Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1953)

£eh/n4 the £ceheJ c$ Jilm P?c4ucticH STUDIO SIZ6-UPS ALLIED ARTISTS Heavy Production Slate On Tap for Balance of '53 Allied Artists executives say that the company is just now hitting its production stride for the year, and that the level of four pictures in production this month will be either equalled or surpassed for the remaining five months in 1953. All future Allied Artists products will be filmed for projection on wide screen as well as standard sized screens, beginning with the eight pictures in production this month. That was the word from Richard Heermance, assistant to executive producer Walter Mirisch. This means simply, that every scene will be framed to allow more background top and bottom, so that the widest aspect ratio will not cut off the characters. ... First picture to roll on the new slate of I wide-screen productions was "Slade" (Dorothy Malone-Mark Stevens), a top-budgeter i which went before the cameras June 25th — , Lindsley Parsons producing, Harold Shus1 ter directing. "Bowery Bloodhounds" (Bowery Boys), which got underway in late June, also allows for wide-screen projection. The latter film is a Ben Schwalb production, directed by Edward Bernds. The heavy slate of July starters also includes one in 3-D and two in color. "Tabloid" (Stanley Clements), Ben Schwalb producer, rolled on July 8. Coming up later in the month are: "Pride of the Blue Grass," Hayes Goetz producer, in color; Walter Wanger's "Riot In Cell Block 11" in 3-D, 'Crane Wilbur directing; "House in the Sea" (Richard Conte), a William F. Brody production; "The Black Prince," Associated British Pictures Corp. feature to be produced by Mirisch; "Ketchikan," Lindsley Parsons production, to be filmed in color. (Casting and director assignments had not jbeen completed on most of the above features at the time FILM BULLETIN went to press. ! July release schedule includes AA's first 3-D feature, "The Maze" (Richard Carlson Cxckm BULLETIN feature By JAY ALLEN Veronica Hurst); "Northern Patrol" (Kirby Grant), July 12; "Affair in Monte Carlo" (Merle Oberon-Richard Todd-Leo Gcnn), in Technicolor, July 19 COLUMBIA Strong Backlog Prompts Col. Slow-down for Summer With the biggest backlog of top-budget pictures in company history, Columbia will probably experience a summer slow-down in production, with only three or four features to be filmed during July, August and early September. However, studio officials deny there is any truth to reports that the plant will be shut down entirely during that period. One new film is slated to start during July and, as of this writing, two have been definitely scheduled for August. The sole July starter is "Jesse James vs. the Daltons," a Sam Katzman production in 3-D, William Castle directing. The two slated for August filming are "Clowns With Baggy Pants" (Mickey Rooney), an original circus story by De Vallon Scott, to be shot in 3-D, and Katzman's "Battle of Rogue River," also in 3-D. In spite of the slow-down in new entries, the studio wil be active in winding up four productions which started last month. These are: "A Name For Herself" (Judy Holliday-Peter Lawford), produced by Fred Kohlmar, directed by George Cukor; "The Caine Mutiny" (Humphrey Bogart-Jose Ferrer-Van Johnson-Fred MacMurray), a Stanley Kramer production directed by Edward Dmytryk, in Technicolor; "The Nebraskan" (Phil Carey-Roberta Haynes), produced by Wallace Mac Donald, directed by Fred F. Sears, in Technicolor and 3-D; "Drums of Tahiti" (Patricia Medina-Dennis O'Kcefc), produced by Sam Katzman, directed by William Cas'le. Upon completion of cutting and dubbing chores on "The Nebraskan," producer Wallace MacDonald will leave Columbia, ending a 15-year association with the studio. Sam Katzman tells FILM BULLETIN that he is contemplating shooting his entire slate of 17 pictures for Columbia release in 3-D. His first venture with 3-D, "Fort Ti," currently in release, is piling up sizeable grosses in all situations. Company has acquired releasing rights to Bryan Foy's "The Mad Magician" . . . John Derek has been released from his Columbia contract. LIPPERT PRODUCTIONS With 16 Ready for Release Only One New Feature Shooting In all, Lippert has a total of 16 completed and unreleased films, as compared with a normal backlog of eight to ten features. Releases are slated at the rate of three per month through July and August. Those on the July release schedule are: "The Great Jesse James Raid" (Willard Parker-Barbara Payton-Tom Neal-Wallace Ford), filmed in AnscoColor; "Project Moon Base" (Ross Ford), a science-fiction yarn; "Spaceways" (Howard Duff-Eva Bartok). August releases are: "Norman Conquest" (Tom Conway), a British-made detective mystery; "Undercover Agent" (Dermot Walsh-Hazel Court), an espionage thriller, also produced in England, and a re-issue of the old Douglas Fairbanks classic, 'The Iron Mask." With this big backlog, only one new film is presently in work for Lippert release. This lone entry is "Trumpet Story" (Alex Nicol), which is bein;; produced in Fngland by Exclusive Films, Ltd. One other film, "Sins of Jezebel" (Paulette Goddard), which completed shooting in AnscoColor a couple of weeks ago, is currently being edited and scored. The AnscoColor used for "The Great Jesse James Raid" has scored quite a hit in Hollywood. Those who have seen it claim it is unmatched for brilliance and trueness oi color. (Continued on Page 14) FILM BULLETIN July 13, 1953 Page 13