RUSSIA: Soviet Smell

Propped up in bed with their breakfast trays and morning papers, sweet-smelling ladies were last week struck by horrid news: one of these days, when they buy one of the crown-shaped bottles of Prince Matchabelli perfumes or redden their lips with his lipsticks, they may be supporting the Soviet Government, helping toward the proletarian revolution!

No idea could have been more appalling to the late tall, bald Prince Georges Vasili Matchabelli. Georgian-born, like the marrying Mdivanis (but with the difference that his right to his title was never questioned), no Georgian prince was ever more aware than he of the value of a title. Once Minister to Rome for the short-lived Georgian Republic of 1918-21, he married the Italian Actress Maria Carmi, went to the U. S. in 1923.

A bankrupt antique store and early training in chemistry led him to the perfume business. Knowing U. S. socialites’ awe of royalty, he was careful to see that every one of his packages was liberally sprinkled with crowns, with PRINCE MATCHABELLI in large type. He died six weeks ago in Manhattan, had seven Russian princes, Conde Nast and the Hearst Press’s Cholly Knickerbocker among his honorary pall bearers. But he left no will and his next of kin is his brother, Ito Matchabelli, who still lives in Leningrad and who by U. S. law will share his estate with Prince Matchabelli’s sister and niece. By Soviet law no Russian may inherit private property. If Manhattan courts should award to Brother Ito one-third of the 60% of the common stock of Prince Matchabelli Inc. owned by Prince Georges, it would promptly be seized by the Soviet Cosmetic Trust, directed by the wife of Soviet Premier Molotov.