Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1947)

PflODOCTIOn SECIl STUolo mm MARCH 31. 1947 Behind the Scenes of Film Production COLUMBIA Cohn-Vidor Feud Rages nPHE COHN-VIDOR feud continues to blaze. Latest upshot has Vidor being taken off "The Man From Colorado," Henry Levin replacing him as director. Vidor said he was removed because he was "too slow," but noted that Levin had been given a 60-day shooting schedule as against the 48-day tab he got. The ousted director asserted that Glenn Ford was put into the picture because it was thought that they would quarrel and said a girl was sent to the set daily to log everything he did. The studio, in announcing the switch, made the perfunctory comment that "Columbia was dissatisfied with the progress being made by Mr Vidor. Yesterday marked the 22nd shooting day of the film and the company is 13 days behind." It is incredible that men responsible for hundreds of thousands of dollars in a single picture can behave like angry little boys. This feud has already adversely marked one picture, "The Guilt of Janet Ames," and lessened its value financially. Both Actor Melvyn Douglas and Rosalind Russell commented that "The Guilt of Janet Ames" was a horrible experience for them. Now, it would seem it's spilling over into another, and this a Technicolor picture with a name cast that means high production costs. Up to a point, the didos of eccentric producers and directors may be considered by the more tolerant in the industry as lending a spot of color. But when these shenanigans begin to effect the product involved, the whole thing has overstepped the bounds of reasonableness. What can possibly be gained, except the triumph of one man's personal spite over another. It's ridiculous. Jon Hall has been signatured for "The Prince of Thieves," from a Dumas story, which will be produced by Sam Katzman. Nothing new on the production schedule at this writing. With one western, one serial and one programmer wound up since our last report, three features continue in work: "Assigned To Treasury" (Dick Powell-Signe Hasso)., "Her Husband's Affairs" (Lucille Ball-Franchot Tone) and the distressed "The Man From Colorado" (Glenn Ford-William Holden). EAGLE-LION Bebe Daniels PactedAs Producer gEBE DANIELS has signed a three-year contract with this company to serve as producer. The former actress has' just completed a stint with Hal Roach, where she produced "The Fabulou.s Joe." She is now negotiating for two properties to work on in her new association. Vera Caspary, author of "Bedelia," "Laura" and "Out of The Blue" (currently shooting at Eagle-Lion) has signed a ten-year contract with the studio calling for one story a year. She will receive a flat sum for each story, plus five per cent of the profits. The studio already has her first draft on a new story, "Madeleine," which is scheduled for early production. The studio has just purchased film rights to "Missouri Legend," a play which was produced on Broadway some years ago by Max Gordon and Guthrie McClintic. The writing team of Fields and Chodorov wrote the screenplay and the deal calls for Fields to produce with a participation percentage deal for the writer-producing team. The studio is dickering with Robert Mitchum for the leading role. Despite amalgamation of the PRC-Eagle Lion advertising offices in New York and other straws in the wind that seemed to mdicate the absorption program was on again, it is still said that PRC will continue as an autonomous organization in active production. Production chief Bryan Foy has come up with a good story buy in Albert Deutsch's article, "Catch Me Before I Kill," which appeared in the Woman's Home Companion. The controversial article deals with juvenile criminals who are potential killers if neglected. M-G-M Mayer Announces '47 Program A TOTAL OF 45 features, two of them to be filmed in England, are scheduled for production by M-C3-M within the forthcoming year, according to an announcement by studio chief Louis B. Mayer last week. This does not mean, however, that that number wii; be released within the year, since it had previously been stated that Metro will distribute no more than thirty features this season. Mayer's announcement included the titles of the feature list and the stars of most He declared that the emphasis in story material will be on important literary works, pointing particularly to three current best-sellers in the year's program: Frederic Wakeman's "The Hucksters" (now shooting), with Clark Gable and Deborah Kerr; Sholem Asch's "East River," with Gene Kelly and June Allyson, and J. P. Marquand's "B. F.'s Daughter," in which Katherine Hepburn will star. A previous best-seller, Sinclair Lewis' "Cass Timberlane," will star Spencer Tracy and Lana Turner. Three winners of M-G-M's annual novel contest will be filmed during the year. The first, "Green Dolphin Street" is being edited and may be released shortly. Lana Turner and Van Heflin have the top roles. The other two prize-winning stories, "Before the Sun Goes Down" and "Return To Night" are slated for later production starts. J. P. Marquand's "So Little Time" will have an all-star cast. "Speak To Me of Love," adapted from Marjorie Sharp's novel, "The Nutmeg Tree," will co-star Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon"Three O'Clock Dinner" (Lana Turner), "Homecoming of Ulysses" (Gable), "Red Danube" (all-star), "Lust for Life" (Spencer Tracy), "Angel's Flight" (Gable), "The Kissing Bandit" (Kathryn GraysonFrank Sinatra) and "Robinson Crusoe," in Technicolor, are slated to be started within ihe coming months. Other features to be filmed during 1947 include: "Big Jim" (Wallace Beery) ; "Daddy Is A Wolf" (Walter Pidgeon-Jane Powell-Lauritz Melchior, Xavier Cugat) ; "Brothers of the East Side" 'Margaret O'BrienVan Heflin); "Killer McCoy" (Mickey Rooney) ; A. S M. Hutchinson's novel, "If Winter Comes"; "Chimes of Bruges" (Greer Garson); "The Fortunes' of Richard Mahoney" (Garson-Peck) ; "Family for Jock" (Claude Jarman, Jr.-Lassie); "Coquette" (Lana Turner) ; "Move Over, This Is Love" (Robert Taylor) ; "Three Musketeers" (Robert Walker) ; "Life of Monty Stiatton" (Van Johnson); "Bedeviled" (Robert Taylor); "House Above the River" (Hepburn); "International Venus" (Esther Williams); "Brothers Karamazcv" (Tracy-Taylor-Heflin) ; "Tod Sloan" (Rooney); "On An Island with You" (Esther Williams-Peter Lawford) in Technicolor; "Life of Her Own" (William Powell). Among the musicals to be made is the current Broadway sensation, "Annie Get Your Gun," which will star Judy Garland. Another Irving Berlin musical will be "Easter Parade," with a cast including Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly and Red Skfilton. The musical adaptation of S. N. Behrman's' play, "The Pirate" Js currently shooting, with Judy Garland and Gene Kelly heading the cast. "Good News," an old Broadway success, also is before the cameras. June Allyson and Peter Lawford have the leading roles. Musicals to follov/ are "The Good Old Summertime" (SinatraKelly); "The Story of Rodger? and Hart" (all-star); "Cabbages and Kings" (Kelly-Allyson) and "Reunion in Vienna" (Kathryn Grayson), to be filmed as an operettaPresent plans call for expansion of the company's British production, Mayer declared. Ben Goetz, in charge of M-(J-M's Englis'h studios, has five stages ready for operation and indications are that "Young Bess" and "The Secret Garden" (Margaret O'Brien) will lead off production there. A program of 48 short subjects was also announced for production during 1947. This studio has re-established its faith in top player Van Johnson by handing the actor a new seven-year contract which runs at $5,200 a week on a 52-week year. In addition to this MARCH 31, 1947 17