Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1946)

THE HOLLYWOOD SCENE Production Continues To Gain, 46 in Work; 20th-Fox Starts 3 Hollywood Bureau Production continued to increase last week as seven films reached camera stages, and four went to the cutting rooms. At the weekend, the shooting index Stood at 46, compared with the previous week's level of 43. Most active among the studios was 20th Century-Fox, which launched three new films. The Tyrone Power starring vehicle, "Captain from Castile," went before cameras on location at Morelia, Mexico, with Henry King directing the Technicolor picturization of Samuel Shellabarger's novel. Lamar Trotti is producing, and the supporting cast includes Cesar Romero, John Sutton, Jean Peters, Lee J. Cobb and Alan Mowbray. "Moss Rose," based on the novel by Joseph Shearing, co-stars Peggy Cummins, Victor Mature and Ethel Barrymore, with Vincent Price, Patricia Medina, Carol Savage and Felippa Rock. Gene Markey is the producer; Gregory Ratoff the director. Perlberg Is Producing "The Big Heart' William Perlberg is producing "The Big Heart," and George Seaton is directing. The cast includes John Payne, Maureen O'Hara and Edmund Gwenn. Paramount's new enterprise is "Saigon," an adventure romance laid in the Far East, with Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake and Douglas Dick in top roles. P. J. Wolfson produces ; Leslie Fenton directs. Benedict Bogeaus began work on his latest production for United Artists release, "Christmas Eve." George Raft, George Brent and Randolph Scott have the leading male roles, while Joan Blondell and Virginia Field fill top feminine spots. Edwin L. Marin is directing. "The Unfaithful," a story of a post-war marital adjustment starring Ann Sheridan, Zachary Scott and Lew Ayres, went before cameras at Warners, with Vincent Sherman directing and Jerry Wald producing. Cavalier Productions, new firm headed by Robert Young, launched its initial film for Columbia release on location near Tucson, Arizona. Young is starred, with Marguerite Chapman in the leading feminine role opposite him, and Willard Parker in a top featured spot. Eugene Rodney is the producer ; George Sherman the director. On David O. Selznick's production program for 1947 will be "Sarah Bernhardt," a film biography of the late great actress; "Tess of the d'Urbervilles," Thomas Hardy classic, which will be filmed in Technicolor; "Little Women" and "Joan of Arc." . . . Joan Harrison, one of the industry's new feminine producers, has been signed to a long term contract by Universal-International. . . . Martin Gosch, formerly with Paramount, has joined Columbia as a producer. Jerome S. Bresler, head of the short subjects department at MGM for the past 10 years, has resigned to accept a producer post at U-I. . . . Joan Crawford has been signed to a new seven-year acting pact at Warners. . . . Jack Wrather, currently producing "The Guilty" for Monogram, has purchased "Mine Forever," an original by R. A. Clifton, as the basis for his third independent production. "Angel Face," a screen version of Jean C. Becket's Saturday Evening Post story, will be written and produced for RKO Radio by Lillie Hayward. Ten-year-old Sharyn Moffett is set for the title role. . . . Joseph Sistrom has been assigned to produce Deanna Durbin's next starring vehicle for U-I. . . . "Conspiracy," an original story written specifically for the screen by Vicki Baum, has been purchased by Vanguard Films, and assigned to Dore Schary for production. Curtiz Productions Get Stars On Loan for "Unsuspected" Michael Curtiz Productions, newly-organized unit releasing through Warners, have arranged to borrow Dana Andrews, .Virginia Mayo and Kathy O'Donnell for top roles in "The Unsuspected," which will be the unit's initial production. Curtiz will direct, and Charles Hoffman will produce. . . . The King Brothers have purchased "Low Company," an original by Daniel Fuchs, which will be directed by Edward Blatt for release by Allied Artists through Monogram exchanges. Producer Seymour Nebenzal .has borrowed Jean Pierre Aumont from MGM to co-star with Maria Montez in "Atlantis," due to go before cameras late this month. . . . John Sutherland has been signed to produce "Love Lessons" for PRC. . . . "The Persian Cat," an original melodrama by John Larkin and Jerry Herwin, has been acquired by Warners as a starring vehicle for Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. First of a list of story properties to be purchased by William Cagney for his production company is "Two Soldiers," by William Faulkner, regarded by many as a classic of contemporary American fiction. It will serve as a starring vehicle for Audie Murphy, most decorated veteran of World War II. . . . Steve Sekely's next production for Republic release will be "Fighting Madonna," an original by Frank Wisbar. Sekely will direct as well as produce the production. Speers and Holloway Form Research Organization Robert D. Speers and Bert W. Holloway, long prominent in studio publicity circles, have joined John C. Lee in formation of Executive Research, Inc., with branches in New York and Washington, D. C, to handle special research and public relations for motion picture companies. . . . Richard Conte has been assigned to a top role in "The Kiss of Death," which Fred Kohlmar will produce for 20th Century-Fox. . . • . Frank Love joy, New York stage and radio star, has been signed to a long term contract by Story Productions, and will make his screen debut in "This Side of Innocence," a novel by Taylor Caldwell. Warners Will Produce Shorts On Famous U. S. Landmarks Warner Bros, will produce a series of six shorts featuring historic American landmarks. The films will be made as a result of the good reception given the "America the Beautiful" two-reel Technicolor subjects produced by Gordon Hollingshead for release in 1945-46. The first picture in the new group is called "Cradle of the Republic" and will cover the New England states. The second will take in the southeastern states. Cameras will start rolling on it in January. The series is directed by Carl Dudley. Strike Curtails Release of Warner Short Subjects Warner Brothers' short subject release schedule for December will be cut approximately in half, with only four black-andwhite subjects available to all exchanges and the two-reel Technicolor subject, "The Last Bomb," to a few exchanges. Reason for this, according to the studio, is the coast strike, which has made it "impossible" to obtain delivery of Technicolor prints for the past several weeks. Black-and-white released during December are "So You Want to Save Your Hair," "So You Think You're a Nervous Wreck," "Alice in Movieland," and "Melody of Youth." llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllH 34 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, DECEMBER 7, 1946