Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1946)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, October 5. 1946 41 HOLLYWOOD STUDIO NEWS & PROGRAM NOTES Alan Curtis to Play Philo Vance in Series for PRC; Joan Lorring Signed by Enterprise for 'Other Love' Warners Increase Number Of Technicolor Films An all-time high in the use of Technicolor for bqth features and short subjects is scheduled by Warner Bros, for 1946-47. In addition to two already completed Technicolor features, "Life With Father" and "The Time, the Place and the Girl," color will be used in "My Wild Irish Rose," while two other Technicolor musicals, "Bill's Gay Nineties" and "Howdy, Stranger." are set for 1947 production. These five pictures will give Warners their highest quota of color features in any single year. Technicolor shorts, totaling at least 66 out of the 1946-47 schedule of 84, also will set a new record for color. U-I Signs to Release Rampart Productions Rampart Productions, recently formed by Joan Fontaine and William Dozier, has signed a long-term exclusive contract with UniversalInternational for the production and release of its pictures. All Rampart productions will be made in association with U-I, and all deals for the loan-out services of Miss Fontaine will be handled through Rampart, except her present commitment with RKO for one picture a year on that lot. The new production company plans to acquire outstanding properties, personalities and writers for the pictures to be made under the Rampart banner. Fans' Request Heeded Following the release of "My Pal Wolf," RKO Radio received hundreds of letters from film fans asking to see Una O'Connor and little Sharyn Mofifett together again on the screen. The requests have 'oeen heeded, and the two are to be paired in the studio's forthcoming "Child of Divorce." Leslie Opposite Tone Joan Leslie will have the feminine role opposite Franchot Tone in Eagle Lion's "Repeat Performance," replacing Constance Bowling who left the studio recently. The picture is based on a novel by William O'Farrell showing what might happen to a condemned murderer who gets a chance to live again. IMIusical Cavalcade With production scheduled to start next January at MOM, Joseph Pasternak plans a cavalcade of classical music, "Triumph of Music," which will have Jose Iturbi, pianistconductor, playing himself. The title had formerly been applied to a projected life of Mozart. Warren Writing Pact Charles Marquis Warren has signed a new term writing contract with Paramount and started work on a screen treatment of Joseph Conrad's "Lord Jim" as his first assignment. Grippo Plans 'Panic' Jan Grippo has scheduled "Panic," a murder mystery, as a future vehicle for the Bowery Boys ;it Monogram. Jerry Warner will do the •-creenplay. Barney Sarecky, recently installed as producer at Monogram, began preparations for his first picture on that lot, tentatively titled "Stick to Your Saddle," which will star Johnny Mack Brown with Raymond Hatton. Ljimbert Hillyer will direct. Frank Ferguson was signed for the role of a Hollywood studio executive in "Variety Girl," Paramount's all-star romantic musical. Mary Hatcher will portray the title role with DeForest Kelly in the male lead. Frank Partes has been signed to a writercontract by 20th-Fox and will collaborate with Millen Brand on the screenplay of Mary Jane IVard's best-seller, "The Snake Pit," which Robert Bassler will produce and Anatole Litvak direct. Frances Rafferty was set by Eagle Lion for a major role in "His Bridal Night," romantic comedy which Leigh Jason will direct, with Lee Marcus producing. Ann Richards plays the feminine lead. Mathew Bolton, Hazel Smart and Elmore Henderson have been cast in "Woman in White," starring Alexis Smith, Sydney Greenstreet, Eleanor Parker and Gig Young. Peter Godfrey directs and Henry Blanke produces for Warners. "The Son of Rusty," fourth picture in Columbia's "Rusty" series featuring Ted Donaldson, has been added to the production slate of Sanford Cummings. Barry Sulivan will star in "Violence," original story by Stanley Rubin and Louis Lants, which Monogram producers Jack Bernhard and Bernard Brandt will put before cameras in December with Bernhard directing. A Howard Hughes discovery, Iris Bynam, has been given the second feminine role, that of a native girl, in Pine-Thomas' "Adventure Island," being filmed in color from Robert Louis Stevenson's "Ebb Tide." Rhonda Fleming, Rory Calhoun, Paul Kelly and John Abbott share acting honors. Alan Curtis has been signed by PRC to play ^uave Philo Vance in a new series of films based on the character created by the late S. S. Van Dine. Sheila Ryan will be seen opposite Curtis in the first of the new series, titled "Philo Vance's Gamble," while Frank Jenks and Tola Birell have important roles. Howard IVetsch produces the series, with the first one being directed by Reginald Le Borg. William Frawlcy, veteran screen actor, has been assigned to an important feature role in 20th-Fox's "Mother Wore Tights," starring Betty Grable. Waiter Lang will direct for producer Lamar Troiti. Dolores Moran has been given a feminine starring role in the Benedict Bogcaus-Burgess Meredith sectional film, "A Miracle Can Happen." She will appear opposite James Steimrt and Henry Fonda in their sequence of the film. Irving Bacon was signed for a comedy role in Paramount's "Dear Ruth," Joan Caul fieldWilliam Holden starrer which William Russell directs. Joan Lorring will play the plum role of Celestine in chief support of Barabara Stanwyck and David Niven in "The Other Love," Daiiid Lewis production for Enterprise, which Andre de Toth will direct. Screenplay by Ladis las Fodor is based on a new, unpublished novel by Erich Maria Remarque. Robert Sidney, Broadway dance director, has been signed by Columbia on a long-term contract. Sidney has designed routines for such stage musicals as "Three to Make Ready" and Irving Berlin's long run success, "This Is the Army." Leo G. Carroll has been assigned an important role in 20th-Fox's "Forever Amber," appearing as Matt Goodegroome, Amber's foster father, in the film which Otto Preminger will direct. Billy Wilder, Paramount director-writer who has just completed "The Emperor Waltz," lavish Technicolor film, was re-optioned by the studio on the occasion of his tenth anniversary with Paramount. John Hamilton and George Lloyd have been added to the cast of "It Happened on Fifth Avenue," current Roy Del Ruth production for Monogram. Cast is headed by Don De Fore, Gale Storm, Victor Moore, Ann Harding and Charles Ruggles. Ben Lessy, night club comedian, has been signed by MGM to appear with Red Skelton in "Merton of the Movies," as a silent picture funny man. Virginia O'Brien shares acting honors with Skelton in the film. Hayworth, Welles to Co-Star for Columbia Columbia will co-star Rita Hayworth with Orson Welles in "The Lady From Siianghai," which Mr. Welles will produce and direct from his own screenplay. Production was scheduled to begin this week and the film will be shot on location in Hollywood, New York, San Francisco and Acapulo, Mexico. Based on the 1939 novel, "If I Die Before I Wake" by Sherwood King, "The Lady From Shanghai" deals with a chauffeur who pleads guilty to a fictitious murder charge. UA to Release 'Valentino' With production scheduled for early 1947, Edward Small Productions' "The Life of Rudolph Valentino" will be released through United Artists under terms of a contract approved and signed over the weekend. Meanwhile, Small is continuing his search, begun in 1939 and hampered by the war, for a likeness of the late great star. Ceballos to Do Dances Larry Ceballos, who has staged the dance numbers for many of the industry's most spectacular music films, has been signed by producer Sam Coslow to direct the dances in "Copacabana," which .Mfred E. Green will direct for United Artists release. Groncho Marx, Carmen Miranda, Andy Russell. Gloria Jean and Steve Cochran have top roles. New Ideal Theatre Chain JOE HORNSTEIN has if/