Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

; STUDIO SIZ6-UPS (Continued from Page 20) December 17, with John Farrow directing for producer Joseph Sistrom. "Military Policeman" (Bob Hope-Marilyn MaxwellMickey Rooney) was launched on December 27 by director George Marshall, and producer Harry Tugend. Pine-Thomas began rolling their Technicolor cameras on "Caribbean Gold" (John Payne-Arlene Dahl) January 7 with Edward Ludwig handling the megging chore. "War of the Worlds" (Gene Harry-Ann Robinson), also in Technicolor, was the final January starter, getting away on the seventeenth. Byron Haskin directs for producer George Pal. February starts are scheduled on the following: "Stalag 17" (William Holden Don Taylor), Billy Wilder producing and directing; "Tropic Zone" (Rhonda FlemingEstelita), Pine-Thomas Technicolor feature to be directed by Lewis R. Foster; "Hurricane Smith" (Yvonne De Carlo Forrest Tucker), Nat Holt Technicolor western to be directed by Jerry Hopper; and Hal Wallis' production of "Come Back Little Sheba" (Shirley Booth), directed by Daniel Mann. Ginger Rogers will co-star with Betty Hutton in "Topsy and Eva", based on the life story of the Duncan Sisters. Harry Tugend will produce. RKO New Wald-Krasna Deal Grants Right to Sell Interest Under the terms of the deal whereby Jerry Wald and Norman Krasna agreed to remain at RKO for at least another year, the production duo will be permitted to sell their 50 per cent interest in all pictures they produce during the year. The revised contract also stipulates that there will be no continuing commitment to Hughes after December 31, 1952. Under the new arrangement, which supplants their original contract, Wald will assume complete production responsibility of the W-K unit and will function as executive producer. Krasna will write and direct at least two features during the year. It :s believed that only four pictures will be forthcoming from the W-K stable during the year. AH of them are set for immediate casting. They are: "High Heels," "Size 12," "Strike A Match" and "I Married A Woman." At present, the unit is shooting one film and editing another. Aside from the one Wald-Krasna film, "This Man Is Mine" (Susan Hayward Robert Mitchum-Arthur Kennedy), which has been shooting since December 27, production activity on the RKO lot has been at a virutal standstill since the first of the year. At the turn of February, however, bossman Hughes will signal the start of "A Song Forever," new Tony Martin musical, for which Kathryn Grayson has been borrowed from Metro. James V. Kern will di ( EDMUND GRAINGER SIGNS Ten in Five Years rect for producer Nat Perrin. Although it is not being filmed on the RKO lot, one other important feature now before the cameras, will be included in the company's release schedule. This is the million dollar Samuel Goldwyn feature, "Hans Chirstian Andersen," (Danny KayeFarley Granger-Renee Jeanmarie). DirectXCharles Vidor green-lighted this production on January 21. Joan Crawford's first inde production, "Sudden Fear," which RKO will release, is slated to start before the end of January. Walter Jack Palance, who scored in "Panic In the Streets," has been signed by producer Joseph Kaufman to appear in the melodrama. David Miller will direct. Milton Pickman, veteran Hollywood agent, has joined the Wald-Krasna organization in the capacity of vice-president and general manager. Other contract developments on the RKO lot include the cancellation, by mutual consent, of Nicholas Ray's term director pact and the release of Jane Greer from her thepact. Edmund Grainger's new five-year contract with RKO calls for a minimum of ten features to be made by the young producer. His latest, "The Korean Story" (Robert Mitchum-Ann Blyth), is being readied for release. REPUBLIC Seiter Pacting Bolsters Republic's Big-Time Bid Republic is again making a strong bid to enter the forward ranks of major Hollywood studios, with the signing of new topflight talent in several departments. Of primary interest is the term pact just inked with William Seiter, one of the most respected directors in the business. This is the second topnotch megger placed under contract by Republic boss Herbert Yates within the past year and a half. John Ford joined the studio late in 1950. Strong emphasis is also being placed ot building up a formidable roster of musica stars — indicating that Yates is contemplai ting an expansion in the tunefilm type 01 production. With the signing of Ray Middle ton, Muriel Lawrence and William Chingjl (, in recent weeks, the company now has j| total of fourteen singers under contract Others on the list are: Bill hSirley, Eileer Christy, Vaughn Monroe, Estelita, Michae Barton, George Bamby, Bud Dooley, Slim Duncan, Darol Rice, Judy Canova and Rex Allen. A trio of new important properties have just been purchased by the valley studio, also. These are: "Storm Out of China," ani original screenplay dealing with the Korean way, written by George Waggner; "City j That Never Sleeps," dealing with the Chi-ij cago police department, and Bob Considine's | "The Great A Bomb Mystery." John Wayne is up for the lead in "Storm," and Joseph Kane has been assigned the producer-director chore on "City." "A Bomb Mystery," which was recently published in the Hearst papers, probably will be the first of the new properties to go into production. Two pictures have been shooting during most of January. "Minnesota" (Rod Cameron Ruth Hussey Gale Storm John Agar), which went before the cameras in early December, wound up on January 12, having been both directed and produced by Joseph Kane. "Song Of Youth" (Bill Shirley Eileen Christy Ray Middleton Muriel Lawrence), the Stephen Foster musical biography, which also went into production in December, will not be completed until early in February. Allan Dwan is producing and directing. On January 24, Producer-Director Harry Keller rolled "Black Hills Ambush," an Allan "Rocky" Lane western. 20TH CENTURY-FOX Zanuck Using Big Budget For Name Stars, Top Stories With a $45,000,000 budget on which to turn out his 1952 product, 20th-Fox production chief Darryl F. Zanuck is investing his new features with name casts, even to the smaller supporting roles — and is loosening the purse strings in buying up top drawer story properties. Full-scale production for the year appears to be his keynote, with six pictures currently before the cameras, four more slated to roll in early February, and a half dozen more in the final stages of preparation for late winter and spring shooting. As of the end of January, more than three-fourths of the year's total output was either completed or in actual production — probably something of a record for a Hollywood studio. All told, a minimum of 31 features, produced at a reputed average cost of $1,250,000 each, plus five additional independent films to he handled by the company, will be released by Fox in 1952. Twelve of the films will be in Technicolor and one will be in Super Cinecolor. (Continued on Page 23) 22 FILM BULLETIN