ONE in the EYE for STEVE

When Sabrina said it with flowers.

Daily Mirror 17 December 1955

This is an extract from a longer piece in which Noel Witcomb reports on a beauty context for 1956's Queen of Light at the Lyceum Theatre.
He meets Steve Cochran ...

Sieve was nipping home before we all went on to the Cafe de Paris. So he said, as he was leaving: " Why don't you stop by for a drink on the way?"
"Thanks", said I...

As Steve departed, in came SABRINA — who was also a judge — all steamed up
Her bosom — if I may borrow the Victorian phrase — was heaving with annoyance, and there was a glint in her eye.

"Who has taken Steve away?" she demanded. "I had a date with him here."
I told her that his publicity minder had swept him off to his flat, and that he had given some other people a lift.

"Come on," said Sabrina. "Let's take the car and call in on him on the way to the Cafe. I wish to give him a piece of my mind."
"Do not be too lavish," I murmured — but we were already sweeping to the limousine.
Outside among the crowd, a spectator observing the car remarked that he always thought Sabrina went home on a 38 bust — but we took no notice.

We arrived at an enormous apartment in Belgravia, which I recognised because the last time I was there it was occupied by a girl in the same line as Sabrina — Miss Jane Russell .

Sabrina picked up in the hall a big bouquet of flowers, wrapped in transparent paper. Suddenly up bounced a hefty Alsatian dog.
"Hello, Shane" said Sabrina to the pooch, "This was my dog," she explained, "until I gave it to Steve as a present."

[Sabrina and Shane]

We barged on down and as we were passing the kitchen Sabrina suddenly stopped. She pushed the door open.
Inside, by the stove, was Mr. Cochran in a smart apron, and a blonde competitor from the beauty contest, also in a smart apron. They were cooking.
It struck me as a happy scene, but Sabrina didn't seem impressed.

With the action of a Typhoon Tyson, she swung back the large bouquet of flowers and hurled them smartly at Mr. Cochran, catching him sharply between the eyes.

She then departed at high speed but Steve followed and explained everything — and off they went to the Cafe de Paris.