of King Songbird at the moment. But the jackpot question is-Who is the Crown Prince who will succeed him?

His successor will not come from the mush- room crop of gyrating foghorns whose flash-in-the- pan success has been as much due to the length of their sideburns and the flexibility of their ab- domens as to their vocal ability.

Who Is capable of matching the universal appeal of Sinatra? CROSBY is too square,

PAT BOONE Is ton. aterco- Курсі COMO lacks a strong vocal personally in spite of his longuld, tranquillising charm. NAT COLE is too smooth. MEL TORME is too cool, BELA- FONTE is too esoteria.

That leaves two other candi- dates worthy of consideration SAMMY DAVIS and JOHNNY MATHIS,

Johnny had been singing for. only three weeks in an obscure San Francisco night club, on his Aret professional engagment, when he was heard by a record company executive.

RICH, TENDER

From that moment there tos no stopping his rise to the up- per reaches of the musical world to a stint at New York's plush Blue Angel Club and a spot on Ed Sullivan's television show.

His voice is a unique formula of many ingredients: the vibrato of Cole, the charm of Crosby, the relaxedness of Como, the flexibility of Davis, the richnes of Boone, the tenderness and Sinatra himself. scyphisticated phrasing

of

BOUNCING Davis, still only in the middle thirties, has been a professional since the age of four. He is certainly one of the most ex- citing entertainers in the theatrical world, a bouncing, Irrepressible, swinging performer who well deserves his label of "Powerhouse "He pumps feel ing into every song and, like Sinatra, his close friend and

blt "Cinnaman."

Give Johnny Mathis makes the lyrics he zinga mean, something... +...!

mure time and experience, and And what about Mathis, who if anyone's going to jog that huy already lopped the Hit Sinatra crown it's more then on Parade with his record of "each-way bet that it will be he. Certain Smile"?"

Yester Day Daddy took me To a Real Base-Ball game

BASE-B

ALL

SPELD

We sat way up in the Grand Stand Which Means You can see Grand if You Stande

But his shortcomings aro no more serious than were Sinatra's in his early recordings with Tommy Dorsey.

London Express Service).

TOP TEN

SIDES ADDLE (1) (Columbia).

RUSS CONWAY.

2. SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES (8) (Mercury),

THE FLATTERS..:

3

IT. DOESN'T

MATTER

ANY MORE (3) (Coral), BUDDY HOLLY.-

4 MY HAPPINESS

(M.Q.M.).

CONNIE FRANCIS,

(B)

PETITE FLEUR (6) (Pyo-Nix).

CHRIS BARBER.

16 AS I LOVE YOU (4)

(Philips). SHIRLEY BASSEY.

* STAGGER

(H:M.V.). LLOYD PRICE..

8 G101 (9)

(Mercury).

LEE

.(7)

BILLY ECKSTINE.

9A PUB WITH NO DEER

(9) (Columbia). SLIM DUSTY.

10 DONNA (15)

(Philpe), MARTY WILDE.

IN CO-OPERATION WITH NEW HUBICAL EXPRESS

Wow was there lots of People in SIDE » was Lady's Day & so Every seat was filled to capacitye

WHICH MEANS Labies CAN SNEAK in for Free

istA man came out with a Wish-broom 4 started? dusting off Everything Just Like Monty does Except He didn't scold every body for getting the place dirty &

Moves the man was in A So the Pitcher Started in

Hurty to go home cause he began to YELL AT them to Start into PLAY

PLAY BALL

to throw a ball Atan other. Man Who Had A Stick ONLY He wasnt very good as he Didght hit him once.

The Man With the WISH-Broom MUST of BEEN Teal Poor, cause Pretty soon every Body Started into throw him empty for Bottles) for him to cash

ALLSo there's a MAN Whose a Catchers guess he must Bite because they kept a MUZZLE ON Him

4-19.

Finely the Pitcher Hitman Stick So Hard that the ball bounced over the fence it must of been The ONLY 3 They Had, as After THAT EVERY BODY went home,

M

(GRR

ADD VICE FOR CHILDREN. Big League Base BaLT Just Like Little League Rose Bal. Except it's Bigger

Also the Players are Rent oldi

hern Mist of Been

JACK