Sabrina and Sonny King
24 January 1962 (Telegraph)
Sabrina is in a state of dispute with entrepreneur LEE GORDON (who's in the U.S.)
"Here I am, without a manager or anything to protect me - all I have is a written contract"
It says, in part: "In consideration of the sum of 1000 Australian pounds plus a £30-a-day penthouse at the Chevron Hilton hotel plus an air ticket from L.A. to Sydney to L.A. to London, I agree to arrive in Sydney, Australia, before January 1, 1962, to promote through publicity the theatrical ventures of Lee Gordon..."
Said Sabrina: "I've had nightclub offers to stay here. They've even offered to bring out the man I aim to marry [Sonny King].
Sabrina Confused?
TheWindsor Star,
Windsor Ontario
Saturday 3 February 1962
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (UPI) - Singer Sonny King denied flatly Friday night a report from Melbourne, Australia that he would marry British television and stage personality Sabrina.
"Where she got the marriage idea, I don't know," said King, who recently completed a night club engagement. Referring to an Australian report he proposed via radio-telephone last week, King said "It was all we could do to understand each other."
"She told me she was coming home (to Hollywood) and we had a friendly talk. That was all."
Hear Sabrina talk about the confusing Sonny King episode - and how Elvis was involved - in part 6 of our 2011 interview.
Saturday 3 Feb 1962 (Sydney Morning Herald)
SABRINA TO MARRY AMERICAN SINGER
MELBOURNE, Friday - Television and stage personality Sabrina, 23, will marry singer and comedian Sonny King, 36, in Las Vegas next week.
Sabrina announced tonight that she would fly to America on Monday to get her engagement ring, and would be married "about Wednesday."
At present, she is wearing a "make do" ring her fiance gave her before she came to Australia.
"We met about a year ago and Sonny asked me to marry him three or four months ago," Sabrina said.
"I had to think things over but when he phoned me in Sydney last week I said 'yes' right away.
This will be Sabrina's first marriage, and the second for King who is Jimmy Durante's partner.
He expected me home last Saturday but I couldn't make it," Sabrina said.
"Now he expects me home tomorrow, and I'm too scared to call him and tell him I won't be home till Tuesday or Wednesday."
"I'm going to keep to working after we are married."
"I know our marriage will last because this is definitely the real thing."
The Sun-Herald the next day had a banner on page 1 "Sabrina romance denied" pointing to page 2, which we don't have. The weather on the day was mostly fine with few morning showers. I hope you find that useful.
More interesting, the same page reports that Stirling Moss was injured in a crash on Friday. We know Sabrina met Stirling during her first Australian visit.
The next day:
- there was a solar eclipse
- 80,000 watched Stirling Moss win at Warwick Farm
- President Kennedy banned imports from Cuba.
Sabrina, I believe, was not involved in any of these incidents. More news when it comes to hand.
3 February 1962 (The Sun, Baltimore, page 3) - Sonny King Denies He'll Wed Sabrina
4 February 1962 (Sunday Telegraph - Sydney)
“I will marry Sonny” – Sabrina
“I won’t marry her” – Sonny King
“Of course he will” - Manager
SABRINA: WILL SHE OR WON’T SHE WED?
“I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT”
Peter Freeman, one of Lee Gordon's managers who accompanied Sabrina from Melbourne, said: "I saw the cable from King asking Sabrina to return to the United States this weekend and saying. 'Divorce settlement finalised Let's get married. "I think Sabrina sort of let the cat out of the bag with her announcement on Friday night, and that, embarrassed Sonny a little because he is still arranging a marriage settlement after his divorce has gone through."
4 Feb 1962
TO WED - OR NOT?
'No' by Sonny
SINGER Sonny King denied in Las Vegas, Nevada, that he would marry British showgirl Sabrina.
Sabrina, 23, had announced in Melbourne that she would marry King next week.
King, a nightclub partner of comedian Jimmy Durante, said he had accompanied Sabrina on several dates, but there had been "no talks of marriage."
"There is nothing to it." he said.
King, 36, was divorced recently. He has three children.
However, Sabrina said in Sydney yesterday that she would marry King on her return to America.
She said she had not heard the reports that King had denied marriage plans.
At Kingsford Smith Airport yesterday afternoon, Sabrina said: "He has been asking me to marry him for about six months — and I have accepted."
She avoided questions about her planned marriage until she had stepped into a taxi outside the terminal.
She nodded her head when asked if the marriage would be the "big thing."
"Sonny expected me back today, but due to commitments here I won't be leaving for another week," she said.
Sabrina said she would be married on her return, and would live in Hollywood.
Sabrina arriving at Sydney airport from Melbourne yesterday... she hadn't heard of Sonny King's denial
14 February 1962- Earl Wilson's Syndicated Column
Sabrina's "fiance" Sonny King, claims he may not even see her any more since her "engagement announcement," but she won't want for guys"
18 February 1962 - Sunday Telegraph (Sydney)
'I’m through with Sonny'
Interviewed at her Sydney hotel, Sabrina said there was “no love nothing” in her life.
Sabrina produced a cablegram from Sonny. It read: "Engagement confirmed; come home immediately. Sonny."
Sabrina is pictured with the cablegram she received from Sonny.
