Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

STUDIO SIZ6-UPS ; (Continued from Page 13) policy to eliminate the waste brought on by stellar temperaments. Within the past month, the front office has handed out five suspensions to Stars who refused to buckle down to orders. At the same time, script clerks have been instructed to keep track of all time lost on a set, making complete notes on all interferences for the head man's perusal. Nevertheless, it should be noted that there will be no cutbacks insofar as the production of really big pictures is concerned. As a matter of fact, the company is placing greater emphasis than ever before on the making of top musicals — by all odds one of the most expensive type of pictures a studio can undertake. Already set for filming in the next 12 months are 18 musicals, which ig approximately 40 per cent of the total slate. Moreover, all 18 will be filmed in color by Technicolor. Great emphasis will also be placed on the spectacle dramas. For example, Schary has just assigned Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" as Joseph L. Manikewicz's first chore at the studio under his new one-a-year contract. John Houseman will produce, with filming set to get underway early this summer. There are six pictures currently before the cameras, with two more slated to roll later this month. Now shooting are: "Plymouth Adventure" (Spencer Tracy-Gene TierneyVan Johnson-Leo Genn), Technicolor feature which Clarance Brown is directing; "Time Bomb" (Glenn Ford-Ann Vernon), produced by Richard Goldstone and directed by Ted Tetzlafr; "Prisoner of Zenda" (Stewart Granger Deborah Kerr James Mason-Jane Greer), also in Technicolor, and produced by Pandro S. Herman— Richard Thorpe directing; "Tribute To A Radman" (Lana Turner-Kirk Douglas-Walter Pidgeon -Dick Powell-Harry Sullivan-Gloria Grahame), Yincente Minnelli directing for John Houseman; "Rogue's March" (Peter Lawford-Janice Rule-Richard Greene), Alan Davis directing, Leon Gordon producing; and "I Love Melvin" (Donald O'ConnorDebbie Reynolds-Richard Anderson), Don Weis directing for producer George Wells. Coming up later in the month are: "Naked Spur" (James Stewart-Robert Ryan-Janet Leigh-Ralph Meeker-Millard Mitchell), Anthony Mann to direct for producer William Wright; and "Equilibrium" one of the episodes for "Story of Three Loves" (Pier Angeli-Ricardo Montalban), Gottfreid Reinhardt to direct for producer Sidney Franklin. MONOGRAM— AA Broidy Boosting Budgets Bigger Names for New Product In line with the trend toward hypoing production values on Hollywood product, Monogram and Allied Artists are embarking on a poilcy of using bigger star names in most 1 1 PARA TOP BRASS At studio meetings front row: A. W. Schwalberg, Y. Frank Freeman, Don Hartman, Barney Balaban. Jerry Pickman, E. K. O'Shea; Second row: Joseph A. Walsh. J. J. Donohue. Sid Blumenstock. A. M. Kane: Top row: Howard Minsky, Gordon Lightstone. Hugh Owen. George Smith. of their future films. In addition, president Steve Broidy will earmark an increasing number for color. Budgets, generally, are due for a considerable boost. The new policy was decided upon at a recent conference of studio and sales executives held here. The policy was put immediately into effect with the casting of Sterling Hayden and Richard Carlson for the starring roles in "Flat Top", which got underway on May 9. Walter Mirisch is producing the Cinecolor feature, with Lesley Selander directing. The new policy should bode well for the entire industry, inasmuch as it marks the first step by the minors to elevate the standards of their pictures along with the majors. If movies are to successfully combat television, it would seem that all of the product must be on a high level, and not just a few outstanding pictures from the larger companies. The next month will be Mono and AA's busiest production period in more than a year, with eight pictures slated to roll. First to go is "Battle Zone", an Allied Artists production to be produced by Walter Wanger. As of this writing, neither the cast nor the director had been set. "Martial Law" (Wild Bfll Elliott) is next in line, with Vincent M. Fennelly producing. Lindsley Parsons will launch "Timber Wolf" (Kirby GrantChinook) late this week (May 19), and \\ alter Mirisch will order the cameras to roll on the Cinecolor production, "Hiawatha", which Kurt Neumann directs. May 26, another Cinecolor feature, "Mardi Gras" gets the green light, with Peter Scully producing. On the same day, Vincent Fennelly starts his second production chore for the month, with the first day of shooting on "Gun Smoke Range" (Whip Wilson). May 27 is the starting date set for "Yukon Gold" (Kirby Grant-Chinook), to be produced by William F. Broidy. And around mid-Junc,j Lindsley Pardons and director Lew Landers! will launch the Allied Artists production,! "Down Periscope", a story of submarine] warfare, to be made in cooperation with the > U. S. Navy, and to be filmed at the submarine training school in New London,; Conn. PARAMOUNT No More Borderline Films In New 35-Pic Slate— Balaban Despite the fact that Paramount brassij have ordered a slow-down in production for the months immediately ahead, in order to} cut down some of the company's $30,000,000 backlog of pictures, a new slate of 35 films, to be produced in the new season starting i July 1, has just been given a final okay. One iron-clad policy appears to have taken form here in setting the new production pro1 gram, the elimination of all short-budget I product in favor of straight "A" pictures. I Barney Balaban, the company president, j summed up the policy in this manner, at the I recent Hollywood conclave of production, I distribution and advertising personnel: "Pic1 tures which are sure-fire in attraction and j entertainment value will be the only ones ii considered for future Paramount production. ) The day of the borderline picture is over — I at least for this company." Balaban also declared that his companj will release a total of 33 major productions 1 — more than two-thirds of them in Technicolor— over the next 18 months. Of these 33 upcoming releases which, incidentally, J represent a total investment of $60,000,000, j 15 are already completed, seven are in the cutting rooms, and 11 are set for filming. Listed among the 35 films okayed fori production next year are: "The Shamrocks || Are Coming", an all-out musical production | to co-star Betty Hutton and Donald O'Connor; "Poppa's Delicate Condition", Corinnc Griffith's current best seller; "Babylon Revisited", also from the best-seller list; "Midnight At the Pentagon", an unusual original which has been stirring up considerable talk in Hollywood; "Rosalind," "Follow the Rain-i bow," Country Girl," "Adobe Walls," "Thell Parson of Panamint" and "Maurice Guest". lj Only one picture is shooting at the presentM time, and that is the Bing Crosby-Bob Hope-|J Dorothy Lamour Technicolor comedy, "Road^ | to Bali", which Hal Walker is directing for] J Harry Tugend. Next to go will be "Pleasure! j Island" (Don Taylor-Leo Genn), also to befl filmed in Technicolor, F. Hugh Herbert di-jl recting for producer Paul Jones. FILM BULLETIN'S Hollywood office] j has received numerous letters asking aboutfl Cecil B. DeMille's future plans, following^ the dissolution of his own motion picture.! company. Actually, his status will changeB very slightly. Almost any day now, DeMille | can be expected to announce a new set-up > with Paramount, under which he will produce!! (Continued on Page IS) II FILM BULLETIN!