Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1948)

SIUDIO SIZf-UPS iiianaf^cr, ?<nm Sticfi-1, made a hid to buy "J'iiii;;n's Rainbow," tlie successful 15roadway musical in which Mickey's father, Joe Yule, is now scoring. Chances on this are slim, since the askinji price is a high one and the picture •Aiiuld cost a fortune to make And the subject matter would surely i)e tagged as "Red projjaganda" by the Un-American Committee. Three goo;l reasons why Mr. Rooncy should not try too hard for this one as his first indie venture. Another reason for the lifted faces at Metro is the quick and easy production chore that hrr-ught "F.dward, My Son" in nine days early. This ii the first picture Metro has shot in iMigk'lid since the war and the reports on it are giving impetus t ) an increased foreign production prog;-;'i;i ('■^'oung Hess" and "Quo Vadis" are likely). .\ precedent-breaking move was the loan-out of \ an Johnson to 2()th-Fox to star in "Mother Was A Freslmian". This may be indicative of a new trend here to use contract stars in this niaiiner when no vehicles are ready for them on the hnnK Int. MONOSRAM-AA ROY DEL RUTH PLANS FILM ON CAREER OF JOHN McGRAW TXSPIRl-;i; by the puiilic's acceptance of "The Babe Ruth Stor\ " (it's really getting de luxe playing time all over the country), Producer Roy Del Ruth is now negotiating for the riglits to the life story of John (Muggsy) McGraw, another all-time great of baseball. An 01 iginal story has already been completed on the former manager of the New York Giants and Del Ruth plans to make this one his "'Babe R'lth of 1949," if he can seal the deal. .\ word of advice to Mr. Del Ruth: Make your next baseball picture a more factual one. Sports fans are the toughest people in the world to kid about the facts of the games they like, and the main reason why the newspaper critics and sports writers panned "The Babe Ruth Story" is its failure to show the real-life inci(lents about the Babe in true style. "Iron Dukes" (new title for "Bowery Comeback") and Jack Wrather's "Strike It Rich" bfith wound up last week. The only activity on the sound-stages now is "Incident" (Warren Douglas-Jane Frazee), a Harry Lewis-Hall Shelton production, the first from this new inde producing team. Plans are proceeding, howex er, for a lift m tlie production schedule beginning immediately after the Labor Day wek-end. PARAMOUNT SHOOTING AND RELEASING PACE: ABOUT TWO PER MONTH DI^ODUCTIOX plans here indicate that this '"" studio will continue at an even two-or-three picture pace for the next few months and will have a releasing schedule of approximately two films monthly for the same period. The releases will be : August — "So Evil My Love" (Rav Milland-Ann Tofkl) and "A Foreign Affair" (.Vfarlene Dietrich-John Lund-Jean Arthur). Septemlx^r — "Sorry, Wrong Number" (Barbara Stanwyck-Hurt T.ancaster) and "Beyond Glory" (.'Man Lafld-Df)nna Reed). October— "Isn't It Romantic" (N'eronica Lake-Billy De Wolfe) and "Night Has A Thousand Eyes" (ICdw'ard (». Robinson-Gail Russell). November—"Sealed Verdict" (Ray Milland-Peg Marly) and "Tatlock Millions" (Wanda HendrixJohn Lund). December — "Paleface" (Hob Hope-Jane Russell) and Pine-Thomas' "Disaster" (Richard I )enning-Hrenda Marshall). In addition tri this list there are eight other films ready for release which have not yet been scheduled. It wouldn't be t(Kj surjjrising if dislribution chief Charlie Reagan decides to throw "Connecticut \'ankee," the Bing Crosby film, in for the holiday season, Alan Ladd and Donna Reed came through so well in "Beyond Glory" the studio chiefs decided to try again. Their new film, "One Woman", started on location in Chicago, but is now back on the lot for finishing. Continuing in i)r()duction are "The Heiress" (Olivia de I I'avilland-Montgomery Clifl) and "Streets of Laredo" (William Holden-Mona Freeman). MILLAND SQUABBLE Ray Milland and this studio are battling, with the star banished to the suspension list. Milland was assigned to the leading male role in "Mask for Lucretia", with Paulette Cjcxjdard, and refu.'-ed the job. His reason: the part was not suitable for him. The studio and Producer Richard Afaibaum disagreed with him. Milland has been edgy for some time now about his recent roles and this break had to come sooner or later. According to Milland's friends, he has been restless ever since "Lost Weekend" hunting for another strong part. According to his critics, the "Oscar" went to his head and he's become "difficult". Neither reason is entirely true in all probability. Meanwhile. John Lund was given Milland's role in "Lucretia". Lund's former secondary role in the same film has been taken over by Macdonald Carey. REPUBLIC YATES EXPECTED TO HOLD REINS; LIKES FILM BUSINESS ' I 'HI'", Kb, has been another one of those sale rumors hovering over this lot for the past several weeks, but it is improbable that anything will come of it. The studio admits that an offer has been made but as one of the executives put it: "Mr. Y.ntc wouldn't sell Republic because he has vorkcd too hard to build it and he loves this business. He doesn't need money. He's not ready to retire. So, it doesn't seem likely that any offer, no matter how big. would uc interesting '.o him at the moment." This is undoubtedly true. T; is conimon knowledge that Yates has a huge personal fortune and so loii'v as Republic Cf)ntinues to provide him the stimulus and pleasure he wants from the business he will keep the reins in his hands. August is a bus.\ month here. Two new ones have already started and there are five more set to go before the month runs its course. This will give Republic its busiest schedule in many many months and extra people will be employed to cover the upped routine. Roy Rogers' "The Far Frontier' and "Rose of Yukon" (Steve Brodie-Myrna Dell) s'arted last week. Slated to follow are "The M'^^s' urians". first of the new Allan Lane series of eight. "Sundown in Santa Fe" (Monte Hale' and an untitled Sidney Picker production. Hunt Sfromberg has set August 30 as the starting date for "Too Late For Tears" which will be shot on this lot for I] A release. This •s the first of a nen rental program which Republic hopes will be a profitable piece of business to help cover running costs. RKO HUGHES TO CONCENTRATE ON PURE COMMERCIAL FILMS ■Diiinor is still running high about the things that will or will not happen at this lot. but there is emerging a plan and a policy which will h(jl(l firm under the Hughes leadership. That policy will have as its chief plank the making of pure commercial pictures at a minimum budget. Television will definitely be an iniijrirtant part of the production plans and Hughes is certain to revise sales policies and distribution programs. At this writing, Ned Dcpinet is in conference with Hughes an<l the iiceiitly app<jiiited three-man board to set the vvh.ole plan for the coming year. The almost en masse resignation of the present board, including Chairman Flrjyd B. Odium, scheduled for the August 31 stockholders meeting, is wholly expected. Ned Depinet will pr'/tiably take over as president of the company and a new board of directors will be elected to serve with him. .Meanwhile, Si<l Rogell, who is the nominal production chief at the moment, has been doing a housecleaning job on scripts and story material in an efifort to line up the product that will be made when the studio begins to function again next month. "I'"ollow Me Quietly," one of the pictures that was called off when the Hughes regime stepped in, has been scheduled ;is the first of the series of about ten pictures which will be made between now and the end of the year. Herman Seldom, who up to now has haiKlled only the low-budget stuff, is set as producer of the second on the list, a melodrama titled " The Set-Up." Robert Ryan will be starred. The only other sure-bet for the production schedule is the "Bad Man" series which has proved a solid moneymaker in the past. Apparently, Hughes is going to run the studio on a strictly business basis with little thought to artistic achievement or class merchandise. For this type of operation, he will need far fewer people than have ever been employed at RKO and this, too, is a definite part of his plan. WII<L LOAN STARS (Jne of the big problems qow being discussed by Hughes and his lieutenants is the handling of about 25 contracts with as many stars for picture commitments totalling 43 films. Most of these contracts have strict time limit clauses and the problem is to find story material in the backlog of scripts and properties suitable to the players, many of whom are in the top-rank class. Some of the people included are : Joan Fontaine, 'Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, Merle Dberon, Barbara Bel Geddcs, Melvyn Douglas, Mctor Mature, Dorothy Lamour. Maureen O'Hara. Pat O'Brien, Ann Sothern, Claire Trevor, Sonny Tufts, John Wayne, Ginger Rogers. Most of these are on two or three picture deals. .\ctually on long-term Cf)ntract at the moment, there are only about nine people, Robert Mitchum. Robert Ryan and Jane Greer being the best-known of the group. The so-called stock list has only seven names on it. The big hassle will be with the top-name people who v.-ill not settle for low-budget productions. It will be interesting to see how Hughes works tiiese out. It is our guess that some of the stars will go to other studios on a loan-out basis. DENY 'BOY' CUTS Studio spokesmen this week denied vigorously the report that "The Boy \\'ith Green Hair." Dore Schary's pet project for this year, had been recut and re-edited to delete any trace of "message." This story of a small boy who runs into intolerance was set against a background of fantasy to sugar-coat the message. Rumor has it that Hughes ordered the film turned into a complete fantasy with no reference at all to the youngster's problem. This seems incredible, because without the boy's problem there just is not enough story for a full length feature. The truth of the matter is that reports from a couple sneak previews of the film were a little disappointing and. if there is any doctoring going on, it probably is on this basis. There is no doubt that Hughes does not approve of the Schary approach to such films but he is too good a business man to scrap his chances for getting his money back by cutting out the heart of the story. 16 FILM BULLETIN