20th Century-Fox Dynamo (September 2, 1939)

12A STUDIO SPECIAL Vol. II New York, Sept. 2, 1939 No. 18 JOSEPH M. SCHENCK Chairman of the Board DARRYL F. ZANUCK Vice-President in Charge of Production WILLIAM GOETZ Vice-President, Executive Assistant to Mr. Zanuck Roger Ferri . Editor A LTHOUGH shocked, along with the rest of the world, that hostilities have apparently started in Europe, the studio adhered to its task of picture-making. With each and every scheduled story set and treatments delivered by writers, they wait only for camera work to be transformed into screen vehicles. And this Mr. Zan- uck was prepared to speed up. according to a dispatch from the studio this week. I N THE contract signed by the sensational South Amer- ican singing star and smash-hit of the Broadway musical, “Streets of Paris,” Carmen Miranda’s first screen assignment will be filmed in New York. This is so because of her run-of-play contract with the Shuberts, co-producers of the musical. However, she will do for the screen the specialties that have made her the toast of two continents. • T HE sales force, along with exhibitors and fans, were relieved this week when Tyrone Power, Sonja Henie and Annabella return- ed to American shores. And they were even happier that once again they were walk- ing on the great land of the truly free. But, none of us can be happy so long as our company co-workers abroad face the trag- edies of war! • I N announcing the assignment of Linda Darnell to play oppo- site Tyrone Power in “Daytime Wife,” Mr. Zanuck expressed the belief that in that pair he had found the per- fect co-starring team for which he had been searching for some time. An advance pub- licity campaign is be- ing mapped out to “sell” them as a team to theatregoers, but more about this later. W ARNER Baxter, the studio states, will play a dual role in “Uncensored,” which is the new title for the production, “Scotland Yard.” He will play the roles of Sir John Lasher and Bakin Barrolles in the drama which will concern itself with the exploits of that famous British law enforcement unit which corresponds to the G-men in this country. Nunnally Johnson, who adapted and will produce “The Grapes of Wrath,” will be asso- ciate producer on “Uncensored.” That should give you an idea of the importance of this attraction. M ORE distinguished players were added to the cast of the new Shirley Temple vehicle, “The Blue Bird.” Nigel Bi'uce, as the result of his brilliant characteriza- tion of the bungling Watson in “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,” will play the coveted role of “Mr. Luxury.” Laura Hope Crewes, who gives a superb performance as Lady Hoggett-Egburry in “The Rains Came,” has been signed to play his wife, “Mrs. Luxury.” Production starts next week. I Production| I Vie wpoint j A LTHOUGH the studio possesses some of the finest of 18th century Colonial furniture and other valu- able antiques, they found that they could use none of it for authentic furnishings in the production of “Drums Along the Mohawk.” For several years, Tom Little, head of the property department, spent a good deal of time travelling all over America and Europe buying furniture and furnishings of every country and every age. The property department has such a complete stock that any type of set can be completely furnished on short notice with authentic period pieces. • W E could have furnished the 18th century Colonial sets for “Drums Along the Mohawk” if it weren’t for the fact that the picture is being filmed in Techni- color. On testing genuine period furniture for the pic- ture, it was found that the high finish on most of it gave off too much of a glare and would necessarily have to be dulled down, as is done with most types of furni- ture in all pictures. However, this furniture was so valuable that any dulling process would ruin the patina and depress the entire value of the furniture. The way the situation was solved was by copying all of these pieces in the same types of wood and applying the right kind of finish that would be good for Technicolor. • E VERY mail from the studio this week brought a letter from some friend there who “raved” over “Drums Along the Mohawk.” It is now in the cutting rooms. Here is a best-seller that should make about the most exciting American drama in the history of audible mo- tion pictures. It has everything necessary to become one of the biggest grossing pictures of this business, advises Mr. Wobber who saw it at the studio last week. • T O fit himself for his starring role in “Swanee River,” the Technicolor production in which he portrays Stephen Foster, famous early-day song writer, Don Ameche was something of a jack-of-all-show-world trades. Five tutors, each an expert, were assigned by the studio to teach Ameche their respective tricks by way of equipping him for the part. From a professional whistler, he is learning to warble and trill with the best ( of them. Geneva and Nick Castle are instructing him in | the intricacies of the soft shoe and buck and wing routines of the type popular three-quarters of a century ago. • A STUDIO violinist has taken him in hand for lessons on the fiddle and a pianist is doing the same for him as regards the keyboard. Foster was pretty much a master of all these mediums and Ameche, though he will not have to perform any of these tasks with polish, still must know enough of each to pass muster before the camera. The handsome star is devoting three hours a day to these various lessons. “It’s lucky I don’t have to go in for juggling,” he said. “That would have stumped me. I never could co-ordinate that well.” Ameche also will have to sing some of the songs Foster left to posterity in “Swanee River” but that presents no difficulties since his voice is one of his major assets. KJARBARA McLEAN shortens Tyrone Power’s movie kisses; she lets Sonja Henie skate thirty seconds more than the director intended; and she keeps Nancy Kelly beautiful by deleting a scene where a tricky breeze musses up her coiffure. She can make stars or she can leave their faces on the cutting room floor. As one of Hollywood’s three women film cutters, Barbara ranks among the highest paid in her profession. Having been in the business since 1924, she has pasted together films of Mary Bickford, Corinne Griffith and Billie Dove as well as present-day favorites. She scrutinizes over a half million feet of film at 20th Century-Fox each year and chops that figure down to 40,000 feet. M RS. McLEAN’S most recent task—and, she admits, her toughest—was editing “Stanley and Living- stone.” It took her three months and consisted of cut- ting down 200,000 feet of film so that the public could watch the story unfold in less than 10,000 feet. After Director Otto Brower and Osa Johnson had taken a 20th Century-Fox unit to Africa where they shot 100,000 feet of pictures, Barbara chopped it down to a mere 4,000 feet. Director Henry King in Hollywood then supervised dramatic scenes with Spencer Tracy, Nancy Kelly, Richard Greene, Walter Brennan and others which Barbara again reduced to less than 6,000 feet. Thus the picture which would have run 370 hours if shown in its entirety will grace the screen for an hour and 45 min- utes. Before “Stanley and Livingstone” was ready for a theatre projection machine, Barbara had seen the $2,200,000 production almost 300 times through a movie- ola, a combination phonograph and movie projector, cut- ting 400 feet daily in this manner. Through this machine, she made certain the sound was synchronized with the actors’ lips as well as eliminating errors. Cut- ting a movie, according to the experienced film editor, is a matter of visual or optical psychology, applicable to all people. ‘7T1HE human eye,” states Barbara, “tires of looking A at one thing any longer than ten seconds. Thus, ten seconds is the average length of a ‘cut’ or angle of view on the screen.” So when Spencer made a lengthy speech of 422 words in “Stanley and Livingstone,” she was careful to edit the scene to show, first: a full length shot lasting six seconds; second: a “cut” to the assembled group before which Tracy was orating; third: a closeup of Tracy; and fourth: a medium shot. In this way the audience will not tire of watching the screen while Tracy speaks. The film cutter in Holly- wood is a person who commands respect. While a com- pany works for eight hours a day, the cutter selects enough film to last one minute, thirty-seven seconds on the screen. There are millions of dollars wrapped up in the precious negative with which the film editor works and the responsibility makes a profession like Barbara McLean’s one of the most important in the motion picture industry. • M OVIE veterans who still find that time between movie scenes hangs heavy on their hands can take a tip from the fifty ’teen-age youngsters who are work- ing in “High School,” Jane Withers’ third 1939-40 vehicle. During the first two days of shooting, the youngsters have passed the time by playing four differ- ent types of checkers, rummy, charades, “battleship,” backgammon, tic-tac-toe, “ghost” and several quiz contests. • I N addition, they have organized three swing quartets, imitating the Mills Brothers, the Andrews Sisters and the Merry Macs; they have brought portable radios to work with them, holding jitterbug contests each time they locate a station featuring swing music; and they even held a “professional amateur contest.” Only one member of the group is upholding Hollywood’s tradi- tion leisure-spending method. Her name is Dorothy Moore and she is knitting a sweater! W HEN Alice Faye was cast for the leading feminine role in “Little Old New York,” thousands of fans throughout the nation flooded the studio with protests against her wearing boy’s clothing and being too much of a tomboy. Thus, the script was re-written to comply with these requests so that the studio now advises Miss Faye will remain strictly feminine and will wear dresses throughout this elaborate production. When Marion Davies played the role in the silent picture, she wore boy’s trousers and was quite a hoyden. Printed in U. S. A.