Encyclopedia Sabrina (Norma Ann Sykes)

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The Curious Incident of

The 18 inch metal belt

Sabrina admitted to me in an interview that her bust was not of extraordinary size in itself. In fact many other bombshells came close to Sabrina's mammary measurements, and many a London fishwife possessed equally massive equipment - but they had equally massive waists and stomachs.

Sabrina knew it was the proportions that mattered. She said the secret was that her extraordinarily narrow waist emphasised the upper assets enormously.

To silence those who disbelieved her remarkable statistics, she took on the challenge of wearing a metal belt with an 18 inch diameter.

From our first telephone interview

s – A funny thing that happened, because somebody in England, some wealthy person challenged me about my waist being 17 inches and he had a belt made and he said that if I could put this belt on he would give a certain amount of money to a charity of my choosing.

Sabrina in her 18 inch metal belt
The infamous metal belt!

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But the crafty devil, he had the belt made – you can put on a belt and pull it in – but this one he had made of steel and to get it on you had to clip it over to – like, you had to go down to sixteen to get it on because he had, like, studs on it and you had to wrap it over – and I remember that the photographers coming around to my apartment and the reporter – and they did this – you know it was on the front page with this whole front page of my waist.

But it was funny because I tried to get it on – and you had to have a six – and it was made of steel and it went all the way round and – well, you'd have to have like a fifteen or a six- I know I was lying on the floor, and the reporter and the photographer, they were trying to get it on but, anyway, you know, we did. So the guy had to give the money to this charity.

Sabrina and her metal belt

Sabrina's infamous 18" metal belt

You could tell how tickled pink Sabby was to get into that thing!

From 23 March 1957 - Winnipeg Free Press

Sabrina Girds W19; Poof Go $70

LONDON (CP) — A sceptical Polish leatherworker has learned the hard way not to question the authenticity of one of Britain's more prominent landmarks.

The vindicated landmark is Sabrina, the blonde starlet who brings the television screen just a little closer to the Briton's living room. Her proclaimed measurements — 41-19-36 — are seldom questioned by the viewer.

But they were vigorously challenged by Zygfryd Szmidt, a 34-year-old former Polish serviceman who runs a handicraft shop in Plymouth.

Mr. Szmidt, proclaiming the figures "impossible." sent Sabrina a 19-inch belt of his own manufacture and offered to give $70 to her favorite charity if she could wear it.

FANTASTIC BREATH

With a willing Daily Mirror columnist acting as referee, Sabrina underwent her ordeal by leather. She took a deep breath. "It was fantastic," the referee reported and two men buckled the belt around her waist.

"Quite comfortable," said Sabrina and wore the belt during her half-hour radio show. Spectacular photographic evidence duly appeared on The Mirror's front page.

Mr. Szmidt invited to contribute the $70 to a dogs' home, had public sympathy on his side as he held out for a little more for his money.

"I want to see Sabrina put on the belt herself before I pay up," he said.

From the Memories of Sabrina Page
1 December 2005 - From Ken

Hi Mark, I was so thrilled to read your Sabrina stuff as I knew Sabby back in the 1960's when she visited Melbourne to perform at the Tivoli Theatre.

I had a Pharmacy in Little Collins St which was directly at the back of the Tivoli and as I specialized in theatrical make up etc I got all the stars. Sabby was always followed by groups of people wherever she went and I first met her when she ran into the Pharmacy, around the back to hide from her adoring but nuisance fans.

From then on we became great friends. I took her out a couple of times and actually treated her breasts for severe sunburn, which she got on the beach at Black Rock where she was living, but that's another story.

I have signed pictures of Sabrina which I prize very much. She was not only a beautiful girl but a really friendly girl and nice to be with. My brother took her out also and still has her belt which she gave him it is only 18" in diameter.

 


Click... phew! Sabrina proves that her waist is 19 inches.

Daily Mirror
11 March 1957

by Anthony Burton

WHAT a challenge to Sabrina — someone was suggesting that her vital statistics (41-19-36) were not entirely correct! Sabrina's 19" belt

"Ridiculous," said Sabrina last night.

She filled her lungs with the deepest breath she has ever taken. The result was fantastic. She held her breath long enough for a 19in. belt to be clipped round her waist — a feat that the maker of the belt, Mr. Zygfryd Szmidt, 34, said was impossible.

Mr. Szmidt, a Polish ex-soldier who keeps a handicraft shop in Plymouth, did not believe Sabrlna's claim to have a 19in, waist. "With a top measurement of 41, a 19in. waist is fantastic," he said.

Can't See It

He challenged Sabrina to wear the 19in, belt (laid out, it stretches across 12 columns of the Mirror) and promised he would give £25 to charity if she succeeded. I acted as referee last night.

While Sabrina concentrated on her deep breath, two strong men tugged and tugged until the belt buckle clicked closed.

"Is it on?" gasped Sabrina, peering down over her 41in. "I can't see it."

She wore the belt later for half an hour at a West End theatre during the recording of the radio show, "Askey Galore."

Afterwards she told me: "Tight? No, I wouldn't say that. I'm used to wearing tight things."
Of Mr. Szmtdfs £25 she said: "I would like the money to go to the Battersea Dog's Home.

But Mr. Szmidt said at Plymouth: "I'm not satisfled. I want to SEE Sabrina put the belt on


Much the same coverage appeared in the French paper, Le Petit Journal 7 Apr 1957

Page Created: 16 December 2016

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