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The Seaforth News, 1961-06-01, Page 2This Mon Knows All The Answers Poser; You area New Yorker and you want to find out (1) where Marilyn Monroe was last Thursday, (2) whether you can borrow some still pictures from "Safety in Numbers" (1938, and (3) who played opposite Richard Barthelmess in "Just Suppose" (1927), Whom should you call? Answer: John Springer. "John Springer" is a name newspaper readers have been coming upon only recently but o n e which filmophiles have known for years. A. quiet, close cropped, gray-haired enthusiast in his early 40s, Springer not long ago became Marilyn Mon - roe's New York public -relations man and the purveyor of Monroe statements to the press. But he is also the owner of what is probably the world's largest and best private collection of movie stills, besides being the owner of possibly the world's best - stocked mental collection of movie lore. Both of Springer's collections began as hobbies; to- day they bring him a fat income as a renter of stills, author of articles and books, and , adviser to television quiz shows, As a lifelong movie buff, Springer finds his own resent modicum of fa me baffling. "People I've known for years are suddenly referring to the as 'Jack' in their columns," he re- ported recently. "People call me at all hours of the night — it's got so that old friends think I'm all that's standing between them and an exclusive interview with Marilyn. I've been offered a lot of money to write one of those 'inside' stories about her under an assumed name — I could practically name my own figure, but I'm just not about to do that. Marilyn hasn't given an in- terview since The Misfits,' but there's one man who calls me from London on the average of three times a week" Springer began writing re- views of every movie he saw when he was in the third grade in Rochester, N.Y., and he kept right on reviewing through Mar- quette University and onto The Rochester Democrat and Chron- icle, At the same time, he launch- ed a local radio show called "Your Movie Memory." After World War II he moved to New York and worked in public re- lations at RKO and Twentieth Century -Fox. In the Army, Springer had started writing' movie quizzes. "After the war there got to be a find of cult for them. Steve Sondheim, the lyricist, made up a card game like rummy, only instead of kings and aces you had actors. If I had a hand of Henry Fonda, Sylvia Sidney, Fred MacMurray, Miriam Hop- kins, and Joan Crawford, I could meld the first three as 'Trail of the Lonesome Pine.' We includ- ed lots of Fay Bainters and Thomas Mitchells for leeway." Springer was finally asked to do his quizzes for the magazine Films in Reviw. He turned out D0 of them with no research, and thus became an expert's expert. "Stars will call me up and say, "I made a picture with so-and-so —who played my mother?' " From the time back in high school when he put together a 600 -page year book of the Amer- ican screen, Springer has been accumulating stills. "I trade off with other collectors, and every time I go to Europe I pick up tome wonderful things, Gee, I've given away ten times as many u fl've kept, and I have about 50,000. Magazines just borrow them and send me a check, at anywhere from 5 to 150 bucks a picture." Recently in the publicity office of Arthur P. Jacobs Co„ Inc., of which Springer is vice president, 110 OPP NO, HE ISN'T — This man is no relative of Cuban President Fidel Castro, Grady Davis sports the face fuzz and rebel -type uniform at 0 fraternity celebra- tion at Wake Forest College, Winston Salem, N,C. he showed a visits; index to his collection—which is Principally stored in six shoul- der -high filing cabinets — and invited requests, 7 -ie was asked for a Biff McGuire, "Oh yes..— 'The Long Wait''," he said, and produced a still, He was asked for stills of Buster Keaton's "The Navigator"; they turned out to be in use by a magazine in Stockholm, A cpuple of pictures of Greta Garbo in a Swedish movie were produced on request. Some better ones of Miss Garbo on a bicycle, he explained, were over at Silver Screen, Then he began rutntn,agingthrough a large file marked "Personali- ties." Here's Jim Cagney as a wo- man judge ... Cagney as a baby —I'm working with an organiza- tion that's paying me lots of money to get baby pictures of stars for a new TV quiz . , There's William Dieterle, .the 'di- rector, as a young extra , Here's an early double of Mar- lene's," He was asked how he decided which stills to keep. "Some, like Rory Calhoun, I''ll keep just a few for the records," he said. "You've got to be ruthless. I'll feel I want every picture of Pola .Negri, but eventually I'll say, 'Cut it clown, John!'" Fifty thou- sand seems reasonable. From: NEWSWEEK Ancient Citadel Now Restored The Kremlin is ane of the most fascinating corners of Europe.... I had already had a general view of the ' Kremlin from the bridges over to Moskva. It is quite thrilling, between the river and the walls are masses of greenery; then, within a con- glomeration of buildings — vast palaces in cream and pale green, cathedrals with great gilt domes. We must give high marks to the present government. Until Peter moved the capital to St. Peters- burg, the tsars lived in the Krem- lin; thereafter it fell into decay. The restoration has been most skillfully done; comparatively modern excrescences have been removed, and the Kremlin is, much as it was in the days of its glory. It was at once the Acropolis and the Capitol of Moscow; the nearest. English equivalent would be the old Palace of Westminster, plus the Tower. It was intimate - 1y concerned with the main events of Russian history; even after the capital was moved to St, Petersburg, the tsars were still crowned in Moscow. Today the Kremlin is an al- most incredible survival, a red and gold conglomeration of build- ings in the midst of a severely practical city; its belfries and towers, with their roofs of gold, silver or coloured enamel a fore- ground for modern skyscrapers. It is surely the most impressive mediaeval citadel in Europe; fas- cinating at all times, it can be almost exquisite in its beauty. It so happened that I first saw the Kremlin near sunset; its charm was rivalled only by its beauty at dawn — the rising and dying sun alike add their own tints and gradations to its vari- ety of colours... It was Ivan III who built the walls which survive; he reigned for 43 years, and greatly extend- ed the Muscovite power. But his artistic impulses were often guid- ed by his wife, a Greek princess. . And it was she who brought learned men with her from Italy. Among them was the remarkable Ridoldo di Fioravante, nick- named 'Aristotle,' who rivalled Leonardo da Vinci in the range of his accomplishments. He brought with him the secrets which had made the architecture of Venice unique; he and his col- leagues transformed the Kremlin. from wood into stone. —From "Visa to Russia," by Bernard Newman, • Why Not A Pram For Your Bird? There are some people who just like nice things — such as expensive birds.. And there are some who like to parade their nice things out in public. How does an expensive —bird lover parade his expensive birds out in public? He puts them on wheels, And he could find just the thing to do it with at the $25 million U.S. World Trade show which opened recently in New York. Made in the Netherlands and distributed. by Holland -America Carriage Co„ the Bird Pram costs $100 (vs. about $75 for a first-rate baby buggy), It houses up to fifteen parakeets in com- fort, and is ideal for a brisk ride in the park. The bird buggy, says Holland -America's general man- ager Philip Benjamin, is "selling well for the price' Viewer reaction at the Coli- seum was mixed. Comments ranged from a cab -driver's "Now I've seen everything" to 'a dow- ager's: "It simply won't do; my Tweetie always gets carsick." And few wags could resist the bleakest pun of all; "That thing is strictly for the' birds.' QUART -SIZED — This poodle, no taller than a bottle of milk, is competing for first prize at the London International clog show. TABLE TALKS Jaye And:*ews. The French have clever ways with soup, and serve it often. The beginning course of an evening meal is almost always soup. A French pot-au-feuprovides the basis for several good meals. Many kitchens start their weekly routine by making this 'soup. If the dish is prepared for soup only, any cheap cut of beef may be used. However, if a slightly better cat is used, the meat can be served hot or cold, with or without a sauce. POT -Ail -FEU 3 pounds beef (chuck, shoulder, neck, or bottom round, rolled and tied tightly) 6 quarts cold water 2 tablespoons salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 3 leeks (or two cloves garlic) 2 carrots % parsnip 1 turnip bouquet garni (given below) 3 cloves 1 onion Place the meat in a large pot. Add water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over a moderate fire. A white scum will form on the water; Keep skimming this off until it has all disappeared. Slice the leeks lengthwise or put the garlic cloves in whole. If leeks are used, tie them together with string so that they may be easily removed. Add leeks (or garlic) carrots, parsnip, turnip, bouquet garni, and the onion stuck with the cloves. Let this simmer for at least four hours. Pour the broth through a strain- er and skim off as much fat as possible before serving, To serve: Place several rounds of day-old or"toastedbread In the bottom of the soup tureen or individual soup plates, Pour the bouillon over the bread. If bot- tom round has been used, place on a platter, surround with the vegetables and serve with gravy made of 2 cups of the bouillon thickened with cornstarch or flour. The rest of the bouillon should be kept in a cool place for future use. • A largevariety of soups can be made with the broth of the pot-au-feu,including an onion soup. FRENCH ONION SOUP 2 tablespoons butter 2 large onions 4 cups stock Rounds of dried bread Freshly grated Gruyere (or Cheddar) cheese Salt and freshly ground black pepper Slice onions as thin as possible. Fry gently in melted butter un- til yellow. Add stock and sim- mer 20 minutes, Season with salt and pepper. Pour over bread w h i ch has been generously. sprinkled with cheese and brown Under, hot flame (optional). You can vary this soup by using milk instead of the stock and omit- ting the cheese. A quick and delicious soup can be •made by combining equal amounts of V-8 juice and the pot-au-feu broth. Bouquet Garni 3 or 4 sprigs of parsley, sprig of thyme, and small bay leaf. The thyme should be surrounded by the parsley so that the little leaves 'will not float into the sauce, Tie the herbs together with string so that they may be removed before the dish which they' are flavoring is served. 3a teaspoon of powdered thyme and 1 teaspoon parsley flakes may be substituted, but in this, case the, sauce must be carefully strained. before serving, • • • Here are three recipes, all of them using sour cream. I find that sour cream cookery adds to meals "something different" which appeals to those who con- sider themselves gourmets. Ev- eryone knows what a delicious flavor a'dab of sour cream gives fo a plain baked potato, end sour cream adds a piquant touch to.. an • old reliable, cabbage slaw, writes Margaret E, Keatts in the Christian Science Monitor. I include 'here a veal dish which is Austrian in origin' - veal takes kindly to sour 'cream. As cakes baked with sour cream or milk stay fresh longer than others, I've included a chocolate cake recipe, and, finally, a cu- cumber recipe which is rather different. VEAL, PAPRIKA 114 lbs. boneless veal s/a cup flour 1 teaspooa salt Dash pepper le cup chopped onion 1 teaspoon paprika lh cup fat 2 medium tomatoes 744 cup hot water 1/z cup sour cream Cut veal in 1- inch cubes, Dredge with flour mixed with salt and pepper. Saute onion, veal cubes, and paprika in fat until meat is well browned, stir- ring frequently. Cut tomatoes into small pieces, add hot water, and rub through sieve. Add to meat, . cover, and simmer 134 hours or until veal is tender. Add sour cream and simmer 15 minutes longer. More paprika may be added to taste. Yield: 4 servings. * SOUR CREAM CHOC. CAKE 3 beaten egg yolks 1 cup thick sour cream 11/a cups sugar 2 1 -ounce square unsweetened chocolate 1/ cup hot water 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 13/ cups cake flour 34 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon soda 3 stiff -beaten egg whites Beat egg yolks with cream; gradually add sugar and beat until thick. Melt chocolate in hot water over low heat; cool; add to first mixture with va- nilla, Add sifted dry ingredi- ents; fold in egg whites. Bake in waxed -paper -lined 9"x13" pan in moderate oven (350' F). 45 to 50 minutes, • CUCUMBERS IN SOUR CREAM 2 large cucumbers — peeled and • very thinly sliced 131 teaspoons salt 1 cup commercial sour cream 2 tablespoons lemon juice — fresh, frozen or canned 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion, or 1 traspoos' instant' minced onion, it Calla' is riSe4 soak It in 2 teaspoons water tor five minutes before using. 2 tablespoons chopped: dill pickle ler teaspoon spgar. Dash pepper 3 radishes, thinly sliced 1% teaspoons finely chopped parsley Lightly toss cucumbers with ; teaspoon salt; refrigerate until }yell chilled, Meanwhile combine '• sour cream, lemon juice, % tea- spoon salt, onion, dill pickle, sugar, pepper, and radishes,, De- serve % cup , soar -cream micse tare' for garniS)1, ,Toss cucum- bers with remaining sour -cream mixture; refrigerate. To serve Arrange well -chilled encumber1' in sour cream on a bed of let- tuce; garnish with reserved sour. cream mixture; sprinkle with chopped parsley. Makes 4 to servings.. LUCKY WRONG NUMBER In Providence, Rhode Island, a man dialled a wrong number — and probably saved another man's life. "Please help nie, I'm dying," said the voice, The caller informed the police and a man, suffering from a heart attack, was taken to hospital. An. ingenious housewife we know has had a slot made in the top of the television screen so she can leave notes for family and be reassured they will see them, SENTENCED FOR SPYING --British diplomat George BI a k e, 38, pleaded guilty in London May 3 to spying for Russia since he emerged from Communist North Korean captivity eight years ago. Blake was serving as vice consul in Korea when invading North Koreans interned him in July, 1950. He was sentenced to 42 years in prison — the sternest such sentence ever im- posed in British peacetime his- tory. ISSUE 21 — 1901 USELESS; SLAUGHTER STILL GOES o. N C a� • 1 Exceeding speed limit 2 On wrong side of road 3 Drove off roadway 4 Did not hove right-of-way 5, Reckless driving 6 Failed to signal and improper signaling 7 Passing on wrong side 8 Cutting in 9 Passing on curve or hill 10 Car ran away --no driver Miscellaneous TOTAL 10,970 5,170 5,050 3,890 3,800 490 460 90 90 390 30,400 Persons Injured 1,001,000 174,200 .215,800 585,000 351,000 80,600 31,200 78,000 2,600 2,600 78,000 2,600,00.0 DEADLY RECKONING — More deadly and much more futile than any. war, slaughter on the U.S. highways last year alone killed or Injured more than 3,116,000 men, women and children. Injuries in 1960 were 7 per cent above 1959; deaths Increased by 1 per cent, Total deaths were 38,000, injuries, 3,071,000, Table above lists the major tat -7i STreZ 7s— 4:1 causes of this •toll en the, part of drivers,. Added to the figures in table should be those involving pedentrians, bicyclists, tains, etc. 7,600 killed, 478,000 Injured, None of these tragedies was necessary. Almost all of them occurred because of negligence, sarelatsness and Indifference,