Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1943)

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14 MOTION PICTURE HERALD May 15, I 943 Studios Active But Releases Are Down (Continued from preceding page) are: "Presenting Lily Mars," "Pilot No. 5," "Du Barry Was a Lady," the Red SkeltonLucille Ball musical in Technicolor ; "Youngest Profession," with Virginia Weidler ; "Harrigan's Kid," "Above Suspicion," with Joan Crawford and Fred MacMurray ; "Swing Shift Maisie," another Ann Sothern comedy, and "Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case," with Lionel Barrymore and Van Johnson. Nine pictures which have been completed but for which no release dates have been set include : "Lassie Comes Home," with Roddy McDowall ; "Salute to the Marines" ; "As Thousands Cheer," formerly "Private Miss Jones" ; "Bataan" ; "I Dood It," starring Red Skelton ; "Professor Takes a Wife," formerly "Faculty Row"; "Girl Crazy," "Right About Face," "Best Foot Forward," musical. In all likelihood, "As Thousands Cheer," "Bataan," "Harrigan's Kid," "Pilot No. 5," "Presenting Lily Mars" and "Youngest Profession" will be included in the May block. "Above Suspicion," the Gillespie and Maisie pictures, "Du Barry" and one other of the completed nine may get June or July releases. In production are: "The Man from Down Under," with Charles Laughton and Binnie Barnes, now nearing completion ; "A Thousand Shall Fall," with Pierre Aumont, Gene Kelly, Sir Cedric Hardwicke and Peter Lorre ; "The Heavenly Body," starring William Powell and Hedy Lamarr; "Whistling in Brooklyn," with Red Skelton, Ann Rutherford and Rags Ragland. This is the baseball comedy which probably will be released at about the time of the World Series, early September. Also: "The Lost Angel," with Margaret O'Brien, the child actress, who achieved screen prominence in "Journey for Margaret" ; "America," starring Brian Donlevy, a film cavalcade about American industry ; "Russia," the picture starring Robert Taylor and Susan Peters, with Margaret O'Brien featured ; "Madame Curie," based on the life of the famous woman scientist, starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon; "A Guy Named Joe," starring Spencer Tracy and Irene Dunne. Monogram Monogram has scheduled two pictures for June, two for July and one for August. They are as follows: "Sarong Girl," June 11th; "Wings over the Pacific," June 25th ; "Spy Train," formerly "Time Bomb," July 2nd ; "The Law Rides Again," July 23rd, and "Melody Parade," August 13th. For next season, the company has announced 24 features and 18 Westerns. "Lady Let's Dance," "Hitler's Women" and "Ground Crew" will be included in the $400,000 to $500,000 budget class. In addition there will be three pictures in the $200,000 budget group. In production are three pictures : "Black Market Rustlers," with Ray Corrigan and Dennis Moore; "The Law Rides Again," with Hoot Gibson and Ken Maynard, and "Spotlight Revue," a musical with Frank Fay, Billy Gilbert and Bonnie Baker. Paramount With four pictures in production and 22 completed, Paramount has rolled up a backlog of 26, eight less than its record backlog of last year, with which the company began the 1942-43 season. It will be remembered that Paramount sold 10 films to United Artists which at the beginning of the season suffered a product shortage. Paramount's fifth block includes : "High Explosive," "China," Aerial Gunner," "Salute for Three" and "Five Graves to Cairo," which will Joseph M. Schenck to Take Over 20th-Fox Production Joseph M. Schenck has been engaged under a seven-year contract as the executive production chief for Twentieth CenturyFox Film Corporation, it was this week announced by Spyros Skouras, president. Mr. Schenck will have full supervision of the output of the company's studios. He arrived in Hollywood Monday. His contract, signed in New York, is dated from June I. The status of Colonel Darryl Zanuck, currently yet in the service of the army, and still under his ten-year contract as vicepresident in charge of production, remains unaffected. Mr. Schenck, in a West Coast interview observed: "I wish that the Army would retire him so he could return to the studio." The announcement also brings no change in the relations with William Goetz, who has resigned as vice-president in charge of production, a pro-tem post. The resignation is effective at the end of his present production schedule, a matter of possibly some months hence. However, in that connection, Mr. Schenck observed: "I tried to persuade him to stay," and that "he is to stay in his current spot as long as I need him." "We are happy to have been able to prevail upon Mr. Schenck to head our production activities," Mr. Skouras said. "There is hardly an important progressive step in the motion picture industry with which he has not been actively associated. His acceptance of the office is our assurance that the high production standards set by Twentieth Century-Fox will be maintained." Mr. Schenck begins his 30th year in the motion picture industry with the new Fox contract. He began his career as a producer with Loew Theatrical Enterprises. For many years he was an independent producer, and then in 1924 was elected chairman of the board of United Artists. He headed that company until 1933 when, with Darryl Zanuck, he formed Twentieth Century Pictures. Both joined Fox by merger in 1935, with Mr. Schenck becoming chairman of the board of directors. He resigned in May, 1941. Under his new contract, Mr. Skouras said, Mr. Schenck will hold the same production authority that he had when he was chairman of the board, a post now held by Wendell L. Willkie. Mr. Schenck's position with Twentieth Century-Fox is described as parallel to that of Louis B. Mayer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. carry it through June. Five more pictures selected from the backlog will make up its sixth block, which will run through to the end of August. The other pictures will be held over for release next season. Whether or not the company will release "For Whom the Bell Tolls" this summer is still undecided, but in any case the picture will be distributed as a special and will not be included in any block. The company's product line-up for the balance of this season and for the beginning of next, is as follows : "No Time for Love," the Claudette Colbert-Fred MacMurray comedy ; "Submarine Alert," "True to Life," "Miracle of Morgan's Creek," "Triumph Over Pain," formerly "Great Without Glory" ; "Dixie," "Henry Aldrich Swings It," "So Proudly We Hail," with Claudette Colbert and Pauline Goddard ; "Lady in the Dark," the Technicolor musical starring Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland ; "Henry Aldrich Swings It," "The Good Fellows," "Riding High," "Alaska Highway," with Richard Arlen and Jean Parker ; "Let's Face It," based on the Broadway musical ; "Hostages," taken from the best-seller ; "Tornado," and "Henry Aldrich Haunts a House." Four pictures now in production which probably will be released next season are : "Minesweeper," with Richard Arlen and Jean Parker; "And the Angels Sing," the musical star ring Dorothy Lamour and Fred MacMurray ; "The Uninvited," with Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey, and "The Hour Before Dawn." Producers Releasing The company has announced it will deliver 24 features and 18 Westerns next season. Budgets for 10 or 12 of these pictures will be doubled, according to PRC. "Border Buckaroos" already has been set for June 15th release. Completed but not scheduled for release are : "Follies Girl," a musical ; "Submarine Base," war action film, and "Isle of Forgotten Sins," melodrama. Set for July release are "Billy the Kid in the Renegade" and "Man from Washington." Scheduled for production are : "Strange Music," "Talent School," "Drums of the Jungle," starring Frank Buck, and "Danger — Women at Work." Republic Announced for production next season by Republic are 32 features, eight Roy Rogers specials, 24 Westerns and four serials. The company has set a record budget figure of $16,000,000 for its schedule. Set for June release are three : "Ride Tender(Continued on page 16)