Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

THE HOLLYWOOD SCENE Production Increases, 39 Pictures Shooting; Seven Are Started Hollywood Bureau Production activity took a turn for the better last week, as work began on seven new films, and only two went to the cutting rooms. At the weekend, the shooting index stood at 39, compared to the previous level of 34. At RKO, Harriet Parsons launched "Memory of Love," the romantic story of a girl who falls in love with a blind pianist. A notable array of names compose the cast, among them Dana Andrews, Merle Oberon, Ethel Barrymore, Hoagy Carmichael, Arthur Rubinstein and Walter Reed. John Cromwell is the director. Another new RKO Radio venture is "Dick Tracy vs. the Gruesome Gang," whose cast includes Ralph Byrd, Boris Karloff and Anne Gwynne. Jack Rawlins is directing, and Herman Schlom is producing under the executive supervision of Sid Rogell. There were also two pictures started at Columbia. "Sweet Genevieve" is a musical which Sam Katzman is producing and Arthur Dreifuss directing. Heading the cast are Jean Porter, Jimmy Lydon, Gloria Marlen, Ralph Hodges, Tom Batten, Kirk Allen and Virginia Belmont. "Blondie" Picture Is 21st In Columbia Series "Blondie in the Dough" is the 21st in this series, and the cast, as usual, includes Penny Singleton, Arthur Lake, Larry Simms and Marjorie Kent. Abby Berlin is the director. Monogram's entry-of-the-week is "The Hunted," a melodrama starring Belita and Preston Foster, with Cathy Carter, J. Far rell MacDonald and Russell Hicks in featured roles. Scott R. Dunlap is the producer ; Jack Bernhard the director. PRC trained cameras on two : "Pioneer Justice" and "Gas House Kids Go West." The first is a Western with Lash Larue, Fuzzy St. John and Jennifer Holt heading the cast. Jerry Thomas produces ; Ray Taylor directs. "Gas House Kids" is being produced by Sam Baerwitz, and William Beaudine is directing a cast composed of John Shelton, Chili Williams, Carl (Alfalfa) Switzer, Benny Bartlett, Tommy Bond and Ray Dolciame. Incidental News of Pictures and People Edward Small will produce two features for Columbia, the first of which is slated to go into production about the middle of May. It will be based on "DArtagnan," by Alexandre Dumas. Small's second venture for Columbia will be a film version of Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Black Arrow/' which is laid in England during the reign of Henry VI. . . . British producer Marcel Hellman will make two pictures in London for 20th Century-Fox. They will be "This Was a Woman," an adaptation of a London play, and "Sabina," based on the novel by Joyce Langton. Claude Binyon has been signed to a long term writer-director contract by UniversalInternational. . . . Henry Fonda will co-star with Joan Crawford and Dana Andrews in "Daisy Kenyon," which Otto Preminger will produce and direct for 20th Century-Fox. . . . William Cagney has engaged William Bendix for a top role in his forthcoming screen adaptation of the Saroyan play, "The Time of Your Life." . . . Jacqueline White and Lex Barker have had their RKO Radio contracts extended. Garfield to Do "Volpone" For Enterprise John Garfield's next starring vehicle at Enterprise will be "Volpone." Abraham Polansky is currently adapting the Ben Johnson classic to the screen. . . . Sol Wurtzel has leased two ultra-modern sound stages at the newly-constructed Motion Picture Center, and will use them for the filming of his future productions for 20th Century-Fox release. . . . Richard Denning has been assigned his first starring role under his new Pine-Thomas contract. He is to appear in "Caged Fury," a circus story which PineThomas will make for Paramount release. Ginger Rogers and Cornel Wilde will costar in "I Found a Dream," romantic comedy by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama. Under a unique arrangement, Don Hartman will be producer and co-director of the Paramount picture, and Rudy Mate will serve as co-director and cameraman. . . . Ruth Warrick and Dean Jagger have been engaged by Republic for the romantic leads in "Driftwood," which Allan Dwan will produce and direct. Screen rights to "Loom of Justice,'' a novel by Ernst Lothar, have been acquired by Universal-International as a starring vehicle for Edward G. Robinson. . . . Lana Turner will co-star with Spencer Tracy in MGM's film version of the Sinclair Lewis best seller, "Cass Timberlane." . . . Bob Hope will star in a semi-fantasy titled "The Caliph of Bagdad," scheduled to go into production at Paramount late in autumn. Ronald Colman has been signed to star in "The Art of Murder," a Kanin Production for Universal-International release. George Cukor will direct. . . . Robert Mitchum has been signed for a top role in "The Harder They Fall," RKO's screen adaptation of Budd Schulberg's new novel. . . . Paramount has purchased "Web of Days," by Edna Lee, for Paulette Goddard. COMPLETED RKO RADIO Crossfire UNIVERSALINTERNATIONAL Jeopardy STARTED COLUMBIA Sweet Genevieve Blondie in the Dough MONOGRAM The Hunted RKO RADIO Memory of Love Dick Tracy vs. the Gruesome Gang PRC Pioneer Justice Gas House Kids Go West SHOOTING COLUMBIA Man from Colorado Assigned to Treasury (Kennedy Buch man) EAGLE-LION Out of the Blue Love from a Stranger MGM The Pirate Good News MONOGRAM Song of the Saddle Kilroy Was Here High Tide (Wrather) PARAMOUNT Big Clock RKO RADIO Mourning Becomes Electra Fighting Father Dunne Tycoon REPUBLIC Complex (Wilder) Along the Oregon Trail The Outcast SELZNICK Paradine Case Portrait of Jennie 20TH CENTURYFOX Kiss of Death Scudda Hoo, Scudda Hay Captain from Castile UNITED ARTISTS Atlantis (Nero) UNIVERSALINTERNATIONAL For the Love of Mary Singapore Secret Beyond the Door (Diana) Brute Force (Hellin ger) Lost Love (Wanger) WARNERS Treasure of the Sierra Madre Whiplash Voice of the Turtle Two Guys from Texas Wallflower iiiniiniimiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiM iiiiiiipiimiiiiiii^^ 30 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 12, 1947