Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

STUDIO SIZ6-UPS (Continued from Page 21) that undertaking, Kramer will turn out "The Cyclists' Raid", starring Marlon Brando. All this seems to be to the good. Stanley Kramer is not a mass production executive. He can be counted on for one or two topflight films per year, and Columbia will find far more profit in one Kramer special annually than in a half dozen programmers hearing his name. The new producers and directors were signed for the purpose of launching immediately a program of 22 top "A" features for the studio's 1953 production slate. Rachmil and Fadiman both resigned posts at RKO during the current management hassle, and Arthur was a Warner pactee up until last May, having turned out such WB productions as "Starlife" and "The Story of Will Rogers". Prior to that, Arthur was under contract to Universal-International, where he made "The Egg and I" and the first of the "Francis" series. Wilder's deal calls for him to write and direct "Pal Joey", which rolls in mid-1953. This is his first commitment away from the Paramount lot since the early 1940's. Negotiations are now underAvay to borrow Gene Kelly to co-star with Rita Hayworth in the production. Dieterle's director pact also for a single picture, has not yet been designated. Bernhardt will meg a pair of Columbia's 1953 productions, one of which is the Rita Hayworth starrer, "Miss Sadie Thompson", a musical version of Maughan's "Rain". Sam Katzman, whose Columbia contract recently was revised from 15 to 20 pictures a year for a seven-year period, also will play an important role in the company's rapidlyexpanding slate for 1953. He has just agreed to turn out 17 features and three serials during the coming year. Meanwhile, only one picture is currently in production for Columbia release. It is "The Red Beret" (Alan Ladd). Two films completed in November, "Love Song" (Jane Wyman-Ray Milland) and "Posse" (Broderick Crawford-John Derek), are now being edited. LIPPERT PRODUCTIONS Lippert Nears % Mark In Pledged 20-Pic Program With ten pictures already completed, two more now in production, and still another pair scheduled to go before the cameras between now and December 31, Robert L. Lippeti already has 14 releases lined up for his first group of 20 films annually which he baa pledged to deliver to his new franchise holders. Currently shooting are: "Spaceways" (Howard I hi fTEva Rartok), which started shooting in England on November 16, and "Cairo" (George Raft), filming since November 28, in Italy. Terence Fisher is directing the former for producer Anthony Hinds, as an Exclusive Films production. Ray Enright is handling the megaphone on Page 22 FILM BULLETIN December I, 1952 STANLEY KRAMER No Mass Producer "Cairo," with Bernie Luber producing. The 10 completed features are: "Scotland Yard Inspector," "Mr. Walkie-Talkie," "Tromba the Tiger Man," "The Tall Texan," "Gambler and the Lady," "I'll Get You," "Bad Blonde," "Johnny the Giant Killer," and the reissue combination of "Great White Hunter" and "Captain Kidd". The two productions scheduled for shooting between nw and the end of the year are: "Project X" and "Hangtown". "Project" will star Howard Duff, and is scheduled to start immediately following completion of his currently shooting "Spaceways". Malt Freed will produce "Hangtown", and is currently lining up a cast. METRO-COLDWYN-MAYER Schenck Takes Hand in Studio Disputes with Stars Metro is continuing its policy of cracking down on stellar temperaments in an effort to keep the studio on a sharply defined path of economy. Toward that end, Nicholas Schenck paid a surprise visit to the studio in late November for the express purpose of taking a personal hand in the growing list of contractees on suspension. While here, he had lengthy talks with Mario Lanza, Michael Wilding and Carleton Carpenter, all on suspension for nixing roles. Moreover, he has reportedly gone on record with Dore Schary as favoring the release from contract of any player who will not accede to studio assignments. We'll hazard the opinion that the conflict between Metro and Lanza will be ironed out within a short time. The studio and the singing star need each other and Mario the Magnificent probably realizes by this time that no studio can afford the extravagance of money-wasting temperament in these crucial times. Two interesting contract developments turned up during the past month. -First was Arthur Hornblow, Ir's announcement was he would not re-sign with Metro upon the completion of his current producer pact, which expires in March. The other was the signing of Frank Sinatra to a one-picture pact. Sinatra terminated a term pact with this studio more than a years ago under anything but amicable terms. The emphasis continues to be on musicals on this lot, with Arthur Freed, the company's unofficial executive producer of tunefilms, currently toiling on his biggest slate in 13 years with the company. Freed has two musicals before the cameras and five more in various phases of pre-production planning. "The Band Wagon" (Fred Astaire-Cyd Charisse-Nanette Fabray-Oscar Levant) and "Invitation to the Dance" (Gene Kelly-Igor Youskevitch-Tamara Toumanova) are both currently before the Technicolor cameras. "Brigadoon" is being readied for a Spring start, in Scotland. "Huckleberry Finn" follows here during the summer, and later in the year filming will start on "Girl of the Golden West," "New Orleans" and "The Romberg Story". In addition to the two musicals currently shooting, the MGM cameras are now rolling on: "Give A Girl A Break" (Marge & Gower Champion-Debbie Reynolds), "Mogambo" (Clark Gable-Ava Gardner), and "Slight Case of Larceny" (Mickey RooneyEddie Bracken). All but one of the five, "Larceny", are being filmed in Technicolor. "Mogambo" is being made abroad. PARAMOUNT Plans Afoot to Set Up TV Film Subsidiary at Par Paramount Pictures is the latest Hollywood film company to chart an entry into the telepix field with a subsidiary to be set up for the express purpose of turning out films for television. No definite details arc as yet available on the plan, but FILM BULLETIN understands that the subsidiary will be fashioned along the lines of those already set up by Universal-International, Columbia and Republic. Paul Raibourn, president of Paramount Television, visited Hollywood in November to discuss the proposed TV film production with local studio toppers. Plans for entering the television field, however, will not curtail Paramount's theatre picture production. The 1953 budget of $30,000,000 for theatre films has been approved to cover the slate of 22 to 24 pictures. More than half of the films will be lensed in Technicolor, for which the studio has already received 11 tinting commitments. A major talent drive is also shaping up, in order to cast a majority of the 1953 productions from the company's own roster of players. Don Hartman, Paramount's production chief, is known to be dissatisfied with the use of free-lance talent for his product, inasmuch as such a policy inevitably results in costly snarling of starting dates. "In using free-lancei players," Hartman says, "we are constantly at their mercy in setting starting dates, which makes an economical flow of production almost impossible". At the present time, Paramount's star (Continued on Page 23)