Motion Picture Herald (Sep-Oct 1948)

I THE HOLLYWOOD SCENE Develop New Stars to Bring Grosses Back, Is Rowland Recipe by WILLIAM R. WEAVER Hollywood Editor Roy Rowland says new stars on the. screen would bring theatre grosses back to their best levels, irrespective of living costs, foreign market restrictions, competitive entertainments and the assorted other matters currently assessed with responsibility for the downcurve. And he says new star material is as plentiful as it ever was, and a deal more readily discoverable in these days of diminished distances, but the people who make the pictures didn't take the trouble to discover and develop it during the years of war prosperity because they just didn't need to. He says the long lag in this department of management can be overcome in a surprisingly short time, and cites convincing examples, but will not be unless determination to overcome it is prompt and widely held. The Long-Time, Stars Still Held Important to Films Director Rowland's firm statements about new stars imply no lack of esteem for the old ones. On the contrary, he observes with admiration verging on awe that the dozen or two mainstays of today's marquees have sustained the popularity of the motion picture magnificently for a far longer time than would have been regarded as plausible by a prognostician analyzing the expectancies in, say, 1939. But his theme is new talent, and he cuts back to it with explicit illustrations of his point. He points out that Howard Hawks made Lauren Bacall a box office name with one picture, after coaching her patiently and designing the picture in a fashion to show case her talent and personality to full advantage (a procedure in contrast to the usual protracted seasoning of beginners in bit parts). He calls attention to the Michael Curtiz tailoring of "Romance of the High Seas" to focus audience attention and favour upon the hitherto unseen Doris Day. He recalls that he found Robert Mitchum and Don DeFore in a batch of unknowns testing for bits in "30 Seconds Over Tokyo," with results now well known. And he cites the case of Janet Leigh, utterly inexperienced before the MGM casting office called his attention to her and he placed her opposite Van Johnson in "The Romance of Rosy Ridge," where she earned so much praise that she's featured in three of that studio's pictures now awaiting release. Studios Could Build New Star Materials in Year By similar or equivalent means, in the opinion of the director who started as script clerk, becoming in turn an assistant directors, a shorts director making the Robert Benchley series, and graduating to "A" rank with "A Stranger in Town," the studios collectively could introduce to the public a dazzling array of new, fresh, competent and attractive principals in less than a years' time, greatly relieving the strain on the valiant veterans and always with the chance that a Gable, a Grable, or even a Valentino might emerge. At the moment, he says, producers are questing far and deep for new types of story material with which to re-attract the wandering customer. He says it's easier to find new people, and that better than 90 per cent of the customers shop for stars first. Production Index Up With 29 in Work Start of eight features and completion of two lifted the production index from 23 to 29. Walter Wanger started "Reign of Terror," for Eagle Lion release, with Anthony Mann directing Robert Cummings, Arlene Dahl, Richard Basehart and Jess Barker. Jerry Wald launched "Happy Times," for Warner, presenting Danny Kaye, Barbara Bates, S. Z. Sakall and Lee J. Cobb. Henry Koster undertakes the directorial chores of this picture. Warners' Alex Gottleib started "Two Guys and a Gal," Technicolor, with David Butler directing Dennis Morgan, Jack Carson and Doris Day. Producer-director Joseph Kane went to work on "The Missourians," with William Elliott, Adrian Booth and Andy Devine, for Republic. Republic's Franklin Adreon started "Daughter of the Jungle" 'with Lois Hall, James Cardwell and Sheldon Leonard; George Blair is in charge of direction for this picture. Newcomer Glenn McCarthy's independent producing company turned cameras on "The Green Promise," produced by Robert Paige and Monty Collins with William Russell directing, which offers Paige, Marguerite Chapman, Walter Brennan and Natalie Wood. Release channel has not been determined. Columbia set off "The Crime Doctor's Diary," another Rudolph Flothow production starring Warner Baxter, directed by Seymour Friedman. Monogram added another Johnny Mack Brown-Raymond Hatton Western, "Gunning for Justice," produced by Barney Sarecky and directed by Ray Taylor. Vetluguin MGM Producer Voldemar Vetluguin, formerly of the MGM editorial board, has been named a producer, it was announced last week. Kenneth MacKenna was named to supervise the studio's story department. Mr. Vetluguin now is preparing to produce "East Side, West Side." STARTED COLUMBIA The Crime Doctor's Diary EAGLE-LION Reign of Terror (Wanger) glenn McCarthy The Green Promise MONOGRAM Gunning for Justice REPUBLIC The Missourians I! Daughters of the Jungle WARNER BROTHERS Happy Times Two Guys and a Gal COMPLETED 20TH CENTURYFOX Sand UNITED ARTISTS Love Happy (Artists Alliance) (formerly "Blondes Up") SHOOTING COLUMBIA Mr. Soft Touch Knock on Any Door ENTERPRISE Caught (formerly "The Best Things in Life Are Free") METRO-GOLDWYNMAYER Little Women Take Me Out to the Ball Game The Barkleys of Broadway MONOGRAM Joe Palooka in the Big Fight PARAMOUNT One Woman The Heiress (Wyler) Streets of Laredo II REPUBLIC Wake of the Red Witch RKO-RADIO Follow Me Quietly SCREEN GUILD Last of the Wild Horses (Lippert) 20TH CENTURYFOX Mother Is a Freshman Down to the Sea in Ships MOTION PICTURE HERALD, SEPTEMBER 4, 1948 Rose of Cimarron (Alson) Canadian Pacific (Nat Holt) UNITED ARTISTS Outpost in Morocco (Moroccan) WARNER BROTHERS The House Across the Street The Fountainhead Somewhere in the City iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiir 33