Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1950)

6 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, May 17, Schary Lists (Continued from page 1) called, he promised a total of 65 feature* to be produced in a year-and-ahalf. and of these 37 have been made and delivered, eight are awaiting release, seven are being shot or edited and nine have been delayed but still are on schedule. He said only four of the 65 were abandoned. Suffering' a spinal ailment which made his appearance at the sales conclave here apparently uncomfortable, Schary identified himself "not as a pessimist, but as a hearty enthusiast. He said he recognized that these are not "happv days," that the industry has and will continue to have ^normous challenges and problems. But his appraisal of the forthcoming production line-up was one of full confidence. Schary Film to Hall He said he was delighted to learn that his own production. "The Next Voice You Will Hear," yesterday was booked to follow "Father of the Bride^ at Radio City Music Hall. "Father will open at the Hall tomorrow. "We are in what I believe to be a basically healthy era," Schary said, adding 'pictures are getting better." With the 55 new films on its production schedule, M-G-M has a total of 85 features now in preparation or final production stages. The 13 scheduled for now. to Aug. 31 will bring the 1949-'50 total to 42, two more than aimed at, Schary said. These are: "Ouo Vadis," Sam Zimbalist. producer; Mervyn I.eRov, director, and starring Robert Tavlor and Deborah Kerr. "Vengeance Valley," Technicolor. Nicky Nayfack produces and Richard Thorpe directs, Burt Lancastser and Robert Walker; "Grounds for Marriage." Sam Marx produces. Robert Z. Leonard directs, Van Johnson and Kathryn Grayson. , . , . Also", "Royal Wedding," Technicolor, Arthur Freed produces. Chuck Walters directs, Fred Astaire and lune Allyson; "The Life of Caruso," Joe Pasternak produces. Jesse Lasky will be associate, and Marie Lanza stars; "Mr. Imperium," Edwin Knopf produces, Don Hartman directs and Ezio Pinza stars; "An American m Paris," Freed produces. Vincente Minnelli directs. Gene Kelly and Jean Sablon; "The Magnificent Yankee." Arm.ind Deutsch produces John Sturges directs, Louis Calhern stars; "Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone," James Whitmore and Marjorie Main star. And. "Darling. I'm Stuck," William Wright produces; "Running of the Tide," Knopf produces: "Calling Bulldog Drunimond," Hayes Goetz produces, Victor Saville directs, Walter Pidgeon stars; "Shep of the Painted Hills." Chester Franklin produces. Harold Kress directs. Lassie stars. 42 for New Year The 42 for the new year will include 16 dramatic, 11 musicals, four melodramas, three outdoor films, three classics and five comedies. Schary will personally produce two: "Go for Broke," concerning the 442nd Battalion which was composed of Japanese Americans in Italy during the war and "The Plymouth Adventure," based on the voyage of the Mayflower with Spencer Tracy. Van Johnson and Deborrah Kenstarred. The others on the line-up: "The Red Badge of Courage," John Huston produces; "The People Against O'Hara." Wright produces and Tracy stars; "Come Again Another Day" and "Inside Straight," both produced by Richard Goldstone; "When in Rome," Clarence Brown produces and directs; "Los Angeles 5 P.M." and "The Merry Widow." Joe Pasternak produces both, "Widow" stars Lana Turner and Ricardo Montalban. Also, "Banner Line," Pandro Berman produces; "The Young Wives Tale," Arthus Hornblow. Jr.. produces; "Romance of Henry Menefee," LeRoy directs: "Scar a mouche." "The Burning Bush," "Crown of Thorns" and one based on Norman Corwin's "United Nations Declaration of Human Rights." concluding the list of dramas. The 11 musicals will be: "Showboat." "Huckleberry Finn," "Singing in the Rain." "Jumbo," "Belle of New York" and one based on Sigmund Romberg's music, all produced bv Arthur Freed; "Welcome to Paris," Pasternak produces, Jane Powell Reviews Guard Code "In A Lonely Place" (Santana Prod-Columbia ) HUMPHREY BOGART does not go around Hollywood bumping off people, but he well might have as the kind of character he plays in "In a Lonely Place." Once again he is hot-tempered, moody, unpredictable and snarling — this time as a screenwriter who knows a dramatic situation when he runs across one and almost faces a murder rap as the consequence. The fact is Bogart actually nudges the police to draw tighter the chain of circumstantial evidence surrounding the unexplained death of Martha Stewart. For most of the distance in this realistic, hard-hitting melodrama which will appeal principally to adult audiences, there is a reasonable doubt, at least,_ as to whether or not Bogart actually committed the crime. Out of his cynicism and disillusionment, twin characteristics suggested as a consequence of his wartime experiences, he deliberately keeps the police trail muddied and takes considerable sardonic pleasure in confusing the representatives of law and order. Meanwhile, he has developed a love affair with his cross-the-patio neighbor. She is attractive Gloria Grahame, Hollywood neophyte who never made the studio grade. Under her influence, Bogart returns to work, knocks out a bang-up script, re-establishes himself with the studios and is prepared for marriage. By this time, his uncontrolled temper, his general ugliness and the impression that he might be a murderer have scared Miss Grahame well nigh out of her wits if not out of her love. The murdered girl's boy friend, along about here, conveniently confesses. The news is telephoned to Miss Grahame's apartment where Bogart is in the process of throttling her. Miss Grahame decides, with regret, that he is bad medicine and breaks off relations. The film ends. Bogart is perverse and unmanageable and lacks sympathy unless audiences determine to line up in his corner in an understanding of his never-clarified mental road blocks. Unquestionably, however, he sinks his teeth into the part and does very well with it as unsavory as the characterization is. By underplaying. Miss Grahame strikes conviction. Others in the small cast do well under Nicholas Ray's direction, which is tight and competent. Robert Lord produced, with Henry S. Kesler as associate producer. Andrew Solt did the screenplay from an adaptation by Edmund H. North based on a story by Dorothy B. Hughes. "In a Lonely Place" is one for Bogart followers. Running time, 94 minutes. Adult audience classification. July release. Red Kann (Continued from, page 1) "Fence Riders" (M onogram) A PLEASANT enough picture, "Fence Riders" is a routine Western in which Whip Wilson plays himself and Andy Clyde is his wisecrackingpartner, Winks. Reno Browne supplies the feminine interest as Jean, a ranch-owner harassed by rustlers. Wallace Fox produced and directed from a screenplay by Elliot Gibbons. The adventure starts when Whip and Winks come upon Jean chasingrustlers. In the fight her foreman is killed. Hutch, a hired hand, is actually one of the gang who is to deliver the stolen cattle to a slaughter house owner. Whip and Winks go to work for Jean and when she makes Whip a foreman he fires Hutch. The latter is killed and Whip is blamed but he clears himself in time to head off another rustling raid and capture the outlaws. Running time, 57 minutes. General audience classification. and Vic Damone star; "A Carnival Story," Esther Williams stars. Jack Cummings produces; "Lovely to Look At" and "Excuse My Dust," also with Cummings as producer; and one with Pinza and Mario Lanza. The melodramas: "Man with the Cloak." Stephen Ames produces; "No Questions Asked," Nayfack produces; "This is News," Nayfack produces, and "Kind Lady," starring Ethel Barrymore. The outdoor films: "The O'rdeal of Constable Pedley," Ames produces; "Across the Wide Missouri," Robert Sisk produces, William A. Wellman directs and Clark Gable stars, in Technicolor; and one based on Kipling's "Soldiers Three," starring Walter Pidgeon and Stewart Granger. The classics: "Ivanhoe," Berman produces, Taylor stars; "Robinson Crusoe," Zimbalist produces, and Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar." The comedies: "Three Guys Named Mike," Deutch produces, June Allyson and Van Johnson star; "Too Young to Kiss," Zimbalist produces and Miss Allyson stars; "Father's Little Dividend," Berman produces; "Strictly Dishonorable," Norman Panama and Melvin Frank produce and direct, Pinza stars; "Just This Once," Henry Berman produces. Pioneers to Meet A meeting of Motion Picture Pioneer and The Foundation of the MPP members will be held at Columbia Pictures' offices here on June 6 to vote on increasing directors of both organizations from 11 to a minimum of 16 and a maximum of 24, and to ratify amended by-laws adopted April 28 by the two boards of directors. 20th-Fox Net (Continued from page 1) of common stock outstanding. Net earnings for the first quarter of 1949 were $3,017,736, equivalent to $1.04 a share. Earnings for the fourth quarter of 1949, a 14week period, were $4,215,133. Gross income for the 13 weeks of 1950 was reported at $38,505,547, of which $35,689,073 came from film rentals and theatre receipts. This compared with last year's gross income of $46,507,596, of which $43,490,969 came from film rentals and theatre receipts. Expenses for the 13-week period this year amounted to $35,726,722 compared to $40,614,874 last year. Of that amount $13,521,159 went to amortization of film costs compared to $14,353,225 in the previous year. Film distribution, theatre operation and administration expenses in the quarter were $19,193,455, compared to last year's $22,628,350'. ment. The presentation was mad Mrs. Mary Looram, head of Alumnae division. Made in commemoration of the anniversary of the establishment o code, the citation expressed the sion's "profound admiration and preciation" for Quigley's inspirat efforts. The division is cornr principally of Catholic laywo«(f=i review motion pictures for thUSrj' Acceptance of the code as the eral standard is the result "of 20 of keeping everlastingly active t( that those standards are not let dc said Keough, who is a member o board of the Motion Picture Ass tion of America. Commending work of Code Administrator Jose Breen, Keough presented exampl attempts that have been made, pi pally by distributors of foreign in the U. S., to persuade the ind to relax certain code provisioi that their pictures could be reg; as acceptable from the MP standpoint. The Paramount e tive assured his audience, how, that the members of the MPAA ' are unanimously determined to the_ Code fully intact. Father Masterson, speaking a observer," reviewed briefly the ( background and history, paid t to Martin Quigley's foresight d the period when the code was prepared, and described the doci' as "a democratic way of exer the right of expression." The try, he said, was "to be congratu for establishing a Code "in a| ance with basic concepts of m< and decency." The executive secretary of th gion pointed out that American; have been "enhanced by the code reminded that in consequence "parents feel free to send their dren to theatres." At the luncheon dais, in ac to Mrs. Looram, Keough, Father terson and Quigley, were the f ing : Arthur DeBra, director MPAA's Community Relation partment ; Leon Bamberger of Radio ; Rev. Thomas Little, as secretary of the Legion ; Rev. G. Keller, founder of the Christ Society; Albert Howson of the ner home office copyright depa^ and actor Victor Jory. Three 20th-Fox Dividends The board of directors of 20th Century-Fox yesterday declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.12^2 per share on outstanding prior preferred stock, payable June 15 to stockholders able June 30 Legion Reviews Classes Two as 'I Ten additional films have be', viewed by the National Leg; Decency with two receivingrating. In that category are W. "Bright Leaf" and 20th Century "Love that Brute." In Class A-I are M-G-M's Doorway" and "Father of the 1 Columbia's "Fortunes of C Blood" and Republic's "The V ing Westerner." In Class AEagle-Lion's "The Blue Lamj "Boys in Brown," United 1 "The Men," and Universal-It tional's "Sleeping City." of record on June 2. A quarter! dend of 37^4 cents per share convertible preferred was de payable June 30, 1950 to stockl i of record on June 2, and a qu dividend of 50 cents per share common stock was also declar