GOING, GOING, GONE

A genial look at auctions, which probably date from Babylonian days, and since then this invariably interesting method of merchandising has been used to dispose of anything from the spoils of Roman battlefields, to John Barrymore's pink girdle, bees, mummies, auks, brides, strawberries. In fact anything that has ever been sold at all- has also found its way to the auction block- and some things have appeared here which have never been offered to the public elsewhere-fishing flies made from the hair of Hollywood stars. Mr. Partridge ambles amiably from one subject to the other; country auctions, tobacco and cattle auctions, auctions of goods of special interest-- the estates of Valentino and Believe-it-or-not Ripley, the fabled Rovensky jewels, the contents of the John Wanamaker store. Not the sparkle of distinction of Wolf Mankowitz's Make Me An Offer, but with the Partridge name perhaps an American audience will be more likely to make a bid.