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Mike Todd And Writer Killed In Crash

(Rec. 7 p.m.) GRANT (New Mexico), March 22.

The millionaire showman, Mike Todd, was aboard a private plane wrecked today in a crash near Grant, Western New Mexico.

Unconfirmed reports said that three of the four persons aboard the plane were dead. Later, a spokesman for the Todd organisation in New York confirmed that Todd had been killed. Aviation officials who went to the scene immediately after the crash reported that the outer portions of the wings and a small portion of the tail were all that was left. They saw no sign of life. The plane, carrying Todd’s narty from Burbank, California, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, caught fire after crashing. Travelling with Todd, who was the husband of the film star, Elizabeth Taylor, were the pilot, a co-pilot, and Art Cohn, one of Hollywood’s leading film writers. Miss Taylor was to have accompanied Todd but she stayed home in Hollywood at the last minute i because of a cold. The pilot reported to Grant j Airport shortly before the crash he was encountering ice at 11,000 ft. and received permission to . change altitude to 13,000 ft. [ Nothing more was heard from the plane but eyewitnesses at i the airport said that there was a i flash of light near the horizon . a short time afterwards. ; No reports have come direct ’. from the scene of the wreck, roughly 35 miles south-west of

Grant, a uranium town west of Alburquerque. Art Cohn wrote “The Joker is Wild.” a biography of the comedian, Joe E. Lew'is. Cohn, who was born in New York in April, 1909, was formerly a journalist and war correspondent. Films he worked on included ‘•Stromboli,” “The Set-up," “To-morrow is Another Day,” “Red Skies of Montana." “Glory Alley,” and “Carbine Williams.”

This week, Todd achieved one of his greatest successes with the Broadway premiere of “South Pacific," shown in Todd-AO. a panoramic process developed by him and the American’ Optical Company. He was due in New

York tomorrow to attend a testimonial dinner at the Waldorf Astoria given for him by the Friars Club.

Todd had visited Alburquerque, 78 miles east of Grant on Wednesday for the opening there of his film, “Round the World in 80 Days.” In Hollywood, Miss Taylor collapsed on hearing of her husband’s death and had to be given sedatives.

Michael Todd, Jnr M son of Todd’s first marriage, also collapsed only a few hours before going to New Jersey airport where he awaited his father’s arrival. Miss Taylor is reported to have a 102 deg. fever. The plane in which Todd crashed was named for her The Lucky Liz. Friends said that Todd and his wife had a pact “Whither thou goest, I goest too.’’ But Todd decided his wife should not go with him this time because of her cold.

Todd, who was 50. claimed to have lost track of the millions of dollars he made, and lost. He was best known as a film producer for his motion picture version of Jules Verne’s ‘‘Around the World in 80 Days.’’ Todd married Miss Taylor in February last year in Mexico City. Miss Taylor, at 24. has been twice married. Her last husband was the British actors Michael Wilding. Todd also had been married twice before.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19580324.2.138

Bibliographic details

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28543, 24 March 1958, Page 11

Word Count
549

Mike Todd And Writer Killed In Crash Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28543, 24 March 1958, Page 11

Mike Todd And Writer Killed In Crash Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28543, 24 March 1958, Page 11