Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1943)

July 3, 1943 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 37 THE HOLLYWOOD SCENE From HOLLYWOOD BUREAU Eddie Cantor is proceeding rapidly with plans for the film "Show Business," which he will make for RKO Radio release. He will be listed as producer but the title will embrace a number of assorted duties. For instance, Cantor already has collaborated on some parts of the screenplay and will continue to do so; he will portray the featured role in the film; in New York at the present time, he is combing all available outlets for talent, and he has undertaken the task of clearing all songs to be used in the picture. From every angle, it is typically a Cantor show. The second Cagney production is in the offing with the acquisition by William Cagney of the Thome Smith fantasy, "The Stray Lamb." The story, brought recently from the John Barrymore estate, may be the second venture by the newly-formed unit. "Johnny Come Lately," with James Cagney in the leading role, was the company's first production, and has been announced for August release through United Artists. It is not known whether James Cagney will appear in the film, or if another leading Hollywood actor will be chosen for the feature role. Newcomer Gets Role In DeMille Film Paramount has made its selection for the part of the native girl in "The Story of Dr. Wassell." She is Carol Thurston, a film newcomer, and was chosen by Cecil DeMille from more than 100 applicants. A Technicolor production, the Wassell epic is expected to go before the cameras on July 6th. . . . On the following day, the company plans to put "Ministry of Fear" into work, and has announced the signing of Erskine Sanford for one of the top roles. Pandro Berman, armed with a new MetroGoldwyn-Mayer contract, has been assigned by the company to three forthcoming productions, "Dragon Seed," "National Velvet" and "Gunner, Man Those Guns." . . . Universal will star George Raft in a comedydrama titled "All My Love, Joe." Frank Borzage is to direct. . . . Columbia's "Road to Yesterday" will star Irene Dunne. Columbia To Distribute Pat O'Brien Films Columbia will distribute the Pat O'Brien films which are to be produced by Terneen Productions in addition to providing 50 per cent of the backing. Phil L. Ryan is to produce the first film, scheduled to start in October, and tentatively titled "Saboteur." David L. Loew has dropped his option on the purchase of a part interest in the General Service studio and the Houston Corporation. He plans a new production company pending a deal with Arthur Lyons, Jack Benny and others. A. new film company, known as Majestic Pictures, Inc., has been formed in Sacramento with Gene Laymon as president, Charles Dorety and Gilbert Pratt, vice-presidents and John Rhyne, treasurer. The Talisman Studios will be used. The first picture, now in script form, is "I'm Shakespeare, Jr." Studios Shooting 46 The production index read 46 at the weekend after the completion of nine pictures and the start of shooting on I I. Warner Brothers started "Destination, Tokyo", five days after obtaining clearance on Cary Grant for the leading role, under production of Jerry Wald, with Delmar Daves directing. The cast includes John Garfield, Warner Anderson, Alan Hale. Warner Brothers also started "Shine On, Harvest Moon", the story of Nora Bayes, with Ann Sheridan, Dennis Morgan, Irene Manning, Jack Carson, S. Z. Sakall and Marie Wilson, Miss Wilson working in the picture during the day without interrupting ner stage appearance in Ken Murray's "Blackouts of 1943" — now starting its second year at the El Capitan theatre in Hollywood. William Jacobs is producing the picture, which will be in black-and-white up to its final sequence, which goes in Technicolor. David Butler is directing. Samuel Goldwyn, who finished "The North Star" in the same week, started "Up In Arms", a Technicolor musical presenting Danny Kaye, Constance Dowling, Dana Andrews, Louis Calhern, Kenny Baker, George Mathews (described as "The Louis Wolheim of 1943") and the Goldwyn Girls, a bevy of beauties made much of in advance publicity. Don Hartman, who also collaborated on the script, is acting as associate producer for Mr. Goldwyn, and Elliott Nugent is directing. COMPLETED Goldwyn North Star MGM Whistling in Brooklyn Monogram I Was a Criminal PRC Lone Rider, No. S Republic Death Valley Manhunt Hoosier Holiday 20th Century-Fox Night Is Ending Universal Second Honeymoon Angela STARTED Columbia Footlight Glamour There's Something About a Soldier Goldwyn Up In Arms MGM See Here, Private Hargrove Monogram Bullets and Saddles Blazing Guns Nearly Eighteen RKO Radio Dollar-a-Year Man Republic Deerslayer Warners Destination, Tokyo Shine On, Harvest Moon Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, with more pictures in production than any other studio, started "See Here, Private Hargrove", a comedy derived from the unprivate papers of Private Hargrove, U.S.A. Columbia launched "There's Something About a Soldier", a Sam Bischoff production directed by Alfred E. Green, with Douglas Drake, Evelyn Keyes, Larry Parks. This studio also started "Footlight Glamour", in the Blondie series, with Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake, and with Frank Strayer as producer-director. RKO Radio had "Dollar-a-Year Man" before the Votion Productions cameras, with Lum 'n' Abner doing their stuff under the direction of Ray McCarey, Ben Bersh producing. Monogram spurted ahead with three pictures. "Nearly Eighteen" is a Lindsley Parsons production, directed by Arthur Dreifuss, with Gale Storm, Bill Henry and Rick Vallin as principals. "Bullets and Saddles" is a Range Busters number by producer George Weeks, with Anthony Marshall directing Ray Corrigan, Dennis Moore, Max Terhune. "Blazing Guns" offers Hoot Gibson, Ken Maynard. Republic had in progress the E. B. Derr picture, "The Deerslayer", with Lew Landers directing Bruce Kellogg, Jean Parker, Yvonne De Carlo and William Inman. The production scene, by status, studio and title: * — Formerly "Russia" ** — Formerly "To the Last Man" SHOOTING Columbia Cover Girl MGM Meet the People White Cliffs of Dover Cry Havoc Cross of Lorraine Heavenly Body America Sons of Russia* Madame Curie Guy Named Joe Broadway Rhythm Monogram Outlaws of Stampede Pass Paramount Henry Aldrich's Little Secret And the Angels Sing Hour Before Dawn Frenchman's Creek PRC Tiger Fangs RKO Radio Around the World Iron Major Adventures of a Rookie Government Girl Republic | Man from Music Mountain 20th Century-Fox Dancing Masters Guadalcanal Diary Song of Bernadette Girls He Left Behind Happy Land Universal Frontier Bad Man Let Yourself Go Crazy House Strange Death of Adolf Hitler Warners Saratoga Trunk Northern Pursuit** In Our Time Conflict