Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1944)

THE HOLLYWOOD SCENE ^COMPLETED jCOLUMBIA 'One Against Seven Alter Ego Valley of Decision ;20TH CENTURY-FOX : Molly, Bless Her UNIVERSAL [; ni TeU the World STARTED : COLUMBIA ' Fighting Guardsman MGM Her Highness and the Bellboy REPUBLIC Gangs of the Waterfront SHOOTING COLUMBIA Until Tomorrow Escape in the Fog (Formerly '"Out of the Fog") Rockin' in the Rockies Thousand and One Nights MGM Twice Blessed Hidden Eye Weekend at the Waldorf ' Without Love Our Vines Have Tender Grapes Hold High the Torch PARAMOUNT Hard to Handle (PineThomas) (formerly "Cheezit, the Corpse") Good Intentions Virginian Lost Weekend Love Letters Affairs of Susan DufTj^'s Tavern RKO RADIO Isle of the Dead Johnny Angel Follow Your Heart Spanish Main Invisible Army Along Came Tones (International) REPUBLIC Sheriff of Cimarron Tell It to a Star Tugboat Annie's Son (James S. Burkett) Utah 20TH CENTURY-FOX Colonel Effingham's Raid First, Last and Always Bullfighters Bell for Adano UNITED ARTISTS Walk in the Sun (Bronston) Blood on the Sun (Cag ney) Story of G. I. Joe (Cowan) Guest Wife (Skirball Manning) Bedside Manner (Stone) UNIVERSAL Easy to Look At Blonde Ransom WARNERS Mildred Pierce This Love of Ours Hotel Berlin Big Sleep San Antonio 46 Pictures Now Shooting As Only 3 Are Started Hollywood Bureau Production activity continued to lag last week as the holiday drew near. Only three nevv features were started; five others were completed. As of the weekend, there were 46 pictures in work. The most prentious of the trio of starters is MGM's "Her Highness and the Bellboy," with Hedy Lamarr, Robert Walker, June AUyson, Rags Ragland, Audrey Totter, Ludwig Stossel, Tom Trout and Mary Servoss. It's about a bellboy in a New York hotel who falls in love with a refugee princess. Joseph Pasternak is the producer, Richard Thorpe the director. Columbia launched "The Fighting Guardsman," with Michel Kraike producing and Henry Levin directing. The setting is France just prior to the Revolution, and the chief character is a continental Robin Hood who robs the rich to give to the poor. The cast includes Willard Parker, John Loder, Anita Louise. Leslie Brooks, Edgar Buchanan, Ted Donaldson, George Macready Elisabeth Risdon, Victor Kilian, Lloyd Corrigan and Ross Hunter. Columbia's second new venture is "(jangs of the Waterfront," a melodrama presenting Robert Armstrong, Stephanie Bachelor, Martin Kosleck and Marion Martin. George Blair is associate producer and director. Personnel Intelligence About Hollywood Geraldine Fitzgerald, Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre will portray the title roles in "Three Strangers," soon to get under way on the Warner lot. It's a psychological mysterydrama, and Wolfgang Reinhardt's first production assignment for the studio. Jean Negulesco will direct. . . . Jack H. Skirball and Bruce Manning have acquired "French Town," by Oscar Hammerstein II and Sigmund Romberg. The musical will be filmed in Technicolor, and Romberg will superintend his own musical score. Hammerstein will collaborate with Manning on the screenplav, which deals with New Orleans in the '90s. Louis Berkoff, California theatre owner, will enter the production field and has completed a releasing agreement with Monogram. . . . Frank Sinatra's next starring picture will be "Bar of Music," based on a magazine story by Eric Hatch. . . . Dancer Johnny Coy has been borrowed from Paramount for a featured role in Universal's "That's the Spirit," which stars Peggy Ryan and Jack Oakie. . . . Sidney Buchman will enter the independent production field upon termination of his present contract with Columbia. . . .Joseph Schildkraut will have the title role in Republic's "The Amazing Mr. Forrest." Ann Sheridan, Dennis Morgan and S. Z. Sakall will head the cast of "When Old NewYork Was Young," which Raoul Walsh will direct and Jerry Wald produce for Warners. . . . Harry James and his band have been signed to an exclusive long term deal by 20th CenturyFox. . . . Nancy Gates, Barbara Hale and Robert Clarke have had their options lifted by RKO Radio. . . . Kaye Doud, a newcomer to films, will have the leading feminine role in Republic's "New Faces of 1945." Columbia Names Miss Van Upp As Executive Producer Virginia Van Upp, who produced "Together Again" for Columbia, has been elevated to executive producer. She will have charge of all top-bracket pictures, replacing Sidney Buchman. . . . Kurt Neumann has been signed to a producer-director contract by Sol Lesser, and will make the next "Tarzan" picture. . . . Monogram has signed Lambert Hillyer to direct "Strangers from Santa Fe," Johnny Mack Brown's next W'estern. George Rigaud, South American actor, has been signed by Paramount to a term contract, and been assigned one of the leads in "Masquerade in Mexico." . . . Lee Bowman's next starring vehicle at Columbia will be "Dear Mr. Private." Charles Vidor will direct. . . . Frank Craven will have a featured role in "Colonel Effingham's Raid," currently in work at 20th Century-Fox. Menzies Signed by RKO As Producer-Director W^illiam Cameron Menzies has been signed by RKO Radio to a one-year producer-director deal. . . . Sheridan Gibney has been signed by Universal to write an original screenplay for Deanna Durbin. . . . AVarners has purchased Graham Greene's mystery novel, "Confidential Agent." Humphrey Bogart will be starred in the film version. . . . -Manny Wolfe has been signed to a term contract as head of the story and waiting department at RKO Radio. . . . John Fante, well kno^\"n author, has been signed by Paramount to write the screenplay for a musical which Louis Harris will produce. A new production setup has been devised by Columbia for the pictures heretofore under the supervision of Irving Briskin. Three separate units, headed by John Stone, Leonard Picker and INIichel Kraike, will function under Briskin, who will also take on additional duties as executive assistant to B. B. Kahane. Rudy Flothow and Ted Richmond will work with Picker, Wallace MacDonald and Alexis ThurnTaxis with Stone. MGM Will Produce Sequel to "Hargrove" MGM will make a sequel to "See Here, Private Hargrove," titled "What Next, Corporal Hargrove ?" Robert W'alker again will be starred in the title role, and George Haight, who produced "Hargrove," also will produce the sequel. . . . Linda Darnell w^ll play opposite John Payne in "Two Arabian Knights," which George Jessel will produce for 20th CenturyFox. . . . The cast of "That's the Spirit," which Michael Fessier and Ernest . Pagano are to make for Universal, has been completed with the addition of June Vincent, Gene Lockhart, Edith Barrett and Andy Devine. "The Inside Story," a psychological mystery which appeared in Liberty Magazine, has been purchased by Columbia and assigned to Ted Richmond for production. . . . William Steele, Western star of the silent days, has been signed for a role in "San Antonio." now in work on the Warner lot. . . . Jeri Jordan has been signed for a singing role in the new 20th Century-Fox version of "State Fair." Organist to Have Role in "George White's Scandals" Ethel Smith, who brought the electric organ into new popularity through her distinctive style of playing, has been signed by RKO Radio to appear in "George White's Scandals of 1945." . . . Comedian IMantan Moreland has been signed to a new two-year contract by Monogram. . . . Vera Hruba Ralston, star of Republic's musical, "Lake Placid Serenade," will be crowned queen of the ice carnival to be held at Lake Placid New Y'ear's Day. . . . Bruce Kellogg, who had the romantic lead in MGM's "Barbary Coast Gent," has been assigned a dramatic action role in "Hold High the Torch." . . . Ary Barrosa, Brazilian song-writer, has arrived in Holl^-^vood to confer with William LeBaron on songs for the 20th Century-Fox production of "Three Little Girls in Blue," which will star Carmen ^liranda. MOTION PICTURE HERALD. DECEMBER 23, 1944 27