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Show Sunday, October 22 Agatha Christie Disappeared, Creating Unsolved Mystery On December 1926, Mrs. Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, then 56 years old and already a famous mystery writer, disappeared from her home at Berkshire, England. The fact that days and then a week passed without a clue to her whereabouts or, indeed, to whether she was dead or alive, sent every reporter lusting after a scoop. Sensational headlines, hefty rewards, preposterous theories cluttered the front pages. On a miserably cold, damp December morning, some 15,000 volunteers searched for Christie's body rwir the spot where her car had been abandoned. Their search fruitless, they dragged the nearby Silent Pool, the very pond where one of Agatha's characters had drowned herself. Fortunately, the theory that the mystery writer might have one of her own plots proved false. Finally, a banjo player at the Harrogate d Hydropathic Hotel recognized a tall, guest as Agatha Christie and notified the police. On December 15, 11 days after she vanished, detectives surrounded the hotel and Agatha was reunited with her husband, Col. Archibald Christie. Col. Christie offered only one lame explanation for this bizarre incident an incident that was particularly peculiar in light of the fact that the writer disliked publicity and despised scandal. Agatha, he claimed, had been suffering from amnesia. Christie took her secret to the grave with her in January 1976. The next year, when her posthumously published autobiography appeared, Agatha's fans searched for a clue to her most baffling mystery. All they found was the following circumspect statement: "If one chooses to look back over the journey that has been one's life, Is one entitled to ignore those memories that one dislikes? ... 1 think, perhaps one should take one brief look, and say: 'Yes, this is part of my existence. I must recognize it because it is part of me. But there is no need to dwell on it.' " Case closed? Not quite. Kathleen Tynan, an English journalist and screenwriter, has transformed this strange interlude into "Agatha," a captivating novel or, as , I lit the author calls it, "an imaginary solution to an authentic mystery." Building on the many facts known about Christie's disappearance. Tynan has created a mystery that, in us sheer complexity, rivals many of Agatha's own While parts are pure fiction, the foundation is fact and the characterizations particularly of Agatha and her husband Archibald ring true. In a recent interview, Tynan admitted. "I was never an Agatha addict. But when Agatha died and some of the old gossip was revived, I got intrigued hooked really." And so began the long hours in the British Museum combing old newspapers. And so began the search for people who had been on the scene more than 50 vears earlier cops, reporters, hotel keepers, maids. Exactly what facts did your research yield? First, Tynan explains, Agatha's marriage to her beloved, dashing Archibald Christie had crumbled to the point of collapse. The Colonel had been badgering his wife for a divorce so he could marry his younger, more conventionally beautiful, mistress. Agatha, crushed by bis infidelity, but more in love than ever, begged for a second chance. They had argued on this subject the very morning of Agatha's disappearance. "One of the things that really fascinated me about Agatha," Tynan says, "was her conventional, her absolutely Victorian, view of marriage. Agatha believed that marriage was fc ever. She was totally of a terrified actually unable to deal with breakup. When she left home, she was in a real state of " I lO. THE HERALD. Provo, 1'tah-P- Ballet Guild v Plans Telebash Salt Lake Ballet Guild's annual "Telebash," an auction for the beneift of Ballet West, will be Nov, 4 at the Hotel Utah in the Grand Ballroom. There will be a social hour with write-iauction, dinner and live auction Festivities will begin at 6 00 p m. Live auction will be televised this year by KSL-TChannel 5. But Palmer, former Princeton basketball star and captain of the New York Kicker-bockernetwork sportscaster and commentator on "Wide World of Sports" and the Olympics, will serve as auctioneer. Theme of "Telebash" 1978 is "Beginnings." chosen to reflect the first season in a new home, the Capitol Theatre, as well as to celebrate the first vear of a new artistic director. Bruce Marks. Utah merchants have responded generously to this year's Ballet Auction bv donating such items as a helicopter trip from Snowbird to the back country for five runs down 2000 feet of untracked powder; a membership in the Great Game Preserve; a trip to Hawaii for two. luncheon in the U.S. Senate Dining Room with two Utah Senators and more. Money raised by the Salt Lake Ballet Guild provides important financial support For Ballet n s, TENNESSEE WILLIAMS' sic play. clas- p.m. "The Glass in theater the school s arena Performers include, West Chairwomen for this year's event are Mrs. John Mortensen and Mrs. Richard Shanaman. They are assisted by Mrs Maurice Malouf and Colleen Malouf, merchandise. Mrs Malcolm Justice, Treasurer; Mrs Robert Morris and Mrs. Darrell Wolfley, reservation, Mrs. James Seare. decorations; Mrs. Jack Spitzer and Mrs. James Elliott, hospitality; Mrs. William Nixon, correspondance; Mrs. Robert Ward, staging; Mrs. Whitfield Lee, dislpay. from left. Cyril Budge, Mark Nelson. Jackie Clegg and Jennifer ("arr Menagerie," will be presented by Orem High School drama stu dents beginning Tuesday at 7 30 Orem High to Present xThe Glass Menagerie' crisis." But she was totally in control of her senses, Tynan claims. While the police hunted for his wife, and even after she was found, Col. Christie insisted that she was suffering from amnesia. "That's unadulterated rubbish," says Tynan, "though you must understand that at that time it didn't sound so dubious as it does now. After all, amnesia was quite a fashionable dis- Orem High School drama department will present Tennessee Williams' is Will Hazlett. with Cynthia Tracy Brad King, and Cathy Sosa as assistant County Art Show Set County artists for the annual Utah County Art Exhibit are invited to bring their paintings to the Eldred Menagerie" Tuesday, directors. Oct. 30 and 31 from 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesday. Thursday. Saturday and "This extremely difficult contem- Center The exhibit is slated to begin Nov. 5 with a recepOct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. in the Orem High drama is the story of the slow tion order." from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Eldred Center. 270 W. 500 Arena Theater. Tickets will be porary and remorseless destruction 6f a N.. Provo. door. available at the family." commented Mr. Hazlett. According to Tynan, the most gaping hole in the Committee members include Oliver M. Hansen, Cast members for the production in"The family is trapped in a situation Colonel's story, was that it ignored the fact that Nedra Sumner, reception, and Wendell Jackie clude Jennifer Carr as Laura; chairman; from which there is no exit, and they're Agatha had meticulously planned her disappearance. as Amanda; Mark Nelson as Rigby, publicity. Clegg Her motive conscious or not was to hurt her hushopelessly dealing with loneliness and There will be a nominal charge for entries, and Tom, and Cyril Budge as Jim. Director illusion." band just as he had hurt her. Her plan of revenge, which, as you might expect, was quite inventive, included registering at the hotel under the name Teresa Neele quite a revealing choice of names considering that her husband's mistress was Nancy Neele. Talking to several psyFAMILY GIFT CERTIFICATE chiatrists, Tynan adds, convinced her that a true deluxe a (on setting and 8x10 natural color portrait) amnesiac is too desperately busy trying to remember his own name to take on somebody else's. food Libby, McNeill & Libby, Inc., Chicago-base- d :: Col. Christie was frantically trying to blame his processor, has announced a music arrangement conwife's disappearance on a nervous condition that test and cash-labThis gift certificate allows a deluxe setting program for high school bands :: resulted from the recent death of her mother. The throughout America. with 10-1- 2 poses, extra poses will be Mj : line he fed ravenous reporters wa3 that this condition Patrick J. Peters, director, sales management sertaken on parents, grandparents or any ggj flOttcUt4 amnesia. Ob-- $ vices, says that effective immediately, all high iSl :: had finally erupted into I other I family members that is wanted. viously the Colonel much preferred having the public school bands are invited to compete for cash prizes hav-: to was from his wife believe amnesia ::: suffering up to $5,000. The contest continues through Dec. 31, Re9. Now Ml JCA believe she was suffering from his 1978. Awards will be made for the best original : . niy of to the be musical arrangements adultery. Libby Jingle, $ Where the holes in the story were impossible to fill recorded on oS tape, and submitted with an of(n tpacial ptt Mtting Eipirtt Oct. 31, 1971) SS $ with fact, Tynan filled them with fiction circum-stance- s ficial entry form. 5 286 M. 100 W., Provo, and coincidences that would have done Libby also offers the bands on opportunity to earn (Must present certificate it tene of uttin) : Ss cash to buy instruments and uniforms. Libby labels Agatha proud. For example, when Agatha signs lhe register may be redeemed at one cent each, with no limita"Teresa Neele" she knows quite well that staying in tion to the number submitted. another building of the same health spa is Nancy Neele. Thus Tynan sets the scene for a most in- ;:: genious confrontation. (a, Beat tV.V.V.VAVtV.'.y, Book "The Tension is a part of living for most people. Stress is a daily accompaniment to our existence. Periods of relaxation are often hard to find. One good way is to read a book. Pick up a book when you have an hour to yourself or just a few minutes. It is refreshing and pleasant to switch off the tensions of the daily grind and switch on the pleasures of a good book. It can be a mystery an adventure tale, a biography of someone you like (or don't like). But whatever it is, it helps you relax. The Provo City Library has one for you. Borrow it soon. FEATURED BOOK OF THE WEEK: THE GLASS FLAME Phyllis A. Whitney 'If anything happens to me down here, but lets it pass as an accident. You owe me that Karen..." David Hallam had written those words in his last letter to his wife from a small village in the Tennessee Smoky Mountains. Ten days later he was dead. Now Karen Hallam had to find out why. Other books to stimulate your interest: WINGS Robert J. Sterling A novel following one man's obsession with As her crack crime reporter, Tynan casts a fic--: aviation through five decades. For the days he was a young flyer nursed on legend through his titious American. Wally Stanton is a brash, somewhat crass, gossip columnist from Loveland, development of a great air - transportation emColo. On loan from the Hearst Newspapers to the pire. r, AGATHA Kathleen Tynan This "imaginary young Stanton stalks Teresa Neele for days, knowing she's Agatha Christie. He's just solution to an authentic mystery" is based on waiting for the perfect moment to swoop in for the Agatha Christie's real disappearance in 1926. The imagined Agatha here plans suicide that scoop. While he's waiting, he falls in love with her a nice twist. will look like her husband's mistress killed her. THE GLENDOWER LEGACY Thomas Gifford A history discovery that Washington con- :: So, for those who can't bear the prospect of a Christmas without a Christie, "Agatha" is a suitable tacted the British during the winters at Valley leads to a student's death and to KGB $ substitute. And if you're worried about Christmas, Forge 1980, Tynan has just written a screenplay of agents trailing the professor who had worked with the student. "Agatha." The movie version will star Vanessa HAPPY PEOPLE Jonathan Freedman Redgrave as Agatha and Dustin Hoffman as Wally. The "Queen of Crime," or, "The Duchess of Death," An anecdotal profile of the results of a survey as Aqatha preferred to be called, lives. by Psychology Today and Good Housekeeping magazines, on defining happiness, external and An interesting aside: Tynan mentioned that it was psychological factors that influence it, and the that she'd gotten interested in "The Case of the lucky who are happy. people Novelist" when she did, because most of the Missing A NEW KIND OF COUNTRY Dorothy Gilman witnesses were dead or dying. Col. Christie, who The author of the Mrs. Pollifax books tells how : divorced Agatha in 1928 to marry Nancy Neele, died she resolved to confront solitude by living alone in 1962, so Tynan couldn't talk to him. She did talk to in a Nova Scotia fishing village after her last son :: archaeologist Sir Max Mallowan, Agatha's husband went to college. from 1930 to her death in 1976. He died this August. 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