Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1950)

SIUDIO SIZE-UPS Zanuck believes, to learn the individual tastes of their potential customers and whet them accordingly. Lewis Milestone has checked, back onto the Fox lot to direct "The Halls of Montezuma," a Robert Bassler production. This mil fulfill the director's one-picture com■nitment with Fox, and will probably be lis only chore this year. "Montezuma" s one of three war pictures recently add;d to the Fox schedule as a result of the success of "12 O'Clock High." Others are: 'An American Guerilla in the Philippines" nd "To the Shores of Tripoli." "Guerilla" ill tee off the group some time next lonth in the Philippines. Tyrone Power starred, Fritz Lang will direct and Lanar Trotti produce. UNITED ARTISTS IA STEPS OUT OF GRAVE KITH 17 STAR-POWERED PICS JNITED ARTISTS, the company that, just a few months ago, seemed to be eady for the undertaker, now has a total f 17 films finished and awaiting release, lot only is this enough product to guarntee a steady flow of releases through arly fall, but it represents an increase of percent in the backlog over the same ■riod a year ago. Furthermore, the feaires in the backlog are studded with rong stellar names, including such boxffice favorites as Mickey Rooney, Ronald olman, Myrna Loy, the Marx Brothers, at O'Brien, Edmond O'Brien, Robert oung, Paul Henreid, Vera-Ellen, Betsy rake, Celeste Holm, George Montgom>-y, Wanda Hendrix and Teresa Wright, jhe features in which they appear are: Champagne for Caesar," "D.O.A." and Tere Lies Love," all from the Harry opkin inde outfit; Edward Small's "Davy rockett, Indian Scout;" Bernard Small's roquois Trail;" Stanley Kramer's "The en;" King Brothers' "Deadly is the Feale;" Mickey Rooney and Sam Steiffel's oduction of "Quicksand;" Mary Picked and Lester Cowan's "Love Happy;" regory Ratoff's "If This Be My Sin;" onald Alcorn's "Johnny Holiday;" Hal Chester's "The Whipped;" Benedict 3geaus' "Johnny One-Eye;" Edward and larry Danziger's "Escape If You Can;" hilip N. Krasne's "The Girl From San :jrenzo;" W. Lee Wilder's "Once A lief," and Al Rogell's "The Admiral Was Lady." The UA board of directors has further ;>proved a deal with Joseph Justman 'hich guarantees the releasing organiza 3n a minimum of six pictures a year for a unspecified number of years. The hancial tangle which has held the deal ii for several months, was finally ironed -<it the middle of February, as predicted re, last issue. A deal is also near the EBRUARY 27, 1950 inking stage for two more Sam Bischoff pictures to be backed by Edward and William Nassour, insuring UA that the backlog will be kept at its same high level, even after the current pictures go into release. Donald Crisp is suing the Nassours for $240,000 he claims the producers borrowed from him in March, 1948, and Feb. 1949. Actor Crisp charges that he had been induced to advance the funds by "false and fraudulent" representatives. The Crisp action was a cross complaint in reply to the brothers' suit, filed last Fall, to force him to surrender their 1949 note for $150,000 in return for a 20% interest in the Abbott Costello comedy, "Africa Screams," in which, it was alleged, Crisp had agreed to accept the share in lieu of payment. UNIVERSAL-INTERNAT'L SEVEN SHOOTING GIVES U-l BIGGEST PRODUCTION IN YEAR Jfy|ARCH WILL find Universal-International hitting its greatest production stride in more than a year, with seven pictures before the cameras. With four shooting during the closing days of February, three new entries will go before the cameras in the early days of next month. These new starters are: "Saddle Tramp" (previously titled "Fiddlefoot"), starring Joel McCrea, directed by Hugo Fregonese and produced by Leonard Goldstein; "Smuggler's Island," produced by Ted Richmond and directed by Joseph Pevney, and "The Milkman" (Jimimy Durante Donald O'Connor), directed by Charles Barton and produced by Ted Richmond. The carry overs are: "Louisa" (Ronald Reagan Charles Coburn Ruth HusseyEdmund Gwenn Spring Byington), "Ma and Pa Kettle Come Home," "Panther's Moon" (Marta Toren-Howard Duff-Philip Friend-Robert Douglas), and "Winchester 73" (James Stewart-Shelley Winters-Dan Duryea-Stephen McNally). This heavy lineup of star-studded productions, plus the announcement from New York that the company is operating in the black after two years of heavy deficits, has boosted morale to a point unequalled on the lot since the days when Deanna Durbin was singing there for her breakfasts. There seems to be an assurance that the company has pulled through the long, hard pull, and easy sailing is now ahead. Most side-line observers in Hollywood seem to concur with studio personnel in this opinion. Two new story buys were announced, also, bearing out what you read here last issue — that U-I is one of the biggest buyers in the Hollywood story market at the present time. It is the opinion of this department that quality of story is the one thing U-I needs to concentrate on at the moment to continue its forward march. WARNER BROS. ROSTER SLASHING SEEN AS PRODUCTION ECONOMY MOVE pEBRUARY has been a month marked by contract terminations at Warner Brothers, reaching not only into the upper talent brackets, but also including such old-time technicians around the lot as Perc Westmore, chief make-up man on the lot for the past 25 years. Stellar talent lobbed off during the month, mostly by mutual consent, included Danny Kaye, Jack Carson and Eleanor Parker, with Patricia Neal believed by many to be on the verge of calling it quits. Probably the biggest surprise was the calling off of Danny Kaye's five year pact. The original deal is reported to have called for Kaye and his writer-wife, Sylvia Fine, to receive $250,000 plus one-third of the profits on each picture. The parting was completely amicable, however, and there is a possibility that the comedian may still make a one-picture deal with the studio for a film to be made in England. One can only conclude from these contract terminations that the Warner Brothers are taking another hitch in their belts, in order to keep the studio on the most economical basis possible. Many observers in Hollywood believe that there may be more contracts called off in the next few weeks, and especially in cases where stars become overly temperamental and refuse to take studio orders. Warners have always had a higher percentage of suspensions than any other studio in town, but this time, it is believed that they will go a step farther and call off contracts if they feel they are not realizing the maximum returns from their stellar investments. INDEPENDENTS FILM CLASSICS Anson Bond has just completed arrangements with Joseph Bernhard, FC prexy, for the immediate filming of two more Emerald pictures for release here. Bond and Bernhard have also been conferring cn exploitation and advertising plans for Emerald's recently completed "The Vicious Years," which will draw a March premiere date. Present plans call for one of the heaviest selling campaigns ever used to back up a Film Classics release. LIPPERT PRODUCTIONS Lippert Productions will more than double its previous record of releases during the next four months, with 13 features scheduled to go into circulation during that period. Added to the 17 pictures already released since June 1, 1949, this will bring total releases for the year to a new high of 30. Features set for release, in the order that they will go out, are: "The Baron of Arizona," "Western Pacific Agent," "Hostile Country," "Everybody's Dancin'," "Marshal of Heldorado," "Colorado Ranger, "Operation Haylift," "Crooked River." "Highway Patrol," "Fast On the Draw," "None Come Back," "West of the Brazos," and "Hollywood I foliday." 11