FOR RELEASE JUNE 21-22 WNS REPORT FOR 6/16/58 17¿rtf’ Anita Oalb-y iatjA: THIS IS MY NO. 1 FASCINATOR I once met a taxi driver who refused to drive without his radio on—and the program had to be classical music. The only time he ever switched it off, he told me, was as a personal favor to a distinguished passenger—Artur Rubinstein. He explained: ’’This man got into my cab and after a few minutes said: ’Turn off that radio. I have a recording session and I don’t want that music to stay in my mind.1" I turned and took a good look at him, and said: "You are Artur Rubinstein." He was amazed and told me I was the first American taxi I driver ever to recognize him. "In Europe,” he said, "all the taxi drivers know me." This incident came to mind ci.a other day when I read where Artur had returned to music-wise Warsaw after a 20-year absence and had received a standing ovation from the audience—the only other musician ever to reap such a tribute being the late Ignace Paderewski. And, while I*m no authority on music, I think I can understand why. Artur is probably the most fascinating man I have ever met. He is 69 now, but he has the gusto, vitality and humor of a young man. A little while ago he did slow down temporally—a confirmed smoker, he was troubled with a huskiness which would not go away. Stories of smoking and cancer began to bob up in his mind, so he rushed off to see a doctor. After a lengthy, and silent, examination, Artur could stand the suspense no longer. "Well," he queried, "what’s wrong with me?” The doctor replied: "You talk too much." (MORE) GoU^f. PAGE 2 WNS REPOR'x FOR 6/16/58 Artur is a confirmed story-teller and is never happier than when entertaining. I remember one of the greatest evenings I ever experienced took place at his lovely Beverly Hills home when I was there for a Rubinstein wedding anniversary. Aniela, his wife, on this occasion almost took the starring role, at least in the eyes of the women. Artur had demanded that all the dishes be Polish, so she had to do all the cooking for the 80 guests, Polish chefs being hard to find. But it was the after-dinner hi-Jinks which I remember best. I was at a table with Artur, famed conductor Eugene Ormandy, Cole Porter and Johnny Green. Mrs. Ronald Colman, who was sitting there, too, looked around and commented: "With all this musical talent here, can’t someone at least hum something?” So they did more than hum. Artur took over the piano while Danny Kaye did an impromptu act impersonating a man whose wife had dragged him to a concert starring the great Rubinstein. Danny snored most realistically. A few months later Elsa Maxwell gave a Hollywood party which was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. It was in honor of Free France—at thia time Gen. Charles de Gaulle was rallying his forces in exile—and after dinner the gardens were lighted to look like Versailles. And the hlghpoint came when Artur began playing Jazz tunes. His barbershop "pick-up" trio Included Judy Garland, Lauritz Melchior and Danny Kaye. An impresario considering hiring this quartet for the stage would have to have a wallet as big as Artur’s grand piano. But mainly I remember Artur the man, not the entertainer. His wife explained to me once that she had fallen in love with Artur when she was a young girl and Rubinstein was appearing with her father’s Symphony Orchestra. She never dreamed she would actually marry this handsome, successful artist, but she did—«and one day Artur took me into a room of his house to show me a mural there. (MORE) GolLif, PAGE 3 WNS REPORT FOR 6/16/5*3 It depicted the life of Artur and Aniela through the years and was proof that Aniela*s fears about holding thi3 man were groundless. Another time, Cary Grant and I dropped into Artur*s place quite late in the evening. He began to play Chopin Masurkas and Polonaises for us, and in a little while his small daughter, sleepy-eyed and in a nightgown, appeared. She climbed up onto the piano bench and while the impromptu concert went on never took her adoring eyes off her father. I thought: "Everyone—children and grownups alike—love this man. Probably the saying, *He could charm the birds out of the trees,’ was coined when someone saw Artur do just that." (END).