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Show Family XVaQlcly January 15, mi WHY GIRLS MARRY There's a trend to trend is and Anew in suepeisinc America, long noted for its youth worship: more and more young women are spurning suitors their own age and marrying men old enough to be their fathers even grandfathers in some cases. Even more astonishing, most of these matings have proved to be exceptionally happy, providing a fulfillment for both husband and wife that is often lacking in many of the "normal" marriages. Though statistics are incomplete, sociologists and marriage - license-bureMay-Decem- marriages among the famous and May-Decemb- er neth L. Bloom reveals, that older persons tend to be far more positive in their attitudes and to feel more optimistic about themselves. Male movie stars who must stay fit to stay famous have been remarkably successful in their marriages to girls" who may be younger than their own children; Three years ago, Bing Crosby, at 53, started a new life when he, married lovely Kathryn Grant, 30 years his junior and a year younger than his eldest son, Gary. During his second courtship, the Old Groaner not only crooned to his f ) so-call- ed au age-you- history and are increasing significantly with each passing yeaV. fiancee but took her dancing regularly. Today they have a son, Harry Lillis, Jr., and (after five? sons for Bing) a year-ol- d daughter, Mary Frances. ar marCharlie Chaplin's riage to Oona O'Neill, daughter of the late Eugene O'Neill, America's great dramatist, has been spectacularly successful despite a M. two-year-- Charlie Chaplin wed Oona O'Neill in 1943, he at the age of 54, she at 18. First and foremost is the rising old 17-ye- . life expectancy of men, coupled with the fact that today's middle-age- d and older Romeos are more physically fit than ever before. v V Y L Bing Crosby, at 54, and wife Kathy admire son Harry Lillis, now two. With the life expectancy of the average American male now up to 67 (it was only 53 in 1920), many mature men are experiencing a "second youth" through romances with women in their early prime. The list includes such world-famofigures as Bing Crosby, 56, Andre Kostelanetz, 60, Charlie Chaplin, 71, T. S. Eliot, 72, Sir Thomas Beecham, 81, Pablo Casals, 85, and Bertrand Russell, 88. Love, of course, has never known any season History is full of examples of men in the winter of their lives "becoming enamoured of girls in their springtime. Today sociologists indicate there are five basic, though little-note- d, late-floweri- ng . , us reasons for the recent increase in th . . marriages. age-you- , Family Weekly, January 15, 1961 BLI.LJ.. .j x" - . jl Famous cellist Pablo Casais, 85, is attended by his wife. ' . 24-year-- old senior and thrice divorced. Today the Chaplins have seven children ranging from Michael, 15, to, year-ol- d Annette and say they plan to have four more. Now 35, Oona says she fell in comelove with the world-famodian when she was 12 and decided to become his bride. "You don't marry a man because of, or despite, his age," Oona says. "You marry him for the essence of himself which is a timeless quality. I never think of Charlie's age-- at least' not 364 days of the year, He still flirts with me as romantically as .before we were married. -- Because we. share so many phases of our life - us , . . m us; ": ber officials say that today th more weddings are tak- place than ever before in U.S. r- - not-so-famo- They're younger than they used to be by every yardstick except the calendar. Second, older, men are far more. interested in physical love than generally believed. A recent study at Duke University's medical school of 250 volunteers from 60 to 93 years old indicates that if individuals are reasonably "healthy, they can be romantically active be- yond the age of 90. Third, many men of achievement outgrow the wives of their school days and are able to attract younger and more stimulating women. If a wife fails to keep up mentally and spiritually with an exceptional husband, she may find that she has lost him to a fresher and more vital companion. th A fourth reason for recent unions is the preponderance of women over men, especially in cities. According to the 1960 cen-su- s, there are only 91 males to every 100 . females . in urban areas. Moreover, there are now three mil- - . lion more females than males of - marriageable age. Last but .far. from least, . older r men frequently have stronger than their juniors, as well as a more mellow approach . to life. A new study by Dr. Ken H. v il'- - work, ' " children, friends, ideas, travel there doesn't seem to be any difference in our ages except that I guess Charlie has made me a good deal more mature, and I help keep him young." tI . 2 Sophia Loren, wed to film producer Carlo Ponti, is 20 years younger. age-you- " . per-sonalit- ies , . stormy beginning and widespread predictions that "it wouldn't last." Back in, 1943, Chaplin, at 54, wooed and won the radiantly, at- Oona, then tractive, raven-haire- d 18. A budding actress a dewy-eyat 16, pona tried for a part in a Chaplin film: She didn't get it, but she did get a proposal of marriage "which she gladly accepted despite her father's bitter disapproval of her union with a man 36 years her ed Actor Charles Coburn, 84, and wife Winnifred, 42, were wed a year ago. |