The Independent Film Journal (1955)

HOILYWOOD . ..on the wire RICHARD BERNSTEIN, Editor Hollywood Offices: 8245 Beeman Avenue North Hollywood. Tel.: ROgers 7-2347 Warner Brothers have put “The Buniing Hills,” which will be produced by Richard Whorf, on Tab Hunter’s schedule. Irving Wallace is screen-playing the Louis L’ Amour novel. . . . Helen Hawley has been signed for a featured role in Warner Brothers’ Mario Lanza starrer, “Serenade.” She will play the key role of Marcella, an opera singer. . . . U-I will star Esther Wil¬ liams in “The Gentle Web.” This will be the actress’ first dramatic role in some time. . . . Richard Carlson will direct from his own screen play, “Counterpunch” for Pro¬ ducer Vincent Fennelly, who will release through Allied Artists. ift tit ifr U-I signed actress Dorotliy j\Ialone to a nmlti])le picture contract. Actress co-stars with Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall and Robert Stack in the studio’s “Written On The Wind.” Miss Malone was signed by Edward j\Iuld, Li-I’s vice-])resident in charge of in’oduction on the strength of her i)crforinance opposite Jetf Chandler in “Pillars In The Sky,” which was made in color by Technicolor and in CinemaScope. “Jazz Beat,’’ a feature length fdm with musical backgrounds, is being prepared for inde]>endent production in 1956 by John Hubley, president of Storyboard, Inc. Hnbley has signed James Di Gangi, as producer. The screen play of “Jazz Beat” releates the story of jazz and its impact on Ameri¬ can life. It was written by Hnbley in col¬ laboration with Di Gangi and Faith Elliot. It will ultilize top bands and introduce a “unicpie wedding of animated and live action techniques.” iit 20th-Fox signed Lili Gentle and one day after inking cast her in a key role in “Car¬ ousel,’’ which Henry King is directing. . . . Producer Lindsley Parsons signed Harold Schuster to direct “Massacre at Dragon Wells,” which will go into production Mar. 5. It will be Parsons’ first film on his Allied Artists schedule for the year. He will also film “Proving Ground’’ and “The Intruder.” . . . Yvonne De Carlo has been signed by producer-director Charles Martin for one of the co-starring roles in “Death of a Scoundrel,” which Martin will put be¬ fore the cameras at Goldwyn Studios next month. George Sanders and Zsa Zsa Gabor will also star in the film. * at at Paramount signed Fred Astaire for a starring role in a picture based on “Papa’s Delicate Condition,” Corinne Gnfifith’s best selling novel. The film will roll early next year. Robert Emmett Dolan will produce the film in VistaVision. . . . Executive Pro¬ ducer Robert Waterfield left for Cuerna¬ vaca, IMexico after completing final details of the Su])crScope Eastman Color produc¬ tion which stars Richard IVidmark, Jane Greer and Trevor Howard. United Artists is releasing the film, which is to be filmed entirely in Mexico. « « « Bruce Newbery, Dudley Pictures Cor¬ poration vice-president, winged back from Cuba where he completed arrangements with the Industrial and Agricultural Bank of Cuba for the production of a series of pic¬ tures in that island nation during the next three years. The first film, which will be done in EastmanColor and Vistarama, rolls with a Hollywood cast in Havana early in February. . . . James Cagney will co-star with Robert Wagner in “The Wedding Clock,” for 20th-Fox release. Henry Ephron will produce and also will work on the screen play with his wife, Phoebe. Film will be based on the William Fay Saturday Evening Post story, “Seven Steps To Mur¬ der.’’ The studio also announced the pur¬ chase of the Broadway hit, “A Hatful of Rain,’’ by Michael Gazza. The film version of the play will not go into production until 1957. It will be produced by Buddy Adler. ^ ^ ^ ^I-G-^I assigned writer Gore Vidal, who just finished scripting “The Catered Af¬ fair,” to the screen ])lay of Nicliolas Hallasz’ “Captain Dryfns, ” . . . Studio also announced that Bing Crosby, Frank Sin¬ atra and Grace Kelly will star in “High Society,’’ whi(di will roll in January. Louis Armstrong, Walter Pidgeon and Louis Calhern will also top the cast. The film will be produced by Sol Siegel. . . . Alan Ladd pur¬ chased the film rights to “Guns of the Timberlane,” a novel by Louis L ’Amour, which will be jn'oduced under his .Jaguar Prods, banner. The film version will be made under the title, “Shasta,” and will roll in the S]iring. . . . British film star .John Bentley arrived in Hollywood to start his long term film contract Avith U-I. Bent¬ ley’s first film for the studio will be an¬ nounced short ly. « 4)5 ♦ Sam Katzman announced that Fred Sears will direct his musical, “Rock Around The Clock.” Film will roll Jan. 5th for Co (Conlimed on iiage 29) Press & Exhibs Must Push New Faees: Hartman Hollawvood. — Don Hartman, production head at Paramount, explained at a press luncheon after a sci'cening of the studio’s short subject dealing with new faces, that he must have support from both the press and the exhibitor in his campaign to build new stars. Hartman stressed that the industry must find new faces or that it Avill be doomed. He pointed out that it is no longer possible to make a star gradually in a series of films, because fewer pictures are being produced. He highlighted the fact that patrons of theatres today are most discriminating and stated, “That is all to the good, particularly in helping us find stars that will last.” Hartman also introduced some of the new personalities to the press. The sjACcial short included scenes from “The Scarlet Hour,” which co-stars Carol Ohmart and Tom Tryon; two newcomers, Shirley MacLaine and .John Forsythe in “The Trouble With Harry”; Jeanmaire in “Anything Goes”; and a portion of “The Birds and The Bees,” Avhich brings comic George Gobel to the screen. In a special short produced by Howie Horwitz, titled “Bing Introduces Oreste,” Cro.sby introduced the young singer, who plays the lead in “The Vagabond King.” Hartman emphasized that all the studios in Hollywood are adopting the same policies and that along with new stars, new pro¬ ducers, new directors and new writers must be brought to the fore. — R.B. Levey Buys ‘‘Tontine” “The Tontine,” best-selling novel by Thomas B. Costain, was acquired as a motion picture property this week by Jules Levey, independent film producer. Already em¬ barked on the pre-production work, Levey has been discu.ssing the scenario with several to]) Avriters and has begun casting conferen¬ ces Avith leading IlollyAAmod stars. The film is to be made in England. Don Hartman (seated center), in charge of production at Paramount, hosts a studio press luncheon following presentation of the studio’s new acting talent and a talk stressing the need for new stars. Standing, L to R: new faces" Carol Ohmart, Larry Pennell, Ursula Andress, Jody Lawrence, George Kerris, Valerie Allen, Oreste. Seated right of Hartman is Richard Bernstein, Hollywood editor of THE INDEPENDENT. 28 THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL— December 10. 1955