Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1939)

Free Lance O'Brien Settles His Suit Ending a legal battle of more than a year, an out-of-court settlement has been reached in the $500,000 conspiracy suit filed against Warner, Pat O’Brien, studio contract star, Jimmy Pidler and Louella Parsons by Pat O’Brien, free lance player. The plaintiff had charged his acting career had been severely damaged through an alleged conspiracy on the part of the defendants to keep him from obtaining picture assignments. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. "Green Hell" Production Started for 'U' Release “Green Hell,” first on schedule for Harry Edington’s Famous Productions, went to the starting line, with James Whale directing, for Universal release. Edington is headquartering on the Universal lot. A skeleton crew is operating the Boris Morros production unit, Morros having completed “Flying Deuces,” his initialer for RKO Radio. Next in line, to start within 30 days, is “If I Were President.” SCRIPTERS — Samuel GoldwjTi STEVE FISHER borrowed from Paramount to screenplay "Tahiti,” which will co-star Jon Hall and Dorothy Lamour. — Metro LAZLO VADNAI to "Missing Miniature,” forthcoming short subject, from an original by Erich Kastner. JANE MURFIN to "Pride and Prejudice.” Hunt Stromberg produces. VICK KNIGHT, radio writer and composer, to "Ziegfeld Follies.” Mervyn LeRoy will produce and direct. — Paramount WILLIS COOPER to "Phantom City.” Dale Van Every will produce. — Republic BETTY BURBRIDGE to "Rovin’ Tumbleweeds,” a Three Mesqulteers western. JACK NATTEFORD to “Kansas Terrors.” ROBERT PRESNELL to "Abraham Lincoln Boggs.” CLARENCE YOUNG to an untitled "Three Mesquiteers” vehicle; M. COATES WEBSTER to the next in the “Higgins Family” series, which Gus Meins will direct. — Hal Roach GENE SOLOW to "Captain Fortune.” — Richard Rowland VICTOR HEERMAN and SARAH Y. MASON to "Three Cheers for Miss Bishop,” Rowland’s first for United Artists, to star Barbara Stanwyck. — Selznick International ROBERT SHERWOOD polishing “Rebecca.” — Edward Small WINSTON MIDLER to "Kit Carson.” — 20th Century-Fox MAURICE MUSSELMAN to "Three Blind Dates,” a Ritz Brothers starrer. HAMILTON MacFADDEN to “The Jones Family at the World's Fair.” SAM ENGLE to "Law West of the Pecos,” a sequel to "Frontier Marshal,” in w^hich Randolph Scott, Nancy Kelly, Cesar Romero and Binnie Barnes will repeat in the roles they created. The Sol Wurtzel unit will produce. — Universal EDWARD ELISCU to “Casino.” — Warner Bros. ROBERT E. KENT to “Floating Trouble,” baaed on the current furore over gambling ships off the Southern California coast. Bryan Foy will produce with Humphrey Bogart in the lead. EARL BALDWIN to “The Life of Tony Pastor,” slated as a starring vehicle for Edward G. Robinson. MILTON KRIMS to an untitled original dealing with Reuters, famous European newspaper agency; MICHAEL HOGAN to “The Villa on the Hill,” from a story by W. Somerset Maugham. Shirley Ross Hollywood Erhissary to Canada Sole Hollywood emissary to Canada’s Fresh Air Fund, annual charity show, was Shirley Ross, Paramount star, who trained out for Toronto. Guest of honor at a series of receptions. Miss Ross also headlined a four-hour transcontinental broadcast. From Toronto she was scheduled to travel on to New York before returning to the film capital. Jane "Withers has been set by 20th Century-Fox for a personal appearance tour through Australia and New Zealand, leaving next January. She will stop off in Honolulu en route. Her itinerary will include one week in New Zealand and three in Australia, the entire trip to consume nearly three months. First the moppet will co-star with Gene Autry in “Jubilo” for the Westwood plant. Columbia sent William Holden, star of “Golden Boy,” to Chicago for a short p.a. engagement. He will continue on to New York to attend the opening of the picture, then resume his p.a.’s, returning here in about a month. Maxie Rosenbloom appeared at the Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, in conjunction with Warner’s “Each Dawn I Die,” while John Garfield left for New York to make appearances with “Dust Be My Destiny,” his latest Warner starrer. Tex Ritter, cowboy star, has extended his p.a. schedule until September 18 before returning to Hollywood to resume film work for Monogram. Judell Buys Land Near Prescott lor Westerns Ben Judell’s Producers Pictures Corp., has purchased a tract of land near Prescott, Ariz., and has begun construction of sound stages, a western street and various permanent sets to be used in the filming of the company’s 24-picture western quota for 1939-40. An administration building and living quarters also are being built under the supervision of Peter Stewart from plans by Fred Preble, art director. Plans are to make the “location city” a permanent headquarters for the film.ing of outdoor action features. First such venture to be undertaken, the project is receiving the cooperation of the Prescott Chamber of Commerce and other organizations of that city. Three series of westerns, each consisting of eight pictures, will be produced there, including “The Sagebrush Family,” featuring 13year-old Bobby Clark; the “Tales of Billy the Kid” series, starring George Houston; and eight “Frontier Marshal” features with Tim McCoy. "Pride and Prejudice" For Shearer-Donat Metro has announced “Pride and Prejudice,” from the novel by Jane Austen, as Norma Shearer’s next starring vehicle, with Robert Donat as her co-star and Hunt Stromberg producing. George Cukor will direct. No decision has been reached as to whether the production will be made here or in England. OPTIONS — Columbia CHARLES FRANCIS ROYAL joins writing staff. NICK GRINDE given term directorial contract. — Metro JACK CUMMINGS given new long-term contract as producer. DAVID HERTZ joins writing staff. CAREY WILSON, shorts producer and commentator, given new term contract. REINHOLD SCHUNZEL signs new term contract as director. WILSON COLLISON handed term writing contract. He is scripting for Producer J. Walter Ruben. JOHN NESBITT, writer in short subjects department, wins new contract. — Principal LEWIS J. RATHMIL signed as art director on “Escape to Paradise,” forthcoming Bobby Breen starrer, slated to roll September 5. RKO Radio will release. — Hal Roach GORDON DOUGLAS handed long-term directing contract. — Edward Small CLAYTON MOORE signs term acting contract. He -w'as previously known as Jack Carlton. — Universal F. SCOTT FITZGERALD signs one-picture writing deal. — Walter M'anger MERRITT GERSTAD, cameraman, hed for another term. — Warner Bros, EDGAR ALLEN POE, great-grand nephew of the poet, signs as technical adviser on the story of his ancestor’s life. MICHAEL HOGAN joins writing staff. He will script “Villa on the Hill,” from W. Somerset Maugham’s original. BERT TEITLEBAUM, head of art department, set for another year. EDDIE ALBERT handed new term acting ticket. MARIS WRIXON, actress, set for another year. Two Literary Properties Acquired by Columbia “Angela Is Twenty-Two,” a Sinclair Lewis play, and “For All of Our Lives,” a novel by Ursula Parrott, have been acquired by Columbia Pictures for early production. The novel will also be presented as a play in the fall. Jack Skirball, in association with John ■Wildberg will supervise production of these pictures. More Space lor Chaplin Outdoor Sequences For the construction of outdoor sets, Charles Chaplin has purchased several acres in San Fernando Valley from the Columbia Broadcasting System. The land was formerly used for the transmitter of Station KNX before a new transmitter was constructed near Torrence. STORY BUYS — Metro "I Married an Angel,” Broadway musical, as a co-starring vehice for Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald. Hunt Stromberg will produce. The stage show was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. — United Artists "Sweetheart of Turret One,” a navy story by Lieut.-Com. Frank Wead, to Samuel Goldwyn, who has scheduled it for late fall production. Andrea Leeds, Jon Hall and Alan Baldwin will have top roles. Navy cooperation has been assured. — Warner Bros. "Sabotage in the Air,” by Leonard Levinson. Dealing with efforts of foreign agents to cripple American airplane manufacture, it will feature John Payne, Gloria Dickson, Ronald Reagan, Dennis Morgan and Eddie Foy jr. 56 BOXOFFICE :: August 26, 1939