LEARNING TO SING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 January 1939, Page 8

LEARNING TO SING

INDIAN PICTURE ACTOR. Sabu, the noted Indian boy actor, recently had his first singing lesson from Topliss Green, famous baritone and professor at the Royal College of Music. Alexander Korda proposes that the Indian boy, who now ranks among the world’s top ten stars after only two pictures, “Elephant Boy” and “The Drum,” shall sing in his next film, “The Thief of Bagdad,” in which he will appear with Jon Hall, _ Conrad Veidt, and Vivien Leigh. “I was remarkably impressed with Sabu,” said Topliss Green. “He has the Oriental’s power of concentration and will prove a quick pupil.

“I sang to him and then played over the melody on the piano. Sabu quickly grasped the idea and after I had run over the scale twice he was quite sure in his pitch. He has a good ear for music and a fine Indian voice.

“The way he followed our Western scale after being used to the quarter tones of the East was remarkable.

“He also has great charm and is just a boy, interested in football and all the things a boy should be interested in. Very few boys of his age could have got where he has without being spoiled.

“Sabu is entirely unspoiled and I hope to be able to keep that ingenuousness which is part of his great charm.” The music foi' “The Thief of Bagdad” is not yet written, but two songs will be composed for Sabu. Meanwhile Marc Allegret, the director, is preparing the picture at Denham.