Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1942)

Oclohcr 3,. 1942 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 41 HOLLYWOOD STUDIO ROUXD-UP Going before the cameras this week are eleven new pictures: COLUMBIA ROBIN HOOD OF THE RANGE— Principals : Charles Starrett, Kay Harris, Arthur Hunnicutt. Director. William Berke. METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER SALUTE TO THE MARINES — Principals; Wallace Beery, Fay Bainter, Don Curtis. Director. S. Sylvan Simon. MONOGRAM DEAD MAN'S TRAIL — Principals: Range Busters. Director, Robert Tansey. LITTLE MOBSTERS — Principals: East Side Kids. Director, Wallace Fox. PRODUCERS LADY FROM CHUNGKING — Principals: Anna May Wong, Harold Huber, Mae Clarke. Director, William Nigh. BILLY THE KID NO. 1 — Principals: Buster Crabbe. Al St. John, Caroline Burke. Director, Sam Newfield. REPUBLIC RIDIN' DOWN THE CAN YON— Principals : Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes, Linda Hayes, Lorna Gray. Director, Joseph Kane. SUNDOWN KID— Principals : Don Barry. Lynn Merrick, Ian Keith. Director. Elmer Clifton. 20th CENTURY-FOX CONEY ISLAND (Technicolor) — Principals: Betty Grable, George Montgomery, Cesar Romero, Charles Winninger. Director, Walter Lang. UNIVERSAL CORVETTES IN ACTION — Principals: Patric Knowles, Dick Foran, Louise Allbritton. Director, Richard Rosson. IT AIN'T HAY — Principals: Abbott & Costello, Eugene Pallette, Andrew Toombes, Grace McDonald. Director. Erie C. Kenton. TITLE CHANGES "Law of the Bad Lands" (Col.) now LONE PRAIRIE. "Brasher Doubloon" (Fox) now MURDER, MURDER, EVERYWHERE. "Seventh Column" (Fox) now CHETNIKS. "Stand By To Die" (RKO) now FLIGHT FOR FREEDOM. "On the Beam" lUniv.) now IT COMES UP LOVE. Golob Heads Warner Field Staff Larry Golob has been appointed to head the Warner Bros, field exploitation force, taking over the duties formerly handled by Lee Blumberg, Mort Blumenstock, in charge of advertising and publicity for the company in the East, aimounced this week. Golob, who has been with Warner-First National publicity for the past 18 years, also will continue to carry on with his present publicity activities ; in charge of national and fan magazines, syndicates and newspaper picture and roto sections. Ruth Gordon's Busy Schedule Ruth Gordon has been signed by WB to play Raymond Massey's wife in "Action in the North Atlantic" which stars Humphrey Bogart. Creighton Hale, of "Clutching Hand" fame, is also cast in the picture. This means that Miss Gordon will be playing in two pictures simultaneously at Warners, for she also has an important role in "Edge of Darkness," Errol Flynn-Ann Sheridan starrer. More than 100 screen and radio players and singers participated in Army camp shows, etc., in the South California area Sept. 15 to 22. Lucky Seventh — Trio Hopes Screen star Jean Parker flanked by her bosses, William Thomas, left, and William Pine. Jean is playing her seventh lead for the young producers in Paramount's "High Explosive." Film Industry Meets to Dedicate Country House Three thousand people from all branches of the film industry, set workers and stars, property men and producers, attended Sunday, Sept. 27th, dedication ceremonies opening the newly completed Motion Picture Relief Fund's Country House in Woodland Hills. Marking the completion of a long planned project for industry workers who have faithfully served in motion picture production the project is intended to relieve members of the industry or their families who met reverses as a result of active service in the war. No other industry has a comparable project. Thus far the project numbers 28 guest cottages, a medical clinic with occupational therapy one of its functions, and a well stocked library. Sperling Work Divided Among Three at 20th-Fox Several 20th-Fox producers liave taken over stories formerly on the schedule of Milton Sperling, who left to enter the Marine Corps. William Perlberg will handle the production reins on "Hello, Frisco, Hello" ; Lamar Trotti will produce "Goodbye Dolly Gray," "A Gentleman From Carolina," his own original, and "Down to the Sea in Ships" ; and Robert Bassler has taken over "Blindman's House," "The Texas Volunteers" and "Signal Corps." This disposes of the Sperling roster except for "Crash Dive," which is half finished and which William Goetz will personally supervise to completion. First Complete Movie Town Built Hollywood's first complete Western town, called Shermanville, will have a new church, postoffice and warehouse. These will supplement stables, a newspaper office, a general store, a corral, a doctor's office, a hotel and a saloon, all of which had been built for Producer Harry Sherman's "Buckskin Frontier." When finished, Shermanville will be used as a locale for "Colt Comrades," Hopalong Cassidy adventure, scheduled for October 20th production. Hellman and Pavlichenko Meef Lillian Hellman and Lieut. Pavlichenko, the Russian girl sniper who has hit the headlines lately are getting together to discuss Miss Hellman's forthcoming story on the Russian invasion which Miss Hellman is writing for Sam Goldwyn. MacArthur Goes in for ArtJohn Goodman, Universal's art director, has assigned Harold MacArthur to handle the set designing chore on "It Ain't Hay," forthcoming .\bbott and Costello starring picture. W A]\DERI]\G AROUND HOLLYWOOD A happy note for those who have been urging "Union Now," etc. Directors Alfred Hitchcock and Tim Whelan, both natives of the British Isles, in making their selection for an English butler, selected an American who has never been in England. Doesn't that mean that Americans and English are so close they are almost alike? The same redoubtable Mr. Hitchcock has started a feud between tioo newspapers in cities that fought to have "Shadow of a Doubt" located zvithin their respective confines. One has called the other a "fish wrapper." That could mean that the paper is used for wrapping fish, a valuable commodity, and better than many papers deserve ; or it cotdd mean that a fishmonger's tongue might be mixed up in it. No matter how you cut it, there are bones! Sig Neufeld, who makes 'em for PRC release, says that when you make a horror picture, you've got to make it so the skin will crawl off the customer's bones. His next one, a vampire story, starts in a fireplace with a small fire, and ends in a big fire that takes all the players with it. Sort of like Hamlet, where the King dies, the Queen dies, Laertes dies, Ophelia dies, and Ham dies. Lillian Hellman has been huddling for Sam Goldwyn zvith Liudmila Pavlichenko. the Russian girl sniper. She could learn more about sniping from Dorothy Parker or Clare Boothe. Watching a process shot being made on the "Flesh and Fantasy" picture, with Charles Boyer and Grace McDonald in costume, we saw Lou Costello kidding around. Is Lou going to be in one of the sequences? He might be good in a dramatic spot where he doesn't crack a smile, because the customers will probably laugh themselves sick, figuring that it's just a gag. Whatever Lou does is bound to be funny. Universal's pictures for Maria Montez are to be called "White Savage" and "Cobra Woman." Were the titles selected for her, or has she been selected for the titles? Or is it some Universal prophecy? Jean Carmen in "Jungle Love" Jean Carmen will portray a female Tarzan in "Jungle Love," Monogram wildwood drama which has just been set for early production. Miss Carmen, swimmer and dancer, as well as actress, has appeared on Broadway in "The Man Who Came to Dinner." "Jungle Love" will be produced by Lindsley Parsons. Edmund Lowe on Long Termer Edmund Lowe has been signed by Columbia to a long term contract. The first picture of the deal has not been set, and the studio is waiting for Lowe to return from a bond selling tour. Fineman Signed and Assigned B. P. Fineman, MGM producer has been signed to a term contract and for his first assignment under the contract will produce "Air. Wookey."