Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1940)

Independent Activity Keeps Swift Pace Independent activity, in preparation and actual production, is maintaining the hectic pace with which this phase of filmmaking began the new year. Incorporating as Dixie National Pictures, Inc., with a subsidiary company known as Dixie National Exchanges, Inc., a new independent unit has announced plans to produce a series of eight films with Negro casts, as well as two exploitation specials. Ted Toddy, Atlanta distributor, has been elected president. Jed Buell is vice-president and executive producer. Jack Coyle and the Rev. James K. Friedrich, producers of “The Great Commandment,” have been named to the board of directors, and Norman Stephenson is secretary-treasurer. Its distribution unit will maintain branches in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas and Los Angeles. Goldberg and Port, in association with Argus Productions, which is well under way with a program of Negro features, has announced that its regular quota of 12 will be supplemented by three specials, one of which will be directed by Clarence Muse. International Roadshows, Inc., will distribute through the 600 or more allcolored theatres in the United States. Other Activity Harold Lloyd, producer-comedian, has signed a one-picture deal with RKO Radio under which Lloyd will turn out “Three Girls and a Gob,” a story by Grover Jones, for the company. It will be the first picture with which Lloyd has ever been associated in which he will not appear before the camera. Alexander Korda, producing for United Artists, is expected to check in shortly to begin work on his initial Hollywood production for more than 10 years — “Jungle Boy,” based on Rudyard Kipling’s novel, and starring Sabu, the Indian elephant boy. Also due in Hollywood from England are Director Zoltan Korda and his wife, the former British screen actress, Jean Gardner. To produce a series of “Scattergood Baines” films for RKO Radio release, Branford Productions has been incorporated by Charles Ford and Joseph Brandt. Guy Kibbee will portray the character created by Clarence Budington Kelland. Incorporation papers also have been filed by Franklin-Blank Productions, headed by Harold B. Franklin and Ralph Blank, the latter an Iowa circuit operator. The firm has acquired film rights to “The Drunkard.” No release is set. Frank Lloyd has appointed Franklin Gray story editor for his production unit, with John B. Goodman as art director and Waldo Twitchell heading the research staff. Lloyd will take a crew to Williamsburg W. Va., in March to begin shooting “Tree of Liberty” for Columbia release. Representing creditors of the old Grand National, Trustee Loyd Wright is taking steps to obtain an assignment on the GN studio in order to protect them in liquidation proceedings. Wright has filed an application with Harry Fromberg, trustee appointed in New York when the new GN McCrea Out of DeMille Film ; Over to W anger Because it was felt his characterization was too similar to that of Gary Cooper, Joel McCrea has been withdrawn from C. B. DeMille’s “Northwest Mounted Police.” He has moved over to Walter Wanger’s, where he has been signed for the top role in “Personal History.” DeMille is scouting for a replacement. Immediate Production Schedule Is Heavy Production outlook for late winter and early spring continues on the boom side, with Monogram, Paramount, Republic and Warner in the forefront of studios loading up their slates for a maintenance of heavy camera work. Monogram’s leader will be “Rip Van Winkle,” going before the cameras in March with a budget of $350,000 — biggest in the company’s history. Studio currently is searching for a star to portray the title role. Others on the fire included a T. R. Williams production, “Midnight Limited;” a Jack Randall western and two others. Paramount has charted four to go into production in the immediate future, including “The Night of January 16” and C. B. DeMille’s big-budgeted “North West Mounted Police.” Republic’s upswing will get underway in March with a determined drive to complete the 20 features still lacking on its 1939-40 program. The Warner slate lists six topliners to go into work before the end of March, including “Torrid Zone” and “Brother Orchid.” Announcement by Metro that it has acquired “Cyrano de Bergerac” as a Spencer Tracy starrer may precipitate a clash between that studio and RKO Radio. Spokesmen for President George Schaefer at the latter plant declare that Schaefer holds a verbal agreement concerning the property with Alexander Korda, to whom the property belonged. For the time being, however, RKO Radio contemplates no action. Meantime M-G-M reiterated that it had officially closed a deal with Korda for the purchase of the property, which has been placed on its spring production slate. Robert Cummings Loanout Metro has borrowed Robert Cummings, actor, from Universal, for an unannounced one-picture assignment. Turns in "Pago Pago" Malcolm Stuart Boylan has turned in his script of “Pago Pago” to Producer Edward Small. Educational setup went into bankruptcy. “Dead Man’s Cipher” has been selected as the first in a batch of 42 features to be turned out by Franklyn Warner’s Fine Arts Pictures for distribution through his own exchanges. It will go into work next week at Selznick International studios. Herbert Yates Here For Conferences To launch a series of production conferences with M. J. Siegel, studio head, Herbert J. Yates, chairman of Republic’s board of directors, checked in at the North Hollywood plant from New York after postponing his scheduled arrival for a week. He was tied up by the pressure of unexpected business in the east. Among the chores confronting him will be that of supervising the resumption of filming on the studio’s current biggie, “Dark Command,” which has been idle for more than a month as the result of Claire Trevor’s illness. Expected in from the east next week is W. Ray Johnston, president of Monogram, who is due to parley with Scott R. Dunlap, production chief, pertaining to plans for launching “Rip Van Winkle.” Picture has been given a $350,000 budget and is being geared to start in March. Murray Silverstone, United Artists operations chief, and Charles Schwartz, corporation attorney, as well as Harry Gold, sales executive, came in from New York to confer with UA producers concerning their respective 1940-41 product lineups and to map preliminary plans for the company’s annual sales convention. Monroe Greenthal, UA’s New York exploitation head, who preceded them here, did not wait over. After brief conferences with Samuel Goldwyn concerning the campaign on “The Westerner,” which Goldwyn has turned over to UA for distribution, Greenthal headed back home. Back From Gotham Other executives checking in from New York: Jack Warner, back at the Burbank studio to okay camera work on several films. He attended the “Fighting 69th” dinner in Gotham. President George Schaefer of RKO Radio, who made a hurried trip east on personal business. He has resumed product conferences here with Harry Edington, new studio chief, and Ned Depinet, distribution head. Harry Cohn, president of Columbia, left for the east to scout the current Broadway shows and to huddle with Jack Cohn and other homeoffice executives. In New York he underwent a pre-trial examination in connection with the government’s antitrust suit. From there he goes to Florida for a three-week vacation. Stuart Buchanan, executive of Walt Disney Productions, has pulled out for New York, en route to South America, where he will arrange to have “Pinocchio” dubbed into Portuguese and Spanish. From there Buchanan will go to Europe to handle other foreign versions of the featurelength cartoon. To attend the world premiere of his first production, “Swiss Family Robinson,” which he made in association with Graham Baker, Gene Towne left for New York. The film made its bow at the Radio City Music Hall. RKO Radio is releasing. Postponing his projected trip here, Charlie Einfeld, Warner publicity-advertising head, returned to New York following the company’s recent sales meeting in Chicago. 36 BOXOFFICE :: February 10, 1940