Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1952)

IIIIIMIilllllllllllllllllil|||||||||||||||||||||!||||||||||| by WILLIAM R. WEAVER Hollywood Editor The uniquely congenial arrangement by which the prominent exhibitors comprising the Cinema Productions Corporation join hands and purses with mighty MGM to earn some money for the stagefolk making up the Council of the Living Theatre is not so odd as it may occur to the casual observer of news developments, says M. A. Lightman, CP president, who arrived here last week to sit in with producer Lester Cowan on final casting and start of shooting on “Mainstreet to Broadway.” Seated in the ornate office at the Goldwyn studio provided for his use, the veteran exhibitor and exhibitor-organization leader clears up with candor the slightly fuzzy aspects of the three-sided project. Sought Innovation Mr. Lightman says the original and still animating purpose of the exhibitors who two years ago formed Cinema Productions was, in addition to the usual profit objective, the stimulating of innovation and venture in the field of entertainment. One of the early interests of CP was the encouragement of the development of Cinerama to the point it had reached when presented to the public last week. There were others. The production of “Mainstreet to Broadway,” with a present budget of $1,110,000, is the biggest CP undertaking to date and probably will determine the future of the organization. The basic belief responsible for the working out of the arrangement for making the picture, according to Mr. Lightman, is the conviction that all branches of show business can profit more by working together than against each other. He cites the original animosity between theatre and radio which gave way to the fine mutuality of helpfulness now prevailing. He says there’s never been a reason why the stage and the screen should not be as cooperative, and he predicts that the film theatre and the television station will move steadily toward common understanding until one day they too will be working out their problems in an atmosphere of friendliness and to their common good. Supply Many Stars The “Mainstreet to Broadway” project stems from the fact that the Council of the Living Theatre, which needs funds for its Foundation and already has received a $75,000 advance from CP, feels as “M.A.” does about cooperation among the branches of show business and will supply a practically priceless list of stage stars to appear in the picture, on a special compensatory basis. with the Council Foundation receiving a percentage of the profits after CP and MGM have recouped their costs. What will CP do next in its program of stimulating progressive undertakings in entertainment? “M.A.” says that depends. If “Mainstreet to Broadway” is colossally successful, he says, more of the same is clearly in order. If it is less than that, CP will strike off in another direction. He’s not telling which. He’s telling only that the exhibition of motion pictures has been the best business in the world ever since he entered it in 1925 and he expects it to stay best. CP and the spirit of enterprise which it represents go toward guaranteeing that, its president believes. PRODLICTION continued the steady climb that started three weeks ago, with nine pictures going before the cameras and eight others to the cutting rooms to bring the over-all shooting score to 41. “Young Bess,” Technicolor, produced by Sidney Franklin and directed by George Sidney, whose names are synonymous with showmanliness, is a long-planned MGM venture in which Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr, Jean Simmons and Charles Laughton are principals. “Remains to Be Seen,” MGM, is from the production forge of the virtually infallible Arthur Hornblow, Jr., and will present June Allyson, Van Johnson, Louis Calhern and Dorthy Dandridge, among others, under direction of Don Weiss. Edward Small is producing “Swords Against the Law” in Technicolor for United Artists release, with Sidney Salkow directing John Payne, Donna Reed, Lon Chaney and Gerald Mohr. Paramount’s Pat Duggan started “Forever Female” (a title likely to be changed) for Paramount, with Ginger Rogers, William Holden, Paul Douglas, Pat Crowley, James Gleason and Marjorie Rambeau in the cast, directed by Irving Rapper. Savoy Pictures, independent, began filming “Body Beautiful,” produced and directed by Max Nosseck from a story by Nat Tanchuck, with Robert Clarke, Susan Morrow, Noreen Nash, O. Z. Whitehead and Joan Shawlee in the cast. Scott R. Dunlap turned cameras on “Cow Country,” for Allied Artists, with Edmond O’Brien, Helen Westcott, Peggie Castle and Barton MacLane, directed by Lesley Selander. “The Marksman,” Allied Artists, is a Wayne Morris vehicle produced by Vincent M. Fennelly and directed by Lewis Collins, with Elena Verdugo opposite the star. In New York City Universal-International’s Albert J. Cohen is producing “Night THIS WEEK IN PRODUCTION: STARTED (9) ALLIED ARTISTS Cow Country The Marksman INDEPENDENT Body Beautiful (Savoy Piets., Inc.) Melba (Horizon Pict.U. A. release) Swords Against the Mast (Edward Small Prod.-U. A. COMPLETED (8) ALLIED ARTISTS Tangier Incident Son of Belle Starr (Cinecolor) INDEPENDENT Bandits of Corsica (Edward Small) MGM Cry of the Hunted SHOOTING (32) COLUMBIA The Red Beret (Warwick Prod.London-Technicolor ) Juggler (Kramer Company) INDEPENDENT Bad Blonde (formerly “This Woman Is Trouble”) (Exclusive Films-LondonLippert release) The Tall Texan (T. Frank Woods Prod.-Lippert release) Scarlet Spear ( Breakston-Stahl ) Sword and Rose (Disney BritishTechnicolor) Return to Paradise( Aspen-Technicolor) Moulin Rouge (Moulin Prod. & Romulus) MGM Dream Wife The Clown Invitation to the Dance (Technicolor) Dangerous When Wet (Technicolor) Julius Caesar PARAMOUNT Little Boy Lost (Paris) release-Techni color) MGM Young Bess (Technicolor) Remains to Be Seen PARAMOUNT Forever Female UNIVERSALINTERNATIONAL Night Flowers Code Two REPUBLIC Overland Trail Riders 20TH CENTURY-FOX Blaze of Glory WARNER BROS. Cattle Town Jamaica Seas (Technicolor ) Houdini (Technicolor) Roman Holiday REPUBLIC Fair Wind to Java (Trucolor) 20TH CENTURY-FOX Silver Whip Man on a Tight Rope Call Me Madam (Technicolor) Baptism of Fire The President’s Lady Single Handed (formerly “Sailor of the King”) UNIVERSALINTERNATIONAL Thunder Bay (Technicolor) Law and Order (Technicolor) WARNER BROS. By the Light of the Silvery Moon (Technicolor) 1 Confess The Jazz Singer (Technicolor) His Majesty O’Keefe (Technicolor) Sea Rogue (Technicolor) She’s Back on Broadway ( WarnerColor) 'IIIIIIIIIIIIINIIIIIIMIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIMIIIIIIII Flowers,” directed by Jack Arnold, with Patricia Hardy, Leonard Freeman and Harvey Lembeck among the players. In London, Horizontal Pictures, which releases through United Artists, began shooting “Melba,” with S. P. Eagle producing and Lewis Milestone directing. 32 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, OCTOBER II, 1952