Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1939)

Hollywood Personnelities Technically — Academy Productions JACK MURTON signed as casting director. — Metro HAROLD ROSSON to photograph "Edison, the Man.” FRED ZINNEMAN to direct the next in John Nesbitt’s Passing Parade short subjects, dealing ■with Dr. Joseph Goldberger, -who conquered the pellagra germ. HERMAN BOXER wrote the script. BASIL WRANGELL to direct "The Art and Practice of Doodling,” a Passing Parade short subject. PETE SMITH guns "Third Dimensional Murder,” his latest "Specialty,” which uses a new three-dimension camera developed by JOHN ARNOLD, head of studio camera department. JOE NEWMAN to direct "Counterfeiting,” a "Crime Does Not Pay” short subject. GABRIEL SCOGNAMILLO set as art director on "Congo Maisie.” SANDY ROTH assigned as assistant director on "Strange Cargo.” — Paramount STUART GILMORE to edit "The Way of All Flesh.” RUSSELL HARLAN to photograph "The Man From Bar 20,” a Harry Sherman sagebrusher. ROYCE FINLEY to handle props for "The Way of All Flesh.” DERWIN ABRAFIAMS set as assistant director on Harry Shei man’s "The Man_From Bar 20.” CHARLES HISSERICH set as sound director on "Golden Gloves.” HOMER G. TASKER, chief production mixer, promoted to assistant director of recording. HUGO GRENZBACH assigned as sound mixer on "The Way of All Flesh,” rolling November 14. — KKO Radio NED MANN to handle trick photography on "And So Goodbye,” first Lee Garmes production. WILLIAM CLOTHIER to photograph aerial sequences in "The Marines Fly High.” — Edward Small DOUGLAS FIELD signed as technical advisor on "My Son. My Son.” — Universal HARRY NEUMANN photographing “The Road to Romance,” which Charles Lament is directing. Story Buys — Famous Productions "Tortilla Flats,” by John Steinbeck, optioned as a possible vehicle for Universal release. — Metro “Countess Maritza,” operetta by Julius Brammer, Alfred Grunwald and Emmerich Kalmanx. A biography of Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin, by Ann Morgan. It will be filmed as a John Nesbitt I’assing Parade short or as a Carey AVilson miniature. — Paramount "Polonaise,” by Brian Marlowe and Thomas Monroe. Dealing with the siege of Warsaw, it will be produced by Arthur Hornblow jr. Joel McCrea and Maria Ouspenskaya have been cast. "Kiss the Boys Goodbye,” stage play by Clare Boothe, as a vehicle tor Mary Martin. Property is a satire on Hollylvood’s search for a "Scarlett O’Hara.” Scripters — Samuel Goldw.vn NIVEN BUSCH to "Sweetheart of Turret One.” — Metro KATHRYN SCOLA to “And One Was Beautiful,” from a story by Alice Duer Miller, which Frederick Stephani will produce. HOWARD ESTABROOK to "Dawn’s Early Light,” story of the United States during George Washington’s time. Dorothy Thompson and Fritz Kortner wrote the original, which Sam Zimbalist will produce as a Robert Taylor starrer. MARY McCALL jr. to "The Great Canadian.” J. Walter Ruben will produce. MARGARET ROBERTS to "Willow Walk,” forthcoming Joseph Mankiewicz production. — Paramount IRMGAARD VON CUBE to "Portrait of a Mother.” Jack Moss will produce. STUART ANTHONY to “Partners,” a Will James story, which Jack Moss will produce. —KKO PHILIP MacDONALD to an untitled original for Producer William Sistrom. — Republic GEORGE BECK to “Heroes of the Saddle,” a "Three Mesquiteers” western. CHARLES FRANCIS ROYAL to "Oklahoma Outlaws.” a Three Mesquiteers western. — 20th Century-Fox JACK JUNGMEYER jr. and EDITH SKOURAS to "Sophomore,” a sequel to "High School,” starring Jane Withers. DANA BURNET to "Down to the Sea in Ships,” remake of the 1922 silent starring Clara Bow. CURTIS KENYON and KENNETH EARL to "Western Union.” last novel written by the late Zane Grey. WALTER BULLOCK to “Rip Van Winkle” for Producer Harry Joe Brown. OWEN FRANCIS and LOU BRESLOW to the untitled silent comedy which Mack Sennett will produce. —Universal FELIX JACKSON to “Spring Parade,” Joe Pasternak production which will star Deanna Durbin. LESTER COLE to "House of Seven Gables” for Producer Burt Kelly. JAY DRATLER to "Congamania.” — Warner CASEY ROBINSON to "The Woman Brown,” forthcoming Bette Davis starrer. AENEAS MACKENZIE to "Disraeli.” HEINZ HERALD joins ULRICH STEINDORFF on "The Lite of Alfred Nobel.” Clellers — Metro HARRY LINK, representative of Leo Feist, Inc., checks in for conferences with NAT FINSTON on song plugs for "Balalaika.” BOB WRIGHT and CHET FORREST doing score for "Florian.” the Winfield Sheehan production. DR. WILLIAM AXT to record music for special trailers on "Balalaika." — Paramount SIGMUND KRITMGOLD completes scoring background music for "Emergency Squad." — M'arner Bros. MOE JEROME and JACK SCHOLL plant their original tune, "The American Way," in "Royal Rodeo," Technicolor short. Options — Metro DODIE SMITH given term writing ticket. BUSBY BERKELEY, director, held for another term. Next assignment is "Forty Little Mothers," Eddie Cantor comedy. RICHARD ROSSON, cameraman-director, given new contract. — Paramount WALLY WESTMORE handed new contract as head of makeup department. MURIEL ANGELUS, actress, held for another term. W. L. RIVER given new writing ticket. — Warner Bros. CARL ZUCKMAYER joins writing staff. MARYILYN MERRICK, Little Theatre actress, signed to term pact. JOHN MEEHAN joins writing staff. BERTRAM MILLHAUSER added to scripting staff. bolstered by an outstandingly strong supporting cast. Raymond Griffith can chalk up another solid credit as associate producer. RKO Radio presented a colorful history of the “biggest little city in the world” in “Reno,” a pretentiously-produced vehicle which is worthy of top playing time everywhere. .John Twist’s script, based on an original by Ellis St. Joseph, is a masterful bit of writing, tracing the city’s growth from its lusty beginnings as a mining town to its present status as the world’s capital for divorce-seekers. Given a role comparable in strength to his earlier triumph in “Cimarron,” Richard Dix scores heavily, carrying most of the acting burden on his still sturdy shoulders. Robert Sisk’s production and John Farrow’s direction are both top-notch. Wisely providing the same adroit mixture of mystery and comedy which made its predecessors such popular money-mak Pick O'Shea to Succeed Henry Ginsberg at S-I The void left by the resignation of Henry Ginsberg as vice-president and general manager of Selznick International will be filled by Daniel T. O’Shea, who will be elected at the next meeting of the S-I board of directors to fill the vacancy. O’Shea has been with the company since its inception, moving over at that time from RKO Radio, where he had been resident counsel. He first served as assistant to David O. Selznick and later was made secretary of the company. Ginsberg’s resignation, after more than four years with the company, was accepted with regret by Selznick and John Hay Whitney, chairman of the board. He leaves at the end of the year and has announced no future plans. Before joining S-I, Ginsberg had served as vice-president and general manager for Hal Roach. Hitting its lowest ebb for a period of three years, Republic has chopped its writing staff down to a total of eight with the departure of Jack Natteford upon completion of an assignment. Only one of the remaining scriveners, Betty Burbridge, has a term contract. The rest are on one-picture deals. Set to check off the M-G-M lot after 13 years with the company is Robert Hopkins, story advisor and gag writer, whose specialty was plugging up loopholes in scripts for the studio. He departs late this month and will announce another affiliation shortly. Another change in the Metro writing staff finds Annalee Whitmore boosted to the status of junior writer after a term of service as secretary to the fledgling scriveners at the plant. Roy Chanslor has left the Universal scripting staff after winding up a term contract, during which he contributed three original stories and four screen plays. Reins to Brown Production of the re-make, “Down to the Sea in Ships,” at 20th Century-Fox, has been handed to Harry Joe BroAvn. Script is being prepared by Elmer Clifton and Dana Burnet. Dwan Will Direct "Lady Jane" Allan Dwan has been assigned to direct “Lady Jane,” next Shirley Temple starrer, at 20th Century-Fox. Picture rolls in January. ers, Metro can almost certainly count upon comparable acceptance for “Another Thin Man,” newest in the adventures of SuperSleuth Nick Charles and his irrepressible wife. The humor is more on the broad side, a transition that should widen the film’s appeal, in the script by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett; while Hunt Stromberg’s production was characteristically opulent and W. S. Van Dyke contributed his usual crisp direction. * * * Weak sister in the lineup was 20th Century-Fox’s “City in Darkness” — one of the poorest and dullest episodes in the veteran “Charlie Chan” series. Screenplay by Robert Ellis and Helen Logan is a hopelessly complicated jumble which, unfortunately, gives Sidney Toler, in the title role, so little to do that he might almost have been omitted from the picture entirely. John Stone produced and Herbert I. Leeds directed. Spearheads (Continued from page 31) BOXOFFICE ;; November 18, 1939 35