Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1945)

THE HOLLYWOOD SCENE COMPLETED MONOGRAM County Fair Flaming Frontier REPUBLIC Santa Fe Saddlemates Bells of Rosarita 20TH CENTURYFOX Caribbean Mystery STARTED COLUMBIA Blonde from Brooklyn Surprise in the Night MONOGRAM Come Out Fighting RKO RADIO Mamma Loves Papa REPUBLIC Scotland Yard Investigator Girls of the Big House 20TH CENTURYFOX Dragonwyck UNITED ARTISTS Young Widow (Hunt Stromberg) UNIVERSAL Men in Her Diary WARNERS Stolen Life SHOOTING COLUMBIA Over 21 Kiss and Tell (Sol Siegel)^ MGM Early to Wed Yolanda and the Thief Harvey Girls Her Highness and the Bellboy > Weekend at the Waldorf PARAMOUNT Follow? That Woman ( Pine-Thomas ) Well Groomed Bride You Came Along (Hal Wallis) Masquerade in Mexico Cross My Heart RKO RADIO First Man Into Tokyo Most Dangerous Game George White's Scandals of 1945 Man Alive Those Endearing Young Charms Spanish Main Invisible Army REPUBLIC Amazing Mr. M 20TH CENTURYFOX Junior Miss Two-Faced Quilligan Dolly Sisters State Fair Captain Eddie Ten Little Indians (Popular Pictures, Inc.) UNITED ARTISTS Paris — Underground (Bennett) Captain Kidd (Bogeaus) UNIVERSAL Strange Confession Naughty Nineties , Lady on a Train Night in Paradise WARNERS Shadow of a Woman Too Young to Know This Love of Ours Mildred Pierce Three Strangers Production Actiyity Cains As 10 Films Are Started Hollywood Bureau Production activity continued to climb last week, as 10 new pictures went into work. Five others were completed, and the shooting index stood at 47 as of the weekend, compared to 42 the previous week. At 20th Century-Fox, cameras were trained on "Dragonwyck," a lavish period piece which Joseph Mankiewicz is directing for Producer Ernst Lubitsch. A large cast headed by Gene Tierney, Vincent Price, Anne Revere and Walter Huston is involved in the story of a New York State landowner of the 19th Century who runs his estate along feudal lines. Hunt Stromberg put "Young Widow" into work, although so far no cast has been announced, with the exception of Ida Lupino, who is set for the title role. William Dieterle is directing. "Stolen Life," which stars Bette Davis, with Glenn Ford, Walter Brennan and Charles Ruggles in support, got under way at the Warner studio. It's a romantic drama, and Curtis Bernhardt is directing. "Men in Her Diary" Is Started at Universal Universal launched "Men in Her Diary," presenting Jon Hall, Louise Allbritton, Peggy Ryan, Virginia Grey,' William Terry, Vivian Austin, Lorin Raker, Eve Amber and Lorraine Miller. Charles Barton is the associate producer and director. RKO Radio's entry for the week is a comedy called "Mama Loves Papa," with Leon Errol, Elisabeth Risdon, Paul Harvey, Edwin Maxwell, Emory Parnell, Charlotte Wynters and Ruth Lee. Frank Strayer is directing for Producer Benjamin Stoloff. Columbia trained cameras on two, "Blonde from Brooklyn" and "Surprise in the Night." The first is a comedy with Bob Haymes, Lynn Merrick, Mary Treen and Thurston Hall, with Ted Richmond producing and Del Lord directing. The second is another in the "Boston Blackie" series, with Chester Morris, Nina Foch and Steve Cochran. Alexis Thurn-Taxis produces; Arthur Dreifuss directs. Republic also started two, "Scotland Yard Investigator" and "Girls of the Big House." The former is a melodrama which presents Sir Aubrey Smith, Erich von Stroheim, Stephanie Bachelor and Richard Eraser, with (jeorge Blair as associate producer and director. The latter is a story of women in prison, and its cast includes Lynne Roberts, Adele Mara, Virginia Christine, Beverly Lloyd, Marie Newton and Geraldine Wall. Rudy Abel is the associate producer; George Archainbaud directs. Monogram launched another in its "East Side Kids" series of comedies, this one titled "Come Out Fighting." Huntz Hall, Leo Gorcy, Billy Benedict and George Meeker are in the cast. Sam Katzman and Jack Dietz are the producers; William Beaudine is directing. Recent Story Purchases Of Studios Listed Paramount has closed a deal for rights to Norman Krasna's play, "Dear Ruth." Either Paulette Goddard or Joan Caulfield will play the older sister, with Diana Lynn or Mona Freeman the younger. Sonny Tufts has been cast for the male star role. MGM has acquired the rights to "Young Bess," by Margaret Irwin, which is to be the Literary Guild selection for April. It's the story of Queen Elizabeth as a young girl, and Sidney Franklin will produce. Jan Lustig and Katherine Ann Porter are preparing the script. "Mexican Merry-Go-Round," an original by Vicki Baum, has been purchased by RKO Radio and assigned to Robert Fellows for production. . . . Paramount has purchased "A Tale of Two Cafes," short story by Anthony Gibbs. Personnel Intelligence About Hollywood Ben Schwalb, general manager and executive assistant to Leon Fromkess, president of PRC, has been elevated to the post of executive producer. He will act in that capacity on the product of five units, including Roth-GreeneRouse, Jack Schwarz, Alexander-Stern, Harry Gourfain, and Sam Sax, who recently concluded an arrangement to produce for the studio a musical titled "Why Girls Leave Home." William Berke will direct the feature, which is to star Lola Lane and Richard Cromwell. Frank Butler is leaving his new post of production associate to Henry Ginsberg at Paramount to take an extended leave of absence, as recommended by his physician. Upon his return to the studio Butler will resume his work as a Paramount contract writer. George Sanders, Geraldine Fitzgerald and Ella Raines will head the cast of "Uncle Harry," psychological murder mystery which Joan Harrison is to produce for Universal. Robert Siodmak will be the director. . . . Frederick Hazlett Brennan, well known short story writer, has been signed by MGM to a long term contract. . . . Director Walter Lang has been given a three-year contract by 20th Century-Fox. Alan Ladd, William Bendix and Howard Da Silva will have three of the top roles in "Calcutta," an original by Seton I. Miller dealing with the adventures of the flyers who pioneered the air route over the Hump separating India and China. . . . Joseph Gotten will have a co-starring role in David O. Selznick's production of "Duel in the Sun." At the request of the War Shipping Administration, producer Leslie Fenton will lengthen the opening sequence of his forthcoming comedy, "Pardon My Past," in which Fred' MacMuray appears as a returning merchant seaman. . . . Andrew L. Stone has completed the reorganization of his producing company with the signing of C. Simpson to a year's contract as comptroller. Eddie Foy, Jr., Signed for Columbia Comedies Eddie Foy, Jr. has signed a contract with Columbia which calls for his appearance as star in a series of comedy shorts. . . . John Wayne has been given a five-year contract by Republic. . . . S. Sylvan Simon has been named to direct "Abbott and Costello in Holl3rwood" for MGM. . . . Gregory Ratoff will direct "Kitten on the Keys" for 20th Century-Fox. Alfred Santell has signed a term deal with Republic as producer-director and will take over "Mexicana," originally on Albert J. Cohen's slate, as his first assignment. . . . Val Lewton will produce "Power of Darkness," from Marion Parsonnet's original story, for RKO Radio. . . . Jack Fier has been signed to a new contract by Columbia. He will continue as production manager on all pictures and as supervisor of the eight Westerns and four Western musicals produced annually by Colbert Clark. Ralph Dietrich, former 20th Century-Fox producer, has joined RKO Radio and will take over the "Falcon" series from Maurice G^raghty, who is resigning his post. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, FEBRUARY 24. 1945 47