Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1941)

February 15, 1941 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW Page 21 WANDERING AROUND HOLLYWOOD George Murphy has been studying Portuguese for the past three months in preparation for a personal appearance tour to South America when he completes his co-starring role in RKO's "Tom, Dick and Harry." If George could only speak it with his feet, he would be a big hit with our Southern neighbors. On the set of Republic's "Sis Hopkins" watching Judy Canova and Jerry Colonna make love while three hundred beautiful girls looked on . . . and was his face red. Director Joseph Santley is still trying to sell Jerry the idea of either covering up his handle-bars, or dyeing them another color. They are so outstanding. We wonder where Paul Malvern dug up Michael Whalen for the male lead in his current Monogram opus, "Sign of the Wolf." Michael has been away much too long to please us, and we're glad to see him back in the saddle again. Wouldn't it be funny if Warner Bros., who have just purchased "Arsenic and Old Lace" in which Boris Karloff is starring on Broadway, should discover that Karloff is not the type for the picture role? It's happened before, and can happen again. Director Sidney Salkow gets a nice break over at Columbia with the directorial assignment on "Show Business," the studio's forthcoming musical with Rudy Vallee and the Casa Loma band. Knowing Sid's ability, we're looking forward to one of the smash hits of the season. From now on, you'll have to call him Associate Producer. That's the new title Lewis Rachmil has with Harry Sherman's organization ... his third advancement in the past month. Good luck, Lew! We liked George E. Stone's "Silent Indian" role in Hal Roach's "Road Show." George romps through the entire picture with one word of dialogue . . . "How" . . . but cashes in on his share of the laughs by some swell trouping. Sherman Signs Norman Kerry Norman Kerry, star of the silent screen, has been signed by Producer Harry Sherman for an important role in "The Parson of Panamint." Kerry returned to Hollywood after serving for two years in the French Foreign Legion. "Landing" Next for Pine-Thomas "Forced Landing" will be the next picture William Pine and William Thomas will make for Paramount release, with cameras scheduled to roll April IS. Richard Arlen has been signed for the lead. Joe Kane Starts Another Producer-Director Joseph Kane started shooting on "In Old Cheyenne," latest Roy Rogers western for Republic. As usual in this series, George "Gabby" Hayes has the top comedy role. Warner Bros. Sign Sam Wood To Direct "King's Row" Director Sam Wood, currently working on RKO's "The Devil and Miss Jones," has been signed by Warner Bros, to handle the megaphone on "King's Row," screen dramatization of the best-selling novel by Henry Bellaman. Casey Robinson will write the screenplay. Wood's most recent directorial achievements have been "Kitty Foyle," "Our Town" and "Goodbye, Mr. Chips." He checks in at the Burbank lot for conferences with Robinson, as soon as he winds up shooting on "Miss Jones." The picture is scheduled as one of the studio's forthcoming big-budgeted features, with an allstar cast, to be announced shortly. Trio Join "Lisbon" Troupe The cast of Paramount's "One Night in Lisbon," reached full proportions when Reginald Denny, Patricia Morison and Marcel Dalio all reported for work to Producer-Director Edward H. Griffith. They join Madeleine Carroll, Fred MacMurray and John Loder who top the cast. Thorpe Reads "Trail Winds" Richard Thorpe, MGM director, has been handed the script of the Saturday Evening Post story, "Westward the Trail Winds," by Rachel Thorgenson, as a possible directorial assignment. In spite of the title, the story is not laid in a western locale, but deals with the present war. Thorpe recently finished "The Bad Man," starring Wallace Beery for the Culver City plant. HOLLYWOOD STUDIO ROUND-UP Eight new pictures started this week at the following studios: COLUMBIA UNDER AGE— Principals: Nan Grey, Alan Baxter, Mary Anderson, Tom Neal. Director, Edward Dmytryk. NORTH FROM THE LONE STAR— Principals: Bill Elliott, Dorothy Fay. Director, Lambert Hillyer. METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE— Principals: Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman, Lana Turner, Donald Crisp, Ian Hunter. Director, Victor Fleming. PARAMOUNT PIONEER WOMAN— Principals: Barbara Stanwyck, Joel McCrea, Brian Donlevy. Producer-Director, William A. Wellman. REPUBLIC IN OLD CHEYENNE— Principals: Roy Rogers, George "Gabby" Hayes. ProducerDirector, Joseph Kane. Technicolor Output Gains Technicolor positive print footage for 1940 was approximately 80,000,000, almost 10,000,000 over 1939, according to Dr. Herbert T. Kalmus, president, who also stated that the volume of Technicolor photography during the last quarter of 1940 was such, that the upward trend in print volume is continuing into 1940. Ritter to Sar in "The Pioneers" James Fenimore Cooper's celebrated novel, "The Pioneers," will be produced by Monogram as a special feature starring Tex Ritter and an outstanding cast. The film is scheduled to go into production late this month with Edward Finney producing. Supporting cast and director will be announced shortly. Comedy Team Signed by Universal Edmund Lowe and Una Merkel have been teamed by Universal for top comedy roles in "Double Date," in which Peggy Moran has the leading feminine role. UNIVERSAL DOUBLE DATE— Principals: Peggy Moran, Edmund Lowe, Una Merkel. Director, Glenn Tryon. WARNER BROTHERS GENTLE PEOPLE— Principals: Ida Lupino, John Garfield, Thomas Mitchell, John Qualen. Director, Anatole Litvak. HIGHWAY WEST — Brenda Marshall, Olympe Bradna, William Lundigan. Director, William McGann. Korngold Writes "Sea Wolf" Score Erich Wolfgang Korngold, one of the world's foremost modern composers, has been assigned by Warner Bros, to write the musical score for "The Sea Wolf," picturization of the Jack London novel. Edward G. Robinson, John Garfield and Ida Lupino are the stars, with Michael Curtiz directing. Korngold's previous picturescoring jobs were "The Adventures of Robin Hood," "Juarez" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Getting Set The boys bring the boss an apple as Producers Releasing Co. gets under way. The studio gang welcomed O. Henry Briggs, president. Left to right are T. H. Richmond, Jed Buell, Briggs, E. B. Derr and John T. Coyle.