Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

THE HOLLYWOOD SCENE COMPLETED "MONOGRAM Hain Street Girl ARAMOUNT 'eople Are Funny I (Pine-Thomas) longo Pongo Dangerous Intruder .EPUBLIC Bandits of the Badlands STARTED COLUMBIA Gay Senorita MONOGRAM Cowboy Serenade PARAMOUNT Stork Club PRC Arson Squad REPUBLIC California Gold Rush 20TH CENTURY-FOX Kitten on the Keys UNIVERSAL Uncle Harry SHOOTING COLUMBIA Rusty Outlaws of the Rockies Bandit of Sherwood Forest MGM Abbott and Costello in Hollywood They Were Expendable For Better, for Worse Early to Wed Yolanda and the Thief Harvey Girls PARAMOUNT Blue Dahlia Our Hearts Were Growing Up REPUBLIC The Web RKO RADIO Radio Stars on Parade Tomorrow Is Forever (International) Bells of St. Mary's (Rainbow Productions) 20TH CENTURY-FOX Dragon wyck Dolly Sisters UNITED ARTISTS Young Widow (Stromberg) Duel in the Sun (Vanguard) UNIVERSAL Hear That Trumpet Talk Lady on a Train WARNERS Danger Signal Janie Gets Married Time, the Place and the Girl Stolen Life Start Three Musical Films; 32 Features in Work Hollywood Bureau For the first time since the strike started, )roduction activity showed an increase last veek. Five features were completed, and seven were started, bringing the shooting index ip to 32, as compared with 30 the preceding veek. Musicals predominated among the films started. Twentieth Century-Fox launched "Kitten m the Keys," in Technicolor, with a cast in:luding Maureen O'Hara, Dick Haymes, Harry fames and his Music Makers, Reginald Gardiler, Stanley Prager and B. S. Pully. Gregory Ratoff is the director ; George Jessel the proiucer. At Paramount, producer B. G. De Sylva )rought "The Stork Club" before the cameras. \roel Madison is directing the feature, whose :ast is headed by Betty Hutton, Barry Fitzgerdd, Andy Russell and Robert Benchley. 'Gay Senorita" Columbia's Entry on Musical List The third musical on the week's list is Coumbia's "The Gay Senorita." Los Angeles' amed Olvera Street is the background of the )icture. Jay Gorney produces ; Arthur Dreiuss directs. The cast includes Jinx Falken>urg, Jim Bannon and Steve Cochran. Melodrama is represented by "Uncle Harry," foan Harrison production for Universal. Rob:rt Siodmak directs a cast headed by George zanders, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Ella Raines, ^loyna McGill and Sarah Allgood in the film rersion of the stage play. Two westerns went before the cameras : 'Cowboy Serenade" at Monogram, and "Caliornia Gold Rush" at Republic. The first feaures Jimmy Wakely, with John James, Lee 'Lasses" White and Nancy Brinckman. Oliver Drake will be associate producer and director, ["he other is one of Republic's "Red Ryder" eries, with Wild Bill Elliott, Alice Fleming md Bobby Blake. R. G. Springsteen is the diector ; Sidney Picker associate producer. PRC started on "Arson Squad," starring ?rank Albertson and Robert Armstrong, with jrace Gillern in the feminine lead. It's an Mexander-Stern production, which Lew Lanlers is directing. V MGM has acquired the screen rights to I. V. Morris' novel, "Liberty Street," and Pandro German has been assigned to produce it. . . . rred MacMurray has been selected for the title role in "American Guerrilla in the Philippines," now in preparation at Twentieth Century-Fox. . . . Martha Sleeper, absent from the screen for nearly nine years, will return in a featured role in "The Bells of St. Mary's," initial Rainbow Production, which RKO Radio will release. Garnett To Direct Film From Cain's Novel Tay Garnett has been assigned to direct "The Postman Always Rings Twice," MGM's screen version of the James Cain novel. . . . Warners has purchased "Cry Wolf," a psychological mystery by Marjorie Carleton. Barbara Stanwyck will be starred in the film. . . . Lucien Hubbard has signed a pact with Universal, under the terms of which he will write and produce two pictures yearly for that studio. Akim Tamiroff has been selected for a featured role, that of a gangster who collects first editions, in Leslie Fenton's production, "Pardon My Past," which Columbia will release. . . . Virginia Welles, who will make her screen debut in Sol Siegel's production, "Kiss and Tell," has been cast for an important part in "To Each His Own," which Charles Brackett is scheduled to produce for Paramount. . . . Robert Paige, actor, and producer-director Roy William Neill have had their Universal contracts extended. James Warren, who scored in "A Guy Named Joe," has been signed to a long term contract by RKO and assigned a top role in "Ding Dong Williams," in which Anne Jeffreys has a featured role. . . . Joan Lorring has had her Warner contract extended. . . . Samuel Goldwyn has engaged Herman McLeod to direct and Eve Arden as the feminine lead for "The Kid from Brooklyn," next starring vehicle for Danny Kaye. . . . Jose Polido, Mexican singing star, has been signed to a long term contract by Republic. Zinn General Manager Of Nero Productions Seymour Nebenzal has signed John Zinn as general manager of Nero Productions. . . . Thomas Lowdin and Lane Chandler have been added to the cast of the International picture, "Tomorrow Is Forever," which Irving Pichel is directing. . . . Ludwig Donath has been signed to a long term contract by Columbia. Alex Gottlieb has been assigned to produce Warners' version of the Broadway play, "The Wallflower." . . . Rags Ragland will have a featured role in "Abbott and Costello in Hollywood," now before cameras at MGM. , , , Columbia has acquired the screen rights to "Millie's Daughter," a novel by Donald Henderson Clark. Jack Grant will be associate producer on "End of Night," mystery melodrama soon to go into production at PRC. . . . Jane Russell will be starred in Hunt Stromberg's "Young Widow," replacing Ida Lupino, previously announced for the role. "Stallion Road," Stephen Longstreet's novel with a Montana background, has been purchased by Warner Brothers and assigned to Alex Gottlieb for filming. . . . Yvonne DeCarlo will be co-starred with Rod Cameron in "Frontier Gal," which Michael Fessier and Ernest Pagano are preparing for Universal.-. . . David Loew and Albert Lewin have signed Gordon Wiles as associate producer on "Bel Ami,"' which they will make from the Guy de Maupassant novel. Adele Mara has had her Republic contract renewed. She will be starred in that studio's forthcoming picture, "Canteen Hostess." . . . 10-year-old Casey Johnson, who scored in "One Foot in Heaven" some years ago, will return to the screen in the Pine-Thomas comedy, "People Are Funny," which Paramount will release. . . . Robert Paige will co-star with Susanna Foster and Charles Coburn in Universale "Shady Lady." Next "Boston Blackie" Film Scheduled at Columbia The next in Columbia's "Boston Blackie" series will be "The Stroke of Twelve," now being prepared by Martin Field. . . . James Millican and Albert Ruiz have been added to the cast of "The Blue Dahlia," currently in work at Paramount. Columbia has exercised its option on the services of Anita Louise. . . . Johnny Johnston, singer, has been signed to a term contract by MGM, and assigned one of the leading roles in "You Are Beautiful," forthcoming musical which Joseph Pasternak will produce. . . . Cal Shrum has been signed by Republic for a featured role in "Dakota," which will star John Wayne. Maureen O'Hara will be starred in RKO's film version of the Kaufman and Hart play, "The Fabulous Invalid." . . . Jean Negulesco has been assigned to direct "Humoresque," which the Warner studio will make from Fannie Hurst's novel. Jerry Wald is scheduled to produce. . . . Harold Kress will direct "Purity Squad," next in MGM's "Crime Does Not Pay" series of short subjects. Goetz Heads Welfare Fund William Goetz, president of International Pictures, has been appointed chairman of the motion picture division of the 'Year of Liberation" campaign of the United Jewish Welfare Fund, in Hollywood, MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 28, 1945 43