THE mews cottage in Kensington has a colour scheme in white, yellow and black. Decor is by Dainton.
Against this lively background film producer Norman Williams sighed. “I’ve been known as Mr. Dainton for ages,” he said. “Now, I suppose, they’ll call me Mr. Norton.”
For Mr. Williams is married to 24-year-old film and stage actress Patricia Dainton, who is to portray the young housewife, Sally Norton, in Britain’s first daily TV serial, Sixpenny Corner.
Scottish-born Patricia is a young housewife herself and has a 13-month-old daughter, Tetrina.
The fictional Sally is warm, pretty, likeable, with a bubbling personality.
So is Pat Dainton, who is undismayed at the prospect that her own identity may become submerged in the character she is to play in the serial, which will be screened five mornings a week.
“I shan’t mind even if people always think of me as Sally Norton and not Patricia Dainton,” she says.
The life, love and tribulations of newlyweds Bill and Sally, will be a human, true-to-life story set against a dilapidated garage (Sixpenny Corner) which Bill manages in the town of Springwood.
Bill and Sally live in a bungalow near the garage.
Sold papers
HOWARD PAYS is Bill. He does not resemble Mr. Williams.
At 12 Pat Dainton sold newspapers to earn 5s. a week pocket money. At 17 she was a film starlet.
Her big chance came when Ivor Novello recommended her for the feminine lead opposite Dennis Price in the film of “The Dancing Years.”
LUCILE BALL is unquestionably the first mother to have made a million out of TV. And the first actress to have had a baby on the date laid down in a TV script.
The million will be multiplied, because “I Love Lucy” has been the top TV favourite in America for four years with more than 40,000,000 people enjoying its weekly romps.
And the contract, due to end this year, guarantees Lucille and her husband, Desi Arnaz, over £3,000,000 for their TV shows alone.
In American shops you can buy a wide range of gifts sponsored by “Lucy Rickardo” — the character Lucille Ball has made famous.
The nursery furniture followed the birth of Lucille’s son, exactly as provided in the script. As soon as Lucy and Desi knew that they were going to have a second child, the story line of “I Love Lucy” was changed to fit the circumstances.
And America loved it.
On 13,000,000 TV screens “Lucy Rickardo” went into hospital one January evening and had a baby boy. Next morning all America read in the newspapers that Lucille Ball had had a baby boy, weight 8 lbs. 9 ozs. And TV only claimed it as a coincidence that both were boys!
Now Lucy Rickardo and her husband Ricky come to Britain to cheer our Sunday evenings.
Fell in love
THE orange-haired actress spent years in Hollywood struggling for fame. Then she met Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III, a Cuban band leader.
They fell in love. Lucille flew to New York and they were married at five a.m.
Desi and Lucille worked out a variety act and went on tour with it. They tried radio. Then came TV and “I Love Lucy.”
In four months “I Love Lucy” was at the top of the “View Parade.” There it has been pretty well ever since. Lucy’s income now tops £10,000 a week.