Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1948)

SIUOIO SIZf-UPS Behind the Scenes of Film Production COLUMBIA 'CARMEN' ANOTHER HAYWORTK BLUNDER; STAR NEEDS CHANGE '••I HE LOVES OF CARMEN" is slated to get one of the biggest tie-up campaigns ever given a Columbia picture. Fabric companies, dress designers, cosmetic manufacturers, iiatiunaliy known writers and musicians are cooperating on the program to exploit tiie picture. Congratulations to the publ.city and exploitation department on the job. But what of the picture, itself? It is the opinion of Studio Size-ups that "Carmen" is another blunder on Columbia's part to the detriment of Miss Hayworth. The star would be wise to insist on a return to the c; .o.'iul, simp.e. romantic musicals that first brought her fame. Stuf? like "Down to Earth," ■"Lady from Shanghai" and now the long, tedious 'Loves of Carmen" are not for her. Frankly, her last three vehicles have been ill-suited assignments for an actress of Rita's personality and talents. There is not a light moment in the whole of "Carmen," except for two brief dancing numbers in which Miss Hayworth excels. .A.udieiices will leave wondering whatever hapjH-ned to the lovel\ young woman who danced her way through "Cover Girl" to fame. It looks like the only impetus this lot is likely to have for the next several months will come from efforts of the inde producers working here. Humphrey Bogart's Santana Productions got under way last week with the starting of "Knock On Any Door." Sam Katzman also started the first of his new Jungle Jim series with Johnny W'eismuller starred. Other than this pair, there is nothing going on the lotJohn Huston and Sam Spiegel will launch their Horizon Pictures with "Rough Sketch" (John Oarfield-Jeniiifer Jones) some time before the end of tile month. Katzman will follow about then with another Jungle Jim yarn. Only actual Columbia productions scheduled for starting are a Charles Starrett western, one more ill the Lone Wolf series and another Crime Doctor opus. BOGY SEEKS XEW FACES With his first production launched, Bogart is reported on the hunt for new talent. The unit is to be built as a permanent group and the feeling seems to be that with five or six story properties already lined up, there is a good opportunity for "young" actors, directors, writers, et.al. Bogart states that he will not star in all the pictures, although he is definitely set for one more after the current "Knock On Any Door." It may be just talk, this call for "new faces" but it's possible the actor is in earnestWith his IS-year iron-clad "Contract with Warner Brothers as a sound and reliable prop, he is in a p<isition to take a few chances on novel ideas. The future of the Santana unit will depend largely on how this first venture works out. The script on "Knock" has been carefully rewritten to eliminate all the objectionable material in the best-selling book, and it should still make strong drama if it is well done. The second Santana film will be "Tokyo Joe," another Bogart starrer. EAGLE LION SHOOTING TIME CUT BY NEW, LIGHT CAMERA '"p-HE BIG CAT" (McCallister-Garner) which wound up here last week has set DAVID O. SELZNICK Starts Bnlly f<"' 'Bitiycst SUoiv 1 record and, more importantly, may pave the \\a> far tremendous savings in production costs. Pro.iuccr William Moss and Director Phil Karlson shot this Teclinicolor picture in 16 days. Keascn for the carving of the shooting schedule was a new camera, .-Krriflex by name, which is light enough and small enough to be carried b_\ the cameraman. Obviously, this camera saves hours of time waiting for scenes to be shifted, etcetera. .According to Moss, it gives a fluidity of movement that has never before been achieved on the screen. Undoubtedly, there will have to be a few more experiments before this new gadget will be put into general use. Nor will it entirely replace the stationery camera on a boom. But if it only serves to cut shooting time, as it did in "The Big Cat," it should be a welcome innovation to the industry. "Red Stallion" (Jean Hcatlier-Jim Davis) and "Tulsa" (Susan Hayward-Robert Preston) still shooting and this studio will have two more in work this week. Harry Thomas will start the first of ten pictures he is slated to make for Eagle-Lion. Tagged "Parole." it has .Michael O'Shea and Turhan Be^ heading the cast. By next week,, Walter Wanger plans to have his second E-L feature, "Reign of Terror," ready for production. This one has Robert Cummings and Arlene Dahl in the top roles. Speaking of Wanger, the difficulty over the budget on "Tulsa" is being taken rather philosophically here. The picture, costing about SI, 750,000, ran considerably over the original budget figure and for a week or so there were short tempers and hot words. But the attitude now seeiiis to be, "Well, it's done, so let's make the best of it." .\nd now all sights are being pointed to selling the picture big to cover the increase in cost. E-f' has acquired distribution rights to "The World and Little Willie," starring Robert "S'oung, to be produced by 'S'oung's own inde unit. Cavalier Productions. Shooting is scheduled to start about Sept. 15 The story about a precocious 'teen age boy who stirs up quite a fuss on behalf of his convictions sounds like an interesting one. Young plays a crusading newspaperman. June Lockliart will have the fem lead. METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER THE METRO PEOPLE HAVE REGAINED THEIR JAUNTY AIR "T^HE change in attitude at this studio in the past two weeks is one of the most amazing contrasts this reporter has ever seen. .Almost overnight, the worried frowns have softened and y u can almost hear people sighing with relief and see them brightening when they talk of the future. The Metro people have th;it jaunty air again : they're on top again. This does not mean that all the problems have been magically solved There is still that over-stufifed sameness and lack of originality in too much of the pro<luct. But there's a feeling as when a man wakes from a bad dream, shakes his head to get rid of the fright, then resolutely says to himself, ' Let's go to work" \ tangible reason for this new attitude came in the report from New York that "A Date With Judy" opened to smash business at the Radio Citv Music Hall. .Another such was a local preview with a theatre audience of "Julia Misbehaves" (Garson Pidgeon Law fordTaylor). This is entertainment! It was a real pleasure to hear an audience laugh heartily again as that one did. The sound man told us afterwards, not without pride, that he had turned his sound up to a maximum volume and "we still lost a lot of lines because of the laughter." That's the best news the MGM top boys have liad in a long time. The Garson performance in this one should ()Ut her back on the top of the heap and her three co-stars are not one step behind her. .Add to this the fact that "Easter Parade" is doing well, and the MGM bt)ys are willing to forget "The Pirate." "Summer Holiday," "On an Island With You," among others. SCHARY ON JOB Of course, the new attitude can be traced to the day Dore Scharv signed on the dotted line. Everyone seemed to feel this w-as the needed tonic. He, however, postponed his official take-over for one more wek and will arrive at his desk today (^ .August 16) instead of, as was announced earlier, last Monday. He to<ik the e.xtra week to head into New York for conferences with President Nicholas Schenck. The results of those conferences should be made known soon after Schary gets iiit'i the harness here. It was no surnrise when .Arniand Deutsch, who had been Schary's assistant at RKO before he resigned last month, was signed to take un a similar soot with MGM. It was thought for a while that William Fadiman, story chief, would also join Scharv, but he has i'l'^t signed a new deal at RKO which rules out his moving here. It is still felt bv many that Schary will bring a few more of his "own" reonlc into the MGM set-up after some of the MGM deadwood has been dumoed. One of Schary's first ofificial acts was an offer he made to RKO to buv the story propertv. "Battleground." from them. This yarn dealing with the Battle of the Bulge was a pet of Schary's and he knows that it will never be made by the Hughes organization. No offering price was quoted, but it was reported to be well over $100,000. There has been no response to the offer, as yet. NEW ROONEY PACT Mickev Rooney has settled his troubles with Metro and just put his name on a new five-year pact. The new deal calls for one a year for Metro and gives the actor freedom to work elsewhere, produce for himself or do radio and personal appearances without restriction. His AUGUST 16. 1948 IS