Boxoffice barometer (1941)

By PHILIP JUERGENS Although most denizens of the Hollywoodlonds will probably continue to hear "reveille" while toying with their scrambled eggs at the Brown Derby and "taps" to the accompaniment of cocktails, a preponderant proportion of them are destined to play an important part in the national defense program and its various ramifications. Their activity on behalf of the country's rearmament and recruiting efforts will, it appears, be divided into two major categories: (1) The manufacture of motion pictures which will bear upon the draft and other subjects concerned with war and the preparation therefor; and (2) Actual service, present or future, in Uncle Sam's armed forces. In the former of these fields a wide-open throttle has already been attained. Nearly every studio has one property or more in preparation or before the cameras in which some phase of the preparedness campaign is the most important motivation. Unit by unit, the lineup to date looks something like this: Columbia — "He's My Uncle," a conscription musical to star Fred Astaire, with Samuel Bischoff producing, and "Red, White and Blue," patriotic feature with a military training background, to be made by the Irving Briskin unit. Monogram — "Navy Bound," a service comedy which Lindsley Parsons will produce from a magazine story by 'Tolbert Josselyn. Paramount — In production as a Bob Hope starrer is "Caught in the Draft." The studio will also release two Richard Arlen vehicles, "Power Dive" and "Forced Landing," both of which have military aviation backgrounds. Others include the completed "I Wanted Wings," much of which was filmed on location at Randolph Field, U. S. army aviation training post; and "Among the Living," spy melodrama, to be produced by Sol C. Siegel, and which touches upon sabotage of U. S. defense activities. RKO Radio — Being prepared are "Army Surgeon," a Cliff Reid production, and "Parachute Squadron," which Howard Benedict will supervise. For release through this company Harold Lloyd has completed "A Girl, a Guy and a Gob," in which the navy, as the title indicates, plays an important part. Lloyd will next do, for an unannounced release, "My Favorite Spy," starring himself as a draftee. Republic — "Rookies on Parade," an Albert J. Cohen production. Twentieth Century-Fox — American volunteers in Britain's Royal Air Force will be glorified in "A Yank in the R. A. F.," to star Henry Fonda. Henry King will direct it. Then there is a Sol M. Wurtzel production, "Flight Surgeon," in preparation, as well as "Nazi Ace in the U. S.," the story of a German flier interned in Canada who escapes to this country, and "Pearl of Pearl Harbor," a musical the locale of which will be the U. S. Naval Base in Honolulu, Betty Grable will be starred. United Artists — The R. A. F. will be captured on film in a David L. Loew Albert Lewin production, "Landfall," starring Glenn Ford in a Neville Shute original; and in "The Eagle Squadron," which Argosy Corp. is preparing for release through Walter Wanger's UA unit. It is being written by Major Harold Buckley and Hurd Barrett. Richard A. Rowland will produce "The Battle of Britain." Warner — In addition to a series of preparedness short subjects, being filmed in Technicolor and revealing every phase of U. S. service operations, this studio is producing "Sergeant York," with Gary Cooper portraying the famous World War Hero; "Eagle Escadrille," another R. A. F. subject; "I've Got Your Number," story of sabotage in communications systems, being scripted by Robert Kent; "Bomb Shelter," a story of London underground; "Navy Blues," a big scaled patriotic musical to star Jack Oakie and Jack Haley; "Mother's Boys," a conscription comedy; "Dive Bomber," from a story by Commander Frank Wead, and "Parachute Jumpers," with Wayne Morris to star in the Barry Trivers script. But it is not only in the projected manufacture of such film properties that Hollywood will contribute to the national defense program. Many of its male stars and featured players, writers, directors, producers and other industry attaches were among the millions throughout the country listed in the gigantic draft lottery. A number of others hold reserve commissions in one or another of the nation's armed forces. So far the conscription has not cut a very wide swathe in the roster of eligible film names. Too, several significant liaisons have been effected between Hollywood and the U. S. government. Formed as on affiliate of the National Defense Coordinating Committee for the Industry operating out of New York, was the film colony's Production Defense Coordinating Committee, with Y. Frank Freeman of Paramount as chairman. It includes representatives of producers, writers, directors, actors and other studio craftsmen, and will serve in on advisory capacity on all films made in cooperation with various government departments. Then, and importantly, there is the affiliation between the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Research Council and the U. S. Army Signal Corps, photographic division. Working with Capt. Chas. Stodter of the Signal Corps are Darryl F. Zanuck, commissioned a lieut.-colonel; Major Nathan Levinson; and Sam Briskin, receiving a captain's commission, in the production of a series of visual education training films for use by the army in training recruits. The first of these, touching upon social hygiene, has already been completed under the direction of John Ford. Levinson, Zanuck and Briskin, acting as studio personnel contacts for the war department, and working through the Research Council, will also continue to recruit volunteers from among skilled studio technicians for enlistment in the Signal C o r p s' photographic division. Through posters on display in prominent locations throughout every studio and in other quarters where film workers congregate, an effort has been launched to secure enlistments in such classifications as: Animation and title supervisors, camera repair supervisors, cameramen, chemists, clerks, cooks, editors, picture and sound, electricians, laboratory equipment engineers, laboratory supervisors, machinists, motion picture engineers, supervisors, mixers, maintenance men, boom operators, and recording and re-recording machine operators. In seeking such volunteers, however, those in authority emphasize that those enlisting are merely signifying their willingness to serve, and will not be called upon except in the event the U. S. Army is ordered to mobilize completely. 8 BOXOFFICE BAROMETER