Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, November 19, 1949 27 Studio Roundup This week Columbia put out what it considers one of the largest extra calls of the year when it hired 445 persons for ball-park sequences in the new William Bendix comedy, "Kill the Umpire." However, Paramount outdid Columbia at Marysville, Calif., where it issued 2,500 checks to townspeople who played bit parts during location shooting on the Pine-Thomas production, "Outrage." Speaking of extras, there seems to be a trend toward taking advantage of native types and professional training as seen in the recent casting for United Artists' "The Men." To give added realism to the Stanley Kramer production, a doctor, two nurses, and a physical therapist from Birmingham Veterans Hospital were signed for parts in the film. These are in addition to 32 paraplegic veterans who will play themselves. Shooting started last week under Director Fred Zinnemann. John Ireland, whose work in "All the King's Men" is winning him critical acclaim, reported back to Columbia to team with Evelyn Keyes in "The Killer That Stalked New York," which Producer Robert Cohn put into work with Earl McEvoy directing. Following shooting of boxing scenes at the Chicago fight arenas. Director Felix Feist is megging the principals, James Dunn, Gregg Sherwood and Steven Andrews, for the balance of the footage in "The Golden Gloves Story," for Eagle Lion release. William H. Wright started his third production of the year last week when the Robert Walker-Joan Leslie starrer, "The Skipper Surprised His Wife," rolled at MGM. Extensive pre-production conferences between Wright and Director Elliott Nugent resulted in launching "The Skipper" a full week ahead of schedule. Signalizing a general upturn in production, five pictures were rolling at Paramount alone when "The Furies," epic western starring Barbara Stanwyck and Wendell Corey, started filming at Tucson, Ariz. The main company flew out to Tucson last week, joining Director Anthony Mann. And on the western front another John Ford special started with the principals, Ben Johnson and Joanne Dru, going before the camera in RKO's "Wagon Master," while at Warner Bros., "Colt. 45," starring Randolph Scott, began filming. Edwin L. Marin is directing. Also at Warner Bros., lensing began on "Bright Leaf," story of the tobacco empire. Gary Cooper, Jack Carson and Lauren Bacall carry the chief thespian honors for Director Michael Curtiz. Henry Blanke is producing. 'Glass Menagerie* Unit Back from Location A second unit headed by David Curtiz was scheduled to return to Hollywood this week with background shots for Warner Bros.' "The Glass Menagerie," which stars Jane Wyman, Kirk Douglas, Gertrude Lawrence and Arthur Kennedy under the direction of Irving Rapper. Jerry Wald and Charles Feldman are co-producing the film. 'Riviera Story* to Perlberg William Perlberg, 20th Century-Fox producer, has been assigned the preparation of "The Riviera Story," a comedy, as a possible vehicle for Micheline Prelle, the studio's import from France. LONDON OBSERVATIONS Rank Report Gets Big Press Coverage as Newspapers Stress Need for Entertainment Tax Cut; Wilcox Financing Set By JOCK MacGREGOR The press coverage of the Rank balance sheet was enoi-mous and many newspapers made it their top front-page story, giving terrific play to the demands of entertainment tax and the need for a cut if the industry were to continue. This has been a wonderful boost for Sir Alexander King's campaign, but it is tragic that millions must be lost and thousands thrown out of work through studio closings before the producers realize that an exhibitor can be right. If only the BFPA had enjoyed better relations with the CEA and, instead of inflicting the unrealistic quota, cooperated on the entertainment tax campaign long ago, this unhappy situation might never have occurred. After all, no matter how much the independent producers may curse the exhibitors and the circuits in particular, they do finance them. Those still in doubt have only to note that Odeon had to write of¥ £2,500,000 against production losses. The balance sheet was released at a series of press conferences at the Rank capitol in South Street. The nationals were seen in the boardroom, but the American trade papers were ushered into Mr. Rank's private office after we had had little time to study the complicated report. The hub of this movie empire, with its period furnishings, shelves of leather-bound volumes, family photos and a picture of Sir Laurence Jock MacGregor PICTURES STARTED LAST WEEK COLUMBIA. Killer That Stalked New YorkPrincipals: Evelyn Keyes, John Ireland. Director, Earl McEvoy. EAGLE LION. Golden Gloves Story — Principals: James Dunn, Gregg Sherwood, Steve Andrews. Director, Felix Feist. MGM. Skipper Surprises His Wife — Principals: Robert Walker, Joan Leslie, Edward Arnold. Director, Elliott Nugent. MONOGRAM. Fence Riders — Principals: Whip Wilson, Reno Browne. Director, Wallace Fox. PARAMOUNT. The Furies — Principals: Barbara Stanwyck, Wendell Corey, Walter Huston. Director, Anthony Mann. RKO. Wagon Master — Principals: Ben Johnson, Joanne Dru, Harry Carey, Jr. Director, John Ford. REPUBLIC. Federal Agents at Large — Principals: Dorothy Patrick, Robert Rockwell, Barbra Fuller. Director, George Blair. LIPPERT PROD. Colorful River — Principals: James Ellison, Russell Hayden, Fuzzy Knight. Director, Thomas Carr. UNITED ARTISTS. The Men — Principals: Marlon Brando, Teresa Wright, Edmund Ryan. Director, Fred Zinnemann. The Iron Cage — Principals: Cesar Romero, June Havoc, Marie McDonald. Producer-Director, W. Lee Wilder. WARNER BROS. Bright Leaf — Principals: Cary Cooper, Jack Carson, Lauren Bacall. Director, Michael Curtiz. Colt .45 — Principals: Randolph Scott. Director, Edwin L. Marin. INDEPENDENT. Vicious Years — Principals: Tommy Cook, Sybil Merritt. Director, Robert Florey. TITLE CHANGES "Beyond the Purple Hills" (Col.) now MULE TRAIN. "Dead On Arrival" (UA) now D.O.A. "Locked In" (WB) now CAGED. Olivier looking strangely out of place, i.^ like the smoking room of a very large country house, and the atmosphere is more conducive to discussing shooting pheasants than shooting films. We sat around a roaring fire with Mr. Rank. John Davis, R. Leach, financial adviser, and knowing how much he had personally advanced to the group, one was reluctant to frame the leading question. Mr. Rank was hesitant to answer my query as to how much the quota had cost him, and it was Mr. Davis who said that it was the ill conceived ad valorem duty which had brought about their difficult position, and that without the act they would have been worse oflF, for their pictures might not have been shown. (In the actual report, however, Mr. Rank states : "The theatres suffered to some extent from having to show a number of indifferent British films in order to satisfy their quota requirements . . .") Mr. Rank took care to remind us that, originally, when the new act was being framed, he was against quota, but that he changed his mind when, with the advent of the ad valorem duty, the Americans stopped sending product and he realized the industry must be protected. Production will be cut to 6 to 8 pictures and may cease in June unless the entertainment tax is reduced. The most disquietening thing about this is that in the report Mr. Rank writes ; "... we made demands on the creative talent in the industry that were beyond its resources ..." Yet several of those who were given their chances during the period are associated with the forthcoming offerings. * * One man who is not in the least worried about the current situation is Herbert Wilcox, who can lay hands on all the finance he needs and relies on his knowledge of the box-office to pay his backers a dividend. He rejects entirely the suggestion that the recent unhappy events make it possible for British pictures to be made only for the home market. He believes it is essential for films to be produced for the world market and that this can only be achieved through Anglo-American cooperation. He has formed with Anna Neagle and Michael Wilding the Artistes Alliance Corporation and will produce in association with famous American partners. He will personally be responsible for the pictures but will call on the services of Hollywood stars and, probably, script writers. A transatlantic exchange of artists is included in the scheme. * * * Charles P. Skouras called an urgent press conference at 10 A.M. At least it seemed urgent, since notification was only phoned at 9:20 A.M. We anticipated a big story, maybe confirmation of 20th-Fo.x's rumored buy into Odeon of Canada, but all we learned was that he was here on a vacation. Pressmen looked at the pile of wet overcoats, the roaring fire which bolstered Claridges' far from ineffective central heating and his colleagTies, F. H. Ricketson, Jr., of Fox Inter-Mountain Theatres ; and Elmer C. Rhoden of Fox Midwest, and thought it sounded a strange holidaA'. Gets Feminine Lead Reno Browne has been signed for the feminine lead in "Fence Riders," next Monogram western to star Whip Wilson.