Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1953)

r studio sizeups:: (Continued from Page 13) METRO-COLDWYN-MAYER Strong Second-Half Program Should Lick Leo's '53 Slump To steal a title of one of its currently filming features, MGM seems to be riding the "Crest of the Wave," at the moment, with one of the most impressive list of productions of the entire year. In all, there are five pictures shooting, four of them in Technicolor, and all of them sparked by to]) drawer casts. Exhibitors, who have been complaining about the quality of Metro product this year, undoubtedly hope the pictures measure up to the quality of the casts. They are: "The Flame and the Flesh'' (Lana Turner-Pier Angeli), shooting in Naples, Italy — Joe Pasternak producing, Richard Brooks directing; "Knights of the Round Table" (Robert TaylorAva Gardner-Mel Ferrer), filming in Lond< n — Pandro S. Berman producing, Richard Thorpe directing; "Rhapsody" (Elizabeth TaylorVittorio Gassman), Lawrence Weingartner producer, Charles Vidor director; "The Long, Long Trailer" (Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz-Marjorie Main Keenan Wynn) — Pandro S. Berman producer, Vincente Minnelli director; and "Crest of the Wave" (Gene Kelly), shooting in England — Roy and John Boulting sharing producer-director credits. The latter film is the lone black and white entry However, following this line-up now in production, it appears that Metro may backslide again during the latter half of July, with a pair of comparatively unimpressive quickies set to roll. They are: "Gypsy Colt" (Donna Corcoran-Ward Bond-Frances Dee) Wiliam Grady Jr., producing, and Andrew Martin directing; and "Tennessee Champ" (Dewey Martin-Keenan Wynn-Cara Williams)— Sol Baer Fielding producer, Fred Wilcox director. The next production scheduled at the studio is "Executive Suite" (William Holden-Frederic March-June All vson-Barbara Stanwyck-Shelley Winters-Louis CalhernWalter Pidgeon Nina Foch) — to be produced by John Houseman and directed by Robert Wise. No definite starting date has been set, but it is expected to get underway around mid-August. E. J. Mannix, MGM vice-president and general manager, has been signed to a new long-term contract at the studio. Mannix has been a top Metro executive for the past 28 years. Negotiations are underway to secure the services of Gregory Peck to star in "The True and the Brave," an original spy story which Gottfried Keinhardt will direct against backgrounds in England and Holland. Technicolor Corp. has started running of new prints of "Gone With The Wind" which MGM will reissue in wide screen, with an aspect ratio of 1:85 to 1. Page 14 FILM BULLETIN July 13, 1953 DON HARTMAN PARAMOUNT Hartman Story Sense Gets Credit for Product Uplift The influence of Don Hartman is only now beginning to reflect itself in the Paramount product, with the result that the entire film industry is apt to start doing a little re-appraising of the true leaders in H i >lly wood. Hartman's shrewd story sense, backed by Y. Frank Freeman's boxoffice sense, is giving evidence of returning Paramount to a position of preeminence in Hollywood. Hartman has demonstrated that he believes in a good story, well-told, rather than a glossy production dressed up in a lot of fancy trappings to bedazzle an audience. And, on the basis of some of the-product recently previewed on this lot, your Studio Size-ups reporter is ready to predict that Paramount's Hartman is going to be viewed as a mighty valuable property. \\ ithin a week of each other, two pictures previewed in Hollywood, prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Paramount has an accurate aim on the boxoffice bullseye. They were "Roman Holiday" (Gregory PeckAudrey Hepburn) and "Little Boy Lost" (Bing Crosby). Neither is a spectacular production, but each is destined to be a winner. The stories are solid, and told exceedingly well. And the result is a finished product that rings true and bodes to add as much prestige to this studio as any pictures to come out of Hollywood this season. There are three pictures shooting on the lot at the present time, with a fourth due to start around FILM BULLETIN'S press date. Those now in production are: "Knock On Wood" (Danny Kaye-Mai Zetterling) — a PanamaFrank comedy in Technicolor; Alaska Seas" (Robert Ryan-Jan Sterling) Mel Epstein producer, Jerry Hoppere director; and "The Naked Jungle" (Charlton Heston-Eleanor Parker — produced in Technicolor by George Pal, directed by liyron Haskin. The new starter is "Mr. Casanova" (Bob Hope-Joan Fontainc-Ba^l Rathbone) — produced by Paul Jones directed by Norman Z. McLeod. REPUBL IC Joan Crawford To Report In August for "Johnny Guitar" Republic will coast during July with onl> one picture definitely sla'ed to be in production during the month. That is the comedy with music, "Geraldine" (John Carroll-. \I alt Powers-Stan Freberg), Sidney Picker i«J producing, R. G. Springsteen directing. Two new features are slated to roll 5r| August, with the possibility of at least ond and possibly two more to be added betweer now and then. Topping the August slate i:| "Johnny Guitar" (Joan Crawford), whicH playwright Philip Yordan is adapting from the Roy Chanslor novel. Nicholas Ray ha been set to produce and direct. The acqui sition of Miss Crawford is the biggest stai news Republic has had to boast in years. Sh postponed a deal to appear in Paramount'1 "Lisbon" to fulfill her commitment to Yates Also starting in Angus* will be "Jubile1 Trail," a Joseph Kane producer-directo j stint, which has not beer, cast yet. Production probably will not pick u around Republic — at least not to any apt] preciable degree — before late August or earl1 September. At that time, there will be general switch-over to high budget drama: comedies and musicals — with only a fed westerns — and those in the high budget clasJ Even such established western stars as Re Allen are being groomed for romantic lead as Republic prepares to step into "class production. RKO Disney Move May Signal RKO Switch to CinemaScope Walt Disney has selected CinemaScope ;[ his choice among the new movie proecessejE. and will make at least three features, as w< as a number of shorts, in the system. Thl has given rise to wide-spread circulate that RKO may soon follow in his footstel by adopting the 20th Century-Fox proceH for its own studio-produced product. Disney's initial trio of films utilizing tf; CinemaScope photographic lenses will "Lady and the Tramp," a cartoon adapt from an original story by Ward Greene, be released in late 1954; Jules Yerne's "2'i; 000 Leagues L'nder the Sea," a live-actij venture; and another action film which hi not yet been designated. The first Cinen Scope short by Disney will be one of tl Adventure In Music series. Two features, one an Edmund Grains/ production; the other a King Brothers impendent, are the only pictures for RKO I lease now shooting. The Grainger featuB "The French Line" (Jane Ru'-sell-Gilb i Roland Arthur Hunnicutt Craig Steve™ \ Mary McCarthy), gets a Technicolor tintiJ and is being directed by Lloyd I'.acon. KB Neumann directs the King film, "Carnivl (Continued on Page 9 M