Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1938)

July 3 0, 19 3 8 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 43 IN THE STUDIOS' CUTTING ROOMS major locale is Paris and it is modernly timed. Colbert will be seen in the role of a fiery, lovable favorite of the French music halls. Marshall is a man of position in the business world. They are strangely attracted to each other. Colbert bets that she can make him fall in love with her in five minutes. She does and the five minutes stretches into months of mutual happiness. Despite the pleas of her manager and tippling stepmother she is about to quit the stage when jealousy makes an appearance. But her fury dies when she learns Marshall is married and a father. She sends him away when he approaches her again and plunges into her singing career with an enthusiasm that makes her the toast of Paris. But always she dreams of the one man in her life. When he comes back to her, offering his life and fortune, she gives him her answer in a song she sings from the stage. The picture is being produced in the style in which Paramount mounts its more pretentious efforts. There is a feeling on the lot that it will be one of the studio's high ranking productions. Release date : To be determined. Boys Towni ( Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) Story of an Institution With fact and melodramatic fiction blended, "Boys Town" will be the story of the Reverend E. J. Flanagan and the self-governing honor school for unfortunate boys which he established at Omaha, Nebraska, an institution that is the wonder of sociologists. Hollywood actors and some of the boys play the roles. It will be a picture of a priest who realized that boys sent to reform school may emerge as full blown criminals, and did something about it. Through a tough lad whose regeneration eventually is worked out it will show how the boys govern and punish themselves, how they infuse the spirit of loyalty and citizenship into newcomers. All that will be factual. In its fictional counterpart, it will tell the story of the tough boy (Mickey Rooney) who finds the communal discipline too much for him, prevails upon an impressionable boy to run away with him, returns with his injured companion but is ostracized by the other boys. Loitering in Omaha, he becomes involved in a bank holdup, but leads the boys to capture the criminals. Spencer Tracy will be seen in the role of "Father Flanagan," the second time he has appeared as a priest. Rooney, now as big a star as any on the MGM lot, can be depended upon to be as tough as any tough boy actor is supposed to be. Henry Hull plays the part of "Father Flanagan's" friend and financial backer. Other boys in the cast are Gene Reynolds, Bobs Watson, Sidney Miller, Frankie Thomas, Jimmy Butler and Donald Barry. The picture, much of which ' actually was filmed at Boys Town, is being directed by Norman Taurog, whose ability to handle youngsters has been demonstrated by such films as "Skippy," "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "Mad About Music." Release date : To be determined. Girls' School (Columbia) Girlish Goings-On For names this production, which stems from the ideas of "Maedchen in Uniform" and its successors, will of?er Anne Shirley, notably of SHORT PRODUCT PLAYING BROADWAY Week of July 23 CAPITOL The Magician's Daugfiter. . MGM That Mothers Might Live.. MGM CRITERION Fool Coverage RKO Radio MUSIC HALL Screen Snapshots, No. I I.. Columbia PARAMOUNT Popular Science, No. 6. ... Paramount Plumbing Is a Pipe Paramount RIALTO La Savate MGM A Fascinating Adventure .. Paramount The Big Birdcast Columbia ROXY Eliza Runs Again Educational Many Sappy Returns Columbia Singapore Major Peter P. Devlin STRAND Music With a Smile Vitaphone Pictorial Review, No. 12. . Vitaphone "Stella Dallas," Nan Grey, similarly prominent in "Three Smart Girls," "Sutter's Gold" and other Universal features, Ralph Bellamy, now in "Boy Meets Girl," Noah Beery, Jr., Cecil Cunningham, Margaret Tallichet, Doris Kenyon, Marjorie Main, Franklin Pangborn, Marjorie Lord, Gloria Holden, Dorothy Moore and Marjorie Deane. The story concerns itself with the happenings in an exclusive girls' school, all within 24 hours. The story is an original, written by Tess Slesinger, a collaborator on the preparation of "The Bride Wore Red" and "The Good Earth." She adapted it in association with Richard Sherman, whose most recent screen play contributions are "Alexander's Ragtime Band" and "Four Men and a Prayer." It is being directed by John Brahm, whose recent experiences were "Penitentiary" and "Counsel for Crime." Representatives of two social orders, wealthy and just plain folks, are brought into conflict as a scandal threatens. A personable boy and moonlight lead a rich girl to violation of a school rule. The poor girl monitor does not tell until her pride and honor have been hurt. Thereupon is set in motion a chain of events that involve the lives, hopes and fears of many. All, it is anticipated, will excite the varying emotions of many, especially femininity of the high school and finishing school ages. Before the picture concludes with an elopement, relations between two social orders are attuned in that harmony which politics defines as democratic Americanism. Release date : To be determined. WoodenAnchors(tenfative) (20th Century-Fox) Sailors and Girls During the war, they had a lot of fast little boats called subchasers, which the regular navy knew as the splinter fleet. The little boats became involved in exciting action, all of which is a matter of naval record. It was but natural that, after just about every other branch of the service and its heroic contributions to the salvation of democracy had been cinematographically honored, the splinter fleet was due for a turn, and that in order to make a moving picture in which would be included all the standby elements, the little fleet would be the background for a love story. Well, while the splinter fleet is given opportunity to chime in the we-won-the-war chorus to the accompaniment of much spectacular and exciting action, during which the bands will play "Anchors Aweigh" very often, the rich boy learns to become a regular sailor and win the heart of the girl who loved him as well as the respect of the old sea dog who didn't think he ever could be a fit lifemate for his only (motherless, of course) daughter. The picture is being directed by John Ford, who just about everybody knows turns out sometimes odd but always spectacular pictures as attest his record from "Men without Women" to "Four Men and a Prayer," between which were sandwiched such attractions as the "The Informer," "Hurricane," "The Lost Patrol" and "Prisoner of Shark Island." Mr. Ford, a sailor himself, makes background action salty and robust. Richard Greene, who was with Loretta Young in "Four Men and a Prayer," and Nancy Kelly, a recruit from the stage whence she gained a measure of acclaim for her work in "Susan and God," are the hero and heroine. They will be supported by numerous persons, the majority of whom have been in the picture acting business for quite some time, among them George Bancroft, Preston Foster, John Carradine, Slim Summerville, George E. Stone, Warren Hymer, J. Farrell MacDonald, Douglas Fowley and Ward Bond. Release date : Sept. 20, 1938. McConnell and Solomon Form Record Pictures Record Pictures Corporation has been formed with Fred McConnell, president, and Benjamin W. Solomon, secretary, to handle a limited number of releases. The company will release "about four outstanding independently made productions each year," Mr. McConnell said this week. Physical distribution will be through Monogram exchanges. He said the reason for the limited number is to concentrate on individual films, "thereby assuring the maximum financial return to producer and exhibitor." The company's stafif will consist of men experienced in sales and exploitation, he added. The first release is Walter Putter's "Dark Sands" (Review on page 64), opening at the Rialto in New York, in August. The second will be "The Gang Show." Herbert Wilcox production, being edited for fall release. Mr. McConnell will handle the sales from his office in the Paramount building. Bruce Gallup has been named advertising and publicity director. Chicago, Indianapolis and Milwaukee are the three latest offices to sign Republic's new five-year franchise agreement, according to an announcement this week by James R. Grainger, president.