Walter Hampden, romantic Shakespeare-&-Cyrano stage favorite of the '20s & '30s, decided it was time to retire, at 67. From California, stately, large-gestured Actor Hampden made a little curtain speech damning the modern fashion of "underplaying" a role, darkly warned that "this movement can result only in the hobbling of dramatic art."

Laurence Olivier, currently screening Hamlet, was right in there with Sir Henry Irving: for his services to Britain's stage & screen, he was made a knight* by George VI. He could now play his Hamlet as Sir Laurence Olivier--and Vivien Leigh, if she wished, could play her forthcoming Anna Karenina as Lady Olivier.

John Gielgud, who has played Hamlet 1,000-odd times, decided at 43 that he is now too old to act the role any more. He reasoned: "If you take 43 as Hamlet's own age, that makes his mother 60 at the very least. . . and no woman of 60 in her right mind is going to carry on around Elsinore the way that Gertrude of Denmark does. . . ."

"James Mason," announced the British Information Services, "may soon become famous as a fashion artist. . . ." Basis for this conjecture: Cinema-Hard-Guy Mason had designed some ladies' scarves which were now turning up for sale in stores. Pictured by Actor Mason on the scarves: Noel Coward, the Masons' pet cats, James Mason & wife.

Words & Music

In Buenos Aires, Artur Rubinstein narrowly avoided an unthinkable calamity. When he learned that the piano shipped from the States wouldn't reach him by concert time, he had another favorite, a 1,400-lb. concert grand, rushed by plane from Manhattan, thus escaped playing an instrument he had never used before.

In Los Angeles, Danish-born, barrel-shaped Singer Lauritz Melchior, who made his Metropolitan debut 21 years ago, finally became a U.S. citizen, with Danish wife Maria. "Now," burbled the 57-year-old heroic tenor to the press, "I will really sing."

In Forest Hills, N.Y., Violinist Stephan Hero, having settled his two children in his own folks' home, asked for and got police protection against "possible acts of reprisal." He had flown them from the Beverly Hills (Calif.) home of his father-in-law, Pianist Jose Iturbi, who used to fight him for the children's custody. (Mrs. Hero committed suicide last year.) Pianist Iturbi, in far-off Paris at the moment, had nothing to say to the press. Sighed his manager: "Mr. Iturbi is always haunted by his son-in-law's stories."

Hearts & Flowers

In Hollywood, Audie Murphy, 23, World War II's "most-decorated soldier," made a joint announcement with Actress Wanda Hendrix, in Hollywood's early-bird style. The announcement: they were about to announce their engagement.

In Manhattan, William Clay Ford, 22, youngest son of the late Automaker Edsel, boarded a ship from England to welcome home Fiancee Martha Firestone, 21, daughter of Rubbermaker Harvey Jr.

Eddie Cantor upheld his reputation as the most publicized paterfamilias in show business by posing with wife Ida and a cake on their 33rd anniversary.

Deborah Kerr, who had just finished her first movie (The Hucksters) since M-G-M imported her from Britain for a starring career, announced that she was going to have a baby in December.

FBI Chief J. Edgar Hoover briefly enjoyed a place on the "Best Fathers of the Year" list assembled by the American Mothers Committee, until the committee belatedly learned that he is a bachelor, scratched him off.

The Literary Life

Ernest (A Farewell to Arms) Hemingway got a Bronze Star for his war corresponding in Europe three years ago. Scene of the ceremony: the U.S. Embassy in Havana. Costume of the hero (who had hustled into town from his ranch): sandals, slacks, an outside-the-pants zoot shirt.

Elliott (As He Saw It) Roosevelt presented himself at the French Embassy in Washington, got the Legion of Honor (Chevalier rank) and Croix de Guerre (with palm) for "outstanding services in North Africa in 1943."

A. A. (Winnie-the-Pooh) Milne's 26-year-old son, the original Christopher Robin of the nursery verses, a war veteran, won honors at Cambridge in his English examinations.

Westbrook Pegler, once famed for his post-New Year's columns ("I must not mix champagne, whiskey and gin," repeated 50 times), returned to the scene of his festivities, startled his readers with 68 lines of Lardneresque poesy about a bad night in a fancy bar. Sample:

. . . And, finally, well, every time I am

trying to leave the place

I can't seem to get the floor off my face.

I squint my eyes and I draw a bead on the door. .

But I can't get through with my arms full of the floor.

Fever Chart

An hour after surgery (for hernia) Winston Churchill demanded, and got, a whiskey-&-soda and a cigar. Two days later wife Clementine reported he was "very chirpy. . . . In fact, the great trouble is to keep him . . . from being too chirpy."

In Manhattan, Writer Ben Hecht, Palestine-terrorist-by-remote-control (TIME, June 16), was sitting up after a gall-bladder operation.

In Brussels, Rita Hay worth fainted in a jam of admirers just as she was about to be presented to Belgium's Minister of the Interior. She was revived within a few minutes and got busy signing autographs.

In London, Hollywood's Gloria Jean, ex-cinemoppet-turned-ingenue, fainted onstage as she was singing a lullaby. Responsible, she guessed, was "the unhappy business about my singing the Lord's Prayer." London critics, who considered the song (by Albert Hay Malotte) in bad taste, had vigorously lambasted her that morning. Unfortunate details noted by the Daily Express: she had dedicated the piece to "the people of Britain," and sung it "with the line about 'trespasses' changed to 'forgive us our debts.' "*

* Olivier's Old Vic costar, Actor Ralph Richardson, was knighted last winter.

* Next day the Express apologized; it had discovered that, while many Britons are used to the "trespasses" version in the Book of Common Prayer, the most-used version from the King James Bible (Matthew 6:12) is "debtors."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.