Motion Picture Herald (Aug-Oct 1947)

WAR FILMS EMERGING AS A NEW TREND: 20 IN WORK Editors See Objections to Theme Fading Rapidly; Seek More Stories Motion pictures with war themes are again becoming a trend. Currently Hollywood is preparing or producing a total of 20 such films, ranging in subject matter from a story of the Army Medical Corps on the Anzio beachhead in Italy in 1944, to the post-war occupation and the rehabilitation of returning servicemen. Additionally, the preparation of these properties has advanced sufficiently so that the War and Navy Departments, at the studio's request, have assigned 14 technical advisors to as many different stories. See Audience Antipathy To War Films Waning Unlike the period after the first World War, when it took from seven to 15 years for war stories to reach the screen in any quantity, story editors and producers now feel that public antipathy to war pictures is waning and that within a few months to a year audiences will be ready to accept them as part of their film fare. Despite predictions at V-J Day that it would be five to 10 years before the public again would be ready for war themes, the past two years have shown that no parallels can be drawn concerning public reaction, Kenneth McKenna, head of MGM's scenario department, said in New York last week. "During the last war there were only a comparatively few books and motion pictures on the conflict, while during this war there were hundreds of each," he said. Robert Riskin, head of the independent producing company bearing his name, expressed similar views last week. Within the next year or two, he feels, the industry will produce a great many war films. Hollywood writers, directors and producers are only now beginning to relax and view the war in its proper perspective. It shouldn't be too long before they start putting their reactions on paper and film, he said. Some Say Big War Films Still Several Years Away Other story editors contend that despite this renewed trend in war films, it still may be many years before the really great stories hit the screen. They point out that it wasn't until 1925 that the public saw "The Big Parade"; that "All Quiet on the Western Front" wasn't released until 1931, while "The First World War," a factual film record of the conflict took 16 years to reach the screen. Stofy editors attribute much of the public's renewed interest in war films to the abundance of factual film material they saw during the war, making them much more THE MARCHING MEN of World War I became important heroes of the screen in November, 7925, when "The Big Parade", above, starring John Gilbert and Renee Adoree, was opened of the Astor theatre on Broadway, New Pork, by MGM as a roadshow. That was seven years after the Armistice and it began the parade of war pictures which included "What Price Glory", "All Quiet on the Western Front" and "Hell's Angels". familiar with this war than were the people of World War I. In recent months several maor companies have distributed films concerned directly or indirectly with the war. Currently in release are : RKO's "Crossfire," a story of racial discrimination and the army; MGM's "Desire Me," concerned with the effects of war on a married couple ; "Frieda," a J. Arthur Rank picture distributed by Universal-International, which deals with the trials of a German war bride brought home to an • English village. In addition to these films already released and the 20 stories in preparation or production, story editors are combing their libraries for more potential material with war themes. There is much from which to select. As the war came to an end, Hollywood had in various stages of preparation nearly 100 stories with war themes valued at from $5,000,000 to $6,000,000. Although these properties were shelved after V-J Day they were not considered a total loss since they were considered potential film material. The 20 films on the war and related subjects now in preparation or production are: METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER Homecoming, starring Clark Gable and Lana Turner as an army doctor and nurse on the Anzio beachhead. Command Decision, the current Broadway stage hit by William Wister Haines, concerning a heavy bombardment group commander forced to sacrifice men while destroying German industry. MGM has purchased the play as a potential vehicle for Clark Gable and Robert Taylor. Operation High Jump, a story of the Admiral Byrd Antarctic naval expedition to study subzero warfare. Vespers in Vienna, concerned with the British occupation zone in Austria, and the romantic complications of an English colonel. Quarters for an Angel, a story of G.I.'s at college. PARAMOUNT Saigon, starring Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake, in a story of three Army flyers and their adventures in China. Private Affair, an original story by William Wilder incorporating a war theme. RKO Honored Glory, planned as an episodic film dealing with the career and death of nine unknown soldiers, with Cary Grant tentatively assigned to appear in one episode. Design for Death, a story of Japan and its people during the war. Berlin Express, the American occupation of Germany in the post-war world. Boy with Green Hair, an anti-war fantasy. You Belong to Me, to be produced by Robert Riskin, and concerning a war correspondent. TWENTIETH CENTURY-FOX Daisy Kenyon, starring Henry Fonda and Joan Crawford in a story of a returned veteran suffering from a psychological disorder. UNITED ARTISTS Intrigue, with George Raft as the dishonorably discharged flyer and his operations in the Chinese black-market. Arch of Triumph, Erich Maria Remarque's novel of the Nazi regime in France, starring Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman. WARNER BROTHERS To the Victory, a story of collaboration in France, starring Dennis Morgan and Viveca Lindfors. Return of the Soldier, a novel of the first World War, by Rebecca West. Winter Meeting, a novel by Ethel Vance with a war theme. MISCELLANEOUS The Last Nazi, to be produced by Carl Krueger and Richard G. Hubler and to use portions of the German film spectacle, "Triumph of the Will." A distributor has not been selected. The Long Flight, a story of B-29 Army bombers, utilizing Air Corps film, in addition to new scenes to be shot in Hollywood. Mr. Krueger and Mr. Hubler also will produce this picture. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, OCTOBER 18, 1947 13