Reporter’s Diary

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33773, 20 February 1975, Page 3

Reporter’s Diary

Bette Davis MISS Bette Davis, who is to appear at the Town Hall on March 4, is being publicised as the screen’s “all-time favourite lady” and the “most widely admired woman in films.” One who had cause to give her fan club a miss was the late Errol Flynn. In his autobiography, “My Wicked Wicked Ways,” he recalls how they fell out over the filming of “The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex,” in which they shared the title roles. One scene called for Queen Elizabeth to slap the young Lord Essex, for an uncourtly remark. Bette Davis hauled off and gave Errol Flynn such a belt in the face, with a fistful of costume jewellery that he saw a whole galaxy of stars. That was in the rehearsal. He had to warn her that he would retaliate in kind if it happened the next time round, and Miss Davis wisely pulled her punch. Arts festival BOOKINGS for the Christchurch Arts Festival took an upturn yesterday when a Papanui High School master arrived to buy tickets worth $1022 for 200 pupils. Mr Lyndsay Jacobs, head of the school’s liberal studies department, wants all students in the sixth and seventh forms to see at least three things during the festival, and the cost is being subsidised by the school at SI a head. The most popular events with the students are the Shaw play, “Man and Superman,” the Merely Players’ review, “Christopher Robin Goes Off With Alice,” the Cilla Black

show, and the symphony orchestra. Cilla Black’s performance is now booked out, but attempts are being made to arrange a second show. Hot lines WHEN the education reporter of “The Press" rang Burnside High School yesterday afternoon he could not get through because they were having a fire drill. Later the school tried to ring him, but without success — “The Press” staff were all out on the pavement for their practice fire evacuation. JVo hitches ONE of the hazards formerly faced by motorists picking up hitch-hikers was the possibility of being sued by the hitchhiker for a sum in excess of an insurance cover in the event of an accident. Now, according to the Accident Compensation Commission in Christchurch, this possiblity no longer exists. The earnings

related compensation takes care of any payout, and the cover also extends to non-New Zealand hitchers. M.4.5.H. hospital THE American Army hospital which inspired the novel, movie and television series “M-A-S-H” will close down as an active operational unit next month. The 43rd Surgical Hospital at Uijongbu, north of Seoul, South Korea, was the one on which Richard Hooker based his novel about the antics of wartime doctors and nurses. The mobile hospital arrived there in the days of the Korean War in the early 19505. Cruising STATISTICS, like the drunk’s lamp post, can be used more for support than illumination, and some peculiar answers do come forward — such as that provided in the report to the Christchurch City Council on the work load of traffic officers in Christchurch. The last month for which figures are available was December, and the report to the council read: “Traffic control was carried out during the month of December with a total of 4842 J hours and 47,837 miles covered during the course of patrols.” Literally interpreted this means that traffic officers travel at an average speed of less than 10 miles an hour. Student forum NEW students at the University of Canterbury will be helped to fit into their new environment during Orientation Week (actually nine days of dances, films, and get-togethers) beginning on Friday, February 28. For forum day, March 6, they have attracted as speakers the doughty porn fighter Miss Patricia Bartlett, and the controversial Auckland cancer specialist, Dr Milan Brych.