Showmen's Trade Review (1939)

Page 16 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW July 1, 1939 STR West Coast Offices Guaranty Building 6331 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, Calif. Telephone, Hollywood 1390 • • • Strollin' Thru the Studios • • • Errol Entertains The camera captures Errol Flynn as he very seriously practices on the drum during a lull between scenes on location for Warner Bros., "The Lady and the Knight," in which Mr. Flynn plays opposite Bette Davis. MGM's Trailer Department Set New Two-Reel Exploitation Film With a record order of 700 prints on the previous Romance of Celluloid, "Power," MGM's trailer department set to work on the fourth of the two-reel exploitation series. Called "From the Ends of the Earth," the short will show activities involved in obtaining the materials that go into the making of a picture. Coincidental with the educational element, the film will plug forthcoming productions, "Babes in Arms," "Balalaika," "Hard}, Family" series, "Dr. Kildare" series, "Broadway Melody of 1940" and the two English productions with Robert Montgomery, "Earl of Chicago" and "Busman's Honeymoon". "Gusher" Robinson's Next "Gusher," based upon the discovery of oil in Oklahoma, will be Edward G. Robinson's next starring vehicle at Warner Bros., preceding "Dr. Ehrlich" on his schedule. Picture will go before the cameras next month under the direction of William Keighley with Humphrey Bogart. Gale Page, Jane Wyman and Alan Hale heading the supporting cast. Two More "Tailspin Tommy's" Two more features in the "Tailspin Tommy" series have been set by Producer Paul Malvern for Monogram release. "Sky Pilot" now being scripted by Norton S. Parker, will go before the cameras on July 21, followed immediately by "Wings Over the Andes," fourth of the series. New Pact for Harry Joe Brown Although his present contract does not expire until fall, Harry Joe Brown, 20th Century-Fox associate producer, was signed to a new two-year pact. Brown currently has "The Rains Came" in the cutting rooms and 'Hollywood Cavalcade" before the cameras. After a month of pre-recording, during which time 13 song numbers including two operatic sequences were recorded, the new Nelson Eddy-Iiona Massey starrer, "Balalaika" went into production at MGM. Reinhold Schunzel is directing under the production wing of Lawrence Weingarten. Col. Bill Donovan, commander of the famous '"Fighting 69th" regiment during the World War, will come to Hollywood to act as technical advisor on Warner's "The Fighting 69th". Donovan will leave New York for the coast in about two weeks, to work on the picture. Walter Hampden, for years one of the great figures of the American stage, has been signed to play an important role in RKO's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Charles Laughton, recently signed for the title role, arrives in Hollywood this week. Picture goes into production next month with William Dieterle directing. Marjorie Reynolds has been signed by Monogram to a new five-year contract, as a result of her work in the current Boris Karloff feature, "Mr. Wong in Chinatown." Miss Reynolds will also continue her role in the "Tailspin Tommy" series, produced by Paul Malvern. Huntz Hall, one of the "Dead End" kids, has been assigned to "The Return of Dr. X," Warner Bros, current horror film in which Humphrey Bogart is starred. Hall is working simultaneously in "The Dead End Kids at Military School." For the first time since his memorable characterization in "Viva Villa," Wallace Beery will return to Mexico and its people in "Bonanza," story of the Mexican silver mines, to be filmed by MGM with a native cast supporting the star. Harry Rapf will produce. "Our Neighbors — The Carters," the new Fay Bainter-Frank Craven co-starring vehicle, went into production at Paramount this week with Ralph Murphy directing. Edward McWade and Grace Hale are the latest additions to the cast. Lewis Collins has been assigned the directorial berth of Larry Darmour's "Fugitive Island," next Jack Holt starrer for Columbia release. Screenplay is being written by Eric Taylor with production scheduled for early July. Shooting on Sol Lesser's "Everything's On Ice," starring little Irene Dare, got started after a delay occasioned by failure of ice-making machine for rink sequences. Included in the cast are Roscoe Karns, Edgar Kennedy, Mary Hart and Bobby Watson. Film is being directed by Erle C. Kenton. The cast of Walter Wancer's "Eternally Yours," Loretta Young-David Niven co-starrer for United Artists release, is rapidly reaching all-star proportions with the signing of Hugh Herbert, Billie Burke, C. Aubrey Smith, Bkoderick Crawford and Zasu Pitts. Tay Garnett is directing from an original screenplay by Gene Towne and Graham Baker. Sets are being built at Universal for the hurricane sequences in the John M. Stahl production, "Modern Cinderella." Two hundred extras will take part in the storm scenes, and ten truck-loads of mud and 300,000 gallons of water will be used. Scenes will duplicate the destruction wrought last year by the..hurricane. Laurence Olivier has been signed for the male lead in Selznick's "Rebecca," which Alfred Hitchcock will direct. Picture is scheduled to roll the early part of August, when Olivier reports for the role. The final "Three Mesquiteers" feature on the current Republic schedule, "Raiders of the Wasteland," got the starting gun this week. Producer William Berke will handle the 1939-40 Autry musical westerns, after completing this one. H. V. Kaltenborn, well-known news commentator, will "cover" the Senate debate scenes in Columbia's "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington," current Frank Capra production starring Jean Arthur and James Stewart, with a notable supporting cast. Hal Roach's "The Housekeeper's Daughter," starring Joan Bennett and Adolphe Menjou, got the "go" signal this week with Mr. Roach as producer-director. Cast includes William Gargan, George E. Stone, Peggy Wood and Marc Lawrence. Film is the first on Roach's 1939-40 program for U. A. Jolly Joneses Billy M a h a n , Spring Byington, Jed Proutty, George Ernest and Kenneth Howell huddle under the microphone for a scene in "The Jones Family at the Grand Canvon," fourteenth of the comedy series of hits produced by 20th Centurv-Fox.