... by ANTHONY COOKMAN THE planning of a sure-fire killing is said to be an imaginative exercise so common that we are mad to feel safe even in the jolly company of our best friends. I find this bit of mass-psychologizing extremely hard to take. Yet I am quite ready to believe that if these potential dangers to society exist in number they are mostly men who live nice, tidy, methodical lives. That ...

... by GERALD LASCELLES MODERN jazz comes this week from The Jazz Messengers, a five piece group who specialize in 'hard bop.' The leader is drummer Art Blakey, who fronts an alto sax/trumpet line of harsh tone and outspoken ideas. Theirs is the uncompromising attitude to the progress of jazz, never adopted by the greatest. If I hark back to the horn-blowing of Louis Armstrong with monotonous ...

... THE CINEMA by ELSPETH GRANT MR. GARY COOPER has been around quite a time-- on earth since 1901, in movies since 1926 --and, though we were naturally always delighted to see him, we were perhaps beginning to regard him as just good old, lanky, laconic Reliable: as, in fact, nothing more than good old Trouper Cooper. Well, 10 North Frederick certainly rocked me out of that, somewhat ...

... by ELSPETH GRANT THE VICTORIAN English gentleman abroad was pretty sure of himself. He knew that the English ruled the earth, he was quite unaware that they gave rise to much covert hilarity and mirth, and he could rest assured that if the natives proved hostile Her Majesty's Government would send a gun boat. Kenneth More in the title role of The t iff Of Fractured Jaw has just the right [' ...

... by SIRIOL HUGH-JONES AS THE LITERARY YEAR chugs towards its close, and the people who know about such things begin to tot up totals of words and titles and Ten Best Books, so my prejudices become more clearly defined. I find I am developing a profound reluctance to read books set in the bleak future, when civiliza tion as we know it has come to an appalling end and men with antennae growing ...

... by ELSPETH GRANT ACCORDING TO one of those fascinating snippets of information put about by the publicity chaps, four clangorous alarm clocks regularly and ruthlessly rouse Mr. John Paddy Carstairs from his slumbers at the unchristian hour of 5.30 a.m. How ghastly for him, I think, to be called upon so early to face a long day empty of every thing but the bleak prospect of having to direct yet ...

... Cocteau Turns Globe-Trotter The French Dramatist's Circumnavigation; Bows and Arrows; Hungarian Saga; Knowledge of Far Places Translated into Fiction; Three Worth-while Thrillers I HAVE long suspected that M. Jean Cocteau was the Mike Todd of the French intelligentsia and here is MY JOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD (Peter Owen. 18s.) to confirm it. By that I mean to imply no disrespect to that great ...

... Missing Links Darwin's Autobiography in Full When Charles Darwin's Autobiography, which was written primarily for his own children, was first published in 1887, five years after Darwin's death, many passages and references to personalities were omitted, for family reasons. Now Nora Barlow, Darwin's grand daughter, has made an accurate transcription from the original text with the missing links ...

... Beauty and Enthusiasm The Autobiography of Lady Diana Cooper A History of Men's Fashions Deerstalking Commandos in War An Indian Mutiny Diary A Variety of New Fiction WHEN one of the most beautiful Englishwomen of the century writes the first volume of her auto biography-- for we hope that it will be succeeded by others-- and when, in addition to her appearance she has wit, spirit and a talent ...

... THE DAME'S THE SAME Although she is one of pantomime's essentials, the dear soul can be a burden by J. C. TREWIN I DON'T like Dames. Please do not misunderstand me. I am not talking about our prized Dame Edith, Dame Sybil, Dame Peggy-- though naturally one must snatch every chance to do so-- but about the figures figures that bob up in the holiday theatre They are pantomime's Women of the Hour ...

... BOOKS REVIEWED BY ANGELA MILNE THERE is no doubt that The Voice at the Back Door, by Elizabeth Spencer (Gollancz 15s), about as American as a novel can get. But this doesn't in the least mean that we British won't or can't enjoy the book. In fact, as I worked through the close texture of this subtly-treated tragedy of Southern small-town politics, it was often in my mind how oddly willing, not ...

... FILMS ARE FINISHED-- UNLESS Meanwhile the film industry turns to the Far East for inspiration unless the cinema industry stops pitying itself, pulls itself together and works with, instead of against, progress by C. A. THE New Year has not opened auspiciously for the film industry; particularly the British film industry. Hard after the announce ment that attendances at cinemas in this country ...