Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1939)

January 14, 1939 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 53 IN THE BRITISH STUDIOS by AUBREY FLANAGAN in London Men at Work British studios are at work on eight pictures. Most important of these are MGM's "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," and the Mayflower production, "Jamaica Inn," in which Alfred Hitchcock is directing Charles Laughton at the Associated British studios, Elstree. Max Miller, British comedy star, was continuing work under the Warner-First National banner at the Teddington studios, with the period piece "The Good Old Days," directed by Roy William Neill. At the Welwyn Studios of Associated British, overflow, lot of the Elstree organization, Jack Buchanan was being directed by Thornton Freeland in "The Gang's All Here," his first for that company. Islington's contribution was another Will Hay comedy, in which the star was being directed under the Gainsborough banner, by Marcel Varnel, in "Ask a Policeman." At Worton Hall George Smith started work on "It's No Use Crying," an independent production being directed by Maclean Rogers. David Macdonald continued on the British National film "Official Secret" at the Waltonon-Thames studios, and at the Highbury studios Jack Raymond commenced work on "The Mind of Mr. Reader" for Grand National release. Raymond is collaborating with Major Charles Q. Steel in the new company, Jack Raymond Productions, Ltd., to make six pictures in Great Britain under contract to Grand National. Joins CAP AD John Sutro, associated with London Films, has also joined the board of directors of CAPAD, newly formed production organization of producers. The board includes Arthur J. Rank, Stephen Courtauld, Captain the Hon. Richard Norton, Michael Balcon and Havelock Allan. Films already completed by CAPAD are "The Gaunt Stranger," "The Ware Case" and "Let's Be Famous." Scheduled for production soon are "There Ain't No Justice," "The Four Just Men," "The Return of the Four Just Men," "Epitaph for a Spy" and "A Young Man's Fancy." Anna Lee, actress wife of film director Robert Stevenson, is to play in two films lined up for the next two months at the Ealing Studios. Both will be produced by Michael Balcon. The first, "The Four Just Men," is to be directed by Walter Forde and is a screen adaptation of an Edgar Wallace < story. The second. "Young Man's Fancy," is to be directed by Robert Stevenson, who has held back production a month in order that Forde can use Anna Lee in his film. Miss Lee will play a character based upon Zazel, the original "human cannon ball," whose act thrilled London audiences in the nineties. Featurettes THEY INTENDED TO CREATE THE FOG Shooting has been completed on Irving Asher3 s second film for Columbia, "The Spy in Black." Poetic justice was lent the scene this week when the final night's shooting was planned to include artificially created rain and fog atmosphere. Nature, however, with a characteristic local gesture, provided Denham both with rain and fog that night; no efforts of effects or trick men were therefore needed, and scenes were shot with the genuine article in the effects tank at Denham Studios. year. It includes such titles as "Reporter Finds Love," "Reporter on Pay-Day" and "Reporter on Dancing." The technique sought is to deal in a racy manner with the hobbies and human side of the man in the street and celebrities of the day. They also announce the forthcoming production of a history of British motorracing and a study of the growth of the Irish Free State. Unity Films A new production organization, Unity Films, managing director of which is Miss Elsie Cohen, long known in repertory and continental cinemas in Britain, plans production of a film entitled "One Out of Millions." The story deals with a boy from the South Wales mining district who comes to London to seek a fortune but finds disenchantment. Directing the picture will be the author of the story, George Michael Hoellering, producer of the Hungarian film "Hortobagy." Two Units With a speed-up of production on the MGM British film "Good-bye, Mr. Chips," two units are working on the picture on separate sound stages at Denham. Most recent sequences have been shot with the aid of the Highgate Officers Training Corps, 300 of whose members appear in a full dress review scene during which they pass by a uniformed general and a whiskered Mr. Chips, in the person of Robert Donat. Itemized A series of two-reel featurettes grouped under the title of the "Roving Reporter" is planned by Technique Films to be made this Production has progressed on Max Miller's "The Good Old Days," in which the Cockney comedian has the role of a barnstormer of the 1840 era. Recent scenes have included Max Miller, with his company of touring players, arrested and put in the stocks at a Puritanically-minded country village, and a pie-eating con test for which the Teddington casting 'department combed the country for fat men. * * * George Smith and Maclean Rogers, producer and director, respectively, of pictures released under RKO and Columbia quota schedues, have joined hands to produce more modest films for exhibitor quota. The first of these is "No More Cows," a light comedy in which Jack Hobbs, Bruce Seton and George Carney will appear. * * * The production of a film bearing the ambitious title "Merchant Navy" is planned by Conway Productions, independent unit. * * * A story of racketeering in the British boxing world, "There Ain't No Justice" by James Curtis, is among the pictures shortly to be made by Michael Balcon at the Ealing Studios. Balcon plans to train his chosen star at the National Sporting Club. * ♦ ♦ Work has been completed on the George Formby comedy "Trouble Brewing," recently in production at the Ealing Studios under the direction of Anthony Kimmins. Blames European Crisis For British Film Slump Irving Asher, London Films associate producer, who arrived in New York from abroad Friday, scouted reports from London that the new quota law had had the effect of reducing British production. He ascribed the slump to the recent European crisis. Activity is being resumed, he said, and British production will stage a comeback in a few months. Mr. Asher may make four triple quota films for Columbia in 1939-'40, at Denham, on an extension of the contract under which he made two films for Columbia last year. He conferred with Jack Cohn, Columbia vice-president, on Saturday, and left Sunday for the coast for conferences with Harry Cohn, president. Canada's License Fee Less Than U. S. Charge Colonel O. M. Biggar, solicitor for the Canadian Performing Rights Society (equivalent to ASCAP in the U. S.), has answered the strong protests of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters to the proposed increase in the society's license fees for 1939 to $154,588 from the present total of $83,081, by declaring that the new charge is only 75 per cent of the levy collected in the United States. The new Canadian rate averages 14 cents per licensed receiving set in use in the Dominion as compared with the previous fee of eight cents charged by the Canadian Society and, according to Colonel Biggar, the levy in Canada is considerably less than that charged in other English-speaking countries. In Australia, he said, the charge is 33 cents, while that in New Zealand is 18 cents.