Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1940)

February 17, 1940 Checking the Dialogue John Garfield and Anne Shirley rc/iearsc jor their next scene in Warner Bros.' production, "Saturdays Children" Irving Rapperm dialogue director, and Vincent Sherman, director, make sure their dialogue is correct. SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW Important Production Changes ^ and Promotions at Universal Several important production changes and promotions, from witliin the ranks, were announced by Cliff Work, vice-president and general manager of Universal. Milton ScHWARZWALD has been placed in charge of the company's "exploitation" and musical productions, with Jack Gross supervising the ™, "idea pictures." Don Brown, Work's executive secretary, will be Gross's assistant, and Greg Dowling, secretary to David Garber, operations manager, goes into the spot vacated by Brown. Elmer Grether, of the property department, will move into Dowling's position in Garber s office. Marshall Grant, story editor, has been elevated to an associate producership, with "Bombay Uprising" as his first assignment. Grant's assistant, Leonard Gripps, becornes the new story editor, under the supervision of Dan Kelley. The personnel shifts, according to Work, are in line with Universal's policy of making advancements from within the ranks, a practice pursued since the start of the Nate Blumberg regime, two years ago. Page 19 250 in Hollywood Party Going to Virginia City More than 250 Hollywood stars and representatives of the press will be aboard the Warner Bros.-Southern Pacific special tram to Reno and Virginia City for the simultaneous world premieres of "Virginia City," starring Errol Flynn, Miriam Hopkins and Randolph Scott. March 16 has been set as the date for the event, with all of Reno's first-run theatres and Virginia City's historic Piper's Opera House as the places of showing. The celebration will include tours of Virginia City's celebrated sites and the mines from which nearly a billion dollars in gold and silver were taken. Special Warner headquarters have been set up in Reno and Virginia City. The old Mark Twain office in the Territorial Enterprise building is being used as headquarters in the once flourishing mining town. "Boys Town" Sequel A sequel to "Boys Town" again starring Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney, and based on the life of Monsignor E. J. Flanagan and his famous home for boys, is to be filmed by MGM. Arrangements for the picture have been completed by Father Flanagan and John W. Considine, Jr., who brought the original film to the screen. ^Norman Taurog, who directed "Boys Town" and recently directed Rooney in "Young Tom Edison," has been given the directorial assignment. HOLLY>VOOD SIGHTSEEING WITH THE OiJl. imer "Two Many Hu.shand.s— For VVonit-n Only is the way the preview invitations will read for Wesley Ruocles' first Columbia production. According to present plans the wives,^ sisters, mothers and sweethearts of filmland's male critics and columnists will he the only ones invited . . . and it's all being done in honor of "leap year." Hope it's on the level. We can use a night off. "Best Boy" Has Birthday Earl Cantkell, assistant to the head electrician on Paramount's "The Woman From Hell" set, had a birthday. Director James Hogan (right) with the assistance of Blanche YurivA, presented him with a nice neiv electric light bulb. It was all in fun though, for later the entire cast chipped in and bought the "Best Boy" a fancy case of fire water. Old Song Favorites Tunes that grandmother used to hum may shortly become popular airs again when Alice Faye sings the old favorites in her new picture "Lillian Russell," 20th Century-Fox story of the beautiful actress' life. Among the melodies are "My Evening Star," "After the Ball is Over," "The Last Rose of Summer," "The Band Played On" and "Brighten the Corner Where You Are." Wendy Barrie In "The Saint" Wendy Barrie, who carried the romantic interest in "The Saint Strikes Back," returns to RKO to play the feminine lead in the fifth of the series, "The Saint Takes Over," scheduled to go before the cameras _ shortly. George Sanders will again play the title role, with Howard Benedict producing and Jack HrvET.Y directing. MGM is looking for a deer with the masculine glamour of a great lover and the acting ability of an Academy winner. Sorry, gentlemen, we ate him for dinner last week . . . and was his glamour tough. According to the letters we have been receiving in Esperanto, Hollywood is still pronounced Hollywood in any lingo. You'll get the chance to hear Esperanto in Paramount's "Road to Singapore," when BiNG Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour speak the language. Could be double-talk, you know. We see by the papers that 20th Century-Fox is preparing to film "Brooklyn Bridge," the hunk of sleel that has been sold or given away a million times in the past forty years. Paging Steve Brodie. Charles French, the man who directed and played the lead in "Davy Crockett" in 1909, is working as an extra at Universal in the Deanna Durbin picture, "It's a Date." French, who celebrated his 80th birthday on the set, is believed to be the first film director to come to Hollywood. Good luck, oldtimer. Eddie Albert reported back to the Warner Bros, lot looking like a combination of Orson Welles and Dr. (Eddie Robinson) Ehrlich, after doing an Errol Flynn down in Mexico. Wonder what makes the WB stars do the disappearing act so often ... or is it just another of Bob Taplinger's blurbs? Roland in Two Roles at Once Gilbert Roland has been signed by Warner Bros, for roles in both "The Sea Hawk," starring Errol Flynn with Brenda Marshall, and "Torrid Zone," starring James Cagney, Ann Sheridan and Pat O'Brien. Both films will be in approximately simultaneous production, which will necessitate "bicycling" between stages and characterizations for Roland. Mono. Starts "Midnight Limited" With John King and Marjorie Reynolds in the leading roles. Monogram's "Midnight Limited" went before the cameras under the direction of Howard Bretherton. King, who was recently signed by the studio, will also star in "Arm of the Law," following completion of his present assignment. New Western Star After interviewing over 500 young screen aspirants. Republic has chosen Donald Barry to enact the starring role in its new series of westerns. You Get a Mouthful of Air . . . Bob Burns gives Peggy Moran a lesson on how to get music out of a stovepipe between scenes of Universal's "Alias the Deacon." The picture is now before the cameras under the direction of Christy Cabanne.