£2OOO FOR LIBEL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23011, 12 April 1938, Page 11

£2OOO FOR LIBEL

CHILD ACTRESS TO RECEIVE ARTICLE IN A MAGAZINE LONDON, April 7 Shirley Temple, the child film actress, will receive £2OOO under a settlement of a libel action announced in the Law Courts. Sir Patrick Hastings, K.C., said that two film companies had produced Shirley Temple in the film "Wee Willie Winkie," based on Rudyard Kipling's story. "After this," lie continued, "a magazine, Night and Day, now no longer in existence published an article written bv Graham Greene, which, in my view, was one of the most horrible imaginable. about a child aged nine. Obviously I shall not read it." Counsel added that the four defendants were the magazine company, Greene, the printers and the publishers. Jt was only right to say that the printers and the publishers were reputable firms, and were only innocently responsible. Ihe defendants had paid the film concerns £IOOO and £SOO respectively, which would be devoted to charity. Shirley Temple would receive £2ooo* The Chief Justice, Lord Hewart, asked if the author was within the jurisdiction of the Court. Counsel replieil that lie had no information as to his whereabouts. Lord Hewart: "This libel is a gross outrage. 1 shall see that attention is directed to it." It was mentioned that the fact that the film had been licensed for universal production refuted any of the charges contained in the article.