Canadian Film Weekly (Jun 30, 1943)

am ~ June 30, 1948 Studios Plan for Post-War Themes Leading Hollywood producers are looking over the lterary market for stories with post-war themes with a view to presenting films that will stimulate discussion on post-war planning. Some studios, in an attempt to get away from war pictures and the current escapist cycle, have already bought such material and one company is planning to go into production soon. The new trend is shown by the heavy bids put up by major studios for Wendell Willkie’s book ‘One World,” which deals with future problems. Although there has been no pressure from the USA government in this direction, the news that 20th Century-Fox intends to make a film based on the life of Woodrow Wilson was lauded by the American Office of War Information. Paramount has acquired ‘The Time Is Now,” by Stanley Paley and assigned Walter MacEwen to produce. Sam Bischoff will produce “Lebensraum” for Columbia and former FBI man John Metcalfe is working on a story for Columbia. Warners, 20th Century-Fox and RKO are all interested in this new cycle although they have not yet experimented with it. Universal and MGM are not enthusiastic over the idea. MGM doesn’t want to take a chance on anything unless it has strong entertainment value. The studios want to handle general subjects which will provoke thought on post-war problems and also entertain the public. It is felt that pictures on what will happen after the surrender of the Japs and the Fascists will not only take the place of war stories, of which the public is getting tired, but they will also keep the escapist cycle within bounds, Duncan Resigns Norman Duncan, who managed the Strand, Vancouver, has been succeeded by S. Pooley, transferred by Famous Players from the Kerrisdale, Vancouver. John F. Elkins replaces Pooley. Universal Announces Big “43-44 List Universal will release 55 features, seven Westerns, 67 shorts and 104 newsreels for 1948-44, William Scully has announced. Of the features five will be superspecials and five in Technicolor, Lastweek Scully said that no pictures will be held out to miss the summer, Canadian FILM WEEKLY Leslie Howard, missing after the plane he was travelling in was shot down by the Nazis, did more than any single person to break down the prejudices of Americans toward his countrymen. The mild-mannered star was uncompromisingly British in accent and manner. He did not take on American characteristics, like so many English actors in Hollywood, yet became the most popular of any. Howard, who was 50 years old, was the son of a London stock broker but would have none of his father’s business and entered the theatre after being invalided out of the British Army in 1918. His most recent film was “Spitfire,” a story of the invention of that‘plane. It has been predicted that British film production will rival that of Hollywood after the war. If that becomes so, Leslie Howard, actor, producer and writer, will have been the main reason. Marguerite Chapman, who is coming up fast, ran a switchboard and tapped a typewriter in an office until she got tired of hearing folks tell her that she ought to be in pictures. So she got a job as a mode! with John Powers and shortly after Hollywood sent for her. Since then she has been in a score of films and her next two, “Destroyer” and ‘Assignment in Berlin,’ will make her a No. 1 star. Her four brothers are in the American Army... . Add to the wind, snow and rain machines used to create film weather a new one, the cloud cooker. This one creates and blows clouds along the ground, making the actors appear to be floating through space. . .. Binnie Barnes used to do a rope-twirling act in English music halls, where she was known as “Texas Binnie Barnes.” * ar ba Bing Crosby, who sang his way into the big money, earned $298,946 as his share of the cash his records brought last year. Whenever a new Crosby picture is announced the public wants to know what songs he will sing. Bing’s next film fs “Dixle,” a Technicolor history of the black-faced minstrels, and in it he will offer ten songs. Seven of these are new, the other three such famed old favorites as “Dixie,” “Turkey in the Straw” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” ...A new star has emerged. He’s 17year-old Donald O’Connor, who started out as Crosby’s kid brother in “Sing, You Sinners,’ a 1938 production. Universal let an impartial theatre audience have an unexpected look at a film called “Mr. Big.” Its reaction was such that the studio right away signed young O’Connor to a long-term contract. There isn’t anything Donald can’t do, since he was born into a theatrical family and got on the stage at the age of six months. Snow White and Prince Charming are suing Walt Disney for $200,000. The fairy tale pair say they agreed to allow Disney the use of their voices for the film only but that he extended it to records, for which they got nothing. Adriana Caselotti and Harry Stockwell did the talking and singing in the film. ... The Dieppe raid will be enacted for the film version of “The White Cliffs of Dover,” which will be made at a cost of $1,500,000. Perhaps Canada will get a better break here than it did in the newsreels, which showed Dieppe mainly as an American operation. .. . It takes strong stuff to scare people today. So one studio will make “Chamber of Horrors,” which will feature Dracula, The Wolf Man, Frankenstein, and all the rest of that horrible crew. Have you any used HAVE, 20). OR MORE equipment around your AEE YOUR MONEY theatres. Send us a list and FON: =", ttib PESTLE in we will clear it out for you! 2 SOUL. PROIECTORS AKL: There is satisfaction in COMLENE TREAT SUNIES S SECUALISS FOR SEYRARY. SO ASRARE AGAR : WAC AKCKT UE. GOMINION THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO =O? CAVE ST WANCOVNER LC buying at the right prices. May we quote you—yes. on anything which you can think of! nmi ttt tt tt CC OT CC CCC CL LL Page 7 . [Films to Help Bad Juveniles Though movie makers rarely use their own medium to make things easier for themselves, they are about to see what the screen can do to soften some of the frequent accusations that the motion picture today influences children unduly. Unruly kids have caused critics to point fingers at the industry and the more violent among the juveniles have raised hob with seats, receptacles and other items of theatre equipment. So important has the problem of juvenile vandalism become that some of the USA exhibitors association have committees to deal with it. Several such committees have prevailed on several major studios to treat the problem in filmic fashion. Both Paramount and 20th Century-Fox have expressed a willingness to join in a screen campaign that would have a healthy influence on the kids and point out the seriousness of their indiscretions. Neil Agnew of Paramount is submitting an idea to government authorities and Tom Connors of 20th-Fox is considering the issuance of shorts along suggested lines. Several other studios are also interested. The title has been announced by Arthur Landau, an Independent producer, as “Battle on the Home Front,” and religious and civic organizations have approved of the idea. 1 $e Resta CONTRACT SALES OFFICE iret purse PHOHE TR.1257 6°" FLGGA «EATO 6 Cofage Stiset