Hollywood Nite-Life (1946)

Week of July 14. 1947 MOTION PICTURE TELEVISION RADIO Vol. 39, No. 19— Price 10c THE EXHIBITOR'S EXCLUSIVE WEEKLY The PERSONALITY . . . Of The Week . . . OLGA SAN JUAN — BECAUSE she practically ‘‘steals the show” in ‘‘Variety Girl,” the picture that is jam-packed with stars. Admittedly a fat part, Miss San Juan makes every fractional moment of her role — ‘‘Amber La Vonne,” the Pretender — count for another step to stardom. Now, this little Latin from Manhattan is knocking on the door to fame. TOPS 0^ i/te • IN PHOTOGRAPH Y— To jack Cardiff, whose camera work in ‘‘Black Narcissus” sets an entirely new stand¬ ard in both composition and color. Rather than just Tops of the Week, his achievement in this Archer pro¬ duction is Tops of All Time. To date, there is nothing comparable. His every camera angle showed not only precision and care for grandeur of background but for detail and inter¬ est, and for panoramic continuity. If 4-stars stand for Tops, then let each be inset with diamonds and made part of the crown on Jack Cardiff’s Oscar for this — a real photographic achievement. • IN SHREWD DEALING — Again to J. Arthur Rank for the type of con¬ tract, at the bottom of which he has the signatures of such American stars as Bing Crosby, Joan Fontaine, Clau {Continued on Page z) The Picture of the Week 'BLACK NARCISSUS' ARTISTIC TRIUMPH TOLD IN A THOUSAND EXQUISITE MURALS J. Arthur Rank presents “BLACK NARCISSUS ’ (In Technicolor) A Production of the Archers; A Universal International Release A Drama of India — WritEXCELLENT ten, produced and di I reefed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Adapted from the novel by Rumer Gooden. Pro¬ duction designed by Alfred Junge. Photo¬ graphed in Technicolor by Jack Cardiff, FRPS. Music and sound score composed and conducted by Brian Easdale with the London Symphony Orchestra. Edited by Reginald Mills. Tradeshown at the Uni¬ versal-International studios, Monday AM, July 7, 1947. Running time, 101 minutes. 'Hamilfon Woman' To Aid P. R. Cancer Fund Joseph Bernhard’s Film Classics will stage a reissue premiere of “That Hamilton Woman,” starring Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier, at the Ambassador Theater, New York, July 1 6, with all receipts going to the Damon Runyon Cancer Fund. Connie Bennett Set To Do 'Smart Woman' Constance Bennett’s next will be “Smart Woman,” for Allied Artists, with Hal E. Chester prepping. Pic starts in September with Brian Aherne and Barry Sullivan co-starring. Jos. Cotten Gets Top Spot In 'Harder Fall' Joseph Cotten will star in RKO’s “The Harder They Fall,” prize-fight racket yarn by Budd Schulberg. "Fiesta' Esta To "Queen" Esther Williams, now shooting “On an Island With You,” will again be teamed with her ‘Fiesta’ co-star, Ri¬ cardo Montalban, in MCM’s “Olym¬ pic Queen” which follows immedi¬ ately. ChodoroY Gets "Bird" Edward Chodorov, recently handed a producer-writer pact at Twentieth, will handle “My Heart Is Like a Sing¬ ing Bird,” with Jeanne Crain starring. But Boxoffice Is A Doubtful Factor In Spite Of Its Rating ★ ★ ★ “BLACK NARCISSUS” is dar¬ ing and delightful — an artistic tri¬ umph that defies comparison — easily rating 3 stars as Excellency in achieve¬ ment. Strangely enough in spite of its glory and grandeur, its box-office will doubtless be a moot question in many localities. Never have we seen anything com¬ parable in color photography. It is so different that it gives the impression of this strange and defiant story being told in a thousand exqui¬ site, animated murals. Seeing “Black Narcissus” will make one realize that the phrase “photo¬ graphic splendor” has been too loose¬ ly applied to many outstanding pic¬ tures of the past. The picture is drastic in its differ¬ ence from normal procedure. Prece¬ dent appears to have been cast to the {Continued on Page z) Jessel Gets A New Pact— And 'Darkness' George Jessel has a new 5-year pact at an upped figure at 20th in recog¬ nition of his career of 4 years with the company as a producer. First film to roll under new ticket is “Waltz Into Darkness.” 'Miracle In the Rain' Set For Ida Lupino Benedict Bogeaus has purchased the Ben Hecht novel, “Miracle in the Rain,” to star Ida Lupino. Pic is first for Arcadia Productions, Bogeaus-Lupino indie. 6 REVIEWS TODAY (Page) (Release) I— 'BLACK NARCISSUS' . U-l 3— 'SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY' . RKO 6— 'RUSTLERS OF DEVIL'S CANYON' . Rep. 6— 'THE TRESPASSER' . Rep. II— 'VARIETY GIRL' _ Para. II— 'THE MARAUDERS' . UA The Cast of Characters ("BLACK NARCISSUS") Sister Clodach . . Deborah Kerr Sister Philippa . Flora Robson Sister Honey . . . Jenny Laird Sister Briony . . . Judith Furse Sister Ruth . . . Kathleen Byron The Old General . Esmond Knight The Young Genera 1 . . Sabu Mr. Dean . . David Farrar Kanchi . . Jean Simmons Angu Ayah . . May Hallatt Joseph Anthony Eddie Whaley Jr. Con . . Shaun Noble Mother Dorothea . Nancy Roberts Phuba _ Lev On Rank Grabs Colbert, Fontaine, Fairbanks J. Arthur Rank has inked Claudette Colbert, Joan Fontaine and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., as a major step in his “international star exchange” pro¬ gram. The agreements are said to be identical with the conditions okayed by Bing Crosby last week. The CrosbyRank pact specifies one pic to be made with all-English supporting cast and production credits. 'Forever and Always' Will Star Doris Day “Forever and Always,” a musical original by Jerry Wald, has been pur¬ chased by Michael Curtiz Productions as a Doris Day starrer. Warners Re¬ leases. Post-Civil War Yarn Bought By Republic “The Saga of the Texas Rangers,” story of the reconstruction period fol¬ lowing the Civil War, has been pur¬ chased by Republic as a William Elliot-John Carroll starrer. Swanson-Griffith Combo Gloria Swanson and director E. H. Griffith have joined forces to inde¬ pendently produce “The Besieged Heart,” as a starring vehicle for Miss Swanson. UA is the probable release. Small To Pix Centre Edward Small has moved his en¬ tire organization from Culver City to the Motion Picture Center Studio.