Motion Picture Herald (Sep-Oct 1942)

Sepfember 19, 1942 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 3£ PRODUCERS BUY 52 STORY PROPERTIES FOR 1942-43 C onsiderable Gain Over Year Ago; Monogram in First Package Deal The tempo of story acquisitions increased sharply this August over August of 1941. Usually a slow month, along with July, August of this year accounted for 52 story buys for 1942-43, compared to only 17 for the month a year ago. It also was an increase over the 40 of July and compared favorably with the 55 story purchases recorded in June. A notable purchase for the month was Alexander Korda's acquisition of dramatic and film rights to a new stage version of Tolstoy's "War and Peace." This version, performed with success in Moscow, was written by L Sudakov, a director of the Malik Theatre group of Moscow. Monogram obtained its first package deal with the acquisition of the film rights to the Columbia Broadcasting S\-stem serial, "The Adventures of Cosmo Jones." The company is planning two pictures on the material with options on more. The deal was set by Harry WurtzeL Properties Purchased During August Adventure of a Ready Letter Writer, magazine story by Blanche Brace, purchased by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The story was published in the Saturday Evening Post. Adventures of Cosmo Jones, The., Columbia Broadcasting System serial, film rights of which were purchased by Monogram. The deal includes the rights to the sen-ices of Frank Graham, radio player ; Walter Gering, radio writer, and film director, James Tinling. Lindsley Parsons will produce. Battle Stations, original by Jack Andrews, purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox, for production by Milton Sperling. Best Foot Forward, musical comedy with book by John Cecil Holm and George Abbott, and music and lyrics by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane, purchased* by MGM. Bor Scouts of America, The, original screenplay by Harry Chandlee and Dean Franklin, obtained by Warner Bros. Broken Journey, play by Andrew Rosenthal, purchased by Warner Bros. Cobra Woman, The, original by Scott Darling, purchased by Universal. Come On, Marines, based on a story by Philip Wylie, purchased by Paramount. Cast includes Robert Preston and William Bendix. Corvettes, original by Edward Chodorov, purchased by Universal. Damned Don't Cry, The, original, purchased by Warner Bros. Abem Finkel has been assigned to write the screenplay. Deep Valley, novel by Dan Totheroh, who also will do the screenplay, purchased by Warner Bros. Ann Sheridan, Humphrey Bogart and John Garfield will be starred. Dixie Dugan, newspaper comic strip character, purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox. Ray McCarey will direct. Lois Andrews will play the title role. Flying Shamrock, The, original based on the life of Brendon (Fatty) Finucane, acquired for production by Edward Small. Food Front, original b\ Irwin Braun, purchased by MGM. STORY PURCHASES OF YEAR COMPARED Month Originals Boob Plays Tota September, 1941 3! 17(a) 2 50 October 20 15(b) 4 39 November 20 16(c) 3 39 December 16 10(d) 26 January, 1942 27 9(e) 4 40 February 44 18(f) 3 65 March 40 15(g) 2 57 April 43 8(h) 5 56 May 30 M(i) 5 46 June 35 I6(i) 4 55 July 24 I2(k] 4 40 August 35 13(1) 4 52 TOTALS FOR 12 MONTHS 365 1 60(m) 40 565 (a) Including 3 (d) (e) [f] (g) (h) (I) Including Including Including Including Including Including Including Including Including Including Including Including published magazine stories, newspaper comic strip and film. published magazine stories, published magazine story and musical composition, published magazine stories, film and song. published magazine stories and song. published magazine stories and musical compositions. published magazine stories and newspaper comic strip. published magazine stories and radio scripts. magazine story, song and poem. films, radio script and song. magazine stories, newspaper comic strip and radio serial, magazine stories, newspaper comic strips, radio scripts, films, musical compositions, poem and song. Grand Street Boys, The, original story idea by Boris Morros and S. P. Eagle, to be produced for Twentieth Century-Fox release. Guerilla, original by Sid Davidson, purchased by Universal. Hands of Mercy, original by Mark Sandrich and Allan Scott, bought by Paramount. The story concerns Army nurses at Bataan. Will be released under the title, "So Proudlv We Hail." Her Heart in Her Throat, mystery novel by Ethel Lina White, purchased by Paramount. Hi, Buddy, original by Warren Wilson, purchased by Universal. Immortal Sergeant, The, novel by John Brophy, purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox. The theme will be the heroism of British patrols in the Libyan Desert. Lamar Trotti is preparing the script and Henry Hathaway will direct. Cast includes Henry Fonda, Maureen O'Hara and Thomas Mitchell. Incomparable Alfred, The, original screenplay by F. Hugh Herbert, purchased by Paramount. Keeping Fit, original by Paul Huston, purchased by Universal. Buying Broadway Musical Leave It to Me, Broadway musical comedy of 1938, with book by Samuel and Bella Spewack, purchased by Gregory Ratoff and Harry Goetz for Columbia release. Life of Winston Churchill, The, original screenplay by Walter Doniger, obtained by Warner Bros., for production by Jesse Lasky. Lord Arthur Saytle's Crime, by Oscar Wilde, purchased by Universal for use as a sequence in the Charles Bo}rer production, "Flesh and Fantasy." Man Who Had No Private Life, The, unproduced play by Otto Furth, purchased by Paramount. Rene Clair will direct. Miracle of Morgan Creek, The, original by Preston Sturges, purchased by Paramount. Betty Hutton and Eddie Bracken will be starred. 'Neath Brooklyn Bridge, original by Harvey Gates, purchased by Sam Katzman of Banner Productions. Necrophile, The, original by Charles Christiansen, purchased by Universal. Night Plane from Chungking, original by Lester Cole, obtained by Paramount. Ellen Drew, Robert Preston and Albert Dekker to be cast. No Surrender, novel by Martha Albrand. which appeared in serial form in the Saturday Evening Post, purchased by MGM. Original by William L. White, foreign correspondent, concerning the torpedo boats which took General MacArthur safely from Corregidor, purchased by MGM. Original Screenplay, about General De Gaulle and the Free French, by William Faulkner, obtained by Warner Bros. Over My Dead Body, adapted from the novel by James O'Hanlan, purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox. for production by Walter Morosco. Edward James is writing the screenplay and Mai St. Clair will direct. Milton Berle to head the cast. Pentacle, The, murder melodrama with a psychological background, by Alfred Xeuman and Robert Siodmak, purchased by Warner Bros., for production by Henry Blanke. Quiet Please, Murder, adapted from the nrystery novel, "Death from the Sanskrit," by Lawrence G. Blochman, purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox. John Larkin will write the script and direct. Ralph Dietrich will produce. Cast includes George Sanders and Gail Patrick. Robe, The, novel by Lloyd C. Douglas, purchased by Frank Ross, independent producer. Shadow of a Doubt, original by Thornton Wilder, purchased by Universal for production by Alfred Hitchcock. Six Lives of Sally Jean, The, original by Bob Faber, purchased by RKO Radio. Starlight, original by Jacques Thiery, purchased by MGM, for William Powell and Hedy Lamarr. Talk in a Blackout, article by Louis Adamic, ourchased by MGM. Tin Fish, original by Jacob Nelson, dealing with the exploits of Navy aviators, purchased (.Continued on following page')