Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1946)

THE HOLLYWOOD SCENE Six Pictures Started, Studios Hold Level; Begin "Blaze of Noon" Hollywood Bureau Production activity remained static last week, despite prospects of early settlement of Hollywood's current labor dispute. Six new films reached camera stages ; five went to the cutting rooms. Shooting on "Vendetta" was suspended, due to a disagreement between producer Preston Sturges and his associate, Howard Hughes. The total number of pictures in work at the end of the week was 40. Paramount launched its epic of the early days of commrcial aviation, "Blaze of Noon." Cast as brothers, all of them pilots, are William Holden, Sterling Hayden, Sonny Tufts and William Bendix, while Anne Baxter supplies the feminine touch. Howard da Silva is set for the top supporting role. Robert Fellows produces ; Leslie Fenton directs. Producer Robert Riskin began work on "Magic Town," which he is making for RKO Radio release. It's the story of a typical American town, used by pollsters to evaluate public opinion 'throughout the country. Heading the cast are James Stewart, Jane Wyman, Kent Smith and Donald Meek. William Wellman is the director. "Dick Tracy" Subject Is Started by RKO Radio Another RKO picture to get the starting signal was "Dick Tracy vs. The Claw," third in the studio's series of melodramas based on the popular comic strip. John Rawlins is directing, while Herman Schlom produces under the executive supervision of Sid Rogell. Ralph Byrd and Kay Christo: pher head the cast. At Warners, work began on "Dark Passage," which stars Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Clifton Webb. Jerry Wald produces ; Delmer Daves directs. Monogram's new venture is "The Devil's Deputy," starring Johnny Mack Brown with Raymond Hatton and Bonnie Jean Hartley. Barney Sarecky is in charge of production, with Lambert Hillyer directing and Charles Bigelow supervising. Another Western got under way at Columbia. Titled "Prairie Raiders," it features Charles Starrett, Smiley Burnette and Nancy Saunders. Colbert Clark is the producer ; Derwin Abrahams the director. Triangle Productions has been chosen as the name of the new producing company of which Mary Pickford is president, Buddy Rogers, vice-president, and Ralph Cohn, secretary-treasurer. The trio will make two high-budget features a year for United Artists release, the two to cost $2,500,000.' The first of these will be based on Mary Roberts Rinehart's famous mystery novel, "The Bat." ... As a result of his work on "The Locket," which stars Laraine Day, Brian Aherne, Robert Mitchum and Gene Raymond, John Brahm has been signed to a long term director contract at RKO Radio. Mervyn LeRoy's contract to direct David O. Selznick's production of "Little Women" has been cancelled by mutual consent, because of the former's inability to complete the picture in time to report for preparation of "The Robe," which he is committed to make for RKO Radio release. . . . James S. Burkett, Sam Decker and Herbert Yates, Jr., former treasurer of Republic, have formed a new company to be known as Hillcrest Productions. The firm will make six pictures this season for Screen Guild release, first "The Bells of San Fernando." Fanchon, one of the founders of the Fanchon and Marco stage troupes, has been signed to a long term contract as associate producer at Republic. Her initial assignment will be "Books Are Lighter than Rifles," based on a novel by Thomas St. George. . . . The first of four films to be made by Argosy Pictures for RKO Radio release will be a screen version of Grahame Greene's best-seller, "The Labyrinthine Ways." Argosy has named Cliff Lewis head of advertising and publicity. Disney To Use Famous Pacer in New Film W. R. Frank, who is preparing to produce "Dan Patch," the story of America's great harness racer, has agreed to allow Walt Disney to use the pacer as a central figure in the latter's forthcoming Technicolor feature, "How Dear to My Heart." . . . Seymour Nebenzal has purchased the screen rights to Puccini's opera, "Madame Butterfly," as well as a screenplay paralleling the opera by the Italian writer-director, Carmine Gallone. The Puccini music will be used as background for a present-day love story. . . . Anthony Quinn and his wife, Katherine DeMille, have been signed for co ] starring roles in "Black Gold," which re j sumes production shortly at Monogram. "Young Man with a Horn," novel by Dorothy Baker said to be based on the life of famed trumpeter, Bix Biederbecke, has j been assigned to Jerry Wald to produce for j Warners. Stephen Longstreet is currently j preparing the screenplay. . . . Enterprise j has obtained the services of Lenore Aubert 1 for a top role in "The Other Love." ... J Frank Faylen," remembered for his por | trayal of the male nurse in "The Lost Weekend," has had his Paramount contract extended. Price and Romero Are Cast In "Captain from Castile" Vincent Price and Cesar Romero have j been assigned important roles in "Captain | from Castile," soon to start at 20th CenturyFox. . . . Charles Coburn has been engaged j by producer Hunt Stromberg to co-star with George Sanders and Lucille Ball in "Personal Column," which is being directed by Douglas Sirk. . . . Howard J. Green's initial ■ assignment under the writer-producer contract he signed recently at Columbia will be a musical titled "When n Girl Is Beautiful." Hughes and Sturges Break California Partnership As a result of a disagreement over the production of "Vendetta," in which a re | ported $1,000,000 already has been invested, Howard Hughes and Preston Sturges have \ broken their partnership in California Pictures. Exercising his option, Mr. Hughes, who held 49 per cent of the company, has purchased two per cent of Mr. Sturges' 51 per cent of the company and thus has taken over control. Mr. Sturges had been president of the company and its principal stock i holder since the' company was formed in 1944. California has already produced "The j Sin of Harold Diddlebock," starring Harold Lloyd. Mr. Hughes has made no announcement about continuing production on "Vendetta," written and directed by Mr. Sturges, which is about 60 per cent completed. Roth, Los Angeles Jurist, Now Columbia Executive Lester William Roth, veteran Los Angeles jurist, will join Columbia January 1 as a vice-president, Harry Cohn, president, announced in Hollywood last week. Mr. | Roth, practicing law in California for the past 30 years, served two terms as Superior Court judge. The announcement followed i the disclosure previously that B. B. Kahane, vice-president, 10 years with the studio, will have supervision over all pictures not supervised directly by Mr. Cohn. It was indicated that Mr. Roth would take over a portion of Mr. Kahane's former duties. iiiiiiiiiiiii imniniiinumnmimnimmininnnnmninimiminmiimimiinnniiiniiin i iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin i i minimi m i ii n i mum mini i mi i i minim i minimum nmiiiuii m mimiiiimiiiii m mm in in w i 32 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 9, 1946