GRACIE FIELDS BACK WITH THE B.B.C.

Chronicle (Levin), 8 July 1947, Page 5

GRACIE FIELDS BACK WITH THE B.B.C.

Received Monday, 7 p.m. LONDON, July 7. (Special Correspondent). Gracie Fields, who is shortly due to ret.urn to British broadcasting after an interval of several years, will use the Maori farewell song E Para Ra which she learned during .her visit to New Zealand, as her signature tune. She said she first heaxd the tune when a Wellington taxi driver hummed it as he was driving her to see Mr. Fraser. Gracie will commence her new series of broadcast programmes under the title " Gracie 's Working Party" on July 23. She admits that, owing to her long absence from the British entertainment scene, she is not sure of hei reception. The National Theatre Association has eriticised the B.B.C. 's decision to bring her back to broadcasting on the grounds that she is no longer of British nationality owing to her marriage in 1940 to Monty .Banks who was then of Italian nationality. Several months . after th'e marriage Banks was granted Ameriean national ity and if the marriage had been delayed till then his wife, under British law, would still be considered a British citizen. Gracie Fields has sittce refused to apply for Ameriean citizenship. Banks, who is travelling in Italy, is not coming to Britain with his wife.