MGM Studio News (May 21, 1940)

STUDIO NEWS Gable and Loy Teamed In Two New Pictures Clark Gable and Myrna Loy will be co- starred in two pictures during the coming season, it was announced this week by M-C-M. The first is to be “The Great Cana- dian,” action drama of the International hockey games in which Gable plays a star player who constantly finds himself in difficulties with his hero-worshipping lady friends. This will be their first attraction since their record-breaking “Test Pilot” and “Too Hot to Handle.” The second picture will be “The Road to Rome,” famous Robert E. Sherwood stage play. Other pictures scheduled for Miss Loy are “The Thin Man’s Shadow,” in which she again will appear opposite William Powell, and “Third Finger, Left Hand.” Other pictures scheduled for Gable include “Osborne of Sing Sing,” “Witch of the Wilderness,” and “The Life of Simon Bolivar.” O ♦ ♦ 'Woman's Face' and 'Bombay Nights' Set For Joan Crawford Two important pictures are in store for )oan Crawford, who recently completed her role in “Susan and God.” One is “Bombay Nights,” based on the best selling novel by Louis Brom- field, and to be produced by J. Walter Ruben. Miss Crawford plays an ex-Fol- lies girl who marries and subsequently divorces a wealthy playboy, travels, and finds herself adrift in Bombay, where she becomes famous in the amusement life of the Indian city. It is to be lav- ishly staged with the colorful tropic back- ground of the Indian city. Francis de Croissart’s stage play suc- cess “Woman’s Face,” will provide her with another tense role. ♦ ♦ ♦ Shelton Signed To Term Ticket His work in “I Do,” opposite Lana Turner, this week won for John Shelton, new arrival from the stage, a long-term contract with M-G-M. Shelton, a stage actor, came to the studio through a talent scout, was tested and played a role in “The Ghost Comes Home,” which led to his choice opposite Miss Turner in her first starring picture. Turner Opposite Taylor In Drama of the Tropics Lana Tomer, whose meteoric rise on the screen has been one of Hol- lywood’s Cinderella stories gets the most important “break” in her ca- reer when she goes into the femi- nine lead, practically a co-starring part, with Robert Taylor in “Tropi- cal Hurricane.” She plays a stranded show girl who finds herself on a river steamer in the heart of the tropics, where she comes into contact with the overseer of a wilderness trading post. Production will start later in the season, after Taylor and Miss Tur- ner finish present commitments. Naval Air Bases Location Sites For Taylor Film With the Pensacola, Fla., and the San Diego Naval Bases as its exciting background, thrilling flying scenes with all the spectacle of naval planes in action will be filmed for “Flight Command,” M-G-M picture starring Robert Taylor. Location units are starting work im- mediately, to be joined by Taylor when he completes his present starring assign- ment with Norma Shearer in “Escape.” Taylor, at present at the heighth of his career following his enthusiastic reception in “Waterloo Bridge” with Vivien Leigh, will have one of his most adventuresome roles as a young naval flying officer, who invents a device to land planes in a fog. In an accident, he injures his eyes, but is so intent on completing his inven- tion, defies a doctor’s orders and con- tinues flying until an accident causes his discharge. Almost blind and penniless, he continues to work and through the girl who loves him succeeds in demon- strating his invention, which will save many lives in the future. From an original story by Commander Haislip and John Sutherland, the film is being brought to the screen by J. Walter Ruben. ♦ ♦ ♦ Three Big Attractions For Spencer Tracy After 'Boom Town' Spencer Tracy’s new season schedule calls for three pictures following his co- starring role with Clark Gable, Clau- dette Colbert and Hedy Lamarr in “Boom Town.” He will play Father Flanagan again in “Ex-Mayor of Boys Town”, with Mickey Rooney teamed with him as in the first picture dealing with the Omaha institu- tion. John W. Considine, Jr., who pro- duced the original, also will produce the sequel. Conrad Richter’s epic novel “Sea of Grass,” dramatic story of the spread of civilization in the West, and the fight of the cattlemen to prevent their broad ranges from being cut into agricultural projects, will show Tracy in the role of Colonel Brewton, “strong man” of the West. “The Yearling,” Marjorie Kinnin Raw- ling’s best selling novel, will team Tracy with a youngster not yet chosen, in the dramatic story of Florida “crackers.” Sid- new Franklin will produce and Victor Fleming, who directed “Gone With the Wind,” will direct. ♦ ♦ ♦ Young and Gorgan Stage Thrilling Rescues In Flames One of the most thrilling fire scenes ever filmed was made this week for “One Came Home” at M-G-M. The scene showed the rescue of a half dozen race horses from a burning barn by Robert Young and William Gargan while charg- ing from the burning structure. The scenes required two nights of work on exteriors of the barn and two days inside a stage. Controlled fire was used, firemen being on hand to extinguish the blaze after each thrilling shot. Lewis Stone and Lynne Carver appear with the others in the picture which S. Sylvan Simon directs and Albert Levoy produces. An extensive schedule of seventy-eight Specialties was announced this week for 1940-41 release by M-G-M. That num- ber will be divided as follows: Pete Smith shorts, fourteen; Crime Does Not Pay se- ries, six; John Nesbitt’s Passing Parade, nine; Cartoons, eighteen; James A. Fitz- Patrick’s Traveltalks, twelve; Our Gang comedies, nine, and Miniatures, ten. * * * Trained seals exhibit their talents everywhere from a cocktail bar to a lux- urious living room in high society for the benefit of Pete Smith and his audiences in his new M-G-M Specialty, “Social Sea Lions.” Pete follows Mama, Papa and Baby Seal as they leave their haunts on California’s coastal rocks and invade city life, and adds his timely remarks at each new stunt they pull. =fc * * “Crime Merchant,” dealing with law- breaking buyers and sellers of stolen goods, is the newest short in M-G-M’s crusading Crime Does Not Pay series. The two-reeler places blame on those merchants who accept and offer stolen goods for sale as well as on the actual thieves. This short follows “Women In Hiding,” expose of the baby barter racket, in the series. It is directed by Joe Newman from a script by Julian Hochfelder and Alan Friedman. Jack Chertok and Rich- ard Goldstone produce. * * * “Clothes Make the Man,” “Doodling” and “Secret Seven” are the three latest subjects to be developed by John Nesbit in his new Passing Parade short, “Trifles of Importance.” The first shows the origin N. Y. Hails 'Bridge' New York newspaper critics acclaimed “Waterloo Bridge,” with Robert Taylor and Vivien Leigh, following its opening at the Capitol Theater. Excerpts follow: JOURNAL AMERICAN . . . Rose Pels- wick: “Miss Leigh and Mr. Taylor are a glamorous co-starring team.” DAILY NEWS . . . Kate Cameron: “Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has made com- pelling screen drama of Sherwood play. This is Taylor’s best screen role.” MIRROR . . . Lee Mortimer: “ ‘Water- loo Bridge’ in prize-winning class. The movie is beautiful, intelligent and touch- ing, and fine entertainment finely di- rected by Mervyn Le Roy.” TIMES . . . Bosley Crowthers: “Let there be no doubt about it. Vivien Leigh is as fine an actress as we have on screen today. HERALD-T R I B U N E . . . Howard Barnes: There is the stuff of an absorb- ing screen drama in “Waterloo Bridge.” POST . . . Archer Winsten: “Robert Taylor in his best performance. Mr. Mervyn Le Roy, has made an elegant thing out of the picture.” SUN . . . Eileen Creelman: “The pro- duction is a handsome one and one that is sure to be popular. Miss Leigh is beautiful as ever. Taylor is a dashing creature, sure of himself, with ready charm and amiable manners.” of various fads and styles in men’s cloth- ing, the second provides proof of how doodling saved a man’s life, and “Secret Seven” reveals a justice-dealing secret so- ciety. Basil Wrangell directs with Jack Cher- tok and Richard Goldstone as producers. * * * Two new Technicolor cartoons, “Tom Turkey” and “Milky Way,” are an- nounced by Fred Quimby, head of M-G- M’s cartoon organization, as ready for re- lease. The former, presented by Hugh Har- man, shows what happens when your- Thanksgiving gobbler goes musical. “Milky Way,” a Rudolph Ising cartoon, tells about the three little kittens who lost their mittens. * * * James A. FitzPatrick sojourns to one of the most remote and colorful parts of the world in his latest M-G-M Technicolor Traveltalk, “Suva, Pride of Fiji.” It marks a departure from his recerit shorts, cli- maxed by “Modern New Orleans,” which deal with points of interest closer to home for American audiences. * * * “Bubbling Troubles” means love trou- bles in springtime for Alfalfa and his cronies in M-G-M’s new Our Gang com- edy by that title. It revolves around Al- falfa’s rivalry with the neighborhood bully for the affections of a certain girl, and how the freckle-faced leader of the Gang “outsmarts” his opponent. Edward Cahn directed from a script written by Hal Law and Robert McGowan. Jack Chertok and Richard Goldstone pro- duced. Cameras In Armor Created To Film Garbo's 'Mme. Curie' Intensive research and experiment has gotten under way in the M-G-M camera department and laboratories in prepara- tion for the filming of “Mme. Curie,” story of the life of the discoverer of ra- dium, slated as Garbo’s next vehicle. Because radium affects film, tjirough almost any material and at evert great distances, special methods of photograph- ing its use and emanations are being worked out by studio technicians. Cam- eras covered with heavy sheet lead, and lead-covered film containers are being designed. Inasmuch as the picture will show the different steps of radium manufacture and its use, every precaution is being worked out in advance. Sidney Franklin will produce. ♦ ♦ ♦ Ann Morriss Wins New Film Contract Ann Morriss’ successful appearances in “The Women,” “Honolulu,” and other pictures this week won her a long-term contract at M-G-M. Miss Morriss came to pictures as a dis- covery from Little Theater work, and other stage experience. Printed In U. S. A.