Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1944)

THE HOLLYWOOO SCENE. COMPLETED pOLUMBIA iCrime Doctor's Trap (formerly "Untitled Crime Doctor") Son of Lassie PRC Crime, Inc. RKO RADIO Body Snatcher Wonder Man (Goldw^yn) REPUBLIC Three's a Crowd Swingin' on a Rainbow Jealousy (Gustav Machaty) STARTED MONOGRAM Fashion Model RKO RADIO Spanish Main REPUBLIC Behind the Ship Lone Texas Ranger 20TH CENTURY-FOX First, Last and Always Bullfighters SHOOTING COLUMBIA Guy, a Gal and a Pal Thousand and One Nights Leave It to Blondie One Against Seven Men of the Deep MGM Alter Ego Weekend at the Waldorf Without Love Our Vines Have Tender Grapes Hold High the Torch Valley of Decision MONOGRAM Make Way for Kelly PARAMOUNT Virginian Scared Stiff Lost Weekend Love Letters Affairs of Susan Duffy's Tavern PRC Barber of Red Gap RKO RADIO Along Came Jones (International) Invisible Army Enchanted Cottage REPUBLIC Earl Carroll Vanities Johnny March (Walter Colmes) 20TH CENTURYFOX Bell for Adano Molly, Bless Her Circtimstantial Evidence Royal Scandal UNITED ARTISTS Walk in the Sun (Bronston) Blood on the Sun (Cagney) G. I. Joe (Cowan) Bedside Manner ( Stone) UNIVERSAL Romance, Incorporated Salome — -Where She Danced Here Come the Co-Eds WARNERS Hotel Berlin Big Sleep San Antonio Pictures Started; Index Off to 44 Six New Shooting Hollyivood Bureau The Thanksgiving holiday cut into production schedules last week. Nevertheless, six new films were started and work was resumed on Lester Cowan's productiion, "G. I. Joe." Eight pictures went to the cutting rooms, bringing the shooting index down to 44. At 20th Century-Fox, "First, Last and Always," the film based on the life of Eddie Rickenbacker, went before the cameras w'ith Lloyd Bacon directing for Winfield Sheehan, producer. The cast includes Fred MacMurray, Lynn Bari, James Gleason, Qiarles Bickford, Mary Philips and Darryl Hickman. Another 20th Century-Fox venture was "The Bullfighters," a Laurel and Hardy comedy with Mai St. Clair directing, William Girard producing. RKO Radio launched its Technicolor swashbuckler, "The Spanish Main," with Paul Henreid, Maureen O'Hara, Walter Slezak, John Emery, Nancy Gates, Jack La Rue, Fritz Lieber, J. M. Kerrigan, Mike Mazurki, Antonio Moreno, Victor Kilian, Binnie Barnes and Barton MacLane. Republic Starts Work On Two New Films Republic trained cameras on two : "Behind the Ships," and "Lone Texas Ranger." The first has Jane Randolph and John O'Malley, with George Blair directing for Rudy Abel, associate producer. The second is another in the "Red Ryder" series, presenting Bill Elliott, Bobby Blake, Alice Fleming and Helen Talbot. Spencer Bennet directs ; Lou Gray is the associate producer. Monogram started work on "Fashion Model," with a cast including Robert Lowery, Marjorie Weaver, Tim Ryan, Dorothy Christy, Harry Depp and Sally Yarnell. William Beaudine is the director; William Strohbach is associate producer. V Playwright Sidney Kingsley has sold a fivepage original to 20th Century-Fox for a sum reported to be in the neighborhood of $50,000, or $10,000 per typewritten page. This would establish Mr. Kingsley as one of the highestpaid writers in history, receiving a rate of $400 per word. The story, titled "But for the Grace of John," tells of a slain soldier who rises from the dead to tell his friends and fellow-citizens what would ha\e taken place if he and his companions had not perished in the fight for freedom. V Jeff Donnell and Loren Tindall have been named by Columbia for the romantic leads in the next of the studio's "Whistler" series, tentatively titled "Until Tomorrow." Richard Dix will star . . . RKO Radio has exercised its option on Jack Gross, executive producer who joined the studio last January. Mister Gross is currently engaged on "The Enchanted Cottage," which John Cromwell is directing . . . George Marshall will direct "Good Intentions," Paul Jones' next for Paramount. Orson Welles Signed to Star With Claudette Colbert Robert Young will be co-starred with Laraine Day in "Those Endearing Young Charms," which Lewis Allen will direct for RKO Radio. . . . Orson Welles has been signed to star with Claudette Colbert in "Tomorrow Is Forever," scheduled to start in February at International. David Lewis will produce and Irving Pichel will direct. "No Leave, No Love," an original by Charles Martin, has been added to Joseph Pasternak's schedule as MGM producer. The picture, which will start Ginny Simms, will have Hollywood's Radio City as its locale . . . Associate producer Walter Goetz' next assignment at Republic will be "Tell It to a Star." Robert Sully has been signed by Hall B. Wallis to a long-term contract and will be groomed for stardom. His first assignment is an important role in "The Love Letters," currently in work at Paramount . . . Esther Williams and Keenan Wynn will appear as a comedy team in "Early to Wed," which Eddie Buzzell is directing for MGM . . . Directors Edward Dmytryk and Jacques Tourneur have been given new contracts by RKO Radio. As a result of her work in "The Corn Is Green," Bette Davis starring vehicle, Joan Loring has been given a long term contract by Warner's . . . Otto Kruger will have a featured role in "Out of the Fog" at Columbia . . . Mary Servoss has been signed by MGM for a part in "Her Highness and the Bellboy," which stars Hedy Lamarr and Robert Walker. Gregory Peck will be co-starred with Jennifer Jones in David O. Selznick's version of "Duel in the Sun" . . . Anita Louise will have one of the top feminine roles in "The Fighting Guardsman," romantic custome picture scheduled for early production at Columbia. Reginald Gardiner Gets "Dolly Sisters" Role Reginald Gardiner has been added to the cast of "The Dolly Sisters" at 20th CenturyFox . . . Tex Harding, long known as a Western star, has been given a featured role in Columbia's "Men of the Deep" . . . Yakima Canutt has been promoted to the post of director at Republic. His first assignment will be "Sheriff of Cimarron," starring Sunset Carson . . . 20th Century-Fox has lifted Roddy McDowall's option. Republic has increased its budget for musical films nearly 400 per cent in the past two and a half years and plans further expenditure for this type of product . . . Monogram has four stories ready for filming in its Western series starring Johnny Mack Brown . . . Douglas Morrow, recently put under long term contract by International Pictures, will make his first appearance in Gary Cooper's "Along Came Jones." Announces Formation of Coast Managers' Guild William Piehl, west coast regional director of the United Office and Professional Workers of America, Local 34, CIO, last week announced formation of the Motion Picture Theatre Managers Guild, comprising in its membership the managers and assistant managers emploj^ed by the Golden State Theatre and Realty Corporation and San Francisco Theatres, Inc., of San Francisco and the Bay area, inclusive of Oakland, Berkeley, Daly City, San Bruno, San Leandro, Hayward, South San Francisco and San Jose. Post-war security, salary increases and better working conditions are among the organization's objectives, Mr. Piehl said. Haslcin Joins Wallis Studio Byron Haskin, who recently resigned as head of Warner Bros., studio special effects department, has been signed by Hal Wallis as a director in an executive capacity. Mr. Haskin recently developed the new Warner Bros, color process. Mr. Wallis' Hollywood staff now includes Jack Saper, production and business manager, Martin Jurow, in charge of talent, John Mock, story editor, and Mr. Haskin. MOTION PICTURE HERALD. DECEMBER 2. 1944 33