Tears and Regrets

Winston Churchill, one of the world's most eloquent and most talked-about men, had another anecdote told about him. Sipping a glass of brandy one day aboard his private railroad car, he observed that he had drunk a "really formidable amount of brandy in my life . . . enough to fill a car as big as this--probably two or three this size." When this claim was challenged, he put one of his economists to work on the problem, learned from the statistics that he had consumed only about a fourth of a carful of brandy. Said the Prime Minister: "For a man of my years, it is a bit disappointing."

Joan Fontaine, wistful, heartwarming, Oscar-winning Hollywood tragedienne, gave notice that she was through with "tearjerker" roles (Rebecca, The Constant Nymph), would turn gay, beginning with her new picture, The Affairs of Susan. Said she: "I was the Sad Sack of the screen. . . . From now on . . . no more tears."

Rudolf Hess, hairy; fervent disciple of Adolf Hitler, onetime No. 3 Nazi, who became the United Kingdom's No. 1 prisoner of war when he parachuted into England in 1941, was reported to be in a high state of "nervous and mental" deterioration, cutting up so much it required the strength of 30 guards to subdue him.

Merle Oberon, 33, almond-eyed, Tasmanian-born cinemactress, announced that she planned to divorce Sir Alexander Korda, 51, slim, Hungarian-born British cinema producer, because they had failed "to work out separate lives and careers." Lady Korda, who became a star in her husband's best movie, The Private Life of Henry VIII, said that during five years of marriage they had seen each other infrequently, added: "I feel . . . so awful. . . Alex and I have been friends for such a long time. I hope everything will be all right with us as friends." Sir Alexander arrived in Manhattan from England, said nothing.

Memories and Awards

Sonja Henie, whose skates are lyric, was named Least Cooperative Actress of the Year by the Hollywood Women's Press Club. Runners-up: Veronica Lake, Betty Grable, Lana Turner. Men's champion: Walter Pidgeon. Said he: "It's just like being nominated for the Academy award."

Mary Ellin Berlin, 17, brunette, bright-eyed daughter of Songwriter Irving Berlin, made her formal debut at the Allied Flag Ball and Debutante Cotillion in Manhattan's Waldorf-Astoria (with 97 other young socialites whose parents had contributed $1,000,000 worth of bonds), brought back memories of the days when her novelist mother, Ellin Mackay Berlin, was Manhattan's brightest debutante.

General Joseph W. ("Vinegar Joe") Stilwell, commandless since his removal from the China-Burma-India Theater (TIME, Nov. 13), heard with pleasure that his name was still active there. In a campaign he had planned, his son, Colonel Joseph W. Stilwell Jr., infantryman, West Pointer ('33), received the Legion of Merit for "meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services" in the Hukawng and Mogaung Valleys. In command of a Mars Task Force unit spearheading the advance on Mandalay was his son-in-law, Colonel Ernest F. Easterbrook, infantryman, West Pointer ('31).

General Dwight D. Eisenhower's autograph, put up for auction at Paris' Folies-Bergere, fetched 63,000 francs ($1,260) from a French civilian. The money was then donated to bombed-out residents of Normandy.

Eleanor Roosevelt was named best-dressed woman journalist of 1944 by Fashion Art Design, Inc., of Manhattan, which claimed she was dressing "even more simply and tastefully than usual." Best dressed winners in other fields:

Helen Gahagan, handsome, actress-wife of Major Melvyn Douglas (peacetime movie actor) and newly elected U.S. Congresswoman: politics.

Jacquelin Cochran, blonde, active No. 1 U.S. aviatrix, chief of the now defunct WASPs (Women's Airforce Service Pilots), cosmetic chain manager, director of Northeast Airlines, wife of Tycoon Floyd Odium: business.

Ellen Drew, beauteous, pale-faced Hollywoodienne: cinemactress.

In-Laws and Outlaws

Faye Emerson Roosevelt, cinemactress bride and third wife of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt's son, Elliott, visited her new in-laws at the White House.

Erskine Caldwell, blunt, unbridled Southern novelist (Tobacco Road, God's Little Acre), had his latest book, Tragic Ground, banned from the shelves of Boston's bookstores--the fourth novel (others: The History of Rome Hanks, Strange Fruit, Forever Amber), to be outlawed during 1944 by Boston's cod-brained censors.

Caresse Crosby, svelte, mop-haired, onetime publisher of the recondite Black Sun Press in prewar Paris, hostess extraordinary at her Bowling Green, Va. home, Hampton Manor (designed by Thomas Jefferson), sponsor of Surrealist Salvador Dali, planned to open an exhibition of surrealist paintings in Washington by her latest "discovery": Sam Rosenberg, Office of Strategic Services photographer, who calls his work "organized doodling," takes much of his symbolism from his early life in a grocery store (his pictures are full of strings, ice tongs, meat hooks, boxes).

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