1961-03-25 — Page 74

POLEROUTER

N

LGOURLAY

London Express Barcica,

IN A PERIOD OF Why your best watch should be a Universal

HIGH FASHION,

A WOMAN

I

TO LOOK UP...

The scalp hunter JUST HAD

at the top of Balmain's stairs

PARIS.

SHE was enjoying a rare moment of sloth in a large red arm- chair, and she was saying: "When people ask me what I do,

I tell them that I run the joint. That's all."

The "Joint" is the House of Balmain, one of the largest and most celebrated hives of haute couture in Paris.

As

The talker was Mme. Ginette Spanler, who is as practical, as industrious, as enchanting, formidablu Indy e any I've met in a taxing career of meet ing ladies who are practical. In- dustrious, etc.

Running the joint (her official tiile is directrice, but she dis- likes is pomposity) Includes everything except actually mo- delling the clothes and designing them, though I suppose she could do a little of each it necessary.

She säld: "All the creative work, the

designing, is dotr

by Pierre Balmain himself.

"Every Jine. every fuld s

Inspired by him. I have nothing

ut all to do with the creative

side, I'm just A bastuess

woman, the saleswoman,"

to see that he is not bothered by the petty annoying detulis." When she first joined Balmain as directrice in 1847 she was of- 'fered a largo office with her own

BALMAIN INSPIRES EVERY FOLO

She is also, when necessary, protective moat filled with se-

the diplomat to the prickly cus tomers, the virago Among the quarrelling vendenses, the mu- ther of the temperamental man- nequins, and the protectress of the harassed Balmain. "I have

eretaries and assistants.

But she said: "How

con 1 see what's going on if I am ride

len away in an office?"

She has a small desk placed at the top of the gilded salon

JACOBY on BRIDGE

WHEN your opponents get to

4

clum voluntarity, you

stairs-right In the middle of the overheated, strident battle- ground.

Wom

And there the waits, a com- pact, dark, good-looking

man, ready to meet the on- slaught with an armoury of shrewd charm,

She was born more than 40 but decisively less than 50 years ago, of an English father and a French mother, doomed

At the outset to a life of offu¬

ent. bourgeois ense.

"But," she said, "the famliy lost their money.

"It was the best thing that could have happened for me. I was allowed to do what I'd al- ways wanted to do work.

"We were Hving in England at the time and I got a job in the basement of Fortnum and Mason's.

Expensive

"I was sheer heaven for me, Selling things, expensive things, to rich people, important peu- plc.

"Marlene always stays here, of course. When Vivlen--Vivien Leigh, of course was staying here she used to have long con- versations in the night with our ent."

I

Mine. Spanier's husband, suspect, enjoys the heady scent of fame which pervades the Bat. But he has insisted that the large, inevitable collection of autographed pictures is display- ed only in the bathroom.

When he took me to sec it he sald, looking at the covered walls: "Soon we'll have to put the plctures on the ceiling. Then I can lie in the bath and look up at fame."

He added: "By the way, when you are writing remember that

ARMSTRONG FRIEND, NOT CLIENT

I am not called M. Spanler. I

am Doctor Seidmann."

But he said it coud humour- udly, resignedly. He is a philoso-. phical Frenchiman. He knows what he is competing against.

I WAS introduced in a Pari-

"I remember I was allowed to serve the Prince of Wales when sian restaurant to a slim,

he was Christmas shopping with dark-haired young

man

Was

his own list written in amudgy conventionally dressed ex- pencil on the back of an en- velope. I couldn't have been cept that his shirt more thrilled if I had been given the Victoria Cross'

Mme. Spanier still dezives an Inordinate comewhat naive pleasure from contacts with her celebrated customers, who range downwards-or upwardstrom minor royalties to movie stars.

And

open at the neck to reveal a small string of pearls below his Adam's apple.

The lady who introduced us looked at him admiring- ly and said: "Pearls-reni she admits she is a pearls give a man a virile, celebrity brave, dashing look, don't

you think?"

hunter,

"scalp chaser,"

Her greatest delight is to be able to claim one of her renown ed customers os "my friend-

the MOST un- generally for al lead, East doesn't have much of a don't expect to beat them bad- ly, or

course, thre are oc heart overcall, but he has good in back of North's casions when even the best of clubs partnerships go haywire, but opening club bid.

After

reaches six year in and year out winning

South players like to reserve

spades, East has no idea if he

100," can set the contract, but he has

that pretty good idea

his best chance to set it is to get a club lead from his pariner. also knows that in this rase th double will clearly call for a cluis opening.

double

of a voluntarily slam as a lead directing bid.

WEST

AD2 V 25A RA

+$52

4805

NORTH (D)

D

AQJ103

УЛК ◆ K3

KJ074

EAST ATB

❤QJ 1098

+ 10 04

AQ 20

AKIC

ROUTH

6 #AQJBT 432

the bid

North and South vulnerable

North Kosl Bouzil

14

1

14:

Wart 1

1 A Pass Poss IN.T. Pars Pass GA Pais Pass... Doublo Pana.........Pags Fais

Opening lead-

What lead should it call for? The most popular convention is one first muggested by Theodore A. Lightner, one of our all-time great players. It not only calls. for

umauni fond, but

The reason is that

Ho

And usually she can.

There are one or two excop-"

Lions, however, like the

Euro-

Exit

one play

pean ex-king and queen who HE other night that obviously thought they were honouring the House of Baimain

play "Brouhaha," first London with horo

by running up bits and said staged in

West's when challenged: "But a queen Peter Sellers, opened normal lead would be a heart must be beautifully dressed."

and closed at the interval, the sult East bld. Then how Mme. Sponter said: **The does East know that the dous workers must be fed." and sent

It was announced that the

his voice.

ble won't produce a diamond the bailiffs to the royal suite in star, Jacques Fabbri had lost lead from West? Beause, if the Ritz Hotel. East wanted a diamond lead he

hud a chance to double North's Frustrations

acc-showing bid of Ave din- monds.

But there's a rumour here that the company throw in the sponge rather than face an in- evitable guillotining by the Usually the friendships start critics. namong the hem-tearing frustra- As far as I know, the London

♥+CARD Sendations of the ntting-room. erllies, including my colleague

But they extend hoyond Bernard Levin, have never theatrical history clothes, to names like Maurice throughout Q-The bidding has been: North Kast

Coward (ot succeeded in instilling such o South West Chevallier, Noel Pats

course), and Louis Armstrong, degree of awe. who as far as I know has never You; South, hold: 4A987.5 KGB ARI$43been dressed by Balmain,

I TRANSLATE the latest Mme. Spanier lives with her husband, a successful Parisian Pouling utterance from the actress Brigitte doctor, in a spacious, oval-room- lips of

What do you do?

Bil three clubs. You have such fins apado support that you

can afford to suggest slam pmal-ed apartment near the Arc. do Bardot: "When General de

balilies in spite of only 1à high card polats,

TODAY'S QUESTION • Your partner rebids to three spades. What do you do now?

Aniwar Un Monday

Triomphe.

It has become a rendezvous, Gaulle says he is Trouce,

a guest house for any visiting he is right. But he forgets celebrity who is willing to save me. I, ani, another part of Hotel bills.

France, A different part."

"Whenever Noel is coming to

Paris hê calls up and its 11 Quel difference!

| his gulis la pandy,

(London Frpreta.Service).

Proof No 1: Universal has its own research and devel- opment laboratories which have invented such mecha- nisms as the Microtor, hailed as the greatest advance in self-winding movements in 30 years.

Proof No 2: Watches taken at random from production are user-tested on a large scale by men in all walks of life. Universal watches are tested in the Arctic, testod in the Tropics, pressure-tested under water.

Proof No 3: Universal-Genève has its own staff of Paris-" trained designers whose watch creations are.so good. looking they never go out of style.

OFFICIAL WATCH OF SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES SYSTEM. WORLDWIDE SALES AND SERVICE

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are the most

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Le Kee Wirch Ca. 446 Shanghal 56. ||

Mohan's Ltd, 14 Hiskove Rosd, Kal Tak Airpore Branch, MACAU

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Sole Agentur, ED, A.KELLER & CO. LTD.