Box office digest (May-Dec 1946)

4 BOX OFFICE DIGEST F-l-a-s-h-e-s . • KEEPING UP WITH THE STUDIOS 20th Ocx l2HO-{2adic + international if if if All-star proportions are assured for “A Letter to Five Wives,” unique story which will allow presenting in one picture — Linda Darnell, Alice Faye, Dorothy McGuire, Maureen O’Hara, and Gene Tierney. Sam Engel will produce. i i if James Tingling, directing for Sol Wurtzel, was sent to the hospital for an emergency operation, resulting in his replacement on “Eyes Alone” by Eugene Ford. if if i Walter Morosco has been handed production on “White Fang,” to be made from the Jack London novel. if if if Director Herbert Leeds, whose latest picture was “It Shouldn’t Happen to a Dog,” has secured his release from contract and checked off the lot. if if if Option has been lifted on the services of producer Gene Markey, currently preparing “Moss Rose” as a Peggy Cummings starrer. if if if Producer assignment on an original, “My Heart Tells Me,” has been given to William Perlberg. if if if “Mine For Sunday,” musical drama from an original story, has been assigned to the George Jessel production slate. Jessel's next will be “Dancing in the Dark,” first called “Band Wagon.” ★ if if Producer Sam Engel draws the ticket on “The Segar Trek,” which will be made from an idea suggested by Darryl Zanuck. Louis King will direct. Paramount if it if After scoring so sensationally in “Two Years Before the Mast” Howard da Silver has been assigned a top role in “Blaze at Noon.” if if if From New York comes announcement that Hal Wallis plans to place “For Her To See” in production at the British Denham studio late in May. ★ ★ ★ Producer Richard Maibaum is back at the studio after a New York trip and preparing on “The Big Clock.” if if if Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas will have top male spots in “Deadlock,” from the Broadway stage hit of some years ago “The Beggars Are Coming to Town.” It will be Byron Haskins first directorial effort. ★ ★ ★ Gail Russell and Betty Hutton are latest additions to the “Variety Girl” cast. if if if Bob Hope’s Eastern tour was punctuated by a stopover at Washington where General “Ike” presented him with the Medal of Merit, highest civilian award. The star also visited the White House and received a Presidential Citation. if if if S. Barret McCormack, national advertising and publicity director, made a stopover at the studio after a month’s Honolulu vacation and then proceeded to New York. if if if Report is in that producer Adrian Scott and director Edward Dmytryk have completed London shooting on “So Well Remembered” and are returning this month. The London party also includes production assistant William Watts and publicity associate Phil Gersdorf. if if if Samuel Goldwyn has closed a deal for director William Seiter, under contract to Universal International, to meg his RKO release “The Bishop’s Wife,” starring Cary Grant and Teresa Wright. Seiter is currently at work on the Universal lot on “I’ll Be Yours,” Deanna Durbin starrer. if if if John Ford and Merian Cooper are down to work on their first Argosy Production, “The Fugitive.” Shooting will start in December at RKO’s Mexico City studios. ★ ★ ★ Ralph Bird, only recently out of the Army, takes over as Dick Tracy, plans calling for more dramatic roles for Morgan Conway after his click in “Criminal Court.” if if if Jesse Lasky and Walter MacEwen sprung the bankroll for purchase of the much talked of “The Miracle of the Bells” at a reputed $100,000 price. Production is planned for next Spring, with a budget that mav reach $2,000,000. Republic if if if Frank Borzage has already set Catherine McLeod as the star for his “Crosswinds” which is scheduled for production next Spring.. Borzage is currently shootiny “Gallant Man” with Don Ameche and Miss McLeod starred. ★ ★ ★ “The Hideout,” based on a Saturday Evening Post serial “Four Hours From Chi,” has been placed on the production slate of Armand Schaefer, for direction by George Blair. ★ ★ ★ Spencer Bennett has been set to direct “Along the Oregon Trail,” a Trucolor subject in the Monte Hale series. if if if The slate for Trucolor features has been upped from 12 to 18 subjects. Roy Rogers will star in “Bells of San Angelo,” first of the additional six. This will make three for Rogers in the tints. if if if Fanchon has been signed to a term contract and will serve as an associate producer under Allen Wilson. Her first will be from a novel, “Books Are Lighter Than Rifles.” Fanchon has previously been with Paramount and QOth Century-Fox. if if if Before leaving for the “Command Performance” in London Walter Wanger set a January 2nd starting date for “Washington Flyer” which will star Susan Hayward. Martin Gabel will direct. if if if Skirball-Manning have signed Arianne Allen as story editor, with headquarters in New York. if if if Word comes from New York that Danielle Darrieux will journey from Paris for a Universal International picture to be made next Summer. if if if Mark Hellinger has purchased “East of Midnight” with plans for a John Garfield starrer. if if if Production chieftain Bill Goetz has purchased the Broadway hit “Are You With It?” at a top price. Possibility is that it will be made for the screen with Donald O’Connor starred and Peter Lind Hayes in a top spot. if if if Option has been picked up on Dan Duryea. Calls for two pictures in the next 12 months. if Robert Goldstein, studio field representative, has returned from a European trip and is at the studio to report to Bill Goetz and Leo Spitz. if if if Shooting has wound up on “It Happened On Fifth Avenue,” the Roy Del Ruth special which carried a two million dollar budget. ★ ★ ★ The next Bowery Boys subject, “Brooklyn Buckaroo” will be shot on location in Utah. Producer Jan Grippo is now scouting locations. if if if Monogram has closed a deal to distribute the War Department documentary “Thunderbolt,” produced by top director William Wyler while with the combat forces. Here and 7 here + + ★ ★ ★ Colin Moore, Eastern representative for Enterprise, is at the studio for conferences with Charles Einfeld and Arthur Loew. if if if Ladislas Fodor is writing an original for Enterprise wdiich may develop into a commitment with Charles Boyer for an additional picture following “Arch of Triumph.” if if i Neil Agnew, Vanguard’s vice-president in charge of sales, is at the studio for conferences with David Selznick and Dan O’Shea. ★ ★ ★ Producer Sidney Biddell, who re ( Continued on Page 14)