The Independent Film Journal (1954)

Inside Production HOLLYWOOD... Filmakers Producer Hal Chester: Exhibs Should Aid Indie Finances By Richard Bernstein “You have to make an ‘off-beat’ picture today,” Producer Plal E. Chester stated at a luncheon interview. “But just what is an ‘off-beat’ picture? No one knows exactly. If there are too many so-called ‘off¬ beat’ pictures you are told, you should make an ‘on-beat’ picture. To sum all this double talk up, I would say that there isn't any such thing a an ‘off-beat’ picture.” Chester has just finished producing “Crashout” for Filmakers. One of Chester’s policies is “the right actor for the right part.” In “Crashout,” lie has William Bendix, Arthur Kennedy, Luther Adler, William Talman, Gene Evans, Marshall Thompson and Beverly Michaels in the leads. It was directed by Lewis R. Foster and based on a screen play by Chester and Foster. He has set an Apr. 12 starting date for “Battle Hell,” his next for Filmakers, based on an original screen play by Robert Lewin. This film will also be directed by Foster. Chester Enthused Chester is enthused with “Battle Hell,” which lie explains as the story of a mission. “It shows that a war is made up of a big battle and that the big battle is made up of small battles. The biggest battle, however, is the battle of a soldier within himself. “This is a human story. It’s the story of six men, six soldiers. It is an emotional story with action. I’m going to do it realistically. I have found a loeaton that is similiar to the Liri Valley and the Longo Mountains in Italy where the story takes place,” the pro¬ ducer said. Chester plans to start another feature, “The Smoldering Sea,” on May 20. This will be based on the U.S. Anderson novel of the same name. The novel was published by A. A. Wyn and is the story of a freighter in the war. The script is by Fred Friedberger. “A producer should capture realism, but | he should also always remember to be sure ‘ that he is presenting entertainment,” Chester | stressed. “Sea” also will be distributed by | Filmakers. Stresses Production Changes Chester pointed out that independent pro¬ duction has changed a lot. Today, the major studios give participation to stars, producers and directors, so the independent producer 1 has to give participation too and make it I very attractive. Chester spent a great deal of time in j Europe on business and explains that subsidies over there are a great help to indeI pendent production. “The Filmakers play or pay plan is a step in the right direction as an aid to indepen| dent production,” Chester said. “But the j exhibitor should also work up a plan with I the independent producers, and not at arms length, to help in the financing of product, j Why should the independent producer take | all the chances? Some method should be dej vised to protect the independent producer of any loss.” Chester believes that the Filmakers plan is working wonderfully and that it has done a great deal to encourage producers to enter the independent field. He has exceptionally high praise for Irving II. Levin and Harry Mandell of Filmakers, who he claims realize all the problems of independent production and do all within their power to help. The 33-year-old producer, who has been in the motion picture business 23 years, hav¬ ing started as an actor, stated : “TV is a great sales medium for the motion picture.” He also had a lot to say of European and American co-production as a stimulant to the motion picture industry and revealed that he will produce a film, “The Weapon,” in Lon¬ don under the Alliance Picture banner in conjunction with Perielean Films of Eng¬ land. He stressed that there is an interna¬ tional market today and co-production is very feasible and of mutual benefit. Chester is very careful about selecting his directors and has high regard for what part a director plays in the making of a film. “A director can make an ordinary script great,” he says. Deriding shooting a film just to make a motion picture, Chester said that prepara¬ tion is the asset that every picture needs. The script has to be ready, the right people have to be available and feel that their parts are right for them. “The grosses today are fabulous and that is because everyone is striving for quality, not quantity,” the producer stated. Chester produced “The Beast From 20,000 Fanthoms” for Warner Bros, release. Exhibs Aid Furniture Dealers: Art Director Hollywood. — The film exhibitor is a valu¬ able friend to all the furniture dealers and decorators within his bailiwick because of the effectiveness of movie interiors and sets in inducing patrons to want to live better, Joe Wright, prominent screen art director, asserted as the main speaker before the Decorators and Designers League. “The screen has had to take a lot of kidding along the lines of that old wheeze that in the movies, ‘ribbon-counter clerks live in pent-houses,” Wright, who has just signed as art director on Samuel Goldwyn’s produc¬ tion of “Guys and Dolls,” for M-G-M re¬ lease, stated. by Warner Bros. . . . Republic Studios ex¬ ercised its option on composer-conductor Victor Young for his services and assigned him to write an original score for “The Texas Legionnaires,” starring Sterling Hayden, Anna Maria Alberghetti and Rich¬ ard Carlson. . . . Jack L. Warner announced that Janies Stewart has been signed to por¬ tray Charles Lindbergh in “The Spirit of St. Louis,” Leland Hayward’s production of Lindbergh’s own Pulitzer Prize story, which Billy Wilder will direct. * * * Robert L. Lippert Jr. has started shoot¬ ing his AnscoColor feature, “Charge of the Rurales, ” near Mexico Citv. The film stars Dane Clark and James Craig and Louis King is directing. . . . Indie producer Burt Kaiser, who made “Hangover,” which stars Lawrence Tierney and John Carradine and introduces Jayne Mansfield, went on a scouting trip with director Bruno Ve Sota for his next production, a gangster story with a documentary midwest background. . . . Arthur Hilton has been named associate producer on Garrett King’s forthcoming in¬ dependent production, “Sicilian Bandit.” # * “Flight From Bengazi,” an adventure action story told against the background of the North African desert following World War II, will be the first Panamint Pictures, Inc. production to be produced for distribu¬ tion by RKO. Richard Conte and Victor McLaglen will be two of the four stars to appear in the film, which will go before the cameras at RKO Apr. 15 under the direc¬ tion of John Brahm. Sam Weisenthal and Gene Tevlin, president and vice-president of Panamint Pictures Inc. will produce the film. John Tucker Battle wrote the original story and screen play. The film will be shot in SuperScope. * With Mark Stevens in the triple role of producer, director and star, “Time¬ table,” the initial feature on the slate of the newly formed Mark Stevens Produc¬ tions goes before the cameras Apr. 25 at California Studios. A suspense drama in¬ volving a chase which begins in San Fran¬ cisco, races through California, on to Phoenix and climaxes in Tia Juana, the film will be produced in association with Jack Gross and Philip Krasne. Aben Kandel au¬ thored the original screen play and the filming will take place both here and in Mexico. At a surprise cocktail party tendered Allred E. Dafl, Universal-International executive vice-presi¬ dent (second from left) at the studio to mark his 35th anniversary with the company were (1 to r): N. I. Blumberg, board chairman; Daff; Edward Muhl, production veepee, and David A. Lipton, v.p. THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL— April 2. 1955 25