Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1954)

(Continued from Page 18) to the 1.75 to 1 ratio which is made possible through the new "shrinking" process. FILM BULLETIN hears that Warner Brothers plans to make all of its CinemaScope features available in standard prints. Although there has been no definite announcement, it is believed the same will be true for Columbia, Universal-International and MGM. .\n important new musical production has just been a<lded to the Fox production slate, with the signing of Oscar Hammerstein II to do a screenplay on his Broadway hit of a few season ago, "Carmen Jones". Otto Preminger will produce and direct the film, starting in late spring or early summer. An all-Negro cast will be used for the production, and most of the filming will be done on location in Chicago and South Carolina. One CinemaScope production is being lensed at the present time, although at least two Panoramic Production features for Fo.x release are slated to get underway this month. The Fox feature now filming is "Garden of Evil" (Gary Cooper, Susan Hayward), Technicolor — Charles Brackett producer, Henry Hathaway director. Leonard Goldstein's two January starters will be "Gamble of Natchez" (Dale Robertson, Debra Paget) — Robert L. Jacks producer, Henry Levin director; "The Raid (Van Heflin) — Jacks and Levin again producing and directing. UNITED ARTISTS C'Scope, Vistarama To Give UA 8 Anamorphs In '54 TWO MORE ANAMORPHIC TYPE features for United Artists release are scheduled to roll within the next 30 days — one in CinemaScope, the other in Vistarama. With at least si.x more already slated for 1954 production, it seems evident that UA will be able to contribute its share of product for exhibitors who have made the costly installations for this type of motion picture. The CinemaScope feature due for February filming is "Sitting Hull," a W. R. Frank production in Eastman Color, to be directed by Sidney Salkow. The entire production will be lensed on location in Mexico. Al Zimbalist and Jack Rabin are contributing; the Vistarama venture, titled "King Dinosaur". This will be followed in March by another Zimbalist film, "Babyface Nelson", also in Vistarama. Chester F>skine, who just finished "Witness to Murder" (Barbara Stanwyck, George Sanders, Gary Merrill), for UA release — has alspi slated two more features for the next eight months, although neither is now slated for anamorphic lensing. Producer Lesser Samuels and director Victor Saville have completed shooting on their Italian-made inde, "The Long Wait" (Anthony Quinn). Dubbing is scheduled to start later this month. The only feature currently shooting, with a definite UA releasing commitment, is: "Bronco Apache" (Burt Lancaster, Jean Peters) — a Lancaster-Harold Hecht production, Hecht is producing, Robert Aldrich directing. UA's e.xploiteers, under direction of Ala.x ^"oungstcin, are planning a big campaign on "Wicked Woman" (Richard Eagen, Beverly Michaels), a Clarence Greene-Russell Rouse production, due for release shortly. UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL 2 CS, 3 Others To Go Before Cameras By March WI THIN THE FIRST TW^O MONTHS of '54, Universal-International will have five features shooting — two in CinemaScope, all but one in Technicolor. Three are before the cameras at the present time, with another pair starting later tiiis week. Now in production: "The Black Shield of F'alsworth" (Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, David Farrar, Barbara Rush, Herbert Marshall), in CinemaScope & Technicolor — Robert Arthur producer, Rudolph Mate director; "Sign of the Pagan" (Jefif Chandler, Jack Palance, Ludmilla Tcherina, Rita Gam, Jefif Morrof), CinemaScope & Technicolor — Albert J. Cohen producer, Douglas Sirk director; "Playgirl" (Shelley Winters, Barry Sullivan, Gregg Palmer, Richard Long, Colleen Miller) — Albert J. Cohen producer, Joseph Pevney director. Next to roll will be "Bengal Rifles" (Rock Hudson), Technicolor — 'Ted Richmond producer. This will be followed by "Dawn at Socorro" (Rory Calhoun) — William Alland producer, George Sherman director. A March 1 starting date has been assigned to the following two features: "Spring Song" ('Tony Curtis, Bert Lahr) — Ross Hunter producer, and "i'o Hell and Back" (.Audie Murphy) — .-Xaron Rosenberg producer, Jesse Hibbs director. The former will mark Curtis' debut as a song and dance musical comedy star, and is being accorded a Class AA budget. "To Hell and Back," incidentally, is Murphy's own life story. Rory Calhoun has been signed by I'-I to a seven-year, non-exclusive contract, calling for two pictures per year. U-I has decided to rc-issue "Hamlet" (Laurence Olivier), which won five Academy awards and more liian 50 international honors, five years ago. Bookings start January 15, marking L^-I's first re-issue in almost seven years. Alfred E. DalT, ciiief distribution executive of this company, in a statement to F"ILM BULLETIN, expressed high hopes for the studio in its first year under the guidance of YA Muhl. Said Daff: "Confidence, responsibility and reliability will form the foundation on which our 1954 activities will be based. 'This faith symbolizes our faith in the future and our obligation to give exhibitors sufficient product of the highest cjuality. By adhering to this policy, I am sure that 1954 will surpass all previous years." WARNER BROTHERS WB Tops H'wood Activity With 5 C'Scopes Shooting THIS IS THE BUSIEST STUDIO IN town at the turn of the New Year — with five top-budget features shooting — all in CinemaScope and WarnerColor. Final pre-production work is also underway on the $6,000,000 "Helen of Troy" epic, which is now slated to roll around February 1. Sure to figure in plans for the coming year is Mervyn LeRoy who is moving back onto the lot after ending his association with MGM last month. It was at Warner's that LeRoy made his mark as a director beginning in 1928 and continuing into the 1940's when he turned out pictures such as "Little Caesar," "Anthony Adverse" and a flock of musicals. Jack Warner, in summing up for FILM BILLETIN 1954"s prospects for Warner Brothers, declared: "The new high standards of motion picture production which we have aimed at and achieved in the past year will be the measure of our product in 1954. We intend to follow with vigor and decision a program of making screen entertainment of such scope and quality as has never been seen before. "We are determined to do our part in making 1954 a rewarding year for the exhibitors, and a year of accomplishment and prosperity for the entire industry. "Although we will make fewer pictures in 1954, we will spend more money on them, by obtaining superior talent and greater properties — and by putting into them production values that will be repair many times over in greater entertainment and greater boxoffice returns." Now shooting for Warner Brothers release are: " .\ Star Is Born" (Judy Garland, James Afason, Jack Carson), entering its third month of production — Sid Luft producer, George Cukor director; "Lucky Me" (Doris Day, Phil Silvers, Robert Cummings), also nearing the three-month mark — Henry Blanke producer. Jack Donohoe director; "Ring of Fear" (Clyde Beatty, Mickey Spillane, Pat O'Brien) — Robert M. Fellows producer, James Edward Grant director; "The High and the Mighty" (John Wayne, Claire 'Trevor, Laraine Day) — Fellows producing, William A. Wellman director; "The Talisman" (Virginia Mayo, Rex Harrison, George Sanders) — Henry Blanke producer, David I'uitler director. On the basis of films already announced for 1954 production, it appears that the Warner slate will likely carry one of the highest over-all budgets of any studio in town — challenged only by 20th Century-Fox and MGM. Discussions relating to Warner production of a Cinerama picture are also very hot again, with an announcement expected on the subject almost any day now. S. W. (Si) Fabian, of the Cinerama organization, recently spent several days on the coast conferring with Jack Warner on such a project. One of the next big pictures slated to roll is "Mr. Roberts," based on the Broadway hit of a few seasons past. (Continued on Page 23) FILM BULLETIN January II, 1954 Paq« If