Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1946)

388 FILMS TO BE OFFERED EXHIBITORS THIS SEASON 303 Released to June 22; Good Flow of Product Expected for Summer The product trend for the current season, as it has been in past years, is toward fewer pictures than the pre-season commitments indicated. This is considered due to the continuing emphasis on bigger and better pictures with longer running times and more elaborate costumes, settings and production budgets. According to the announcements last summer from the 11 major companies, the 194546" season was to see a minimum of 429 feature pictures. To June 22 some 303 of these have been delivered, and according to the home offices, there will be a maximum of 388 for the season. This compares with the 370 released during the 1944-45 season, when from 462 to 477 were announced. Numerous Elaborate Films Scheduled Indicative of the trend toward bigger pictures, the current product year has seen (or will see shortly) such lavish productions as Columbia's "Gilda," starring Rita Hayworth ; MGM's "Weekend at the Waldorf," with an all-star cast, and "The Green Years"; Monogram's topical "Allotment Wives" and "Black Market Babies"; Paramount's Academy Award winner, "The Lost Weekend" and the Hope-Crosby vehicle, "Road to Utopia." The remaining nine weeks of the current season, however, will see from 72 to 79 pictures being released by the companies, guaranteeing a steady flow of product to exhibitors during the summer months. A study of the forthcoming schedules, company by company, follows : COLUMBIA With 42 pictures already released during the current season Columbia has scheduled eight more for the remaining summer months, including : "Return of Rusty," June 27 ; "So Dark the Night," July 4, and "Cowboy Blues," "Desert Horseman," "Heading West," "Personality Kid," "Sing While You Dance" and "The Unknown." MGM MGM has scheduled four pictures for release in the coming weeks, which will make a total of 29 pictures delivered for the season. The pictures are: "Two Sisters from Boston," set for September release but already showing in advance releases in some key cities ; "Boys Ranch," "Courage of Lassie" and "Faithful in My Fashion," all set for release in August. MONOGRAM By September 1, Monogram will have delivered a total of 39 pictures or five less than announced for the season. To mid-June, 25 Planned and Delivered Total Planned Delivered to To Be Delivered Total to Company 1945-46 June 22 Before Sept. I Sept. 1 44-47 42 8 50 MGM 36 25 4 29 44 25 14 39 27-30 20 4 24 50 25 7 32 RKO Radio 37 36 5 41 64 36 19-20 55-56 Twenfieffi Century-Fox 28 26 5 31 United Arthis 25 73 4-5 77 J8 55 40 7-8 47-48 19-25 15 5 20 Toto/ 429 -44 J 303 72-75 385 388 have been released. The 14 pictures to come during the remaining weeks include "In Fast Company," June 22; "Strange Voyage," June 22; "Trail to Mexico," June 29; "Shadows of the Range," "Shadows Over Chinatown," "High School Hero," "Below the Deadline," "Bowery Bombshell," "Decoy," "The Ghost Busters" and "The Missing Lady." PARAMOUNT Paramount has delivered 20 pictures so far, and another four are set for summer release to bring their total deliveries to 24. The features still to come are "Hot Cargo," June 28; "To Each His Own," July 5 ; "O.S.S.," July 26, and "The Searching Wind," August 9. PRC PICTURES Of the SO pictures promised to June 22, PRC has delivered 25, with seven still to come. Scheduled for summer release are: "Colorado Serenade," June 30; "Larceny in Her Heart," July 10; "Dangerous Man," July 17; "Queen of Burlesque," July 24; "Secrets of a Sorority Girl," August 1 ; "Down Missouri Way," August 15, and "Blonde for a Day," August 22. RKO RADIO Promising 37 pictures for the current season, to date RKO has delivered that number, which includes six "Specials" and a reissue of "Pinocchio." Still to come this summer are : "Lady Luck," "Sister Kenny," "Step by Step," "Sunset Pass" and "Great Day," to bring the season's total to 42. REPUBLIC Republic will deliver 19 or 20 pictures in the coming weeks which, added to the 36 already delivered this season, will bring its final total to 55 or 56 pictures. As yet it has not been decided whether "G.I. War Brides" will be made available this summer. Others still to come are : "Conquest of Cheyenne," "Earl Carroll Sketchbook," "The Inner Circle," "Invisible Informer," "The Last Crooked Mile," "Affairs of Geraldine" (formerly "'The Lonely Hearts Club"), "My Pal Trigger," "Mysterious Mr. Valentine," "Night Train to Memphis," "Out California Way," "The Plainsman and the Lady," "Under Nevada Skies," "Man from Rainbow Valley," "One Exciting Week," "Rendezvous with Annie," "Rio Grande Raiders," "Sante Fe Uprising," "Specter of the Rose" and "Traffic in Crime." TWENTIETH CENTURY-FOX To June 22 Twentieth Century-Fox has delivered the number of pictures originally announced for the season — 28 in all. However, five additional fetaures are scheduled for release this summer. They are : "Smoky," in July, and "It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog," the same month. In August, "Centennial Summer," "Anna and the King of Siam" and "Deadline for Murder" will be released. UNITED ARTISTS Four or five pictures are scheduled for release during the summer months to bring the season's total for the company to 18 or 19 pictures. Pictures still to come under the current product schedule include : "Angel on My Shoulder," "The Devil's Playground," "Henry V," "Little Iodine" and possibly "Sin of Harold Diddlebock." UNIVERSAL To June 22 Universal has delivered a total of 40 features and for the remainder of the season has four definitely slated for release through July, with three or four more, as yet unannounced, for possible release in August. This will bring the total to 47 or 48 for the 1945-46 season. The five pictures scheduled for summer release are : "Lover Come Back," June 21 : "Inside Job," June 28; "Her Adventurous Night," July 5 ; "Danger Woman," July 12, and "Canyon Passage," July 26. WARNERS Warners will meet the commitments made at the beginning of the season when they announced they would release from 19 to 25 pictures. To June 22 a total of 20 have been delivered, and four are scheduled for summer release. They include: "A Stolen Life," July 6; "Of Human Bondage," July 20; "Night and Day," August 3 1 and "Two Guys from Milwaukee," August 17. Early in the season Warners' also distributed "Appointment in Tokyo" for the War Activities Committee. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JUNE 29, 1946 41