Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1945)

PRODUCT!!! IHDEX looking Ahead at Forthcoming Pictures How in the Final Production Stages Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Gentle Annie CAST: James Craig, Donna Reed, Marjorie Main, Paul Langton, Henry Morgan, Barton MacLane, John Philiber. PRODUCER: Robert Sisk. DIRECTOR: Andrew Marton. ORIGINAL: Novel by MacKinlay Kantor. SCREENPLAY: No credit set. James Craig, U.S. marshal masquerading as a hobo, rides the rails into the Oklahoma Territory in 1900 in search oi train robbers. Soon after his arrival, he tangles with Sheriff Barton MacLane and is befriended by Paul Langton and Henry Morgan, brothers, and unbeknownst to him, the bandits. They take him home to live with their mother, Marjorie Main. He becomes deeply attached to all of them and as the evidence of their guilt becomes more damning, James refuses to believe they are the bandits. Finally forced to arrest them, he promises them a fair trial in Kansas City. But a crowd led by the unscrupulous sheriff gathers to lynch them. James joins the boys in a gunfight and the sheriff and his aides are bested. Langton is killed, and the other brother goes to Kansas City for trial. Our Vines Have Tender Grapes CAST: Margaret O’Brien, Edward G. Robinson, James Craig, Jackie Jenkins, Agnes Moorehead, Frances Gifford. PRODUCER: Robert Sisk. DIRECTOR: Roy Rowland. ORIGINAL: Novel by George Victor Martin. SCREENPLAY: Dalton Trumbo. A story of life in a Wisconsin farm community, this revolves around the day by day adventures of Margaret O'Brien, a happy, sensitive child and her five-year-old cousin, Jackie Jenkins, who is an energetic prankster. It also concerns the relationship of Margaret with her parents, especially her father, Edward G. Robinson, a quiet, placid man who worships the girl. Margaret's good friend is James Craig, editor of the local paper, who falls for Frances Gifford, new schoolteacher from the city. Life for the youngsters is eventful in discoveries — such as when Margaret hurls a stone at a squirrel and to her amazement it hits and kills the animal. Monogram There Goes Kelly CAST: Jackie Moran, Wanda McKay, Sidney Miller, Ralph Sanford, Dewey Robinson, Jan Wiley, Anthony Warden. PRODUCER: William Strohbach. DIRECTOR: Phil Karlstein. ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Edmond Kelso. Jackie Moran and Sidney Miller are page boys for a broadcasting company where Wanda McKay works as a receptionist. Jackie fakes an audition for Wanda and discovers she has a lovely voice. A few days later, Jan Wiley, star vocalist, is murdered during rehearsal. The police are called and suspicion falls on John Gilbreath, a hillbilly singer, who flees. Jackie and Sidney find the murder weapon which belonged to Gilbreath, but before he can be questioned he is found murdered. In his apartment, Jackie discovers that Wanda is apparently "Gladys Wharton," an accomplice of Gilbreath's in a shooting scrape. In the meantime, the station manager has given the innocent Wanda Jan's air spot. The real murderer is trapped just before Wanda air-debuts for a huge success. Paramount Hard to Handle CAST: William Gargati, Ann Savage, Leo Gorcey, Don Beddoe, Paul Hurst, Charles Halton, George Zucco. PRODUCER: William Pine and William Thomas. DIRECTOR: William Thomas. ORIGINAL and SCREENPLAY: David Lang. The body of a long-sought gangster with $5,000 on his head is found by a cop in the alley adjoining a wax museum. The cop goes to phone headquarters and the body disappears. Over the wax museum lives Reporter Ann Savage, who is in love with rival news man, William Gargan. That night, Ann finds the body, hides it in the museum while telephoning her paper. When she returns the corpse is gone. Meanwhile, Leo Gorcey, who works in the museum, tips Gargan off about the corpse. The body keeps reappearing and vanishing as one after another finds it and attempts to hide it for himself. The police, the two reporters, the murderer and the owner of the museum are all after it. Finally, Ann and Bill join forces to trap the killer who wanted fabulous jewels which the gangster had stolen in South America. Miss Susie Slagle CAST: Sonny Tufts, Veronica Lake, Lillian Gish, Joan Caulfield, Billy DeWolfe, Pat Phelan, Lloyd Bridges. PRODUCER: John Houseman. DIRECTOR: John Berry. ORIGINAL: Novel by Augusta Tucker. SCREENPLAY: Hugo Butler, Theodore Strauss and Anne Froelich. This is a dramatic story about a group of medical students residing at a boarding house, maintained by Miss Susie Slagle (Lillian Gish), which is as much an institution as the school itself. One of the students. Sonny Tufts, is determined to become a doctor despite a fear of death he developed as a boy. Sonny falls in love with Joan Caulfield, daughter of a staff doctor. Another student, Pat Phelan, plans to marry Veronica Lake, a nurse, but Pat dies of diphtheria after Sonny, left to watch over him, runs away. Sonny feels responsible for Pat's death but redeems himself, and later graduates, a doctor, after performing an emergency delivery. RKO Radio (International Pictures) It's a Pleasure CAST: Sonja Henie, Michael O’Shea, Bill Johnson, Marie McDonald, Iris Adrian, Peggy ’0 Neill, Cheryl Walker. PRODUCER: David Lewis. DIRECTOR: William A. Seiter. ORIGINAL: Billy Wilder. SCREENPLAY: Not set. Sonja Henie, member of a small-time skating troupe, is in love with Michael O'Shea, star hockey player. During a game he gets in a ruckus with the team and is barred from playing again. Bill Johnson, who owns a modest ice show, sees Sonja and her troupe in action and signs them for a tour. She appeals to Bill to give Michael a job, too, and he agrees. Touched by her interest and help in teaching him routines, O'Shea proposes to Sonja who accepts him. But his love for liquor and a roving eye leads him from one shabby event to another, and finally he leaves her. Success follows Sonja's talented feet and she becomes a noted star, while Michael, shamed by her efforts, pulls himself through the hard way, and is ultimately reunited with his famous wife. Republic Steppin' in Society CAST: Edward Everett Horton, Gladys George, Ruth Terry, Robert Livingston, Jack LaRue, Lola Lane, Paul Hurst. PRODUCER: Joseph Bercholz. DIRECTOR: Alexander Esway. ORIGINAL: Novel by Marcel Arnac. SCREENPLAY: Bradford Ropes. Edward Everett Horton is an uncompromising, austere judge on a holiday trip with his wife. When a storm breaks they take shelter in a roadhouse run by a gang of shady characters who plan to rob the couple. But later when they search the judge's room and find his brief case of notes, they mistake him for a bigshot racketeer, studying his own record. Their attitude changes to one of respect, and wise to it all, Horton plays along with them meaning to reform the hoodlums. He gets into some very odd situations trying to keep the bunch on the straight and narrow, even permitting them to rob his own house to keep them happy. Eventually his identity is inadvertently revealed and the gang subjects him to a kangaroo trial. But Horton defends himself so well that they're won over, realizing he's done them a world of good. 20th Century-Fox A Royal Scandal CAST: Tallulah Bankhead, Charles Coburn, Anne Baxter, William Eythe, Vincent Price, Mischa Auer. PRODUCER: Ernst Lubitsch. DIRECTOR: Otto Preminger. ORIGINAL: Lajos Biro and Mechior Lengyel. SCREENPLAY: Joseph Mankiewicz. Tallulah Bankhead, as Catherine of Russia, rules with the aid of her wily chancelor, Charles Coburn, who has seen her through various romantic entanglements. Midst court intrigues and unrest, the empress meets one of her lieutenants, William Eythe, and finds him so charming that he is made commander of the guard. Bewildered, but flattered by his queen's attention, Eythe doesn't dare tell her of his engagement to Lady-In-Waiting Anne Baxter. The Czarina enjoys her romance with the reluctant young officer until she learns where his heart really lies. Jealous and indignant, Catherine plans to punish them, but they're saved from her royal wrath by Coburn, who maneuvers an audience for the handsome French ambassador, and the fickle Czarina turns to a more interesting love, while Coburn continues his ever-present job of squelching political conspiracies. Universal Blonde Ransom CAST: Virginia Grey, Collette Lyons, Donald Cook, Pinky Lee, George Barbier, Jerome Cowan, George Meeker. PRODUCER: Gene Lewis. DIRECTOR: William Beaudine. ORIGINAL: Not set. SCREENPLAY: Not set. Nightclub owner Donald Cook loses $63,000 gambling with underworld pals who won't take his note, but insist on the deed to his nitery. En route home, Cook tangles with another car and is hurt. Its driver, Virginia Grey, young heiress, takes him home for repairs and they grow quite fond of each other. Virginia's uncle, George Barbier anticipates a law suit from the accident, but instead receives an offer from Cook for a $63,000 interest in his club. Uncle refuses. And when Virginia learns of Don's plight, she tries every way to help him. As a last resort she stages her own "kidnaping," setting the ransom at $63,000, which harebrained scheme leads to various complications and the gangsters, Donald and Virginia, all wind up in jail. Uncle bails out the romantic duo, pays off Don's debt, and bestows his blessing on them both. Warner Bros. Nobody Lives Forever CAST: John Garfield, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Walter Brennan, Faye Emerson, George Coulouris, George Tobias, Robert Shayne. PRODUCER: Robert Buckner. DIRECTOR: Jean Negulesco. ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: W. R. Burnett. Discharged overseas veteran, John Garfield, ex-racketeer, collects the money he'd salted away and goes vacationing to the west coast accompanied by a loyal henchman, Walter Brennan. Settled in a beach home, Garfield is talked into collaborating with some con men who plan to defraud Geraldine Fitzgerald, wealthy widow. John sets the stage by becoming friendly with her. Their friendship leads to love and he knows the deal is out so he tries to buy off the gang who furiously are out to get him for the doublecross. Geraldine, who's aware of John's connections but still loves him, is kidnaped by the gang. Brennan and Garfield, rushing to the rescue, are involved in a terrible fight in which Brennan dies to save his pal's life, and the gang is routed. BOXOFFICE Showmandiser :: Jan. 13, 1945 9