Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1954)

(Continued from Fupe IT) director; "Student Prince" (Ann I'.Iyth, Kdnuind Purdoni), C ineiiiaScope, Ansco Color — Joseph Pasternak producer, Richard Thorpe director. "The P. O. W. Story" (Ronald Regan, Dewey Martin, Steve Forrest, fJscar Honiolka), which jjroducer Henry I'erman and director Andrew Marton are now editing, is slated to roll soon. Jack C'umniings has been assigned to produce F. Scott I-'itzgerald's story, "Babylon Revisited," slated to be one of Metro's biggest for '54. Filming is slated to get underway in Europe early this spring, with Elizabeth Taylor starred and Richard Urooks directing. PARAMOUNT "New Faces" Paramount's Big Scheme For New Year NEW FACES WH.L I'.E THE KK^'note of Paramount's 1954 program, Don Hartman has revealed. Someone might ask: Is this l^aramount's answer to CinemaScopc ? Spurred on by the success of Audrey Hepburn, Paramount toppers plan to use at least one new face in every production on its '54 slate. Rather than build this new talent through a succession of minor roles, the studio will launch them in top roles, surrounded by established jjlayers. Of course, personalities like Miss Hepburn don't come along every week. Hartman hurries to point out, however, that the term "new faces" should not be construed to mean untried talent. Paramount hopes to corral at least moderately established talent from such other fields as the stage, radio and television. An example is Julius La Rosa, who makes his picture debut in Paramount's forthcoming "Here We Go Again," which Robert Emmett Dolan will produce. Pine-'i"homas has announced that it will contribute four features during the next year, starting off with "Run P"or Cover," which will roll in February or March. The next Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis vehicle will be a venture involving Hal Wallis, Joseph Ha/en and Paramount. It has been tentatively titled, "The I'.ig Top" and will b<: fdmed in Technicolor, using the Clyde 15eatty Circus. Lensing is slated to start in Phoenix, Ariz., on I-'ebruaryl 5, Wallis producing. Three features are currently in work: "Rear Window" (James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter), in Technicolor — Alfred Hitchcock producerdirector; "Concjuest of Space" (Walter Brooke, Eric I'lemming), Technicolor — George Pal producer, Byron Haskin director; and "The Bridges at Tr)ko-Roi"( William H olden, (irace Kelly, Mickey Rooncy, I'Vederic March), Technicolor — P(rlberg and Seaton producing, Mark Hobson directing. REPUBLIC Production Costs Doubled To Meet Quality Goal REPUI5LIC HAS SCHEDULED 20 tojj pictures for 1954, representing an investment oi more than twice the amount of money ever before allocated by that company for a single year's slate. President Herbert J. Vatcs points out that four pictures have already been completed in this iiigh budget category, with another now in i^roduction, and still another due to start within the next iTionth. The four recently completed — all at a cost of more than $1,5(K),()(K) each, are: Gwen P.ristow's "Jubilee Trail" (Vera Ralston, Forrest Tucker), Trucolor; "Johnny Guitar" (Joan Crawford), Trucolor; William A. Seiter's "The CJutcast" and Frank Lloyd's "The Shanghai Story", i'lu top budgeter now before the cameras in England, is "Trouble in the Glen" (Margaret Lockwood, Forrest Tucker, Orson Welles, Victor McLaglen), Trucolor, being lensed by Herbert Wilcox in Scotland. On the future schedule is "The Big Whisper," to be made by Virginia Van Upp in Germany, and a new John Ford production which will cost at least $2,5()0,Of)(J. Commenting on the 1954 outlook for Republic, Yates told I'lLM BULLETIN: "I want to assure all exhibitors who cannot afford the cost of 4-track stereophonic sound e(|uipment that Republic's policy calls for the use of only one conventional sound track with our 1953-54 product, and that we will do nothing which might necessitate exhibitors installing expensive theatre equipment. "It is my opinion that simplification of jjroduction and reproduction equipment for jjroducers and exhibitors alike is on the way and that 1954 will definitely settle the matter of standardized screen dimensions once and for all. Producer and exhibitor alike can then work with the comforting knowledge of what is practical for them and what will best attract the i)ublic. Republic will follow whatever trend the exhibitor and iiublic demand." Tw(.> minor films are slated to start here this month: "Thundering Wagon Wheels" (Rex Allen), Harry Keller directing for Associate producer Rudy Ralston, and Richard Goldstone's "Tobor" (Charles Drake, Karin I'.ooth) — Lee Sliolcm directing. RKO RKO Outlook Brightens, 15 Readying, 3 Shooting I'lF i Kl-.\ 11; A LT' R ICS IN VARIOUS stages of preparation have been assigned to RKO's seven contract producers. In addition, deals for two new outside pictures have just been signed — giving RKO its most hopeful outlook in many months. Three pictures are now shooting: "The liig Rainbow" (Jane Russell, (iilbert Roland), Technicolor — Harry Tatelman producer, John Sturges director; "Susan Slept Here" (Dick Powell, Debbie Reynolds), Techni color — Harriet Parsons producer, Frank Tashlin director; "Desperate Men" (John Payne, Lizabeth Scott), Eastman color — P.enedict liogeaus producer, Allan Dwan director. The outside films are: "The Saint's Girl Friday" (Louis Hayward) — Julian Lesser producer, .Seymour Friedman director, from a story by Leslie Charteris; and "The Girl Rush" (Rosalind Russell), to be produced next summer by Frederick Brisson. Dick Powell is set to make "The Long Wire" and "The Conquerors," after he finishes his acting stint in "Susan". The thirteen other properties in preparation are divided between producers Edmund Grainger, Irwin Allen, Sam Wiesenthal, Robert Sparks, Parsons and Tatelman. Filming will resume in March on "The Americano" (Cilenn Ford, Ursulla Thiess, Arthur Kennedy, Cesar Romero), which Robert Stillman will complete for RKO release. This was partially filmed around mid1953 on location in Brazil, but had to be closed d<jwn after running into financial difficulties. Kirk Douglas has been signed for the starring role in Walt Disney's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" which will be filmed in CinemaScope in the Bahamas, starting this month. Peter Lorre will play one of the top featured parts. Richard Fleischer will direct. Although not committed for RKO release, it will probably go out through this company. 20TH CENTURY-FOX Zanuck Sure CinemaScope Will Become Standard Form THE COMINC; OF 1954 FINDS 20TH Centuryh"ox on a much more solifl footing than at any time during the year just past. From Darryl Zanuck right on down, there is an ojitimistic feeling that the big gamble in Cinema.Scope has paid off. Comineiiting on the present situation for FILM BULLETIN, Mr. Zanuck said: "The advent of 1954 finds our company with a full complement of the new year's program ready for release. There arc ten of these, and all in the revolutionary new Cinema.Scope process. All of our pictures to be produced in '54, and in the future, will of course continued to be photographed and projected by the C'inemaScope process. "We contemplate a schedide of 12 to 14 pictures to be produced in 1954. And we believe that CinemaScope in the coming year will become the standard method of motion picture presentation. The growing adoption of it by other studios strengthens our belief." A new system for reducing CinemaScope pictures to standard size has been perfected by 2()tli-Fox technicians, and is now being made available to all studios which are either now making, or have commitments to make pictures in this particular anamorphic process. As a residt of this new deveh^pment, it will no longer be necessary for studios to lens duplicate standard versions of their CinemaScope features — thereby accounting for considerable savings. However, Fox, itself, will not reduce any of its own features (Continued on Page 19) P<q* U FILM lULLETIN January II, If54