The Exhibitor (Nov 1939-May 1940)

32 THE EXHIBITOR RKORADIO George O’Brien continues with RKORadio for another season, with six pictures on the register. O’Briens: Released: “Marshal of Messa City.” In production or coming: “Legion of the Lawless” and four others. REPUBLIC The Republic western program, for another year, totals 24, with eight each to be made by Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and the Three Mesquiteers. Autrys: Released: None. In production or coming: “When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain,” “South of the Border,” "Just a Song at Twilight,” "Grand Old Op’ny,” “Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride,” “Round-Up Time in Reno,” “Down by the Old Mill Stream,” “Carolina Moon.” AJappij ^Anniversary to pj/ay Amanuef RUSSELL (Lucky) HAYDEN Riding the Range with Hopalong Cassidy for HARRY SHERMAN PRODUCTIONS CURRENT RELEASE “Knights of the Range" Rogers: Released: “The Arizona Kid,” “ Sage of Death Valley.” In production or coming: “In Old Cheyenne,” “Robin Hood of the Pecos,” "Man from Rio,” "Washington Cowboy,” "Days of ’49,” “Wyoming Wildcat.” Three Mesquiteers: Released: “The Kansas Terrors,” “Cowboys From Texas.” In production or coming: "Heroes of the Saddle,” “Oklahoma Outlaws,” “Rocky Mountain Rangers,” “Pioneers of the West,” "Covered Wagon Days,” “Arizona Skies.” SANFORTH Clifford Sanforth will produce a series of eight musical westerns for the statesrights market under the title of “Adventures of the Texas Kid,” featuring Art Davis. Davises: Released: None. In production or coming: “Meet the Texas Kid,” and seven others. SPECTRUM Spectrum will provide eight westerns, it is said, in the 1939-1940 season, with presumably, Fred Scott starred. Unnamed: Released: None. In production or coming: Eight. In the 1938-1939 season, the following is the record for the Scotts: Released: “Two-Gun Troubadour,” “Code of the Fearless,” “Songs and Bullets,” “Rangers Round-up,” “Knight of the Plains,” “In Old Montana.” UNIVERSAL For this year Universal’s Bob Baker takes the No. 2 spot, giving Johnny Mack Brown the ace position in the 1939-1940 westerns, of which there will be seven. Brown-Bakers: Released: “Desperate Trails” and “Oklahoma Frontier,” “Chip of the Flying U," “West of Carson City.” In production or coming: “Riders of Pasco Basin,” and two others. VICTORY What Victory is planning for the 19391940 season is not known. WARNERS-FIRST NATIONAL Warners-First National joins the reissuing parade, with six John Waynes, in sepia. Waynes: Released: None. Coming: “The Riding Cowboy,” “The Big Stampede,” “The Telegraph Trail," “Haunted Gold,” “Somewhere in Samoa,” "The Man from Monterey.” Here Are Some Important Names in the Western Field Harry Sherman His great love for the outdoors — the wide open spaces — probably provided the urge that made Harry Sherman a producer of outdoor romances, frequently referred to as westerns and, occasionally, as horse operas. This type of picture is the one best patronized by American audiences. In fact, since the inception of motion pictures, it has provided the real backbone of the industry and is still doing it. And remember, too, that the stars of these early outdoor epics were paid salaries more equal to those drawn by top-notch stars of today regardless of field. Tom Mix, it is well known, drew down the biggest salary of any star, past or present, and William S. Hart was not far behind him in the matter of pay, and William Farnum was right there with a big weekly pay check. Sherman started producing westerns a little more than five years ago. They played in comparatively few theatres during the first 12 months or so, but interest in them grew by leaps and bounds, and today they are shown in more than 7.500 theatres in the U. S. alone. Concrete proof that westerns are popular with the public was furnished when "The Texans” broke all records at its world premiere, and when, about two weeks later, “In Old Mexico,” a Hopalong Cassidy picture, had its premiere. On the opening night 25,000 people crowded the streets leading to the theatre in hopes of catching a glimpse of William Boyd, June Clayton, George Hayes, and Russell Hay den. who were making personal appearances. The seats for the intial showing were all sold two hours before the picture went on the screen, and it was estimated that at least 5,000 people were turned away from the 3,000-seat theatre. Why is this type of picture so popular with American theatre-goers? To Sherman there is only one answer: People like action and demand a clean, as well as an exciting film. Almost anyone can afford to buy a ticket to the neighborhood theatre, whose patrons may enjoy scenic values they would have otherwise missed due to economic reasons. After being confined in an office or other business place all day, it is refreshing to relax to the fresh air of the cow country, even if it is only in the mind. Sherman and his co-workers are constantly attempting to improve their pictures. They buy the best stories available and hire the best actors available to play in them. Much artistic endeavor, Sherman says, goes into the making of the Hopalong films. Russell Hayden Russell Hayden, whose name is inscribed in the family Bible as Hayden Michael Lucid, was born on a 640-acre ranch near Chico, California, June 12, 1912, but it was not long before the family moved to Modesto where the lad first attended school. When his father became a salesman, the family also started to move about the state. November 29, 1939