Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1948)

— — By IVAN SPEAR Six Story Transactions Revive Studio Market The anemic story market received a muchneeded shot in the arm through the acquisition by major and independent filmmakers of six literary properties — the highest mark registered in sales for several weeks. A story of the sponge-diving industry in Florida, ‘‘Beyond Five Fathoms,” was picked up by 20th Century-Fox from Ahmed Kamal, author of the as-yet unpublished novel. It will be brought to the screen under another title with Elia Kazan assigned to direct . . . Windsor Pictures, the sharecropping unit headed by Julian Lesser and Frank Melford, closed for its fourth Gene Stratton-Porter book, ‘‘Laddie,” and added the tome to its projected slate for Monogram . . . George Pal, producing for United Artists, bought Laslo Vadnay’s “Money, Money, Money” . . . To another UA producer, Harry Popkin of Cardinal Pictures, went “Spread Eagle,” a story of the Mississippi riverboat era, by Lou Breslow ... A murder yarn, Frank Gruber’s "The Hollywood Touch,” was picked up by Producer-Director Fritz Lang for his Diana productions slate. Lang has set no release . . . The newly formed M. R. S. Pictures bought screen rights from Simon and Schuster, the publishing house, to the “Inner Sanctum” crime mysteries and set a Film Classics release for the initialer, titler “Inner Sanctum.” The new outfit was organized by Richard B. Morros, son of Boris Morros; Samuel Rheiner and Walter Shenson. Warners 'Flamingo Road' Set for Joan Crawford At one time set for the title role of a school teacher in Warners’ “Miss O’Brien,” Joan Crawford relinquishes that assignment, at least temporarily, in favor of “Flamingo Road,” which will be filmed as a Michael Curtiz production for Warners release . . . Paramount is reuniting Ray Milland and Paulette Goddard as a romantic team in ‘‘A Mask for Lucretia,” with Milland cast as Alphonso, Duke of Ferrara, who married Lucretia Borgia and brought about her re generation after a hectic career as a poisoner . . . Pedro Armendariz and Robert Preston were set by Producer Walter Wanger in support of Susan Hayward in “Tulsa,” Wanger’s first for Eagle Lion release . . . Borrowed from David O. Selznick, Rory Calhoun will have a topline in 20th Century-Fox’s “Sand,” for which Charley Grapewin was also set . . . Jane Frazee, Roy Rogers’ kissless leading lady in several past sagebrushers out Republic way, returns to that lot for the femme lead in the new Rogers opus, “Grand Canyon Trail” . . . Oscar Levant was booked for the comedy lead in MGM’s new Judy Garland-Fred Astaire starrer, “The Barkleys of Broadway” . . . Philip Reed goes into “Indian Scout,” being produced by Edward Small for United Artists. William Castle to Join U-I After Completing 'Moon' When he has completed production on his independent venture, a film version of Jules Verne’s “A trip to the Moon,” William Castle will swing over to Universal-International on a long-term ticket as a producer-writer-director. Formerly with Columbia for nine years, Castle will leave for Europe this summer to film backgroimd scenes for “Moon,” for which no release has been set. His first U-I three-way assignment has not been established. Most U-I Shorts Filming To Be in Holl'ywood Something of an industry stepchild in recent years, short subjects are getting a shot in the arm out Universal-International way, with the disclosure of plans to transfer most of its shorts production schedule from New York to the valley lot. The entire new program of briefies will be under the supervision of Producer-Director Will Cowan. Only group which will continue to be filmed in Gothem will be the “Variety Views” series, which will be supervised by Tom Mead, U-I Newsreel director. Simultaneous with the transfer, two new series have been added to the shorts docket DeMille Gets Started Moving rapidly toward the point when cameras will begin to turn — the actual starting date has been set for October — is Cecil B. DeMille’s film version of the world’s most celebrated haircut, the shearing of strong-man Samson’s locks by Delilah, that stormy temptress of the epic Biblical tale. DeMille ended a nationwide search for the feminine charmer by signing Hedy Lamarr for that role in his forthcoming Paramount opus, “Samson and Delilah,” and booked Victor Mature for the male half of the starring combination. At the same time DeMille signed Ralph Jester as his associate producer and assigned on 'Delilah' him to head an expeditionary unit which will make a 2,000-mile trek by caravan across the desert wastes of Algeria to shoot background scenery. “Samson and Delilah” is DeMille’s fourth story from the Bible, following such successful earlier entries as “The Ten Commandments,” “The King of Kings” and “The Sign of the Cross.” He has been working on “Samson” as far back as 1935, when he hired Harold Lamb to do a treatment covering chapters 13 to 16 of the Book of Judges. Lamb’s treatment was used as a framework for the screenplay by Jesse L. Lasky jr. and Frederic M. Frank. Factual Film Planned On Shark Fishing They’ve made documentary subjects about virtually everything else from sponge-divers to Russian spies, from treasury agents to mountaindiming — so now the whys and wherefores of shark-fishing, that little-known but apparently extensive trade, are to be recorded on celluloid. Organized for the purpose, and with plans for an expedition to Panama aboard a 160-foot vessel, is a new independent unit headed by Edward Nassour (operator of a rental studio in Hollywood), Morton Carabel and Max M. Guilford. Carabel wrote the original, “Sharks Bay, Ltd.,” which Charles Bennett will script and direct, with a tentative starting date of August. No distribution arrangements have been completed. Story line will point up the importance of sharks as a source for insulin, vita.mins and endocrines. Another recent addition to the piscatorial film docket was “Tuna Clipper,” a Roddy McDowall starrer which will be produced for Monogram by Lindsley Parsons. for 1948-49. Beginning in September, Cowan will start camera work on eight three-reel action westerns with music, each with a running time of 24 minutes. Another new group of one-reelers, tentatively titled “It’s Your Life!” also has been set for filming. In addition, Cowan will turn out eight “Sing and Be Happy” community singing reels and 13 two-reel musicals. T'wo Horse-Racing Films For Columbia Release Release through Columbia has been secured for two pictures to be produced in Mexico City by William Rowland and Edward Nealis, in association with Louis K. Hansell, St. Louis exhibitor and independent filmmaker. Nealis (who was recently associated in the making of “Johnny O’clock” for Columbia) and Rowland will co-produce, with the latter as director. The films, both dealing with horse-racing, have been tentatively titled “Medal of Honor” and “Fate Takes a Holiday.” Casts and starting dates are now being lined up. Another MGM Musical Film For Astaire and Garland Not since the old days of his partnership with Ginger Rogers has nimble-footed Fred Astaire kept a dancing-singing partner for more than one picture. Not until he and Judy Garland made “Easter Parade” for MGM, that is. Now they’re to be teamed by Leo in another Technicolor musical, “The Barkleys of Broadway,” which will have a musical score by Harry Warren and Ira Gershwin and will be directed by Charles Walters for Producer Arthur Freed — the same combination which brought “Parade” to the screen. 30 BOXOFFICE : : June 19, 1943