Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1948)

Wednesday, October 6, 1948 Motion Picture Daily 5 30 from 6U' (Continued from page 1) starring Joan Fontaine and Burt Lancaster, produced by Richard Vernon and directed by Norman Foster, from the novel by Gerald Butler. "Rogue's Regiment," starring Dick Powell, Marta Toren and Vincent Price, produced and written by Robert -£uckner and directed by Robert VtY^rey. -^"The Countess of Monte Cristo," a Westwood production, starring Sonja i Henie. John Beck produced and Frederick DeCordova directed, from a story by Walter Reisch and a screenplay by William Bowers. "Mexican Hayride," starring Abbott and Costello, produced by Robert Arthur and directed by Charles Barton, based on the Broadway musical comedy by Herbert and Dorothy Fields and Cole Porter. Fontaine-Stewart Starrer "You Gotta Stay Happy," a Rampart production, starring Joan Fontaine and James Stewart, from the Saturday Evening Post serial by Robert Carson, produced and written by Karl Tunberg and directed by H. C. Potter. It is scheduled to have its world premiere at Radio City Music Hall, New York, in November. "Live Today for Tomorrow," formerly titled "An Act of Murder," starring Fredric March, Edmond O'Brien, Florence Eldridge and Geraldine Brooks. Jerry Bresler produced and Michael Gordon directed. "The O'Flynn," a Fairbanks Company production, starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and co-starring Helena Carter and Richard Greene. Fairbanks was the producer and Arthur Pierson, the director. Robert Thoeren collaborated with Fairbanks on the screenplay. "Criss Cross," starring Burt Lancaster, Yvonne De Carlo and Dan Duryea. Michel Kraike produced and Robert Siodmak directed. It is based on the novel by Don Tracy, with a screenplay by Daniel Fuchs. "Family Honeymoon," starring Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray. J6hn Beck and Z. Wayne Griffin were co-producers and Claude Binyon directed, based on the novel by FIVE -STAR DC-6 FLAGSHIPS LOS ANGELES 11 hours, 10 minutes CHICAGO 3% hours Phone HAvemeyer 6-5000 or your travel agent Ticket Offices. Airlines Terminal Rockefeller Center • Hotel New Yorker 120 Broadway • Hotel St. George AMERICAN AIRLINES Homer Croy. It, too, will have its premiere at Radio City Music Hall. "Red Canyon," formerly known as "Black Velvet," in Technicolor, starring Ann Blyth, Howard Duff and George Brent. Leonard Goldstein produced and George Sherman directed. It is based on the novel "Wildfire," by Zane Grey. Four Start Production Starting production are : "The Life of Riley," Brecher production, starring William Bendix with Meg Randall, with Irving Brecher the writer, producer and director ; "Calamity Jane and Sam Bass" in Technicolor, starring Yvonne De Carlo, to be produced by Leonard Goldstein and directed by George Sherman ; "The Amboy Dukes," to be produced and directed by Maxwell Shane ; and "The Night Watch," written, produced and directed by Robert Buckner ; included in the 30 picture schedule also will be ''Come Be My Love," starring Robert Montgomery ; "Gambling Lady," starring Barbara Stanwyck ; "Arctic Manhunt" ; "Abbott and Costello and the Invisible Man" ; an untitled picture starring Donald O'Connor ; "Bagdad" ; "Western Story" ; "Take One False Step," based on the Irwin Shaw novel ; "Moon Over Java" ; 'Cripple Creek," and "Tomahawk." Rank's 'Columbus' to Get Same Roadshow Treatment as 'Hamlet' San Francisco, Oct. 5. — J. Arthur Rank's "Christopher Columbus," in Technicolor, starring Fredric March, Florence Eldridge, Linden Travers and Francis L. Sullivan, will receive the same roadshow treatment as Laurence Olivier's "Hamlet," William A. Scully, Universal sales vice-president announced here today. Rep. Sales Session Today at Studio Hollywood, Oct. 5. — Herbert J. Yates, Republic president, will preside tomorrow at the second session of a two-day regional sales meeting being held at the company's studios. This is the first of a series of three regional sales meetings being held; the second will be in Chicago at the Blackstone Hotel on Friday and Saturday, and the last is to be held in New York at the New York Athletic Club, on Oct. 14-15. Bert Green Dies; Was Film Cartoonist Bert Green, 63, a pioneer cartoonist in motion pictures who joined HearstPathe in 1915, died yesterday in the Veterans' Administration Hospital, The Bronx, N. Y. Green, who was born in England, entered the film field after a varied career as newspaper cartoonist. He also wrote scenarios for Hal Roach comedies featuring Laurel and Hardy and did scenarios and animated cartoons for M-G-M. In addition to the widow, a son and a sister survive. 756 Drive-ins (Continued from page 1) 137 are listed as being open for business throughout the year, the other 606 being open seasonally. The report also reveals that construction is now underway on 86 new theatres. Drive-ins are most prevalent in the Charlotte territory, where there are 107 operations. Dallas, with 78, is second in the MPAA listing. New York Grosses (Continued from page 1) stage at the Strand, is on the way to a handsome $80,000 in a first week. "River" is good for an estimated $100,000 in a very healthy initial week at the Capitol, where the stage support consists of Tony and Sally DeMarco, Buck and Bubbles and Nat Brandwynne. At the Roxy, "Cry of the City," with Marie McDonald, Danny Thomas and an ice revue on stage, is figured to wind up a first week with a $115,000 gross, which is very big. "Hamlet" is playing to capacity audiences at the Park, which looks for $16,000 in its first week. A fair $25,000 is indicated for the first week of "Saxon Charm" at the Criterion. The Rivoli's "An Innocent Affair" probably will take in about $20,000 in a first week, which is not too impressive. "Good Sam" will complete a third and final week at the Music Hall with a gross of $115,000, considered adequate. It is to be followed tomorrow by "Julia Misbehaves." Fifth week of "Loves of Carmen" should give the State about $30,000, which is good enough. "Olympic Games of 1948" probably will complete its second and final week at the Gotham with a modest $7,500 ; it will be replaced by reissues. The fifth week of "Sorry, Wrong Number," with Carmen Cavallaro on stage, should gross about $65,000 at the Paramount. "Rachel and the Stranger," at the Mayfair, probably will do a fairly healthy $21,000 in its third week. "Babe Ruth Story" has a low gross of $9,000 indicated for its 10th week at the Astor. The Globe figures on $29,000, which is all right for the sixth week of "Rope." Master Will Retain Alger Circuit Case Chicago, Oct. 5. — Counsel for distributor plaintiffs in the Alger Circuit percentage case now pending in U. S. District Court here will withdraw the motion to vacate the order referring the case to Federal master-in-chancery Joseph F. Elward, because of crowded conditions on Judge William F. Campbell's calendar. Counsel states, however, plaintiffs will renew their motion before the master to examine the Alger Circuit books which Judge Campbell had denied until the legality of distributors' contracts is established. Production Steady At Coast Studios Hollywood, Oct. 5. — The production index stood at 27, dropping one from the previous week. Nine new films were started, while 10 were sent to cutting rooms. Shooting started on "Make Believe Ballroom," Columbia ; "An Old Fashioned Girl" (Equity), EagleLion; "Zamba" (Fortune Films), Independent ; "Big Jack Horner," Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ; "The Rainmaker," Monogram; "El Paso" (PineThomas), Paramount; "Renegades of Sonora," Republic ; "Shep Comes Home" (Lippert), Screen Guild; "Impact" (Popkin), United Artists. Shooting finished on "Air Hostess," "Desert Vigilante," "Jungle Jim's Adventure" and "Knock on Any Door," Columbia ; "Daughter of Ramona" (Mooney), Film Classics; "Jiggs and Maggie in Court" and "Headin' for Trouble," Monogram ; "One Woman," Paramount ; "The Missourians," Republic; "The Fountainhead," Warner. W. P. Bernfield, QP L.A. Representative Hollywood, Oct. 5. — William P. Bernfield, 51, veteran showman and Los Angeles Film Row representative of Quigley Publications for the past 18 months, died this morning from a heart attack at San Bernardino, where he had gone to assist Harry Dickerman in preparing an exploitation campaign for the opening of a drive-in theatre. The widow, Hattie, survives. TV. Solomon, Exhibitor McComb, Miss., Oct. 5. — N. Solomon, well-known theatre operator, died here while attending the LaurelMcComb football game. Solomon operated theatres in Baton Rouge, Columbia, Yazoo City, McComb, Summitt and Natchez. Len Daly's Father Philadelphia, Oct. 5. — T. A. Daly, father of Len Daly, special advertising-exploitation representative of United Artists' foreign department, died here yesterday at General Hospital. Daly was widely known for his poetry.