Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1940)

“Hopalong Cassidy” western for Paramount. — Stephens-Lang Lee Loeb to an untitled “Dr. Christian” vehicle, starring Jean Hersholt, from his own original. RKO Radio will release. — 20th-CenturY-Fox Tom Reed to “School for Soldiers,” a Lou Edelman production. — Universal Ralph Block and Frederick Kohner to “Nice Girl,” from a story by Phyllis Duganne. Deanna Durbin will star. — Warner Robert Blees polishing “The Dealer’s Name Was George.” Warren Duff to “The House on the Hill” from W. Somerset Maugham’s story. Nat Hiken to “Yankee Gaucho,” tworeel Technicolor musical, which will star Dennis Morgan. W. R. Burnett completes “High Sierra,” from his novel, as a Paul Muni starrer. Aeneas Mackenzie and Wally Klein to “They Died With Their Boots On,” a western to star James Cagney. Norman Reilly Raine to “John Paul Jones,” to star James Cagney under direction of Michael Curtiz. Story Buys — Century Pictures “Trading Post,” a novel by Milton Krems. The company’s initialer, “Silver Queen,” is to be produced by Frank Melford for Paramount release. — Columbia “Edge of Running Water,” mystery story, by William Sloane. Boris Karloff will star. — Universal “Don’t Give Up the Ship,” a musical, by Maxwell Shane, who has been signed to do the screenplay for production by Jack Gross. Technically — Capra-Riskin Barney Mandell signed as film editor on “Meet John Doe, which Warner will release. — Alexander Korda Vincent Korda arrives from London, accompanied by his wife and baby. He begins work immediately, designing sets for “Cyrano. — ^Metro Alex Hyde completes two new compositions for violin solos. They will be used in forthcoming picture scores. Red Golden named assistant director, George Folsey cameraman and Paul Groesse unit art director on “Third Finger, Left Hand,” forthcoming Myrna Loy starrer. Robert Z. Leonard will direct. Lester White photographing “Quiz No. 3,” a Pete Smith short, with Roy Rowland directing. Sandy Roth named assistant director on “Go West.” Charles O’Malley teamed with Al Shenberg as assistant directors on special scenes for “Escape.” Al Gilkes photographing montage sequences for “Strike Up the Band.” Walter Lundin photographing a Pete Bow of "Brigham Young" In Salt Lake Readied Next link in the chain of lavish premieres being forged throughout the country by company exploiteers is the scheduled Salt Lake City debut around August 10 of 20th Century-Fox’s “Brigham Young.” Set to trek into the heart of the Mormon country for the affair are the film’s stars, Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell and Dean Jagger, who will be accompanied by other players and studio officials. The same studio will make another bid early in September when “The Return of Prank James” makes its bow in Kansas City, Mo., Darryl P. Zanuck having accepted Gov. Lloyd Stark’s personal invitation to attend. Also making the trip will be Henry Fonda and Jackie Cooper. Universal premiered “The Boys Prom Syracuse” in three Syracuse, N. Y., houses — the Paramount, Keith and Eckel. Dispatched from the studio for the affair were Joe Penner, Constance Moore, Eric Blore and Peggy Moran, all of whom had roles in the Jules Levey production; Levey himself, and, from the east, Milton Berle, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, Abbott and Costello and other celebrities. The picture opens at the Paramount in New York, July 28. Columbia jumps into the limelight in September when “Arizona” is world-premiered in Tucson and “The Howards of Virginia” makes its bow in Richmond, Va. Smith short based on the “stroboscope,” a new speed-photography invention. — National Pictures Theodore Sparkuhl to photograph “Second Chorus.” Paramount will release. Helen Taylor signed to create clothes for Paulette Goddard to wear in “Second Chorus.” Paramount will release the Boris Morros production. — Paramount Harry Mills named sound mixer on “Shepherd of the Hills.” Henry Hathaway directs. Harry Sherman planes to Denver to scout locations around Colorado for “The Round-Up,” which he sends before the cameras around August 1. The producer is accompanied by Lesley Selander, director; Russell Harlan, cameraman, and Louis Rachmil, art director. Thomas Neff replaces Floyd Knudtson as film editor on “The New Yorker,” the latter obtaining leave to go to the Mayo clinic in Rochester, Minn., for medical treatment. Ralph Nelson named business manager on “Shepherd of the Hills.” Bert Glennon to photograph “Virginia,” to be filmed in Technicolor. Leroy Stone to edit “Love Thy Neighbor,” the Jack Benny-Fred Allen costarrer. — RKO Radio Edward Killy, director, heads unit pulling out for Cedar City, Utah, to film a Tim Holt western, “Wagon Train.” Accompanying Killy are Clem Beauchamp, unit manager, and Alfred Chapple, construction foreman. Kenny Holmes named assistant director InternationaV s First Film Gets Monogram Outlet Shortly after the incorporation of International Pictures with Alexis Thurn-Taxis as president, a deal was negotiated whereby Monogram will release its initialer, “Gypsy Cavalier,” on the 1940-41 schedule. The picture goes into work July 29. It will be filmed in Cinecolor with Gilbert Roland starring. Thurn-Taxis will direct from a script by Edith Watkins. Edward V. Rawlings will serve as associate producer in addition to his duties as vice-president of the company. Other Independent Activity Henry Henigson, associate producer for James Roosevelt’s Globe Productions, has gone to New York with a film editor to trim up “Pastor Hall,” an anti-Nazi film made in England and which will be released in this country by Globe through United Artists. Foreword for the picture will be narrated by Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt. Subject of the documentary film is the Rev. Martin Niemoller, imprisoned anti-Nazi minister. Sigmund Neufeld has signaled a start on “Marked Men,” his third feature for distribution by Producers Releasing Corp. In addition, writers are currently preparing four other subjects for filming during August. Neufeld has received word from Harry Rathner, PRC president, in New York that all features hereafter are to be recorded on Western Electric equipment. on “Mexican Spitfire Out West.” Nick Musuraca to photograph “Little Men,” the Towne-Baker film. Sam Ruman named assistant director on “Little Men.” George Hively to edit “Little Men.” Eddie Dunn named assistant director on the Orson Welles production, “Citizen Kane.” William Dorfman set as assistant director on “Wagon Train.” Perry Ferguson set as art director on “Citizen Kane,” the Orson Welles production. — 20th Century-Fox Irving Pichel, director, heads for Boise, Idaho, to scout locations for “Hudson’s Bay Company.” He is accompanied by Booth McCracken, assistant director; James Havens, art director, and Peverell Marley, cameraman. Henry Weinberger named assistant director on “The Califomian.” Sam Schneider set as assistant director on “Charlie Chan in New York.” — Warner Harold Winston set as dialogue director on Frank Capra’s “Meet John Doe.” "Cyrano" Is First for Korda in Hollywood First production to be made completely in Hollywood by Alexander Korda will be “Cyrano, from a script by Ben Hecht, dealing with the French poet-dramatist and soidier who lived during the reigns of Louis XIII and Louis XIV. Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier will co-star and United Artists will release. BOXOFFICE July 20. 1940 69