Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1939)

Page icy SHOWMEN'STRADEREVIEW November 4, 1939 STR West Coast Offices Guaranty Building 6331 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, Calif. Telephone, Hollywood 1390 Program Notes From the Studios Clarence Brown will direct Spencer Tracy in "Edison, the Man", having been assigned to make this picture for MGM. Brown returns to his home studio after a loanout to direct Myrna Loy in "Tlie Rains Came" for 20th Century-Fox. Lloyd B.\con, who has just begun his 13th year as a Warner Bros, director, will guide George R.^ft, Ann Sherid,\n and John Gar- field in "And It All Came True", adaptation of the Louis Bkomfield story which is sched- uled to go before the cameras shortly. Raft is currently working at the W.alter Wanger studio in '"House Across the Bay". "I Wanted Wings," saga of peacetime Army- flying, has been purchased by Paramount and set for filming as one of the studio's big produc- tions for the coming season, it was announced by William LeBaron, managing director of production. Arthur Hornblow, Jr., will pro- duce the picture. Actual filming of "My Son, My Son", Ed- ward Small production for United Artists release, will start immediateh^ under the di- rection of Charles Vidor. Leonore Coffee has completed her screenplay, which accu- rately preserves all of the intriguing char- acters in the book. With George Sanders and Helene Whitney in the leading roles, "The Saint's Double Trouble", fourth in the series of mystery films based on the popular Leslie Charteris novels, will go into production at RKO early in No- vember. Cliff Reid will produce with Jack HiVELY directing from a screenplay by Mich- ael Kanin. With filming scheduled to start on Novem- ber 9, direction of 20th Century-Fox' next Jones Family picture, "Young As You Feel", has been assigned to Malcolm St. Clair. The picture is the sixteenth in the Jones series. With Grace Bradley and Roland Drew in the leading roles. Producers Pictures resumed work on it? feature production with "The Invisible Killer" under the direction of Sher- man Scott. Sol Lesser and Frank Craven completed their first draft of the screenplay of "Our Town", which will be produced by Lesser as his first United Artists release. Franklyn Warner, Fine Arts president, is preparing "Land's End" for early shooting, and has recalled Arthur Hall to do the final script. This will be Fine Arts' second under a three- picture deal with RKO. The first, "Isle of Destiny," is now in the cutting roonis. Another new picture in Republic's "Higgins Family" series is set to go before the cameras this week with James, Lucille and Russell Gleason, Harry D.wenport and Tommy Ryan in the top spots. Titled "Money to Burn", the picture will be directed by Gus Meins. Wesley Ruccles announced that his first pro- duction for Columbia will be a romantic com- edy, based on the successful stage play, "Too Many Husbands", with Jean Arthur, Fred MacMurray and Melvyn Douglas in the lead- ing roles. Producer-Director Ruccles expects to start production within the next few weeks. Harry Edington is getting ready to launch his second production for Universal the latter part of this month. Editing on "Green Hell", his first, is now nearing completion and will be previewed shortly. Louise Stanley was signed to portray the feminine lead in Monogram's "Yukon Flight", opposite James Newill. Other players include Dave O'Brien, Warren Hull, Karl Hackett and William Pawley. Ralph Staub will direct with Phil Krasne the associate producer. Tlie picture is based on the "Renfrew" stories. Margaret Sullavan reported at MGM for make-up tests and costume fittings for "The Shop Around the Corner", in which she and James Stewart are to be directed by Ernst Lubitsch, who also is producer of the picture. Walter Wanger has signed June Knight for a featured singing spot in "House Across the Bay", the George Raft-Joan Bennett co-starrer. Miss Knight has been away from the screen for the past eighteen months. Highly impressed with "The Great Victor Herbert", forthcoming Paramount picture, executives presented a brand new year's con- tract to Producer-di- rector Andrew Stone. Worst Half of Quartet MiscHA AuER and (Charles Winninger make up the worst half of a barber shop quartet in this highly unposed picture taken on the set of Univer- sal's "Destry Rides Again" in xvhich the two comedians share honors with Marlene Dietrich, James Stew- art and others. They're singing "Little Joe", one of the cowboy songs Marlene sings. Here's Three of 'Em During the production of "Four Aces," a Hopa- long Cassidy picture, produced by Harry Sher- man, William Boyd, the star, standing on the ground and Russell Hayden and Jane Clay- ton became very much interested in the old wood burner locomotive us?d in the produc- tion on location in Chatsworth, Calif. Carson Kanin is Signed by RKO To Direct "My Favorite Wife" G.-'iRSON Kanin, who directed three box- office hits for RKO, has been selected by Producer Leo McCarey to handle the mega- phone on "My Favorite Wife", scheduled to go before the cameras late this month. The picture will reunite Irene Dunne and Gary Grant, stars of the brilliant success "The Awful Truth", with Randolph Scott in the top supporting role. The screenplay has been completed by Sam and Bella Spewack, rated among Hollywood's greatest writing teams, and casts Irene Dunne in the unique role of a feminine Enoch Arden. Kanin will be remembered for his direc- torial work on "Bachelor Mother", "A Man to Remember" and "The Great Man Votes". Universal Plans New Crosby Picture Tentatively titled "If I Had My Way", LIni\ersal studios are making elaborate plans for Bing Crosby's ne.xt production, slated to start on January 15. Writer William Consel- MAN has already checked in on the lot to draft the screenplay, which will be based on an original story by himself and D.avid Butler, who will direct. In "Ehrlich" Cast Otto Kruger and Harry Davenport have been assigned leading roles in the Warner Bros, production of "The Life of Dr. Ehrlich", in which Edward G. Robinson is starred. Pro- duction began last week under William Dleterle's direction.