Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1949)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, March 26, 1949 37 Hollywood Newsreel West Coast Offices — 6777 Hollywood BlvA, Hollywood 28. Calil— Aim Lewis. Manager PRODUCTION PARADE By Rnn Lewis Lindsle}' Parsons, who heads his own producing unit. Parsons Productions, has just concluded a deal with Moiiogram to make three of James Oliver Curwood's best-known novels. The first will be "Tentacles of the North," scheduled to start in April, and George Sayre is already at work preparing the screenplay. Other two are "\\'olf Hunters" and "Captain's Courage." William Holden was cast by Paramount for the leading male role in "Sunset Boulevard," which will mark the screen return of Gloria Swanson. Producer Charles Brackett and Director Billy Wilder are busily engaged in getting the picture ready for "shooting." Elliott Lewis, the radio actor who plays Frank Remley on the Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show, and whose voice is known to many millions of radio listeners, is being tested at Universal-International -for the role of the mule in the Donald O'Connor starrer "Francis." According to Director Arthur Lubin, who expects this picture to be another "Buck Privates," Elliott's voice has the sympathetic feeling and vibrancy needed to put the character across. Story is about a top sergeant who is always being "told-off" by his mule, the only creature in the world not afraid of him. The Hal Wallis Production "September" will have Joan Fontaine in the top feminine role. Miss Fontaine affixed her signature to a contract and then made application for a passport, since exteriors for the picture will be filmed in Italy this August. Interiors will be made at the Paramount studio. The stellar feminine role in RKO's "Come Share Aly Love," which Harriet Parsons will produce from the Kay Swift novel, 'Who Could Ask for Anything More?" goes to Ann Sothern. This gives the studio a second picture with this star, for the finished film "The Judge Steps Out," in which Miss Sothern co-stars witli Alexander Knox, is slated for June release. Mervyn LeRoy has been assigned to direct a new co-starring team, Clark Gable and Loretta Young, in "Key to the City," a comedy to be produced by Z. Wayne Griffin for MGM. This will be Griffin's first picture at this studio and it is the third picture with which LeRoy and Gable have been associated. Republic has signed a new cowboy personality. Rex Allen, to a long-term contract and has purchased an original screenplay, "The Arizona Cowboy" by Bradford Ropes, as his initial starring picture. -Allen will be starred in his own series of musical westerns on w^hich Franklin Adreon will be associate producer. "Arizona Cowboy" is scheduled to go before the cameras on April 12. The front office at Warners is certainly busy these days. This week announcements came through that Ginaer Rogers would be co-starred with Dennis Morgan in "Perfect Strangers," which Jerry Wald will produce. Joseph Gotten will appear opposite Bette Davis in "Beyond the Forest," which 'Henry Blanke will produce and Humphrey Bogart will star in "Chain Lightning" (formerly titled "j€t") which Anthony Veiller will produce. And to top these ofif, the studio has signed Burt Lancaster to a long-term contract. "Lawless," an original western by George Slavin and George George, will be Randolph Scott's next starring vehicle at Columbia. The picture is set to go around the middle of April as another of Scott's and Harry Joe Brown's Producers-Actors Corporation productions. Jean Negulesco, who directed the Academy Award contender "Johnny Belinda" for Warners, has just had his director's pact lifted for another year at 20th-Fox. His next picture, to be produced by Nunnally Johnson, will be "Three Came Home." "Where ;\Ien Are Men" is the title of the next Paramount picture to star Bob Hope. It will be made in Technicolor and will again combine the successful producer-star combination of Hope and Robert Welch, producer of "The Paleface." George 2\Iarshall will direct. The highly dramatic role of a young father accused of murder in MGM's "Death in the Doll's House" was given to Zachary Scott. The central figure in this mystery thriller will be portrayed by Gigi Perreau. Picture goes before the cameras next month and one of the feminine stars will be Ann Sothern. It will be the first American directorial assignment for the youthful British director, Pat Jackson. Robert Sisk is the producer. S. Sylvan Simon has been elevated to an executive producer status at Columbia, w-orking directh' under Harry Cohn. Studio Roundup There are still some old troupers in the business, but one who has probably been around the longest is Harry Davenport. He marked his 77th anniversary in show business last week with the start of his role in Paramount's "Riding High." The 82-year-old veteran was signed for the role of the family butler in the romantic comedy-drama. Another interesting casting occurred at that lot when Barbara Stanwyck's brother, Byron Stevens, appeared w-ith her in "File on Thelma Jordon," Hal Wallis production. This is their first time together on the screen. Columbia started another picture, "Prince of Stallions," on Alarch 22. It's being made by the son of Columbia head Jack Cohn — Robert.' Ray Nazarro directs. Trudy Marshall and Lenore Aubert went into Colurribia's "Barbary Pirate" as feminine leads. Jay Silverheels, young Indian actor, was handed a supporting lead in Gene Autry's "The Cowboy and the Indians." on location at Pioneertown. Silverheels plays a youthful Navajo chief. Barbara Bates won the role of Mickey Rooney's girl friend in "Quicksand," RooneySam Stiefel Production for United Artists release. Picture is shooting at General Service. Michael Curtiz interviewed almost 100 extra girls before he found one w-ith the "longest, prettiest legs in Hollywood" for the part of the cigaret girl in Warner Bros.' "The Octopus and Miss Smith." Bridget Brown, who is 21, blonde, and five feet six inches tall, captured the job; movie audiences will see her in long black stockings and a short black skirt in a night club scene. "Love Is Big Business," Claudette ColbertRobert Young-George Brent starrer, moved to Paramount last week for three days' shooting on the New York street. It's an RKO Radio release being made by Crest Productions. The postponed western, "In Old Capistrano." is now scheduled to actually start March 28, with Tim Holt in the saddle. Darryl F. Zanuck's "Pinky" was closed down ^Tarch 17 at 20th Century-Fox because of a Theatre Admission Prices Too High. Declares Capra Motion picture theatre admission prices are too high, and that is a major factor in the continued box-office slump, declares Frank Capra, director-producer at Paramount. "Our industry made its success as mass entertainment," Capra told SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW. "We gave the public the most for their money. Now, it costs too much for the average moviegoer to attend pictures as regularly as he used to, so he goes to some other form of amusement where it costs him less. In this way, you have many people getting out of the habit of going to see films." Canra, a laconic man born in Sicily and since established as a top director, warned that exhibitors might not Uke his opinions. r;.e pointed out, however, that even during Depression days, people sought relaxation at the popular-priced movie theatre. Today, he maintains, they're going elsewhere. "Another factor being overlooked," he added, "is the rapidly increasing inteUigence of Americans, brought about by more education. We have failed to keep pace in our films." The man who won an Academy Award for "It Happened One Night" is currently making "Riding High" as his first commitment at Paramount. This picture stars Bing Crosby and is expected to be made in about 50 days. It will probably be released toward the end of the year, Capra said. Frank Capra