Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1939)

Production Falls to 40 as Holiday Stops Work The observance of Thanksgiving Day, causing a general shutdown in all the studios, contributed to bringing down the production total to 40, several notches under the mark attained in recent weeks. Columbia gunned two pictures — “Daughters of Today” and “Five Little Peppers Midway” — to raise its total to five. Metro held to its eight-picture total by starting “Arouse and Beware” and finishing “The Earl of Chicago.” Monogram broke a long idle spell by signalling a start on “Front Page Lady.” Three went into work at Paramount, giving that plant a total of eight. Starting were “Golden Gloves,” “The Way of All Flesh” and “The Man Fi'om Bar 20.” Republic hit an idle stretch by completing “The Days of Jesse James” and “The Narrow Path.” RKO Radio, likewise with no new starts, is filming five. Hitting a seasonal low, 20th CenturyFox has but two in production, starting “Shooting High” and finishing “The Grapes of Wrath” and “Little Old New York.” United Artists producers are filming four, Selznick International having completed “Rebecca.” An equal number is in work at Universal, including a new start, “Road to Romance.” Gunning “We Shall Meet Again,” Warner nevertheless is far below par with only three in work. RCA Television Topic at SMPE Unit Meeting Discussion of the new RCA television transmitter-receiver demonstration unit highlighted a meeting of the Pacific Coast section of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers held November 20. Wesley C. Turner and Irving Steinberger demonstrated the unit, which was made available to the film engineers prior to shipment east after it was displayed at the San Francisco World Fair. Homer Tasker was chairman of the meeting, held in the RCA building. Jules Levy Returns East After Coast Huddles Jules Levy, former sales manager for RKO Radio, has returned to New York after spending some time in film colony in conference with a number of local studio executives. Levy, prior to his departure, had no announcement to make as to his plans for the immediate future, although he had disclosed earlier that he plans to enter the independent production field. Hope-Goddard Again Paulette Goddard has been signed for the feminine lead opposite Bob Hope in Paramount’s “The Ghost Breakers,” reviving the Hope-Goddard team which appeared in “The Cat and the Canary.” Elliott Nugent will direct for Producer Arthur Hornblow jr. Film Critics Meeting To Be in Hollywood Detroit — The first convention of the National Film Critics of America will be held late in February or early in March in Hollywood it was decided at a special meeting here of the executive committee. The organization of newspaper film editors will award prizes for the best performances in 1939 by a male and female star, and for the best supporting players. It also will select the best picture of the year, and name the young man and woman, new to pictures, most likely to succeed during the coming year on the basis of their freshman work in films. Selections will be made by a nominating committee for the stars, supporting players and best picture. Into Twelve Districts The country has been divided into 12 districts by the critics with a governor in charge of each one. Number I district will comprise New York and New Jersey. Governors and the district from which they were named follow: Prunella Hall, Boston Post, district II, comprising Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut: Harold W. Cohen, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, district III, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia and the District of Columbia; Eddie Cohen, Miami News, district IV, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida; Boyd Martin, Louisville Courier -Journal, district V, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. Harry Martin, Memphis Commercial-Appeal, district VI, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas; Buck Herzog, Milwaukee Sentinel, district VII, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin; Keith Wilson, Omaha World-Herald, district VIII, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska; Merle Potter, Minneapolis TimesTribune, district IX, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota; John Rosenfield, Dallas Morning News, district X, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado and New Mexico; Herbert Larson, Portland Oregonian, district XI, Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, and Jimmy Starr, Los Angeles Herald-Express, district XII, California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona. Roly Young of the Toronto Globe and Mail was named governor of the Canadian and Nova Scotian district. Potter, Herzog and Wilson met here as members of the executive committee. Only member absent was Harry Martin. The committee plans to hold occasional meetings. Switch Helms Directorial assignments on two forthcoming Paramount productions have been switched. Kurt Neumann has been taken off “Golden Gloves” and assigned to “A Night at Earl Carroll’s,” while Edward Dmytryk, originally scheduled to direct the “Carroll” vehicle, moves over to “Golden Gloves.” S-I Studios Will Close Three or Four Months A shutdown of from three to four months, during which the studio will be operated by a skeleton maintenance staff, has been ordained at Selznick International, with some 200 office workers and salaried technicians receiving two-week notices of the impending layoff. Actual shutdown will go into effect when “Rebecca,” now being completed by Director Alfred Hitchcock, has been edited and scored. David O. Selznick, head of the company, plans an extended vacation. Daniel T. O’Shea, who succeeds Henry Ginsberg as vice-president January 1, will remain in charge of the lot. Don Roberts, who has been handling publicity for the studio, will report back to the Russell Birdwell publicity staff. American History Leads WB Featurette Lineup Leadoff picture on Warner’s 1940-41 program of historical featurettes will be “The American Cavalcade,” tracing the country’s history from its discovery by Columbus to the present day. Film will be made as a two-reeler in Technicolor from a script by Charles Tedford. Gordon Hollingshead will supervise production. Mervyn LeRoy Assigned To "Waterloo Bridge" “Waterloo Bridge” will be directed for Producer Sidney Franklin at M-G-M by Mervyn LeRoy, with Robert Montgomery and Vivien Leigh as the co-stars. Two Set at 20th-Fox Two directorial assignments have been made at 20th Century-Fox. David Burton will pilot the untitled sequel to “Hotel for Women,” featuring Lynn Bari and Joan Davis. H. Bruce Humberstone will direct the next “Cisco Kid” feature for Producer John Stone. Lang Assigned Walter Lang has been assigned to direct 20th Century-Fox’s “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” starring Linda Darnell, with Roland Young in a featured role. Shooting starts in January. Leads for "Susan" “Susan and God,” which George Cukor will direct for Producer Hunt Stromberg at M-G-M, will have Fredric March and Greer Garson in the leads. Picture hits the cameras in January. Borrow Billie Burke for "Irene" RKO Radio has borrowed Billie Burke from M-G-M for one of the toplines in “Irene,” the Anna Neagle starrer, which Herbert Wilcox is producing and directing. BOXOFnCE :: November 25, 1939 23