Boxoffice (Jan 19, 1952)

Pt Aollywood Report Total of 785 Players Made 2,931 Personals in 195] Including the batch of volunteers which recently presented holiday programs for GIs stationed in farflung world outposts, a total of 785 filmland personalities made 2,931 free personal appearances—nearly twice as many as in 1950—during 1951 in connection with 531 patriotic and public service events throughout the U.S. and in foreign nations. Statistics summarizing these activities by the motion picture industry and its thespians through the Hollywood Coordinating Committee were disclosed by George Murphy, HCC president, who said more than half of the events featured name personalities on 319 programs for all branches of Uncle Sam's armed forces at home and overseas visits and tours, while fund-raising benefits—both national and local—including American Legion, Red Cross, cancer, Community Chest, AID, CARE, polio and Salvation Army accounted for the balance. In addition, Murphy revealed, the players performed on 333 network and local broadcasts, live and transcribed, for the abovenamed causes, plus the armed forces radio service. Organized in December 1941 the HCC has, since that time, arranged for 67,951 free appearances by 6,373 radio, screen and stage players on 11,905 patriotic and public service programs, which included war bond campaign tours and broadcasts. Meantime, and although the industry has not given the affair its official sanction, several Hollywood personalities were slated to trek to Uruguay to participate in that South American nation’s second international film ‘Golden Circle’ Players To Compete for Leads In line with the industry’s concentrated efforts to develop fresh acting talent and new faces, Paramount's “Golden Circle” group of young thespian contractees is going to be allowed to vie for leads in new pictures on a competitive basis, they have been informed by Don Hartman, studio production chief. They will be coached in scenes from future films, Hartman said, with the talent coaching staff supervising their training. “With this opportunity,” Hartman declared, “will come the responsibility of being fully aware that it will depend on your own enthusiasm and talent. Your success will depend on the inspiration that you bring to the roles and the excitement you can create within yourselves to make good with your own ability.” Currently the “Golden Circle’ membership comprises Judith Ames, Peter Baldwin, Pierre Cressoy, Nancy Gates, Nancy Hale, Virginia Hall, Patricla Ann Harding, Irene Martin, Michael Moore, Susan Morrow, Mary Murphy, Ann Robinson, Barbara Rush and Joan Taylor. ees 30 By IVAN SPEAR festival. Making the trip are Alexis Smith, Yvonne DeCarlo, Rhonda Fleming, Barbara Britton, Constance Moore, Russell Hayden, Robert Cummings and Reginald Gardiner. 20th-Fox Makes Purchase Of Two Navy Stories C. S. Forester, whose “Captain Horatio Hornblower” received screen treatment at the hands of Warners, and whose “The African Queen” was recently filmed by Horizon Pictures for United Artists distribution, scored another studio sale when 20th Century-Fox purchased “Single-Handed,” his novel about the British navy in Mediterranean waters during World War I. With Frank McCarthy assigned as the producer, and Valentine Davies developing the screenplay, the opus is scheduled for lensing in London and in the Mediterranean sector, with the possibility that Richard Widmark will have the starring role . . . Another novel, Laura Z, Hobson’s “The Celebrity,” was bought by Paramount, with Everett Riskin to produce from a screenplay by F. Hugh Herbert. The story of an author and his aggressive brother, who capitalizes on the novelist’s talent and thus becomes a celebrity, was serialized in the Woman’s Home Companion last summer and later published in book form... John Klorer’s “Top of the World,” an original screenplay dealing with North Pole flying, has been placed on Robert Sisk’s production docket. To be filmed in cooperation with the U.S. air force, the opus will be shot on location from Fairbanks, Alaska, to the polar ice cap. Also picked up by 20th Century-Fox, which acquired the aforementioned “SingleHanded,” was another navy story, “Ninety Saddles From Kengtu,” which deals with a phase of World War Il. The author, Edmund G. Love, will collaborate on the screenplay with Stanley Rubin, who has been assigned the production reins... George Waggner’s original screenplay, “Storm Over China,” was picked up by Republic and Wagener was inked to direct the action drama... Moving into independent production ranks, actor Lloyd Bridges purchased Lester B. Kahn's “Highway to Glory,” a biography of Frontiersman Davey Crockett, in which Bridges will portray the trail-blazer who died defending the Alamo. Earl McEvoy will direct and release plans will be announced later. William Alland Promoted To Full U-I Producer Upped to a full producership at UniversalInternational was William Alland, who previously functioned as an assistant to Producer Leonard Goldstein. His first assignment is a Richard Conte starring western, “Riding Kid” . . . William Seiter, veteran megaphonist, joined Republic on a term ticket as a producer-director and is scanning the studio's stockpile of literary properties to select his initial assignment ... Berman Swartz, who recently resigned from the Paramount studio legal staff, has been named general counsel for Motion Picture Center Studios and executive assistant to Joseph Justman, who owns the lot. Two Producers Dickering For ‘Flying Enterprise’ Although he missed his goal when his crippled vessel foundered less than 50 miles from port, the headline-capturing maritime exploit of Capt. Henrik Kurt Carlsen, skipper of the ill-fated “The Flying Enterprise” is apparently still regarded in film circles as prime story material. On the heels of the disclosure by Producer Hal Wallis that he had entered into negotiations for screen rights to the salty saga as a possible starring vehicle for Burt Lancaster, for Paramount release, Filmmaker Sam Katzman bobbed up with the information that he has secured a priority registration on “The Flying Enterprise” as the title of a forthcoming film based on the same subject. Katzman, who produces for Columbia, has begun dickering direct with Skipper Carlsen, while the Wallis negotiations are being made with the Isbrandtsen Line, owner of the sunken vessel. Katzman says he is ready to turn the cameras as soon as Carlsen gives him the nod and a script can be whipped into shape. Wallis, however, is approaching the project more deliberately and, providing the steamship line goes for the idea, probably won’t set an active filming date until later in the year. i Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel On Tour in South America Beating the drums for “Show Boat” and other MGM films, Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel took off Thursday (17) aboard Leo's “Flying Show Boat” on a three-week tour of South America’s major cities. The junket has the blessings of the U.S. State department, and will find Keel and Miss Grayson making speeches and radio appearances, plugging Hollywood in general and Metro in particular. They are being accompanied by Publicist Bill Lyon, accompanist Hans Sommers and secretary Sally Norton. The stopovers include Havana, Lima, Santi ago, Valparaiso, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Paramount Signs Dempsey For “Military Policeman’ Casting news during the period was enlivened by Paramount's intelligence that it has booked the ol’ Manassa Mauler, Jack Dempsey himself, to referee two boxing Sequences between Mickey Rooney and Stanley “Stash” Clements in “The Military Policeman” . . . Columbia tapped Samuel Goldwyn for the loan of Dana Andrews to co-star with Marta Toren in “Assignment Paris” .. , Ezio (“One Enchanted Evening”) Pinza was ticketed by 20th Century-Fox to portray Feodor Chaliapin, noted Metropolitan Opera baritone, in “Tonight We Sing” . . . Metro signed Moira Shearer to star in one of the three episodes in its trilogy, “Three Love Stories” . . . Ann Sheridan and John Lund will be the co-stars in the upcoming Universal-International comedy, “Just Across the Street”... Moppet Susan Whitney, ll-yearold actress, was inked for a major role in Warners’ “The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima.” : BOXOFFICE :: January 19, 1952