Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

THE HOLLYWOOD SCENE COMPLETED COLUMBIA Blonde from Brooklyn Surprise in the Night PARAMOUNT Follow That Woman (Pine-Thomas) Cross My Heart RKO RADIO Mama Loves Papa Spanish Main REPUBLIC Marshal of Laredo Scotland Yard Investigator 20TH CENTURYFOX Don Juan Quilligan WARNERS This Love of Ours Three Strangers STARTED COLUMBIA Rhythm Roundup MGM They Were Expendable RKO Bells of St. Mary's (Rainbow) REPUBLIC Trail of Kit Carson SELZNICK Duel in the Sun UNIVERSAL Pillow of Death SHOOTING COLUMBIA Over 21 Kiss and Tell Siegel) (Sol MGM Dangerous Partners Early to Wed Yolanda and the Thief Harvey Girls MONOGRAM Divorce PARAMOUNT Weil-Groomed Bride Masquerade in Mexico You Came Along (Hal Wallis) PRC Highway to Hell Why Girls Leave Home (Sam Sax) RKO RADIO Falcon, in San Francisco First Man Into Tokyo Most Dangerous Game George White's Scandals of 1945 Man Alive Invisible Army REPUBLIC Girls of the Big House Amazing Mr. M. 20TH CENTURY. FOX Within These Walls Dragonwyck Junior Miss Dolly Sisters State Fair Captain Eddie Ten Little Indians (Popular Pictures, Inc.) UNITED ARTISTS Paris — Underground (Bennett) Captain Kidd (Bogeaus) Young Widow (Stromberg) UNIVERSAL Men in Her Diary Naughty Nineties Lady on a Train Night in Paradise WARNERS Stolen Life Shadow of a Woma Too Young to Know Mildred Pierce 'They Were Expendable Begins Rolling at MGM Hollywood Bureau Six new films were started during the week, and 11 others went to the cutting rooms. At the weekend, there were 44 pictures in work, a decline from last week's total of 49. Producer-director Leo McCarey started his first Rainbow Production, which is to be released through RKO Radio. Titled "The Bells of St. Mary's," the feature co-stars Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman, with Ruth Donnelly in a featured supporting role. Producer David O. Selznick started work on "Duel in the Sun," a Technicolor Western based on Niven Busch's novel. King Vidor is directing and the cast includes Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, Gregory Peck, Lionel Barrymore and Lillian Gish. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer launched "They Were Expendable," based on the best seller by William Lindsay White. The feature is to be filmed in .part at the studio and in part on location in Florida. Cliff Reid is producing, John Ford directing, and the large all-male cast includes Robert Montgomery, John Wayne, Ward Bond, Jack Holt, Leon Ames, Bruce Kellogg, Jeff York, Tim Murdock and Cameron Mitchell. "Pillow of Death" Put Into Work at Universal Universal put "Pillow of Death" before the cameras. It's a melodrama with Lon Chaney, Brenda Joyce, Rosalind Ivan, Wilton Graff, J. Edward Bromberg, George Cleveland and Clara Blandick. Wallace Fox is directing. Columbia began work on a musical titled "Rhythm Roundup," with Ken Curtis, Cheryl Walker, the Hoosier Hot Shots, the Pied Pipers, Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys, Guinn Williams and Raymond Hatton. Republic started "Trail of Kit Carson," a Western, the cast of which includes Alan Lane, Helen Talbot, "Twinkle" Watts, Tom London, Kenny Duncan and Roy Barcroft. Stephen Auer is the associate producer; Lesley Selander, the director. V Seymour Nebenzal's next independent production for United Artists release will be "Whistle Stop," based on the novel by Maritta Wolf, which won the Avery Hopwood award in 1940. Philip Yordan will write the screenplay and co-produce with Mr. Nebenzal. The picture will be made under the banner of the recently incorporated Nero Productions. Lewis Milestone, in a new association with David Hersh and John T. Fisher have formed Superior Pictures Corporation, which will take over ownership of "A Walk in the Sun," which Milestone recently produced and directed for Samnuel Bronston's Comstock Productions. It is expected the new corporation will release the feature through a major distributing company. . . . Philip N. Krasne has terminated his association with Monogram and the studio will take over the "Jimmy Wakely" series, which he has been producing, as well as Duncan Renaldo's contract. Story Buys of the Week Include Several Originals "The Web," an original by Philip Yordan, has been purchased by Walter Colmes, who will produce. . . . Columbia has purchased "Powder River," a story by Barry Shipman, and will use it as the basis for a Western starring Charles Starrett and Smiley Burnette. The same studio also acquired "The Woman in Red," a murder mystery by Anthony Gilbert, and assigned it to Wallace MacDonald for production. "This Is My Home," an original by Eunice Calhoun, has been purchased by Victor Saville, who plans to produce it independently. . . . James B. Cassidy has acquired film rights to "See What I Mean," novel by Lewis Browne. . . . "So Dark the Night," an original by Aubrey Wisberg, has been purchased by Columbia to form the basis of the fifth film in the "Whistler" series which stars Richard Dix. Incidental News of Pictures-to-Come Andrew Stone's next will be "Petticoat Lane," a story laid in London in 1890, and based on a two-reel film, "The Elegy," which the producer made in 1926. Malcolm Stuart Boylan is preparing the screenplay for "Petticoat Lane," which will be released through United Artists. . . . "Perilous Holiday," by Major Robert Carson, now running serially in Collier's, will form the basis for the first p: ture to be made by Phil Ryan's newly-form company. The film will go into production the spring and will be made, in part, in Mexi City. A major company, not yet determint is expected to release the attraction. Columbia has decided to embark on a seri of detective films using the main characters the radio show, "I Love a Mystery." The ne in the series will be produced by Wallace Ma Donald, and the two chief characters will aga be portrayed by Jim Bannon and Barton Ya borough. Alex Gottlieb has been assigned to produ "Dancing with Tears," a Warner musical fe turing hit tunes of the 1920's. . . . Howard I Silva has returned from New York to sta work in "The Blue Dahlia," original whi Raymond Chandler wrote, and which will st Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake and William Be dix for Paramount. . . . Leslie Fenton will r turn to the screen in his own production, "Pa don My Past." Director Robert Webb has signed a m contract with Twentieth Century-Fox. H next will be "The Black Mart." . . . Republ has signed Howard Estabrook to write t! screenplay for "Dakota." . . . Columbia has a ranged a borrow Marjorie Reynolds fro Paramount to star in "Song of Broadway She will play the role originally announc for Marguerite Chapman. . . . Robert Siodma who will direct Universal's film version of tl play, "Uncle Harry," has had his contra renewed. Sparks Will Coordinate All Universal Writing Activity Robert S. Sparks has joined Universal in new executive post coordinating all writing a tivities. . . . Republic has exercised its opti< on the services of Directors Frank MacDo aid and Lesley Selander. . . . Ruth Donnel has been selected for a key role in "Bells St. Mary's," first of the Rainbow Productio which are to be released through RKO Rad . . . Lee Bowman has been chosen by Colui bia to play the male lead opposite Rosali: Russell in "Some Call It Love." Barry Fitzgerald has had his Paramou contract renewed. . . . Louis King will dir "Command to Embezzle" for Twentieth Ce tury-Fox. . . . Monogram has exercised its o tion on Peter Cookson. . . . David O. Selzni has selected Scott McKay for an importa role in "Duel in the Sun." . . . Leon Errol ai Edgar Kennedy have been signed to new co tracts by RKO Radio. Each will star in s comedy short subjects during the coming ye; 38 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, MARCH 10, 19