Boxoffice barometer (1944)

The Trend of Production for 1944-45 (Continued from page 43) films are a Paramount trio, comedies “Don’t Ever Grieve Me” and “Practically Yours” and the comedy-drama “I Love a Soldier”; RKO Radio’s dramas “The Enchanted Cottage,” “Tomorrow Is Here,” “That Man Alone” and “Home Again,” which Samuel Goldwyn has slated for release by the Gower Street company; Republic’s “Johnny Comes Home” and “My Buddy,” both serious approaches to the subject; a Universal melodrama, “Accidental Hero”; “War Criminals,” dealing with the future misadventures of enemy bigshots, to be made by Columbia; two films announced by a pair of United Artists producers — one a drama, “Decision,” to be produced by Samuel Bronston, the other a comedy, “This Crazy, Lovely World,” which Producers Corp. of America will make. Sol Lesser has also announced, for an undisclosed release, the prospective filming of a comedy, “Civilian Clothes.” It may or may not be the result of a spiritual revival which many thinkers believe the war is carrying in its wake, but the fact remains that Hollywood is probably planning more fUms with a religious theme than it has at any time during many recent years. The cycle which started with 20th Century-Fox’s “Song of Bernadette” and Paramount’s “Going My Way,” has by now interested almost every Hollywood lot. Metro is readying “The Church of the Good Thief,” story of the church built by convicts inside the prison walls at Dannemora, New York. Paramount has “Make Way for O’Sullivan,” about two angels struggling for the soul of a flyer, and the revised reissue of Cecil B. DeMille’s “Sign of the Cross.” At RKO Radio, Leo McCarey is working on “The Bells of St. Mary’s.” Other RKO religious theme films will be “Father Malachy’s Miracle” and “Simone,” story of a modern Joan of Arc which Samuel Goldwyn has purchased. Being filmed on an elaborate scale for release by the Gower Street company is Frank Ross’ production of “The Robe.” Warners is preparing for top-budget production Max Reinhardt’s “The Miracle.” “Mother Cabrini,” life story of the first American to be canonized, will be made by PRC; and Samuel Bronston, United Artists producer, has purchased “Blessed Are the Meek,” the story of St. Francis of Assisi. Musicals Retain Popularity Come what may musicals seem destined to always figure .prominently on Cinemaland’s future product lineups. This year they dot the programs in sizable numbers, although a cut in overall production may diminish their number proportionately. Among the big-budget song and dance pictures slated for the new season, Warners is way up in front with a collection including “Rhapsody in Blue,” “Night and Day,” “Sometimes I’m Happy,” “Mr. Broadway,” “Mississippi Belle,” “The Time, the Place and the CJirl,” “Connecticut Yankee,” “A Night at Tony Pastor’s,” “Hollywood Canteen,” “Silver Lining,” and “When Old New York Was Young.” Slated for extra-dough treatment at 20th Century-Fox are such tunefilms as “The Dolly Sisters,” “State Fair,” “Billy Rose’s Diamond Horseshoe,” “Something for the Boys,” and “Waltz Me Around Again, Willie.” Paramount has “California,” “The Road to Utopia,” “Duffy’s Tavern,” “Here Come the WAVES,” “Incendiary Blonde,” “Out of This World,” and “Rainbow Island” to contribute to the musical parade. The Metro lineup will in clude “Yolanda and the Thief,” “Anchors Aweigh,” “Music for Millions,” “Brighton Beach,” “The Harvey Girls,” “Hippodrome,” “Thrill of a Romance,” and “Ziegfeld Follies.” RKO Radio has a Bing Crosby starrer, “Bar of Music,” forthcoming and a pair of International Pictures’ musicals which it will release, “It’s a Pleasure” and “Belle of the Yukon.” "Oaters" Are Plentiful Studios that specialize in the modestlybudgeted oaters will have their standard series on their slates. PRC has eight in the Billy Carson series and the same number of the Texas Rangers group slated for release; Monogram will make four Jimmy Wakely westerns and eight Johnny Mack Brown-Raymond Hatton films. Columbia has eight Durango Kids on its schedule, and Republic will make an octet of Roy Rogers’ Specials, a similar number of Bill Elliott-Red Ryders, four Sunset Carson starrers, and will reissue eight of the Gene Autry films. In addition there will be the usual sprinkling of super-westerns, including Metro’s “Gentle Annie,” an untitled action drama to be produced and starred in by Gary Cooper for International-RKO Radio release; “Tall in the Saddle,” also on the RKO slate; Warners “San Antonio,” and Paramount’s “The Virginian,” remake of the Owen Wister novel. Many are the high-budget psychological dramas and mysteries that have been announced. Outstanding among them are David O. Selznick’s “Spellbound”; International-RKO Radio’s “The Woman in the Window”; RKO’s “Experiment Perilous,” and “Who Is My Love?”; Metro’s “Death in the Doll’s House,” “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” and “Telltale Hands”; Universal’s “The Suspect”; 20th CenturyFox’s “Hangover Square” and “Moss Rose,” the latter to be filmed in England; Paramount’s “Her Heart in Her Throat” and “The Man in Half Moon Street,” and United Artists-Samuel Bronston’s “Ten Little Indians.” Comedies, as usual, are present in abundance. Topnotchers promised include Paramount’s “My Favorite Brunette,” “Bring On the Girls” and “Murder, He Says”; Metro’s “Action in the Living Room,” “The Distaff Side,” “Her Highness and the Bellboy” and “Meet Me in St. Louis”; Warners’ “Pillar to Post,” “Janie Gets Married,” “The Doughgirls,” and “The Horn Blows at Midnight”; RKO Complete Information For more complete data on forthcoming productions, turn to the “LOOKING AHEAD" section, starting on page 72. Therein are listed titles, casts, producers, writers, directors and thumbnail synopses of all features scheduled for making up to the time of going to press. This comprehensive summary is a practical index to the production schedules of all companies. For service to our readers, the listings are made alphabetically by company and alphabetically by title. Additional information, advising of changes in cast and otherwise, will be supplied from time to time in the "PRODUCTION INDEX" department in regular issues of BOXOFFICE. Another good means of keeping well informed on picture production is to read the "Hollywood Report" page, appearing in each issue of BOXOFFICE. Radio’s “Situation Out of Hand” and “I Love That Boy,” and “It’s In the Bag,” which Jack H. Skirball is making for United Artists release. Many Remakes Scheduled Liberally dotting filmland’s forthcoming product calendar are a number of remakes. Tendency of the studios to refilm properties is probably attributable to the shortage of non-war-theme fiction and a scarcity of writers to work on film originals. Among the remakes are 20th Century-Fox’s “State Fair,” “The Spider,” “Three Blind Mice,” “Down to the Sea in Ships,” and “A Royal Scandal,” formerly made as “Forbidden Paradise.” Warners has “Between Two Worlds,” remake of “Outward Bound,” “Men Without Destiny,” new version of “The Petrified Forest,” “Of Human Bondage,” “The Animal Kingdom,” “Calamity Jane,” and “Stolen Life.” Metro is readying remakes of “Libeled Lady,” “Turn to the Right,” “Cimarron,” “Paradise for Three,” “Show Boat” and “Grand Hotel,” the latter to form the basis of “Weekend at the Waldorf.” Paramount went into the archives for “The Virginian,” “Olympia,” formerly filmed by Metro as “His Glorious Night,” and “Masquerade in Mexico,” which was made in 1938 as “Midnight.” RKO is refilming “The Enchanted Cottage,” and planning to revive eight Zane Grey westerns previously made by Paramount. Still another factor peculiar to this year, and one which Hollywood may never again be forced to confront, are the returned and returning male stars who have been serving in the armed forces, a number of whom are already honorably discharged. As they come back, and being, in most cases, very valuable Thespic properties, studios are naturally going to adjust their slates to get pictures starring them before the public as quickly as possible. In some cases, this can be done by casting pictures previously scheduled, but other stars may require a search for vehicles not previously announced. Gable Plans Are Not Set Clark Gable, retired army air corps major, hasn’t as yet been cast in any pictui'e. Metro, however, is contemplating “Lucky Baldwin” as a vehicle for him when his Thespic career is resumed. No plans have been set for Lieut. Comdr. Robert Montgomery whose four years of naval service were recently terminated. After two-and-one-half army years, John Carroll retirrned to Metro and signed a long-term contract. Paramount’s Alan Ladd resumed his career in “Salty O’Rourke,” in which picture Bruce Cabot is making his first screen appearance following his return from Africa and Italy. Back at Warners from the army engineers, Charles Drake is continuing the contract under which he last appeared in “Conflict” before joining the service, and Craig Stevens has checked into “God Is My Co-Pilot.” Twentieth Century-Fox has placed homecoming John Payne opposite Betty Grable and Alice Faye in “The Dolly Sisters,” while Samuel Bronston signed Louis Hayward for the lead in his “Ten Little Indians.” Richard Greene, following his discharge from the British army, is touring France, but it is expected that he will return shortly to his home studio, 20th CenturyFox. Among noted Hollywood personalities still on active duty are Mickey Rooney, Tyrone Power, James Stewart, George Montgomery, Henry Fonda, Victor Mature, Burgess Meredith, Douglas Fairbanks jr., Robert Taylor, Red Skelton, David Niven, Ronald Reagan, and several others. 44 BOXOFFICE BAROMETER