Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1939)

October U, 1939 S H O W M EN'S T R . V U F. R E V I E W Page 19 Getting Good Advice Brenda Marshall, grateful to Director Lloyd Bacon for his encouragement in her screen career, visits him daily on the set of "Invisible Stripes" at Warner Bros, to listen to his sage advice on how to get along in Hollywood. Largest Set Ever Byilt for Shirley Temple's "Blue Bird" Painters have put the finishing touches to the largest interior set ever built for the Technicolor production of "The Blue Bird", which Walter Lang is directing for 20'th CenturyFox with Shirley Temple in the ke^' role. The set completelj' fills Stage 16, with onh' a three foot aisle surrounding it. To art directors Richard Day and W. B, Ihnen, it represented the most difficult design problem of their careers, inasmuch as the entire set had to appear to cameras as being suspended in mid-air. Fquipment used to light the set uses as much electric current as a city of 55,000 inhabitants. "Buried Alive" Gets Gun With Beverly Roberts and Robert Wilcox in the leading roles, "Buried Alive" was put into production last week by Ben Judell of Producers Pictures. The picture was adapted by George Bricker from an original story by William A. Ullman, Jr. Judell also announced the purchase of William Lively's "Mercy Plane", which will go before the cameras as soon as "Buried Alive" is completed. "Personal History" Starts Nov. 15 W'alter Wanger has scheduled "Personal History", based on Vincent Sheean's story, to^ go before the cameras about November 15, with Alfred Hitchcock directing. "Personal History" will roll immediately after the completion of "House Across the Bay", Joan Bennett starring vehicle which started shooting on October 9. Schuster Back at Universal Harold Schuster, just returned from England, has been signed by Universal to direct "Trouble Is My Middle Name", an original newspaper yarn by Roy Chanslor. The picture will co-star Edmund Lowe and Constance Moore. Farrow Signs New Contract RKO has signed John Farrow to a new long term directorial contract and at the same time boosted the budget on his next assignment, "Father Damien" to an "A" production, as a result of his latest picture "Reno". "Father Damien" is based on the novel written by Farrow. AC€UND ti€LLy>V€C)i:) with the "Oldtimer"" Our snooping reporter tells us to be on the lookout for some of the most spectacular thrillHying ever screened in 20th Century-Fox' "20,000 Men A Year," the work of Paul Mantz, ace stunt flyer. Under Director Alfred E. Green, Mantz goes to town in a big way. Ran into William "Golden Boy" Holden about an hour before the preview of Columbia's "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," and Bill told us he was sure he was getting "punch-drunk" with all his "pug" roles. Next on tap is Paramount's "At Good Old Siwash" . . . without boxing gloves, we hope. And while it's still fresh in our mind, a word about Frank Capra's "Mr. Smith." Here's a picture that will be "tops" in boxoffice receipts for a long, long time to come . . . and we've been looking at them for a long, long time. Note that 20th Century-Fox has changed the title of "Daytime Wife" to "First Kiss" . . . which reminds us that we are still paying for our "First Kiss." Peter B. Good is a swell "handle" for the kid selected by Warner Bros, for at least half of the title role in "Brother Rat and the Baby" . , and from advance reports, Peter is "Very" Good. The only thing against Peter is his definite resemblance to Eddie Albert, his screen papa . . . but he'll outgrow tiiat. "Garbo Laughs," MGM's slogan for "Ninotchka" had nothing on the preview crowd last week, when they laughed so loud and long, most of the gags were missed. A sparkling laugh-fest with the famous Lubitsch "touch" and an ideal vehicle to bring Garbo back to the screen. Charlie Einfeld's title for Humphrey Bogart, "The Merchant of Menace" was so good, it grabbed sixty lay-outs in the dailies throughout the country . . . and to think that Bocart is a "softy" in real life. Nice work, Charlie. Monogram Sticking to Schedule ^Monogram is sticking to its production schedule having set five pictures to roll within the next three weeks. Two Tex R tTER features will be made in quick succession followed by the next in the "Wong" series starring Boris Karloff. Reading a Book About It Bettveen scenes of "Reno" their RKO Radio picture-in-the-making, Richard Dix and Director John Farrow go into a huddle over a book dealing with the early days of Nevada, historical era covered by the picture. Paramount's Advertising and Trailer Departments Combined Announcement was made last week by Cliff Lewis, supervising director of Paramount's West Coast Advertising and Publicity Departments, that the trailer department will be combined with the advertising department, and will move from the present quarters on the lot into the advertising bungalow. Herb AIoulton and Lou Harris, of the trailer department, will occupy quarters now used hy the studio advertising department, which will be moved to the present trailer quarters. It is Lewis' intention that the trailer and advertising departments work in closer unison than in the past, to insure coordination on all picture campaigns in every branch of advertising and exploitation. Marx Brothers "Go West" The }.Iarx Brothers, Chico, Groucho and Harpo, will return to MOM within the next two weeks to start preparations for their next picture, "Go West". The comedy of the great open spaces is scheduled to start early in November under the direction of Eddie Buzzell, who also directed their last production, "At the Circus". "Ouch, That's Too Tight" That's what Barbar \ Stanwyck says and Barbara should knon for she has to ivear a corset for a scene in Paramount's "Remember the Night." Director Mitchell Leisen is lacing her into the armor while Elizabeth Patterson looks on and Barbara doesn't seem to like it.