Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1947)

STODIO SIZf-UPS SCREEN GUILD Eight For August COMERSET PICTURES' "The Dark Road," now in production, ^ leads off a list of eight films which will go into work this month. Walter Colmes is producing the Somerset Film with John Shelton and Ann Doran in the leading roles. Next to come will be Frank Wisbar's production of the James Fenimore Cooper story, "The Prairie." This one will be made at the Nassour Studios. Maurice Conn has "Deadlock" set to go. Audio Pictures has "Crisis of Dirk Diamond" about set to start. Two "streamliners" (how streamlined can we get?) based on James Oliver Curwood stories will go. Jack Schwarz will start one. Max M. King also has one in work. This will mark the most concentrated activity within this company thus far. All the films are short-scheduled, short-budget pieces. SELZNICK UA Distribution Rival? I^OW THAT David O. Selznick is back in town, his company's '•^ name is on its way to being what the tag implies. Selznick's first order of business, after five months in New York with his "Portrait of Jenny" company, was to announce that he would begin negotiations with various independent producers for release of their product through SRO. This has all earmarks of the creation of a new distribution organization to rival United Artists. While Selznick announced that he would limit applications to such films as are "capable of achieving multi-million dollar grosses," it is understood that he has been flooded with requests from producers, many of whom do not quite fall into that category. The SRO organization was completely set up while Selznick was in New York and is now set to roll with foreign and Latin American markets all covered. Selznick stated that he would be ready to make "important announcements" about SRO activities as well as Selznick production plans within a short time. "Intermezzo" (Ingrid Bergman-Leslie Howard) gets a rerelease showing through SRO with an October opening. With "Portrait of Jenny" finally finished in New York, "The Paradine Case" through the editing and "Duel In The Sun" getting another big ad campaign to hypo the second run, Mr. Selznick's decks seem cleared for action which we will undoubtedly get in full measure. it 20th CENTURY-FOX Production Picks Up •"THIS IS ONE studio that was caught without product for the summer months. But with the productions now going and those in editing and final preparation, the fall and winter season for this company should more than make up for the summer shortage. Ready to go before the end of the year are the Technicolored "Mother Wore Tights" (Betty Grable-Dan Dailey), "Kiss of Death" (Victor Mature-Brian Donlevy), "Forever Amber" (Linda Darnell-Cornel Wilde), "Captain From Castile" (Tyrone PowerJean Peters), and "Gentleman's Agreement" (Gregory PeckDorothy McGuire) which is still shooting. High hopes are built on the latter three as entries in the award race and strong builders at the box-office, in any case. With a backlog building and six strong pictures in production, the studio will' not find it necessary to up its production in spite of the slump of the last quarter. Those in v/ork inchide: "Daisy Kenyon" (Joan Crawfoi d-Dana Andrews), "Green Grass of Wyoming" (Peggy Cummins^Charles Coburn), "Nightmare Alley" (Tyrone Power-Joan Blondell), "The Snake Pit" (Olivia de Havilland-Mark Stevens) j and "Gentleman's Agreement." Speaking of "Gentleman's Agreement," John Garfield netted one of the highest per day salaries ever paid in the industry. Hired on a basis of $150,000 for the picture, Garfield did eight da.y.n of work which breaks his take down to $18,750 per day. Although the Garfield part is a small one, it is an impoitant part of tlic story and the Zanuck company thought it well worthwhile to nab off a top player for the role. The name value on the marquee was not oveidooked, either. But salaries like that help make ljudgets what they arc. UNITED ARTISTS Schenck To Pick UA Prexy JOSEPH M. SCHENCK'S appointment by Mary Pickford and J Charles Chaplin to select a president for the rumor-riddled company is the first concrete move in months to lay the ghost of selling that has haunted the owners via the rumor-mill. Now, with an inventory of about 50 properties in various stages of preparation among the roster of producers and fourteen pictures in backlog ready for release, the situation on the product side, quantitatively at least, is perking up, too. Ripley Monter Productions has again set a deal for the production of the famous Thomas Wolfe novel, "Look Homeward, Angel," which has been kicking around these parts for years. Originally, David Selznick was to have made the film but the deal fell through. Now it is Seymour Nebenzal who has contracted to take over where Selznick left off. This one, if and when it finally goes, will be assigned a budget of $2,000,000 which will include six top-name salaries. Arthur Ripley will direct. The production is set for a late Fall start at the Goldwyn studios. There is already a complete script and about 26,000 feet of background film. Despite Miss Pickford's problems with UA, her own production unit is swimming along easily. Now winding up its initial production, "Sleep My Love" (Claudette Colbert-Robert Cummings), the schedule is set for a new version of "The Bat," an old-time thriller and "Stardust Road," a story based on the career of Hoagy Carmichael. UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL Boyer Film Starts I^EW ON THE sound stages this week are: "Mortal Coils' (Charles Boyer-Ann Blyth) with Zoltan Korda directing, and "River Lady," a Technicolor outdoor film (Yvonne De Carlo-Dan Duryea) with George Sherman directing. Continuing in work are: "A Double Life" (Ronald ColmanSigne Hasso) formerly titled "Imagination," "Naked City" (Barry Fitzgerald-Dorothy Hart), the Mark Hellinger production, "The Senator Was Indiscreet" (William Powell-Ella Raines), and "Tap Roots" (Van Heflin-Susan Hayward). All the four hold-overs are independent productions being made for U-I release which is indicative of the trend at this studio. It is undoubtedly true that the bulk of this company's program, certainly its greatest box-office draw will be coming from such arrangements from here on in. "HARVEY" WON'T PAY OFF QUICKLY Despite the fanfare accorded the recent $1,000,000 purchase of the Broadway play, "Harvey," this studio is still at least a year from starting production on the piece. At this writing, the role belongs to anyone, with Jimmy Stewart not an unlikely candidate, if ho can be had. William Powell is also rumored in the running but as a studio spokesman commented on the situation, "By the time they get around to making the picture, all the likely candidates as of now will be too old and they'll have to take someone from the new generation!" That may be a little exaggeratsd but it is not without a kernel of truth. WARNER BROS. Four To Go This Month ■WnTH FOUR hold-overs on the sound stages, studio publicity department is attempting to spark a dull situation by announcing four productions to go within the next two weeks. First of these will be "Christopher Blake," from the stage play; then, "The Patriots," another important Broadway success; "To The Victors" and "Sunburst" are the other half of the quartet of new starters. No casting has been formally announced as yet and production dates are still nebulous. Lnuren Bacall has just finished a three-month suspension and is back on salary again. The actiess took the rap rather than do a role in Michael Curtiz's "Romance In High C." The role went to a newcomer called Doris Day (who originally was tested at Metro) and if the 'picture clicks, she may catch on. That's the w.iy it l.appcns in this business. A L ( ; U b T 4 , 19 4 7 [ If