20th Century-Fox Dynamo (July 8, 1939)

STUDIO SPECIAL 5A UP-TO-THE MINUTE SURVEY UF 1939-40 PR00UCT As of July 6 STANLEY AND LIVINGSTONE—One of the industry’s greatest undertakings. More than three years in prepa- ration. A total of $400,000 was spent in financing an ex- pedition, headed by Mrs. Martin Johnson, that spent five months in the jungle of Africa filming actual “last frontier” sequences, with thousands of natives. How- ever, this is a brief sequence in this stupendous produc- tion whose cost will be some $2,250,000. It is a story of surging courage, of soaring adventure, of sweeping romance. It is a story that 70 years ago set the world ablaze. As a record of indomitable achievement, in the face of almost unsurmountable obstacles, it has no equal. It is based on the sensationally adventurous life of the world’s greatest newspaperman, Henry M. Stan- ley, who was instructed to find in the jungles a famous scientist, Dr. Livingstone, whose mysterious disappear- ance had baffled civilization. A thrilling drama of ro- mance and suspense. Directed by Henry King, who made “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” “Jesse James” and “In Old Chicago.” The cast is one of the greatest assembled for any pic- ture. It is headed by Academy prize-winning Spencer Tracy, who plays Stanley; Sir Cedric Hardwicke, inter- national stage star, as Dr. Livingstone; Richard Greene, and Nancy Kelly, who carry the romantic in- terest; Academy character prize-winning star Walter Brennan, of “Kentucky” fame; Henry Hull of “Jesse James” fame, Charles Coburn, David Torrence, Mon- tague Shaw, Brandon Hurst and thousands of others. A Darryl Zanuck super special. THE RAINS CAME—Based on a book printed in almost every language, one of the most popular novels of our time. It is a story of the State of Ranchipur in India, suddenly stricken by earthquake and ensuing flood, that transforms the small, prosperous area into one of suffering and pestilence. It has romance and thrills and spectacle and it involves a terrific financial outlay. Sel- dom has a story been offered the screen that offers what this one does. It has fire, earthquake, flood. It is probably the most important production to be made this year by any company. “The Rains Came” represents the highest price ever expended by 20th Century-Fox for a novel. Clarence Brown, Metro’s ace director, is directing. George Brent is portraying Ransome. Myrna Loy has the best role of her career as Lady Esketh. Tyrone Power is co- starred as the romantic, colorful Major Safti. Every player of importance in Hollywood has coveted the roles in this popular story. Maria Ouspenskaya plays the Maharanee; H. B. Warner the Maharajah; Henry Travers, the Missionary; Marjorie Rambeau por- trays Mrs. Simon and Laura Hope Crews enacts the part of Mrs. Hoggett-Eggbury. Others in the cast are the new “find,” Brenda Joyce, who will play the role of Fern; William Royle and thousands of others. “The Rains Came” and “Stanley and Livingstone” are not only the two most expensive, but two of the greatest undertakings of this company. Here we have a story of an India never before seen on the screen— modern India of 1939, the India of Maharajahs, the India of class pitted against poverty and the Untouch- ables. And, as Tom Ransome in the book says: “You hate her, you despise her. In one breath she takes from you all that is worth having, and in the very next she opens her arms and smiles and gives you anything that any man could want.” That is “Mother India.” Budget on this production is the highest in the history of this company—$2,500,000. Of that amount $500,000 is being spent on settings and another $500,000 on the flood and earthquake sequences. DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK—This is a great story taken from a big selling novel that has won millions of readers. The production calls for a story and back- ground of great dramatic sweep. It’s a fascinating story of raw, frontier days. It’s the story of early settlers of Northern New York State, of hearty pioneers fighting for their very existence. Not only did they fight Red- coats during the Revolution, they fought Indians. They saw their houses, crops and barns burned. They saw their children burned at the stake. They saw their wo- men ravished and their men scalped and killed. But, they never gave up! They fought on and on irrespective' of the odds, and finally won out. It is one of the greatest pages in American history. It will be entirely done in Technicolor. Claudette Col- bert and Henry Fonda will co-star. Edna May Oliver, Linda Darnell, John Carradine, Robert Lowery, Charles Tannen, Roger Imhoff and Ward Bond also are in the cast. John Ford is directing it at Cedar City, Utah. LITTLE OLD NEW YORK—Mr. Zanuck feels that in “Little Old New York” it has not only one of the best known titles in the amusement industry, but they have a story and subject that will enable them to make a picture which can stand alongside of “In Old Chicago”. The studio is determined to stop at nothing in the way of expense to properly stage it. It was made by Marion Davies many years ago and was a tremendous box office success. Now, with the use of sound, modern technique and modern methods of story telling, for the first time the screen can really take advantage of the story of the little Irish immigrant girl who lived on the waterfront. It is the story of Robert Fulton, inventor of the steam- boat. It is the story of the gay blades of that never- ZANUCK K-7 SPECIALS As of July 6 Following are the 25 productions that Darryl F. Zanuck, Vice-President in charge of production, plans to make for release during 1939-40: 1— Stanley and Livingstone 2— The Rains Came 3— Hollywood Cavalcade (T) 4— Drums Along the Mohawk (T) 5— Irving Berlin's Say It With Music 6— Little Old New York 7— Brigham Young 8— Mark of Zorro (T) 9— Grapes of Wrath 10— Swanee River 11— Everything Happens at Night (SH) 12— Shadows in the Snow (SH) 13— Maeterlinck's The Blue Bird (ST) (T) 14— Lady Jane (ST) 15— Elsa Maxwell's Hotel for Women 16— Johnny Apollo 17— Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 18— Dance With the Devil 19— Here I Am a Stranger 20— The Postman Walks Alone 21— 20,000 Men a Year 22— Part-Time Wife 23— Public Deb No. I 24— Scotland Yard 25— White Lady of the Orient NOTES: (T) Technicolor super specials. (SH) With Sonja Henie. (ST) With Shirley Temple, (tt) Tentative. to-be-forgotten period when New York was in its in- fancy. Here is a story chockful of grandeur, color, atmosphere—the New York of the old Vanderbilts and the Astors. No where can you find anyone more per- fectly to portray the little Irish girl than Alice Faye. Henry Fonda will portray Fulton and either Richard Greene or Tyrone Power will be in the cast. It will have in addition to a great story, big spectacles that should make it one of the outstanding productions of the season. HOLLYWOOD CAVALCADE—This special is being pro- duced in Technicolor. Here’s the romance of the ever- changing Hollywood scene—from the days of the “cus- tard pie” to the advent of the “talkies.” That’s the background for this absorbing tale. There’s nothing scientific or technical about it. Never once does the background overshadow the great, personal story that has been written. Irving Cummings is directing the story. Mai St. Clair is directing the humorous and chase sequences. What “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” was to music, “Falling Stars”—the Cavalcade of Hollywood— is to the moving picture. It is the first story ever laid in the Glamor City in the days before it became a city of mechanical guilds, unions, etc.—the drama of Jack Michaels, a movie pio- neer, and of Vera Dale, the actress he made famous. Michaels starts out as just an over-worked subordinate with ideas and ambitions; he remains an over-worked subordinate, but not for long! His handling of Vera from an understudy to a leading lady, with its resulting WURTZEL K-7 PICTURES — As of July 6 SERIES JANE WITHERS (4) 1— Chicken Wagon Family 2— Roughnecks (*) 3— Jubilo (#) 4— High School (**) CHARLIE CHAN (4) 1— Charlie Chan at Treasure Island 2— Charlie Chan in a City in Darkness 3— Charlie Chan in Rio 4— Charlie Chan in Washington CISCO KID (3) [%) 1— In Portugal 2— On Broadway 3— Untitled JONES FAMILY (4) 1— Quick Millions 2— Jones Family at World's Fair 3— U ntitled 4— Untitled NOTE: (*) Tentatively titled "Tin Hats" with Withers-Ritz Broth- ers co-starred. (#) With Gene Autry. (**) Tentatively titled "Texas Kid". (%) A "Cisco Kid" series replaces "Mr. Moto". SPECIALS 1— James Oliver Curwood story 2— Heaven With a Barbed Wire Fence 3— Gambling Ship story 4— The Escape (n) 5— Hold Me Tight 6— Stop, Look and Love 7— Girl Wanted 8— Take Your Happiness 9— No Man Is Safe 10— Living High 11— Peter B. Kyne story 12— Dog story by James Oliver Curwood NOTE: (n) Was formerly known as "East Side West Side". In one of the Wurtzel specials the Ritz Brothers will be featured. The latter is in addition to their co-starring vehicle with Jane Withers. romance, is the great personal story that dominates this production. It’s simply handled in a big way in this picture with Alice Faye and Don Ameche set for the two leading parts. A1 Jolson, Stuart Erwin, Buster Kea- ton, J. Edward Bromberg, Jed Prouty, Donald Meek, George Givot, Ben Turpin, Lynn Bari, Alan Curtis, Rob- ert Lowery, Kay Arledge, and others. Harry Joe Brown, associate producer of “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” will oversee this big production. Mack Sennett is co-asso- ciate producer. It will be very big in every sense of the word. Now in production. MAETERLINCK’S “BLUE BIRD”—A Technicolor super special. A great classic whose sales compare with those of the Bible in volume. The sum of $100,000 has been paid for the rights to this story. This will be by far the most expensive production in which Shirley has appeared. Of course, it will star the world’s No. 1 box office star, Shirley Temple. Here is one of the most important stories ever acquired by this industry. It will be one of the super specials, for Miss Temple will head an all-star cast. Mr. Zanuck will produce it in the same lavish style as “Stanley and Livingstone,” “The Rains Came,” and “Drums Along the Mohawk.” “The Blue Bird” will be second of the Shirley Temple all- star super specials for the 1939-40 season. This world- famous story is particularly adaptable to Technicolor. Negotiations to acquire the rights to this story lingered for many months, for several other producers sought them. The cast will be the most important to appear in any production with Shirley Temple. Director and other details will be announced later. Scheduled for domestic release during Christmas-New Year week. LADY JANE—Shirley Temple’s second of her two pro- ductions for 1939-40 release. It is based on the classic written by Mrs. C. V. Jamison. It has been in the best seller class—not for a few years, but for nearly half a century. It has only recently gone into its 36th print- ing. In many schools it is obligatory reading. It is unique as a Temple story; unique because it is a mys- tery story. It’s a story of New Orleans peopled with Creoles and French and graceful and charming human relics of by-gone days. It has its climax in the cele- brated Mardi Gras. The picture gives Shirley every pos- sibility of showing to the very best advantage—and, as previously advised, never again will you see Shirley Temple in anything but the highest budgeted pictures. Walter Lang will direct “Lady Jane.” Brenda Joyce will be in the cast. THE GRAPES OF WRATH—John Steinbeck's greatest novel. Studio competing against all other producers, paid $70,000 for the screen rights to this stirring story of this generation which in the very first week of its sale reached the astounding total of 94,000, with addi- tional printings already ordered by its publisher, Viking Press. Comparable with “The Rains Came,” “Drums Along the Mohawk” and “Gone With the Wind.” Screen play by Nunnally Johnson who will also be associate producer. John Ford will direct. More details later. Henry Fonda, Walter Brennan and Beulah Bondi are among those mentioned for top roles. 20,000 MEN A YEAR—Here is America’s answer to de- fiant shouts of war, the posturings of the sabre-rattling dictators. It behooves those who cherish individuality to arm to keep the peace. President Roosevelt, realiz- ing this is an electrifying appeal to the country, has won approval of his plan for the training of 20,000 new aviators each year, a great reserve of flyers—young men selected from colleges. From this timely and un- precedented development in aviation, the studio will make a major production, with the full cooperation of the United States Government. Commander Frank Wead is the author. Commander Wead wrote “Hell Divers,” “Ceiling Zero,” and “Test Pilot.” The story will be greater than its theme. It will assume epic qualities, the whole saga of aviation told in terms of human, likeable characters. There will be the conflict of many personalities. While the theme is aviation, it is not a picture of the air. It is the story of an old-time hard-boiled pilot, kicked out of the Air Service because he can no longer pass the physical examination. He is an illiterate being who never went past the fourth grade in school—who finds himself at one of the smartest universities of the coun- try, where he is pitted against the intelligentsia. It is the story of the conflict of personalities behind the scenes, the making of young students into flyers—and their obstacles. ELSA MAXWELL’S HOTEL FOR WOMEN—A Cosmo- politan production. In a great city in this country there is a hotel that caters entirely to women. This hotel is the most famous and most unique in the world. Mr. Zanuck sent the authoress of this story, Kathryn Scola, to live at this hotel. No one knew the purpose of her visit. She lived there for six weeks. She met all the girls living there, went out to their parties with gigolos, etc.—in fact, she engaged personally in every phase of life at the hotel, and equipped herself to unfold the most unique story this country has ever had. It has one of the most colorful backgrounds ever filmed. Its plot has all the elements that go to make a great pic- ture. The script is finished, and it will be one of our early releases. Elsa Maxwell, world famous as the offi- cial hostess to American society and royalty, and the official hostess at both San Francisco and New York World Fairs, will make her screen debut in this pic- ture. Linda Darnell, a new “discovery,” has been given the leading romantic role. She was chosen from a large