20th Century-Fox Dynamo (September 16, 1939)

STUDIO SPECIAL 3A THE LATEST SURVEY 0F 1939 40 LINEUP ' c As of Sept. 15 : SWANEE RIVER—A Technicolor super special drama- tizing the romance of the greatest writer of American popular melodies, Stephen Foster, the story of a man whose songs had on the re-making of a nation. A man torn between two loves. Consolidated in this drama is the colorful career of the first minstrel, E. P. Christie, the Barnum of his day, the man who started Foster on his road to fame. In the telling of the story some of the best known Foster melodies are sung by Don Ameche, the famous Hall Johnson choir and A1 Jolson the numbers including “Oh Suzannah,” “My Old Kentucky Home,” “Swanee River,” “Old Black Joe” and others. Don Ameche portrays Foster. A1 Jolson is the minstrel man. Andrea Leeds has the romantic lead. Others in the cast include Chick Chan- dler, George Reed, Richard Clarke, Leona Roberts, Milburn Stone, Charles Trowbridge and George Mee- ker. Sidney Lanfield is directing. A Zanuck super special. In production. DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK—A Technicolor super special. Based on the best selling novel by Walter D. Edmonds, with screenplay by Lamar Trotti and Sonya Levien. A stirring, action spectacle of the white colonists’ fight for liberty, for the right to live in a new land they seek to develop into a new nation, incorporating the love of two young people who found happiness under circumstances when their lives were constantly in danger. One of the greatest American stories ever written, of liberty-loving whites fighting against their own and being subjected to torture from Indians, laid in the Revolutionary War period. This production was almost three years in preparation and production. Co-starring Claudette Colbert and Henry Fonda and featuring Edna May Oliver, John Carra- dine, Dorris Bowdon, Jessie Ralph, Arthur Shields, Robert Lowery and Roger Imhof, with hundreds of others. Directed by John Ford. A Zanuck super spe- cial. Now cutting. HOLLYWOOD CAVALCADE—A Technicolor super special. A romantic story of the ever-changing Holly- wood, of the dramatic development of motion pic- tures over a period of 20 years from the days of Mack Sennett’s bathing beauties and Keystone Cops to today. One of the most glamorous stories inspired by the amusement industry, revealing the trials and tribulations of a man and woman who rise from an inconspicuous place in the scheme of life to fabulous feme and fortune, the personal conquest of two people who truly bring the world to their feet. Don Ameche plays a “shoe-string” pioneer, who revolutionizes motion pictures and brings to world fame an unknown understudy from the Broadway stage, a role played by Alice Faye. Others in the cast including J. Edward Bromberg, Alan Curtis, Stuart Erwin, Jed Prouty, Buster Keaton, Donald Meek, George Givot, Eddie Collins, Ben Turpin, Hank Mann, Heinie Conklin, James Finlayson, Chick Chandler, Robert Lowery, Mary Forbes, Chester Conklin, Marjorie Beebe, Rin Tin Tin, Jr., and others. Based on a story by Hilary Lynn and Brown Holmes, with screenplay by Ernest Pascal. Based on an original idea by Lou Breslow. Directed by Irving Cummings. A Zanuck super spe- cial. Now in cutting and will be given $11 preview at Four-Star theatre in Los Angeles Oct. 4. THE GRAPES OF WRATH—The most sensational best-selling novel of this century, by John Steinbeck. Still leading the world in sales among popular novels. A sensational expose of a condition that threatens to affect the people of an entire nation. The most start- ling emigration in the history of American economics. One of the most important undertakings of this indus- try and the most important special on the 1939-40 lineup from point of public interest. Henry Fonda was this week given the male lead. Others in the cast are Dorris Bowdon, Eddie Quillan, Jane Darwell and others to be announced. The story concerns a people, impoverished by dust storms and economic upheavals, roaming the West in search of a place they can start life all over again, where they can make a home, only to find themselves unwanted in a land they had believed truly opened its hearts to their own refugees, a stirring dramatization of a vital problem that this nation must solve. What “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” was in its days “The Grapes of Wrath” is to America today. Author Steinbeck has approved Nunnally Johnson’s screenplay. John Ford will direct. A Zanuck super special. Production starts Sept. 25. LITTLE OLD NEW YORK—Based on the famous play of Rita Johnson Young. Not a re-make of the silent picture story, but an up-to-date, entirely new drama- tization of the greatest city in the world during its days of infancy, of its first development. Story is developed around the romantic and turbulent days of Robert Fulton when a mocking world was startled by his invention of the steamboat. A colorful drama of New York’s most colorful days, when Broadway, Park Avenue were in the making. Co-starring Richard Greene as Robert Fulton, Alice Faye as the inn- keeper’s daughter, and Fred MacMurray as the young shipbuilder. Brenda Joyce, who is scoring a personal triumph with her performance in “The Rains Came,” and Henry Stephenson also are in the cast. Henry King, who megaphoned “In Old Chicago,” “Alexan- der’s Ragtime Band,” “Jesse James,” “Stanley and Livingstone” and other smash-hits, will direct. Pro- duction starts Sept. 18. A Zanuck super special. ZANUCK K-7 SPECIALS As of Sept. 15 Swaneee River (t) Little Old New York Hollywood Cavalcade (t) Drums Along the Mohawk (t) The Rains Came The Crapes of Wrath Maeterlinck’s The Blue Bird (T) Mark of Zorro Brigham Young Everything Happens At Night (s) Shadows in the Snow (s) Stanley and Livingstone Irving Berlin’s Say It With Music Daytime Wife Johnny Apollo Postman Walks Alone Dance with the Devil Lady Jane (T) Here I Am a Stranger Untitled Warner Baxter Special Elsa Maxwell’s Hotel for Women Adventures of Sherlock Holmes He Married His Wife White Lady of the Orient Notes: (t) Technicolor. (T) Shirley Temple, (s) Sonja Henie. 5 THE RAINS CAME—The sensational triumph of the day. Just opened to smash SRO business at the Roxy theatre in New York. A classic picturization of another best seller in its day, written by Louis Brom- field. Superlatively praised by New York critics as a picture eclipsing in thrills and spectacles such hits as “San Francisco,” “In Old Chicago,” “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” and “Stanley and Livingstone,” giv- ing this company a new star in Brenda Joyce. Every critic in New York predicted that it will do sensational box office business and referred to the applause that greeted every showing at the Roxy on Friday. One of this company’s costliest productions. Co-starring Tyrone Power, Myrna Loy and George Brent, with Maria Ouspenskaya, Nigel Bruce, Mary Nash, Jane Darwell, Joseph Schildkraut, Marjorie Rambeau, Henry Travers, H. B. Warner and thousands of others. Directed by Clarence Brown. A Zanuck super special. Exceeded “Jesse James” grosses in its first week in New York and now repeating that box office per- formance in Seattle, Philadelphia, Kansas City and other key cities. MARK OF ZORRO—A Darryl Zanuck production. With Tyrone Power in the title role. The greatest romantic legend of early California will be brought back to the screen in all its picturesque glory. It’s a battle of proud aristocracy against helpless labor, with but one man with courage enough to denounce the wave of greed surging through the aristocracy from which he sprang. Tyrone Power will head an all-star cast. One was the bandit crusading against railroads in the West; the other, the Mexican fight- ing for freedom against wealthy landowners. STANLEY AND LIVINGSTONE—The outstanding box office hit so far this 1939-40 season. Has played four- weeks in seven big cities and three-week engagements in 47 other spots. A holdover in most situations. Has time and again exceeded the earnings of “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” and “Jesse James,” with some branches already reporting repeat runs later. Unques- tionably Spencer Tracy’s best picture and outgrossing nationally his famous “Boy’s Town.” A drama from real life of a man branded a fraud by a mankind for which he sacrificed his all. Story outline and histori- cal research by Hal Long and Sam Heilman, with screenplay by Philip Dunne and Julien Josephson. Cast headed by Spencer Tracy, Richard Greene, Nancy Kelly, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Charles Coburn, Henry WURTZEL K-7 PICTURES I r As of Sept 15 SERIES J JANE WITHERS (4) 1— Chicken Wagon Family 2— Pack Up Your Troubles 3— High School 4— Jubilo, with Gene Autry CISCO KID (3) 1— The Adventurer 2— Untitled 3—Untitled CHARLIE CHAN (4) 1— At Treasure Island 2— City of Darkness 3— In Panama 4— On Orient Express JONES FAMILY (4) 1— Quick Millions 2— Too Busy to Work 3— Untitled 4— Untitled Year The Man Who Wouldn’t Talk Peter B. Kyne story James Oliver Curwood story Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence Stop, Look and Love The Escape The Simple Life The City 20,000 Men Hull and Henry Travers. Jungle sequences filmed in Africa by Otto Brower. Production directed by Henry King. A Zanuck special. Now showing. THE BLUE BIRD—Technicolor super special. Maeter- linck’s great story. This company paid $100,000 for the rights to this story. One of the most beautiful fantasies ever to be transferred to the screen, with Maeterlinck personally enthusing over the screen play, which Ernest Pascal has written. Being pro- duced on a lavish scale and unquestionably the most important vehicle in which Shirley Temple has appeared to date. So far the cast includes Shirley Temple, Nancy Kelly, Sybil Jason, Gale Sondergaard, Nigel Bruce, Johnny Russell, Eddie Collins, Spring Byington, Laura Hope Crews, Cecelia Loftus, A1 Shean, Jessie Ralph and Leona Roberts. Walter Lang directing. A Zanuck super special. In production. BRIGHAM YOUNG—Based on a story, “Children of God” by Vardis Fisher, which won the Harper prize for its author. Louis Bromfield, author of “The Rains Came,” has written the screenplay which has been approved by the Mormon Church of Utah which has cooperated with the studio in the preparation of this sensational story of Brigham Young. The story begins in Liberty, 111., about the middle of the last century and follows the extraordinary life of this most extraordinary American who re-built an important part of a new nation. Throughout it runs a dramatic story of two people. Cast is now being selected. It is one of the company’s major 1939-40 productions. Shooting will start in October. No director has yet been selected. A Zanuck super special. DAY-TIME WIFE—A domestic farce comedy of a wife who believes in fighting the eternal triangle with fire. Formerly referred to as “Part-Time Wife” and “A Deal in Hearts.” Originally this gay comedy was pro- duced as a successful play in London. It is the story of an ordinary, every-day wife very much in love and jealous of her handsome husband. One of the craziest and, at the same time, funniest triangles Zanuck has put together for a special. Co-starring Tyrone Power, and Linda Darnell, with Binnie Barnes, Wendy Barrie, Warren William, Joan Davis and Joan Valerie. Greg- ory Ratoff, who megaphoned “Hotel for Women,” and “Husband, Wife and Friend,” is directing this breezy comedy. A Zanuck special. In production. EVERYTHING HAPPENS AT NIGHT—A tailor-made story of the daughter of a political refugee sought by his enemies, giving Sonja Henie a role entirely dif- ferent from any she has played to date. This highly dramatic story provides her with delightful comedy and emotional situations that will exalt her popular- ity. A story as new as the front page of tomorrow’s newspaper, packed with gaiety, intrigue, skating car- nivals, romance and suspense. Opposite Sonja Henie is Ray Milland, borrowed from Paramount. Irving Cummings is directing. A Zanuck special. In pro- duction. SHADOWS IN THE SNOW—This story will be the most complete change of pace Sonja Henie ever had. She will share the stage with S. S. Van Dine’s famous detective, Philo Vance, in the solution of an exciting and unusual murder mystery. This story will be serialized—then issued in novel form before our picture is released. In his masterly way, the late Van Dine tied the skating triumph into the romance and the solution of the mystery. SAY IT WITH MUSIC—An Irving Berlin Musical. Built on a similar, but larger scale than “Alexander’s Rag- time Band.” Just as in Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” this has a well-connected story, with romance running through it. Among the Berlin song hits to be heard will be “Always,” “Russian Lullaby,” “My Wife’s Gone to the Country,” “At the Devil’s Ball,” “As Deep as the Ocean,” “My Sweetie,” “Call Me Up Some Rainy Afternoon,” “When I Lost You,” “When I Leave the World Behind,” “Mandy,” “You’d Be Surprised,” “All By Myself,” “Lady of the Evening,” “The Song Is Ended,” “Putting on the Ritz,” “Say It Isn’t So” and “Because I Love You.” It will have an all-star cast, headed by Alice Faye. HERE I AM A STRANGER—A powerful Satur- day Evening Post story that ranks with Deeping’s immortal “Sorrel and Son.” It is the story of a son rejuvenating his father against the wishes of his mother and step-father— and it is a great, powerful, dramatic story of the love between father and son. Will star Richard Greene, Brenda Joyce, Roland Young, Richard Dix, Gladys George, Kay Aldridge, John Arledge and others. William A. Seiter is the director. Negative in New York Sept. 16. 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 printing. In many schools it is obligatory read- ing. It is unique as a Temple story; unique because it is a mystery 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 celebrated Mardi Gras. The picture Continued on Page 6A