Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1941)

Sigmund Neufeld has started negotiations with a leading western star to take the place of Col. Tim McCoy who has finished his P R C commitment. Buster Crabbe has already been signed to replace Bob Steele in Neufeld's "Billy the Kid" series, after the latter completes one more film on his present deal. George Houston continues as the third western star for P.R.C. in 1941-42. PREPARING: "Billy the Kid" No. 6. Bob Steele western. Starts May 28. "Reg'lar Fellers," exploitation special based on the famous comic strip, to be produced by Arthur Dreifuss. REPUBLIC Republic officials say that the increase in its business of the last six months has been the greatest in the company's history. Republic had a 357, increase in its actual play-dates and the company made vast progress in getting its output into Grade A theatres. Much credit for this upswing is given to Republic's increased advertising appropriation and the larger number of trade and fan magazine channels that have been employed. To cap the climax to this report, negotiations are now underway with Warners whereby all of Republic's product will swing into WB theatres on a nation-wide basis. WB produced only 48 pictures this season — hardly enough to keep all its theatres supplied. This RepublicWarner coalition may mean that the larger company is thinking of cutting its program further for next season. "Doctors Don't Tell," which has been on and off the Republic program for the past three years, has been handed to Albert J. Cohen for production. . .Fate, which has been none too kind with Buster Keaton, brilliant comedian of the silent days, slipped another bad break into Keaton's comeback course at Republic in the Judy Canova starrer, "Puddin'Head." Keaton has been given a role twice as big as originally scheduled because studio executives were impressed with his ability. But a .stomach ailment put Keaton in bed and forced Republic to replace him with Chick Chandler. Republic is gearing production for a heavy schedule in June and July in order to have 10 or 12 features ready when the new selling season starts August 1. Pictures on the 1941-42 season already set to go into work during the next two months include "Gobs in Blue," "Pardon My Stripes," "The Devil Pays Off," "Hurricane Smith," "Lady for a Night" and "Argentine Holiday." CASTINGS: Mae Clarke in "Lady for a Night" ... Harry Davenport in "Hurricane Smith" .. .June John.ston in "Gangs of Sonora" . . . Judy Canova in "Yokel Boy"... Gene Autry, Robert Kent in "Under Fiesta Stars"... STORY BUYS: "Yokel Boy" by Lew Brown. . .CONTR.\CTS: Mae Clarke to term pact. RKO-RADIO The deal which brings Joe Breen into the comparatively minor post of General Manager for RKO has been confirmed and the former Purity official will report to the lot shortly. Joe Nolan, who is now in charge of studio operations, is expected to leave shortly for an extended vacation. We will hazard the guess that it will be a permanent one. In a few weeks a new production chief will be announced for RKO and there will be a comprehensive realignment of the outfit's production forces. At least that is expectation of those in the know. No one is quite sure of the Bette Davis-Goldwyn situation. Some reports say that the actress has ankled the picture while the studio insists that she has merely taken a few days off for a needed rest. Meanwhile the studio has been shooting around her in "The Little Foxes." A year and a half in the making, the cameras will soon roll on "This Changing World," the all-star British aid picture which will have such screen notables in the cast as Anna Neagle, Ray Milland, C. Aubrey Smith, Cary Grant. Greer Garson, Joan Fontaine, Charles Laughton, Brian Aherne, Errol Flynn, Madeleine Carroll, Ronald Colman, Ida Lupino, Louis Hayward and Merle Oberon. Herbert Wilcox, Victor Saville, Edmund Goulding and Pi-ank Lloyd. RKO says it is going to raise the budgets on all its lower bracket product to $250,000, with none lower... "The Devil and Daniel Webster" will resume production at the end of this month when Edward Arnold is free to take over the Thomas Mitchell role... Sam Spewack sailed into town to discuss Graham Baker's first production, "Through the Thin Wall" which will star Charles Laughton. Sam and his wife, Bella, will collaborate on the screenplay...What looks like a rousing action picture is "The Marines Are Ready" in which Tim Holt, RKO's rising young stai-, will share honors with his distinguished father, Jack Holt... John Twist, after eight years on the lot writing some very fine stories, has been made a producer and his first assignment will be "Four Jacks and a Queen". . .Howard Hawks has been signed as the director for Sam Goldwyn's "The Pi-ofessor and the Burlesque Queen". . .Ruth Warrwick of the "Citizen Kane" cast has been spotted in "Weekend for Three" and Ray Collins, of the same picture, has been given a term contract. . .Richard Wallace checks into RKO in a few weeks to direct "Obliging Young Lady" and another picture under the terms of a two-picture contract. ('.\STIN(iS: Edmond O'Brien in "Obliging Y'oung Lady" ... Dennis Morgan in "Through the Thin Wall" .. .Jack Briggs in "The Gay Falcon" .. .Anne Shirley in "The Marines Are Ready" .. .James Craig in "Unexpected Uncle"... DIRECTOR ASSIGNMENTS: Howard Hawks to "The Professor and the Burlesque Queen." 20th CENTURY-FOX A new executive post has been created in the 20th Century set-up for Herman G. Place, who will be known henceforth as chairman of the executive committee. "ThT Outlaw" has been declared "pure" by the Hays office after some "breast shots" were eliminated. At first Howard Hughes had refused to accede to the changes and Hollywoodites had hoped that some sort of impasse would be reached, just for the excitement of a scrap. The one picture permitted Preston Sturges under the terms of his Paramount contract will be made at 20th Century, as reported some weeks ago in FB's Studio Size-ups. It will be for the William Le Baron unit. Did you notice that spread in Life Magazine on Zanuck — saying in many words and pictures very much the same things about the 20th Century head that we have been repeating for years? William Koenig has been given a new deal as general production manager. . .Walter Pidgeon holds over at 20th for "How Green Was My Valley". . .Jane Withers' next will have the 4-H clubs of America as its background. The title is "Young America." In production at present are "A Yank in the R.A.F." (Tyrone Power-Linda Darnell). "Belle Starr" (Gene Tierney-Hem-y Fonda). "Sun Valley Serenade" (Sonja Henie-John Payne), "Charley's Aunt" (Jack Benny-Kay Francis), "Dance Hall" (Cesar Romero), "Dressed to Kill" (Lloyd Nolan), "Private Nurse" and "Last of the Duanes." "Wild Geese Calling" starts shortly and in June the following productions will go before the cameras, "Remember the Day " "Cadet Girl," "We Go Fast," "Lone Star Range," "Marry the Boss' Daughter," "21 Whistlers," and "How Green Was My Valley." With the exception of "Valley," these are all low budget productions. CASTINGS: George Montgomery, Mary Beth Hughes in "Plane Crazy"... Anna Lee. Wralter Pidgeon in "How Green Was My Valley" .. .Laird Cregar in "Coney Island" ... Henry Fonda in "Swamp Water" .. .DIRECTOR ASSIGNMENTS: Fritz Lang to "Confirm or Deny"... Jean Renoir to "Swamp Water." UNITED ARTISTS Alexander Korda will start his next production, "Jungle Book," on June 1. Sabu is starred. . .Edward Small is testing players again for that biography of Rudolph Valentino. Ralph Holmes, son of Taylor Holmes, was the latest prospect. . .Clarence Brown is huddling with some banking interests on a deal which will bring him into the UA fold as an independent producer. C.ASTIXtiS: Gene Lockhart in "International Lady" .. .DIRECTOR ASSIGNMENTS: Josef von Sternberg to "Shanghai Gesture." UNIVERSAL The consent decree is spurring not only the studios affected by its provisions but the lesser majors as well. Universal, for instance, has re-arranged its schedule in order to have 32 pictures completed on its '41 -'42 slate by September 1, approximately half of its entire program. One of the oldest studios in town, U has undergone lately certain repair work and reconstruction and a couple of new sound stages have been added to the property. Now a comprehensive overhauling is in store on a $160,000 budget which will see the erection of a two story office building, a fireproof vault for the storage of negatives and the tiny school building will be enlarged and modernized. Arthur Lubin will continue as director for the Abbott and Costello comedies. . .William Seiter has become a producer-director... Ted Lewis and Misclia Auer have been added to the Abbott and Costello picture, "Oh, Charlie," and two weeks additional work will take place as a result. ('.\S'nN«iS: Fianli Conn.x. l':nil Hirst, ItoKor IniholT in "I, James Lewi.s"... I. on r\,:,u,'y. .Iv. in "Sun .\nlonio Kos.'" ... Dl RECTOR ASSUiN >I ENTS : Ar llnii Luliin In "Itidr 'lOm Cowlmy." WARNER BROS. Frank Capia and Robert Riskin would like Charlie Chaplin in the title role of "The Flying York.shireman" which they may make for WB release. . .Miu-y Astor, as a result of her grand work in "The (Continued on Page 18) MAY 31, 1941 13