The Inimitable Ustinov

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30916, 24 November 1965, Page 17

The Inimitable Ustinov

[London Correspondent ] LONDON, November 18. The actor and playwright, Peter Ustinov, recently addressed a meeting of the Institute of Directors in the Royal Albert Hall. Its members are not film or stage directors, but the business variety—dark-suited and whiteshirted to a man—yet Ustinov still rolled them in the aisles.

The assembled company of 5000 businessmen also heard speeches from Lord Shawcross and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Callaghan, but it was Mr Ustinov’s performance that won the laurels at the conference. He was dressed like a director himself, except for an enterprising blue, green and black horizontal-striped tie. He quipped and told anecdotes, sang (in Russian) a popular Russian song, made fun of the English language.

' American politics, the Ger--1 mans and General de Gaulle. There was a glorious version of how the dismissal of , Khrushchev may have taken • place (Kosygin: “You always i wanted to play golf. . . .”) Among the gems of Ustinov ■ epigrams: i “Those who reach the top I of the tree do not have the . qualifications to detain them ■ at the bottom.” i “For a long time N.A.T.O. ! might be called ‘Six nations , in search of an enemy.’”

"In order to arrive at the truth the Germans add, the French subtract, and the English change the subject” “The Soviet Union is the only corporation in the world larger than General Motors.” On de Gaulle's opposition to American economic and cultural influence: “It might well be argued that France under his influence is becoming a French colony.”

Applause as well as laughter came for: “The Americans believe that freedom was their own invention they have been known to send a peace corps to Athens to teach the Greeks the meaning of democracy.” Mr Ustinov is a large, genial figure and appeared a brilliant stage comedian as he stood before the company directors, occasionally running his hand through his hair as he produced another piece of wit for inspection or rejection.

But his purpose was to persuade the assembled businessmen to spend more money on the arts. He made his plea in the last few moments by quoting from American newspapers on how tycoons and industrialists were investing on works of art.

“Let me remind you of the words of a Californain banker,” he said. “‘A thing of beauty is a profit for ever.’ ”