The film daily cavalcade (1939)

BORIS fllORROS Hollywood's Newest Producer Has Been Musical Director and Associate Producer By J. L. McCardy £/ JL OLLYWOOD welcomes another new producer this year. He is Boris Morros, formerly associate producer and musical director of Paramount Studios. The initial product of Boris Morros Productions is the Laurel and Hardy feature comedy, "The Flying Deuces." With his debut, Morros has sought to maintain his policy of doing "something different." Consequently, he has created in his initial production what he calls "a Silly Symphony with living characters." Although the departure from comedy formula was not overly radical, the Laurel and Hardy film is distinguished by less dialogue and more pantomime than ever before. Many comedy situations are enhanced by a sparkling musical score which is the natural forte of the producer. The recent production of "Algiers" probably had the great influence on Morros' determination to become a producer. He purchased the American rights to this French picture, released as "Pepe Le Moko," and after many disappointing rebuffs, eventually persuaded Walter Wanger of its production possibilities. Having proved to himself with this experience, that he possessed the rare instinct of showmanship so necessary in Hollywood, he struck out for himself, just as he did in Russia following the revolution. Born in St. Petersburg, Morros was four years old when his daddy plumped him on a piano bench and told him to get busy. At six he was bending over a cello and a few years later was studying in the Imperial Conservatory, pupil of the celebrated Rimsky-Korsakov. His graduation piano recital won him the coveted Anton Rubenstein award of merit and a laureate in the conservatory. At 16, Boris succeeded his father as conductor of the Royal Symphony. He lived in the palace, broke bread with royalty daily, received diamonds the size of marbles as a yearly gift from the "Little Father" and even had dour Rasputin present him with a string of beads. The necklace, strung with semi-precious stones, has a peculiar quality. The beads change color — brown in spring, green in summer, yellow in fall — and are a lucky charm to all who touch them, Morros insists. As musical conductor of the Czar's Imperial Symphony, Morros organized and maintained army bands during the great war. Finding himself without an employer when the revolution struck, Morros promptly wrote "Chauve Souris," a production that endeared itself to the world with his famous "Parade of the Wooden Soldier." With his startling success in Europe, it didn't take long for American producers to bring Morros and his show to New York. It was after the American run of "Chauve Souris" that Paramount retained Morros as musical director of their theaters. His association was one long series of successes culminating in his appointment as studio musical director. During his Hollywood tenure, the producer wrote 317 scores for motion pictures, including such outstanding films as "The Plainsman," "Blockade," "Peter Ibbetson," "The General Died at Dawn" and most recently, "Stagecoach." He has been probably the most prolific composer on the Hollywood scene. Having secured a releasing contract with RKO Radio Pictures, Morros secured Laurel and Hardy to make his niche secure. His second production will be "If I Were President," which speaks for itself as to the ability of the newest executive to capitalize on box office and current events. 290 The Film Daily Cavalcade