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SIODIO SIZf-UPS
SCREEN GUILD
4 In Production, New Peak
WITH FOUR PICTURES in work and two more scheduled for starting before April 15, this company has attained the top production peak since its inception.
"Western Barn Dance" is Jack Schwarz' second production for SG. Max King has "Killer Dill" working with Anne Gwynne and Frank Albertson in the top roles. The ScreeTi Art Pictures company (Maury Nunes-Carl Hittleman) have "The Case of the Baby Sitter" and "The Hat Box Mystery" both in work. Tom Neal, Allen Jenkins, Virginia Sale and Pamela Blake head the casts' in both of these
According to Robert Lippert, distribution chief for the company, this is the tempo at which the company will function from here on in.
SELZNICK
2 Minutes Cut From *DueV
A FTER ALL THE commotion about the "immorality" of "Duel ^ In The Sun" (which by pure coincidence, of course, boosted box-offlce tremendously), exactly two minutes have been cut from the picture to assuage the Legion of Decency. It is hard to tell from this point, whether the whole .situation was a ridiculous joke on the Legion or whether this minute cutting will really lift the filra to the calibre the Legion deems fit. The only thing that is obvious and certain is that the columns of stories that ran in newspaper print have hvpoed the box-office demand to a degree where the picture is still filling houses to capacity at road-show prices.
This is the first lime in many years that a Selznick picture entered in the Academy race has not garnered at least some top awards. No comment was forthcoming from studio spokesmen on the disappointment.
With "The Paradine Case" (Gregory Peck-Ann Todd) winding up here and "Portrait of Jenny" (Joseph Cotten-Jennifer Jones) moving along in New York, the Selznick lot seems to be hitting along nicely.
20th CENTURY-FOX
'Amber' Finally Completed
A FTER EIGHT MONTHS of work, the controversial "Forever Amber" is in the Technicolor lab and will be released early in the Fall. What it will be like as entertainment is difficult to say, but one thing is certain: the advertising department will have a field day on this campaign.
The other film to wind up this week was "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" (Rex Harrison -Gene Tierney). Harrison goes right into preparation for "Foxes of Harrow" which he wants to complete by June so he can head back to England for a vacation and perhaps another picture there. Gene Tierney, who has worked steadily for the past year and one-half has gone to New York for an unlimited stay.
The lone new starter is "The Kiss of Death," with Victor Mature, Brian Donlevy and Patricia Morison. This one is being filmed in authentic backgrounds (like "Boomerang," et.al-) in New York.
UNITED ARTISTS
Enterprise Shuts Down
ENTERPRISE, HAVING completed its first year of production, shuts down this week for a two-month period to resume in inid-May on the four pictures remaining on the 1947 schedule. It is I'eported that there is nothing unusual in this shut-do^vn, that it was planned earlier by studio heads. But some people are wondering if it isn't due to the fact that Enterprise has so much money tied up in expensive film — and no returns coming in yet. Production will resume with Harry Sherman's next, "They Passed This Way," and "Wild Calendar," the Ginger Rogers starrer. Then there will be "The Black Hat," with Charles Boyer, and one starring Norma Shearer to wind up the year.
This writer saw "The Other Love" recently. The ending is being re-shot, which should be an advantage to the film. In our opinion. Enterprise will have to wait for "Arch of Triumph" to cause its first serious ripple in the motion picture scene, "The Other Love" won't do it.
A total budget of $1,100,000 has been set to cover this company's first four major releases. The world premiere of "Arch of Triumph" will be held in Paris this summer with a portion of the Hollj^ood press being invited to go along "The Other Love" will world premiere in London. "Ramrod" has already had its big ballyhoo opening in Utah. "Body and Soul" opens in Madison Square Garden in New York.
This can be attributed to the Charles Einfeld influence. Einfeld is convinced that pre-release publicity is invaluable to any picture. He has aligned a publicity staff that is perhaps the best in the business and it is their job, aided by a million-dollar budget, to get Enterprise product sold. If the pictures sell better because of this hypoed program, the cost will be gotten back many times over.
Mary Pickford and Charles Chaplin, who seem to have buried the hatchet, are hard at work together to bring the UA prestige back to where they think it belongs. These two are now the sole owners of the company and, according to present plans, the production staff will remain as it is now. In addition to her work in the UA organization. Miss Pickford is proceeding with plans for her own company. Allied Artists, (watch for a name change there) with partner Lester Cowan. A completely new screen play on "One Touch of Venus" has been approved by the producers and they have set a budget of $2,500,000 for the picture. The casting calls for five star names and 12 handmaidens of Venus who will be chosen via a nation-wide beauty contest program. The Technicolor contract is set. So, at last, it seems as though the picture reaily might be made.
Shooting are Seymour Nebenzal's "Atlantis" (Maria Montez.Tean Pierre Aumont-Dennis O'Keefe) and "The Little Prince," the Harman-Ising cartoon in color
UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL
Production Humming Now
'T'HIS IS ONE of the busiest major studios in town with six
pictures in production. When this amalgamation of money and resources was first achieved some months back, there was a lull in activity that many people felt was significant of what the future for the company would be. But now, the executives seem to have hit their stride and things are humming.
The newest starter is Walter Wanger's "The Lost Love," otarring Robert Cummings and Susan Hayward. This marks a strange reconciliation, with Cummings coming back to the studio where he had so much contract litigation when he tried to get out of an old Universal pact. However, the set-up is practically all new for Cummings and the only familiar things are the sound stages and the lot which thus far has not been changed much by the new regime.
Other films continuing in work are: "Secret Beyond The Door" (Joan Bennett -Michael Redgrave), a Diana Production; "Brute Force" (Burt Lancaster-Hume Cronyn-Charles Bickford), a Mark Hellinger Production: "Jeopardy" (Edmund O'Brien-Ella Raines); "Singapore" (Fred MacMurray-Ava Gardner) and "For The Love of Mary" (Deanna Durbin-John Dahl).
For future activity, the scene looks good too. Ronald Colman ha« been signed by Kanin Productions to star in "The Art of Murder." George Cukor will direct.
Robert Montgomery has set his first production on his new deal. It will be, "Lights Out," the story of a blind war veteran. Montgomery will star and direct. Joan Harrison will produce.
WARNER BROS.
Seven Features Shooting, Cutting
TY/ITH TWO NEW starters on the lot, last week, and one more to come this week, Warners will have seven features in production and three cutting as of the end of March.
The two new films are: "Whiplash" (Dane Clark-Alexis Smith) and "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (Humphrey Bogart-Walter Huston). The latter is an all-male cast with the exception of a few very minor female characters. Jeffrey Lynn, former Warner star, will mark his return to films after a long military service stretch in this picture.
Other films in work are: "Voice of The Turtle" (Eleanor Parker-Ronald Reagan), "Wallflower" (Joyce Reynolds-Bob Hutton).
"The Unfaithful," (Ann Sheridan-Zachary Scott) and "The Unsuspected" (Claude Rains-.Toan Caulfleld), a Michael Curtiz production, wound up last week.
MARCH 31, 1947
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