Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1947)

STUDIO SIZf-UPS healthy contract, the star was handed a bonus of $100,000. This is Johnson's fourth contract with the studio, the earlier three having been torn up consecutively as his box-offlce strength soared. This latest contract was negotiated just before the economy axe fell at Metro and while publicity was slamming the Johnson name around in gossip columns. Only new starter on the lot is "Good News," Arthur Freed s Technicolor version of the old musical with June Allyson and Peter Lawford heading the cast. MONOGRAM 32 Features, 16 Outers for '47-48 A PROGRAM OF 32 features and "16 westerns will be delivered by Monogram during the 1947-48 season, according to a statement issued last week-end by president Steve Broidy, following a board of directors meeting in Chicago. Allied Artists, Mono -subsidiary, will make six high-budget features in 1948, compared to the four to be delivered this year. Broidy's statement furnished no information about Monogram's planned feature product for next season, but he did assert that the budgets of the two western series, the Johnny Mack Browns and Jimmy Wakelys, would be stepped up to meet the demand for good sagebrushers. The advertising budget for both Monogram and Allied Artists will be increased to almost $3,000,000 for the coming year, Broidy said. "Black Gold," which was produced by Monogram, will definitely be released by Allied Artists, it was announced. Steve Broidy assured all exhibitors who have Monogram contracts that the picture will be delivered to them Exploitation on "It Happened On Fifth Avenue," the first Allied Artists release, reached a peak here last week when three Fifth Avenue double-decker busses finished a cross-country trek from New York. The busses covered with banners exploiting the film stopped en route in dozens of cities and towns. The climax came when the busses were photographed with a number of handsome young starlets in front of such well known Hollywood landmarks as the Brown Derby restaurant and the Ambassador Hotel with the hope that the wire services would pick up the story. With three new features, none top flight, started almost simultaneously, this studio is humming at a fast production pace. They are: "High Tide," a Jack Wrather production, with Lee Tracy heading the cast; Jan Grippo's latest Bowery Boy's piece, "Scareheads," and "Kilroy Was Here," the first Dick Hyland-Sid Luft production with Jackie Coogan and Jackie Cooper topping the cast. Also scheduled to go is another Jimmy Wakely singingwestern, "Song of the Saddle." PARAMOUNT Trend Toward Inde Product TI/TITH ONLY ONE of its own productions in work presently, a " policy of more independent product for Paramount release seems to be going into effect. At the moment, the studio has a backlog of 12 independent pictures, almost one-half of the total product. Pine-Thomas has seven of this group, Hal Wallis three, one from Cecil B. DeMille and the Bob Hope picture. Since this policy has proved profitable and effective for the company thus far it is to be strengthened in the coming months. The trend toward independent units is a healthy one. Pine-Thomas have set their plans to do at least three milliondollar productions annually in addition to their usual schedule oT "fast and quick" pieces. These two shrewd production men, who started just seven years ago, based their decision on a careful check of theatre owners, chain and independent. Middle^budget product appears to have little value to most exhibitors, they report Theatremen want either topnotch films or dual bill fare. The demand for flat-rental pictures is still high, they found, provided the films are good ones and not too long. Theatremen are looking for 65-minute features with exploitable stories and provocative titles to run as second features. On this basis, the producers feel that their policy of the usual quick ones with three specials is bound to be a profitable one. Pine and Thomas are aware that rising production costs are the nightmare of the business these days and they hang fast to their theory that pre-shooting editing is at least one answer to keeping costs down. They see no purpose in shooting extra footage and then going back and cutting it out. "A smart showman should be able to tell in advance whether he needs a scene and not have to wait until after it's shot to decide," says Bill Thomas. Hal Wallis has just about set the cast for his first British film, "So Evil My Love." Geraldine Fitzgerald has been signed for the third top role joming Ray Milland and English Ann Todd. Production starts in mid-summer. Miss Fitzgerald was handed $75,000 for her eight-week job. PRC Three Slated for April A I-L QUIET HERE with no production going. But confirming the statement from the Eagle-Lion office here that PRC will continue to be an autonomous production organization, the studio .■innounced plans for three pictures for April shooting. REPUBLIC Stock Boosted By Feldman Deal np/IE DEAL WITH Charles K. Feldman Group Productions has this outfit in a highly enthusiastic frame of mind. There is no doubt but that the transaction by which Republic takes on such valuable properties as Steinbeck's "The Red Pony," Ben Hecht's "The Shadow" and the Pulitzer Prize Play, "Glass Menagerie," as well a.s a front-rank director like Lewis Milestone, gives this company a position of prominence it has never enjoyed before. At the moment there are 11 story properties scheduled for tiigh-budget filming here. The adventure into this field does not mean that Republic has any plan of abandoning or cutting down its effort on its bread-and-butter merchandise It merely means that it is adding to the sound basis it already has the "trimmings" which will make it a strong competitor in the coming market. In addition to the Feldman project, Frank Borzage has one of these "class" productions in work. Allan Dwan has three in preparation. Edmund Grainger has two and Alfred Santell has one. John Auer has the currently shooting Ralston-Carroll picture, "The Outcast" and another to go later. Joe -Kane will contribute one to the higher-budget group. The studio has decided to take Allan Lane out of the "Red Ryder" series and build him for straight western roles. In the "Ryder" series, his own name was submerged, but now he will be billed. The eight films already completed in this series will carry revised titles. And after these releases. Lane will be given better roles. Mr. Yates probably has his eye on the future, when Autry leaves, and plans to build the newcomer to fit the niche. Two new starters this week: John Auer's "The Outcast" (John Carroll-Vera Ralston) and W. Lee Wilder's independent production of "Complex" (Albert Dekker-Linda Stirling). RKO Goldwyn-Kaye To Part TAANNY KAYE and Sam Goldwyn are splitting their association '"^ with the next film to be their last together Kaye had a fiveyear pact with the producer which ends this year. Neither has made a formal announcement, but it is assumed that Kaye will either go into the independent field himself or else make himself available for free-lance work. Goldwyn, the white-haired boy of the industry at the moment with nine of the top Academy Oscars in his stable, has been having director trouble on "The Bishop's Wife." William Seiter was relieved of his chore last week without any reason given. At this writing, Howard Hawks seems to be the best bet to replace Seiter. Meanwhile, production has halted. The rumor is that when production resumes there may well be a change in casting, too, with Cary Grant and David Niven switching roles. At the moment. Grant is scheduled to play the fanciful gentleman who comes to earth to help Bishop David Niven straighten out his marriage with Loretta Young. The producer still plans to make his scheduled three pictures for the year despite the shut-down on "Bishop's Wife." Still to come ar3 "That's Life," the Kaye picture, and "Earth and High Heaven," the latter being the story on racial prejudice. Gregory Peck was announced for the lead in this, but he is also slated foi20th-Fox's "Gentleman's Agreement," on the same theme. He cannot do both roles, so it will be interesting who gets him. Only new starter on the lot is "Fighting Father Dunne," with Pat O'Brien starred. This new one gives the lot a busy five features shooting. 18 FILM BULLETIN