Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

Page 22 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW May 13, 1939 Strollin' Thru the Studios Joel McCrea has been borrowed from Samuel GoLDWYN for the lead in Warner Bros. "Career Man", with Ann Sheridan and Jeffrey Lynn. James Hilton, Warren Duff and Frank Donochue are writing the screenplay, with starting date set for May 15. Lloyd Bacon directs under the produ'ction wing of Lou Edelman. Penny Singleton, just returned from New York, began rehearsals for the third of the "Blondie" series, "Blondie Takes A Vacation", her next picture for Cohmibia. Arthur Laice and Larry Sims will be featured, with Robert Sparks producing. Personal appearance tour of Tex Ritter, Alonogram musical western star, has been postponed until July. Producer Edward Finney will start Ritter's next picture, "Roll, Wagons, Roll", before the end of this month with Al Herman directing, and Ritter will start his tour immediately upon its completion. N.4TE Watt, who will direct Harry Sherman's next "Hopalong Cassidy" picture, "Argentina", starring William Boyd, returned from Sonora, California, where Russell Harlan and two camera crews shot scenes during the progress of the annual mother lode rodeo. W. P. Lipscomb, who wrote the screenplay of Universal's "The Sun Never Sets", has been retained at the studio to write the screenplay for "The Invisible Man Returns", which will be directed by JoE May. The picture is a sequel to the successful "Invisible Man". Republic is rushing the last two pictures of the "Three Mesquiteers" series on this year's program to permit John Wayne to report to RKO for his role in "Pennsylvania Uprising". "Oklahoma Outlaw" rolls this week, to be followed by "Timberline Cowboys", early in June. George Sherman directs. "The Spellbinder", Lee Tracy's second screen vehicle for RKO, went into production this week with Barbara Read playing the leading feminine role. The story, a modern drama built around the life of a criminal attorney, is an original by Joseph Anthony. Jack Hively' directs for Cliff Reid. Samuel Goldwyn's "The Real Glory" company, has been split into three u'nits, with two going on location at Kernville and Sherwood Lake this week. Gary Cooper, Andrea Leeds and the rest of the leads will continue at the studio, under direction of Henry H.\thaway. Walter Wancer's first picture for the 1939-40 United Artists program will be "Whose Wife?" directed by Tay Garnett. Loretta Young has been signed as the first of three Jtop-ranking stars to play its leading roles. Kurt Neumann, director who recently completed "Island of Lost Men", starring Anna May Wong, was given another year under his Paramount contract. His option was picked up because of several successful pictures. James Stewart will attain star status at MGM with the production of "The Shop Around the Corner", in which he will star with Margaret Sullavan, under the producerdirectorship of £rnst Lubitsch. Filming will start as soon as Stewart finishes in Columbia's ■"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". June 5 has been set as the starting date for "On Your Toes", Warner Bros, adaptation of the musical comedy hit in which Vera ZoRiNA and Eddie Albert will have the leads. Sam Engel, associate producer at Selznick International, is en route to England where he will organize a second unit which will photograph background scenes for "Ordeal", which will go into production after his return. Henry Fonda and Nancy Kelly have been chosen liy Darryl F. Zanuck, 20th CenturyFox production chief, for the co-starring roles in the Technicolor production of "Drums Along the Mohawk." The picture, one of the biggest on the studio's new schedule, will be directed by John Ford. Max (Gordon and Harry Goetz will return to the RKO studios on May 15 to begin actual preparations on the film version of the famous stage play, "Abe Lincoln in Illinois", with Raymond Massey in the title role. Upon completion of the picture, Massey will resume his stardom in the N. Y. cast. Befween Scenes Relaxinq h c t iv c c n scenes on the set of RKO Radio's "Five Came Back," Director John Farrow, Chester Morris and Allen Jenkins are enteriained by Producer Buddy De Sylva, zvho is visiting them from the stage next door zvhere Ginger Rogers and David NivEN are zvorking in a romantic drama titled "Little Mother." His Hardest Job Walter Brennan, Samuel Goldwyn's Academy Azvard Winner, as Professor Lazvson in "Music School,'' starring Jascha Heifetz, has encountered his -most difficult screen assignment . . . that of conductor of a large symphony orchestra. Here Brennan is being coached in the difficult job by Alexander Steinert, former conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Werner Janssen Will Compose "Winter Carnival" Music Score Walter Wanger gave his current film production, "Winter Carnival", added distinction in the signing of Werner Janssen, conductor of the Baltimore .Symphony Orchestra, to compose and conduct a musical score for the filmplay. A graduate of Dartmouth college, which provides the setting for the film, Janssen has long wanted to set to music the spirit of his alma mater. The picture is in its third week of production at the Wanger Studios under the direction of Charles F. Riesner, with Ann Sheridan and Richard Carlson in the top roles. Janssen's original music will include choral numbers, a carnival song, a college chant and other compositions to provide mood for various scenes. john Wayne and Edward Ellis Head Cast of "Pennsylvania Uprising" John Wayne, who recently played the romantic lead in Walter Wanger's "Stagecoach", has been borrowed from Republic by Pandro S. Berman, Vice-president in charge of RKO production, for the major role in "Pennsylvania LTprising", scheduled for filming this summer. Sharing honors at the head of the cast will be Edward Ellis, now under contract to RKO, and currently appearing in "Career". "Pennsylvania Uprising" will be produced by P. J. Wolfson as a Class "A" feature. Wolfson also authored ,the screenplay based on Neil Swanson's best-selling novel, "The First Rebel".