Motion Picture Herald (Sep-Oct 1941)

46 MOTION PICTURE H ERALD September 20, 1941 THE HOLLYWOOD SCENE New Faces The greatest event in the motion picture industry, outside of a boxoffice record oreaker, is the discovery and introduction of a "new face." It should be an event for celebration by producer, distributor and exhibitor. That's the opinion of Lester Cowan, producer, now engaged in a country wide-tour to show his Columbia production, "Ladies in Retirement," to exhibitors. Suiting his action to his belief, Mr. Cowan is '.press agenting" the debut of two players, Isobel Elsom and Edith Barrett, both of whom are recruits for the stage. Should Add Value "Every picture," he said last week before flying to San Francisco on the first leg of a four-week trip which will finally land him in New York for conferences with his production partner, Gilbert Miller, "should introduce at least one new face. There are many reasons for this. "Every producer with each picture should add something to the value of the industry as a whole. The business is based on talent, and new discoveries are just like something in the bank for the entire industry. "Exhibitors should welcome new faces and push them with the public. Producers should give newcomers every opportunity to make good and add to the total wealth of the personality file. Distributors should make special efforts to sell the newcomers to showmen who in turn sell them to the public." By developing interest in new faces and grooming players for star roles, Mr. Cowan said, the casting problems so acute at the present time would be avoided, or eliminated. "Top players are refusing to appear in more than a certain number of roles annually because of taxation and other reasons," he said. "This industry has neglected to develop public interest in new personalities during the past years and as a result, there is a real dearth of top player material. "Had studios introduced new players on a concerted program to find the keys to public favor, we would not have the present problems in casting, and the 'typing' of players which is exhausting the public's temper. "There is an obligation on the producer's part, in addition to making boxoffice pictures, to contribute something in the way of novice talent to the wealth of the industry as a whole." Mr. Cowan, one time executive secretary of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and credited with the development of the annual awards program, is still award conscious, despite the fact that he left the Academy eight years ago. "There should he another Academy or industry award — and that should go to the producer who during the year introduces the most new personalities," lie said. His New York conferences with Mr. Miller, his production partner, will decide the future of Lester Cowan Productions, Inc. — whether it will continue to release through Columbia, or sign a deal with United Artists. ALEX GOTTLIEB, 54-year-old producer, who is riding the tremendous wave generated by the Abbott and Costello pictures. He produced "Btick Privates", "In the Navy" and the forthcoming "Ride 'Em, Cowboy", to be released November 2%th. In each of the cities where he will have his own "trade showings" of "Ladies in Retirement," with the cooperation of Columbia exchange men, Mr. Cowan will endeavor to enlist the aid of exhibitors in his "new faces" drive. Warners Lead Tied last week for first place in the production race — which, of course, isn't in fact a race at all, unless there's a selling sprint in the offing — the Warner plant was out in front again this week with ten pictures shooting. Race or not, the spurt makes a difference in the atmosphere around the studio and the pursuits of its pernonnel. "For the first time in the history of Warner Brothers," said an announcement issued at weekend, the studio's entire star roster, with the exception of Wayne Morris, now in the Navy, and Brenda Marshall, recuperating from an appendectomy, is employed in current pictures or making tests for productions scheduled to start soon." Additionally, the studio had working on its stages the following outside talent : Henry Fonda, Robert Cummings, Monty Woolly, Lloyd Nolan, Constance Bennett, Bruce Cabot, Warren William, Betty Brewer, Peter Lorre, Conrad Veidt, Judith Anderson, half a' dozen others. Circumstances further denoting the nature of the flourishing activity are the announcement that the studio lias abandoned produc tion of "B" pictures entirely and released Bryan Foy, renowned "Keeper of the B's," who joined Twentieth Century-Fox forthwith. The situation at weekend stood like this : COMPLETED Paramount 20th-Fox Malaya Young America Midnight Angel Lone Star Ranger Hanry and Dizzy Universal Republic It Started With Adam Jesse James at Bay Warner Small Body Disappears Corsican Brothers STARTED Columbia Republic North of the Rockies Newspaper Men Are Confessions of Boston Human Blackie Universal MGM Man or Mouse Vanishing Virginian Warners Monogram Wild Bill Hickok Riding the Sunset Rides Trail Remember Tomorrow Paramount You're In the Army Tombstone Now RKO-Radio Joan of Paris SHOOTING Columbia Republic Lady Is Willing Gaucho of El Dorado Harvard Here I Come 20th-Fox Bedtime Story Remember the Day Goldwyn Rise and Shine Ball of Fire Son of Fury KORDA Confirm or Deny Jungle Book Universal MGM Keep 'Em Flying Steel Cavalry Paris Calling Johnny Eager White Savage Woman of the Year Warners H. M. Pulham, Esq. Male Animal Panama Hattie Bridges Are Built at Babes on Broadway Night Girl on the Hill All Through the (formerly Kathleen) Night Her Honor Kings Row Pressburger Captains of the Shanghai Gesture Clouds Paramount Man Who Came to Morning After Dinner RKO Radio They Died With Come on Ranger Their Boots On Call Out the Marines Playmates V Fred Avery has joined MGM as director of a new cartoon unit. He is the creator of "Bugs Bunny," and was the first to use off-screen animation for cartoons. Some of his cartoons: "The Wild Hare," "PingoPango," "Detouring America." and "CrossCountry Detours." V The final screenplay of Ernest Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" has been completed by Louis Bromfield. With the appointment of Sidney Street as business manager for the production, final production details are being completed and a cast selected.