Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1953)

[ STUDIO size-ups (Continued from Page 10 J Webb-Jean Peters-Maggie McNamara Dorothy McGuire) — Sol Siegel producing, Jean Negulesco directing. All of these will be in Technicolor. UNITED ARTISTS Sale of Odeon Gives UA More Cash for Production United Artists has made an additional $2,250,000 available for financing its independent producers through the sale of its interests in Odeon Cinema Holdings, Ltd. — a British subsidiary. Although the entile amount will not be remitted in American dollars, all of the payments in sterling can be utilized by UA inde producers for their foreign production. This big boost in the capital resources of UA will make it possible for the company to make guarantees to all lending organizations, and also share in the financing and profits of all or most of its leading producers. Three inde productions with UA releasing commitments are in work at the present time, with a fourfh scheduled to go before the cameras within the next two or three weeks. Now shooting are: "Camel Corps" (Rod Cameron Joanne Dru John Ireland), Edward Small production being filmed in Nataural Vision 3D and PatheColor, on location in Kanab Utah — Ray Nazarro directing; "Beachhead" (Tony Curtis-Frank Lovejoy-Mary Murphy-Skippy Homeier), Aubrey Schenck production in PatheColor, being shot on location in Hawaii — Schenck and Howard Koch producing, Stuart Heisler directing; "Free and Easy" (Beverly MichaelsRichard Egan), a Clarence Green Russell Rouse production — produced by Green, directed by Rouse. Set for an August start is "Smoke Signal," another Aubrey Schenck-Howard Koch production slated for Hawaii. It will be directed by Lesley Selandcr. UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL Rackmil Expected To Keep Fingers in U-l Production Although Ed Muhl has been named head of the studio effective when Bill Goetz exits the U-I lot in about a month, it is the opinion of your FILM BULLETIN studio reporter that president Milton R. Rackmil intends to keep his own fingers in production matters out here. It is generally believed that the loss of Goetz will be felt keenly, since he was responsible for the type of production that brought this companv such signal financial success. However. Rackmil, too, has a feel for mass audience tastes through his Decca association and his supervision of production could continue the highly successful course U-I has followed for the past half dozen years. Following a series of policy conferences at the studio, an announcement was made last week that there will be "no change in production policies". However, it seems unlikely that there will be any great spun in production until the new production administrator takes over. Later, it appears evident, on the basis of piclures now in the writing and pre-production planning phases, that the studio will coast along at its present, comparatively low level of three to four films per month, until around October or November. Four features are in work here at the present time. Three more are slated to go before the cameras in August. Those now filming are "The Glenn Miller Story" (James Stewart-June Allyson-George Tobias), Technicolor musical-biog, produced by Aaron Rosenberg, directed by Anthony Mann; "The Glass Webb" (Edward G. Robinson) 3D, produced by Albert Cohen, directed by Jack Arnold; "Son of Cochise" (Rock HudsonBarbara Rush) 3D, Technicolor western, produced by Ross Hunter and directed by Douglas Sirk; and "Ride Clear to Diablo" (Audie Murphy-Dan Duryea-Susan Cabot), western, produced by John W. Rogers, directed by Jesse Hibbs. The August starters will be "Saskatchewan" (Alan Ladd-Shelley Winters-J. Carrol Naish), in Technicolor, to be filmed in Banff, Canada, starting August 6 — Aaron Rosenberg producing, Raoul Walsh directing; "The Far Country" (James Stewart-Ruth Roman), in Technicolor — Rosenberg producing, Anthony Mann directing; "Yankee Pasha" (Jeff Chandler), in Technicolor — Howard Christie producer, Joseph Pevney, director. WARNER BROTHERS Six Features Slated for WSS 2.66 to 1 Wide Screen The big news from this studio was the announcement of a new screen system on the same aspect ratio as CinemaScope, 2.66 to 1. To be known as WarnerSuperScope, it will be employed immediately to photograph six of the company's important productions. They are: "A Star Is Born" (Judy Garland), "Lucky Me" (Doris Day), "Rear Guard" (Guy Madison), "Helen of Troy", "Mister Roberts", and John Steinbeck's "East of Eden", which Elia Kazan will direct. With the ending of the valley lot's threemonth hiatus, on July 16, production is slowly beginning to pick up speed, and is expected to get back to a near-normal level by mid-August. Two features are in production at the present time — Wayne-Fellows' "Hondo" (John Wayne-Geraldine Page), using the Warner All-Media camera, 3-dimension and WarnerColor — John Farrow directing fdr producer Robert Fellows; and "The Bounty Hunter" (Randolph Scott), also in 3D, all-media and WarnerColor — Andre de Toth directing. Four are slated to start in August, starting with "Rear Guard" on August 1. "Guard" will be produced by David Weisbart, directed by David Butler. On August 3, director Alfred Hitchcock will launch production on "Dial M for Murder" (Ray MillandGrace Kelly) 3D, to be followed on August 17 by "Helen of Troy" (not yet cast) — to be produced by Samuel Bischoff, directed by Gordon Douglas. Mid-August will also probably witness the start of the Sid Luft production, "A Star Is Born" (Judy Garland ) to be directed by George Cukor. Henry Fonda now appears the most likely prospect for the co-starring role. Warners has purchased Leon Uris' novell "Battle Cry" for early production. Thei author will do the script. INDEPENDENTS Nine Inde Films in Work, Half of Last Year's Number Only nine independent films are in pro-| duction this month, as compared with at I least twice that many a year ago. Of that number, more than half of them had releases; set before the start of filming. Among the new companies that have come into being since the 'ast Studio Size-Ups is1 one whose product will be backed by a group of exhibitors. Fred Schwartz heads the new company being organized along the lines of Cinema Productions, which recently completed "Main Street to Broadway" for MGM release. Plans call for the outfit to make between six and twelve features, both here and in Europe. Lester Cowan will serve as executive producer for the company, which will invite other producers to turn out a portion of the program under Cowan's supervision. Filmakers' Company, which recently formed its own releasing organization has one picture now in production and another1 due to start in August. Currently filming is "The Bigamist" (Joan Fontaine-Ida LupinoEdmond O'Brien-Edmund Gwenn) — Collier Young producing, Ida Lupino directing. Coming up is "Story of a Cop" (Howard Duff) — Young and Miss Lupino repeating as' producer-director. Jan Grippo, who turned out 23 of the Bowery Boys features for Monogram, heads up another of the new independent companies. Grippo says he expects to turn out at least two high-budgeters per year, starting with an untitled feature scheduled to roll in October. There's talk also that David O. Sleznick may be getting ready to re-enter production.. Within the past three weeks, he has been re-, lieving himself of some of his executive) duties with the Selznick Releasing Organization, and reassembling some of his old pro-' duction staff — among them Arthur~Fellows w-ho, for more than 15 years, served as reproduction assistant. Al Zimbalist has concluded a deal wit! Explorers Pictures Corp. for the production of three inde features to be filmed in 31 against an authentic African background First picture will be "African Lost World,' with Zimbalist and Weill co-producing. Dudley Pictures Corp. is also preparing ar African feature, titled "The Incredible Con tinent," to be filmed in the Vistarama wide screen process. Allan Dowling is another inde who ii| going in for wide screen filming. He an nounced this month, that the entire future program for his company will be shot u color for wide screen. His company alread\ has "Donovan's Brain" set for Septembei United Artists' release. ftq* 22 FILM BULLETIN July 27, 1953