ANTHONY WILDING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23619, 1 April 1940, Page 13

ANTHONY WILDING

FEIEND OF ACTBESS MARRIAGE RUMOUR LORD CASTLEROSSE'S COMMENT [FROM OUK OWN COTIRKSI'ONDUNT] LONDON, March 12 The friendship of Anthony Wilding, the famous New Zealand tennis player, with the late Maxine Elliott, the actress, is recalled by Lord Castlerosse in the Sunday Express. "When Wilding was world champion," says Lord Castlerosse, "he was always to be found at Hartsbonrne Manor. The rumour was that he and Maxine Elliott were going to be married, and Melville E. Stone, head of the Associated' Press of America, telegraphed her with a view to discovering the truth of these rumours. Maxine's reply .was terse and to the point: "I have honourable intentions toward 110 man," she said. "And yet I know she loved Tony Wilding and ever regretted she had never married him, for that she told me, as she no doubt told many another. Wilding, who was a New Zealander, was as line a physical specimen as could be found. It may be doubted if he had any great genius lor lawn tennis, such as, say, the Dohertys had, but he had tho gift of intense application and kept himself more physically fit than any man I know. He had but little money, but used to travel-all over Europe from tournament to tournament on a motorbicycle. .1 saw him one day in Paris i at the beginning of the last war. Within •JS hours 1. learned of his death. "Wilding once shyly said to me that ! the British system of under-statement was confusing to him, and he commented on that subject thus; 'Women frequently me, "I hear you are wonderful at lawn tennis," and when I reply that .1 am the worlds i champion ,L am considered insufferably conceited. So now I just look down ; my nose and say, 'Oh, I play epiite a lot,' just as if I were ashamed of my i wins at Wimbledon."