1939-03-23 — Page 3

Father Disguised His

Thursday:

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

March 23, 1939.

Girl As

Boy And Reported Her Missing

Ruse to Bring Wife

Back-It Succeeded

REUNITED with his wife who had parted from him, 36-year-old Mr. Richard Goddard, a Southwark wireless engineer and father of three children, told recently how he came to hide his nine-year-old daughter Sylvia after cutting her hair and dressing her in boy's clothes.

Earlier in the day a summons accusing him of ill- treating and neglecting the child had been dismissed by the Tower Bridge magistrate, Mr. Bernard Campion.

Goddard, by hiding the girl and then reporting her to the police as missing, hoped the publicity would bring his wife back to him.

Mr. Winifred Willams, of-treatment, but I think that is a Tollington Road. Holloway, in whose most unfair suggestion. boarding house Goddard placed the child, dressed as a boy, said in court worried about my wife, and when I "The police knew I was alrendy The child told me that 'his' name reported Sylvin missing they came to was Cyril Gillett. I understood all the time that the child was a boy.cene. Then they found sume of The child was clean, well kept and the clothes in the fint that I had said So I told them not bit nervous, 1

could get Sylvia was wearing.

the whole story. nothing out of him.' !!

a

LOST WIFE AND JOB Goddard, sitting in his dut in the Borough High Street, said:

"My wife went away early in November and then i lost my Job and was terribly worried.

"The three children-the other two re Ronald, aged 6, and Dorothy, nged 4-were taken care of by the L.C.C., but ny mother was going to inke Sylvis and I got her back.

"Then the idea came to me that if Sylvia was reported missing there would be a a great search for her by the police. The police would ask the Press to publish reports, und my wife, seeing these, would return.

"So I found lodgings for Sylvia in Holloway. To prevent the landlady being suspicious when the fact that a nine-year-old girl was missing was made public, I dressed Sylvia os a boy.

GAVE HER A "SHINGLE"

"I went out and bought the clothes for her its cost me pounds une way and another. First I told her my scheme to help me find her mother, I told her to be careful, and not let anyone And out she was not a boy.

"Although it has been said I cut her hair, I did not cut it very short What I gave her was a shingle.

"I have had a week in prison. Still, it has been worth it, for my wife is back with me now."

Divorce Law Reform Likely

It is understood that the Attorney- general and the Solieltor-general are considering legislation to amend the divorce law in order to remedy a de feet which has been discovered in Mr. A. P. Herbert's Matrimonial Causes Act of 1937.

Before a petition for divorce on the ground of insanity can be presented, the patient concerned must have been for at least five years "under care and treatment" as deined by

the English Lunacy Acts.

No mention is mode in the Act, Scottish Lunacy however, of the

in Scotland Acts, and certiflention therefore does not count.

petitioners for Consequently divorce in England whose partners are in Scottish asylums cannot obtain their freedom.

The law officers, have agreed that "J particularly object 10 the an alteration in the law is necessary, accusation that I'll-treated her. I but it is not possible to say when was told that cutting her hair was a new Bill will be introduced.

Begun by

"The Drum”

Selon Margrave writes:- Success of British Aims in the

began with Th

United States

Drum," starring Sabu..

I saw "The Drum" In London in the

company of a famous American film producer, who said to me, "Maybe it

all right for your local market, but it is not up to our Hollywood stand- ard,

The filmgoing publle of the United States has since proved him hopelessly wrong.

But what put British films in news- paper headliness was the unanimous selection by the New York film crities of "The Citadol" as the best fim made in any studio-American British in 1938.

ol

WARNER'S PLANS "The Mikado," 1 predict, will send American audiences into ecstasies.

Already there is reaction in Holly- wood. Walter Wyndham, cabling

from Hollywood snld lend- American producers are speeding up plans to produce first- rank Aims in London.

Warner Studios in Hollywood ure discussing un early entry into super- alm production In their British Blu- dios at Teddington. First film to be made with an American star would be, "We Are Not Alone," with Ana- tole Litvak as director.

This would be followed by "The Knight and the Lady." with Bette Davis as Qucers Elizabeth and Errol Flynn as Sir Walter Raleigh..

Film Will Have

No Heroine

WOMEN will play only minor

roles in the film which Herbert Wilcox is to make of the life of Lord Kitchener.

There will be no heroine. There was no woman in Kitchener's life and the film will be kept to facts.

Herbert Wilcox is now on his way to lollywood to sign up the star for the title role. It is thought this will be Ronald Colman,

The first

the production part of will be done in the spring at the Denham studios.

The story will be written by Sir Robert Vansittari, the chief diploma- tie adviser to the Government, Robert has already done a great deal of research work,

d

Protective food

There is no effective substitute for Good

Butter. We cannot have too much of it. Particularly it enables young children

to thrive and grow and be full of energy and power to resist discase and cold. Butter is a vital food substance: you

should therefore use only the best.

BUY ‘AUSTRALIAN BUTTER' "BY EVERY TEST THE WORLD'S BEST" Obtainable At All Compradore Stores,

AUSTRALIAN BUTTER

Sls

A LILY-LADEN BRIDE with her gossamer vell blown by the brecze nnd a bunch of lilles in her hand, Miss Noel Murray made a delight- ful picture as she arrived at Savoy Chapel for her recent marriage

to Surgeon Lieut.-Comii: ander Louis

Corbett,

British Players For British Films

London. Gaumont British and Bird Tele- ofcials decided recently, AN effort is to be made by many vision A of the British Film Companies to after the success of the reception in utilise the talents of British actors elnemas of the Boon-Danahar fight and actresses to the maximum ex- television broadenst, to go ahead with tent. Pluns for this proposal have the production of television appara- already been put in hand by Paratus to be installed in 350 cinemas. mount Pictures who announce that At the Baird factory at Sydenham | they have spent several weeks view- over 17,000 square feet of floor space ing tests of young British players are to be added, Mr. Isidore Ostrer, They are convinced that there is a chainman of the Gaumont British wealth of material in this country Picture Corporation is reported to which, properly exploited, would re- have said that a Gaumont British sult

In the establishment of a large cleial in New York is negotiating number of front-rank stars with with well known people to visit this ability. personality and drawing country and appear in future tele- power the equal of any in the vision broadcasts, world. This is good news although for which the B.B.C. are making there has always been a tendency in elaborate plans, and the Cup Final this country to rely too much on are two events likely to be televised stage actors und actresses. After all to chemar

if Hollywood can take a raw product

like, for instance, Sonja Henie, und

The Boat-mce.

FIGHT TELEVISED

make her into a star and an actress, There is no doubt the televisiug It is up to our Film Producers to of the Boon-Danahar fight has mark- fook elsewhere as well as to the stage ed a decided step forward in tele- for new talent.

vision. People ure now asking how Although we praise most French television will affect the cinema and Alms, apparently the French do not the theatre. There seem to be two always praise us to the same extent. schools of thought-those who des- A reporter of the Glasgow Herald pair for the older entertainments, writing on French Views on British and those who recall the same dis- Films from Faris speciacally men- mal prophecies of ruin were made The opti- lons the French views of the Cladel. when the talkies arrived. Their chief criticism of this film, it mists say people who like going into

pointed out is that no mention is the air to watch the sporting made of the time given by speclulista Will always do so, television or no to the peor and needy in the hos- television. However, it is a world of pitals, although they agree that the adjustment, and by experience we

um is the best imported ene they have had for some time.

events

are learning quick adjustment, and no doubt there will be plenty of room for television and any other new ACADEMY'S AWARD

entertainment which comes along. Show has After all other entertainments have Mr. George Bernard been given the annual award of the survived the wireless, so they are Academy of Motion Picture Arts and likely to survive television.

There are

very no

outstanding Selences for the year's best written-

Mr. Lips films this week. "Gunga Din" at the tereen play "Pygmalion." comb, Mr. Lewis and Mr. Dalrymple. Gaumont, is damned with faint who collaborated in the film version. pradac, and is described by one critic have been given separute awards as a cross-eyed marionettish tale of Other awards have been given to Miss the North West Frontier. Bette Davis for her work in "Jezebel" tremendously amusing and exciting and Mr. Spencer Tracy, for his per- if you can belleve it, but many formance in "Boys' Town," for the

best performance by an actor and people won't.

Miss Davis actress respectively,

GANSTER FILM

It is

won this award in 1036 for her act- Gungster films are still with us and ing in the fim "Dangerous" and this week at the Plaza we can set Spencer Tracy won it last year for "persons in 11lding." It is, however, is part in "Captains Courageous." excellent of its kind, based on a book

Hoover, head The outstanding picture of the by J. Edgar your was "You Can't Take It With America's G. men. J. Carol Naish effective, If hardly attractive You." It is the third pleture direcl

of

G. man.

el by Frank Capra to gain this dis- enough, as the gunman, und Lynne

Frank Capra Won Unction.

the Overman has the best part of his award for the year's best achieve career, as a nonchalani ment in directing for his work on There is a superb performance by n this film. The authors of "Boys newcomer, Patricia Morizon, who is

quickly Ti new Dore Schary and Elcaner ikely to be very Town." Griffin, won the award for the best star. She is dark, slim and lovely, original motion picture story, Walt and invesis the siren with a beauti

special award for ful, sinister distinction and all the Disney received

-fascination his "Snow White and the Seven effortless

of the born Dwarfs", while special awards, were destroyer of men, also given to Deanna Durbin and Mickey Rooney as the best juvenile players.

AN INTERESTING PLAN

Jessie Matthews is in good comedy called "Climbing High" at the Empire. A wild tale is kept] be moving, the slapstick should An interesting plon for co-ordinat-popular, and Carol Reed's direction, ing different branches of the British as always, has ingenious touches. Alm-producing Industry has been Horrific films are evidently return- Evolved by Mr. Bryan Wallace, the ing. Boris Karloff has come back at the scenario writer and son of. Edgar in "Son of Frankenstein"

Karloff Wallace. He proposes to call a con- Leicester Square Theatre. ference of the principal Associations is the monster, and Basi! Rathbone is It is another connected with the: Ahn industry. Frankenstein's son."

distortion and The object is to obtain co-operation orgy of murder,

co-ordination between the sadistic horror that ends in the mon- various groups, and to execute any star being pushed into bolling sul- plan on which tho, commitice may phur. One trille remarks that for agree.It is hoped oventually to him the picture lacked charm. widen its scope until it represents hardly think "charm" is the ferm to

describe any horrific picture. the entire production Industry,

and

Llinare, Sup

17

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Dine at the

Parisian Grill

Good Food

Fine Wines

DINNER & DANCE MUSIC by

The Blue Danube Trio

Open till 1 a.m.

Swan Culbertion Frits

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