Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1941)

Page 6 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW June 21, 1941 RKO PLANS 40-45 FOR NEW SEASON TIGHT SHOES" SMILES Tifles for 31 Films Revealed at Convention/ Company to Get 12-15 from Indie Producers From 40 to 45 features based on Broadway stage hits, bestselling novels, favorite radio programs and originals make up the new program of attractions to be released by RKO-Radio during 1941-42, it was announced this week by Ned Depinet, vice-president in charge of distribution, before the company's tenth annual sales convention at the Waldorf-Astoria. At the same time the five pictures which are to comprise the company's first group under the new selling system were announced. Included in the quintet are William Dieterle's "The Devil and Daniel Webster," the Menjou-Watson starrer, "Father Takes a Wife," "Before the Fact," starring Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine, "Parachute Battalion" and "Lady Scarface." Following are a majority of the attractions planned for the new season, twelve to fifteen of which will come from independent producers : "Before the Fact," based on best seller by Frances lies, co-starring Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine with Sir Cedric Hard "Passage to Bordeaux," starring Lucille Ball, under direction of Robert Stevenson. Budd Schulberg is the author. "Obliging Young Lady," by Arthur T. Herman, to be produced by Howard Benedict, directed by Richard Wallace, featuring Joan Carroll, Edmond O'Brien and Ruth Warrick. "Gwangi," to be produced by John Speaks and Willis O'Brien. "Lady Scarface," produced by Cliff Reid and directed by Frank Woodruff, with Judith Anderson, Dennis O'Keefe, Frances Neal. Mildred Coles and Eric Blore. Screenplay by Arnaud D'Usseau and Richard Collins. "Parachute Battalion," by John Twist and Captain John H. Fite. U. S. Air Corps, with Robert Preston, Nancy Kelly, Edmond O'Brien and Harry Carey. Howard Benedict to produce. "Father Takes a Wife," signalizing return to screen of Gloria Swanson, costarred with Adolphe Menjou and Florence Rice, Helen Broderick, John Howard, wicke, Nigel Bruce and Dame May Whit Desi Arnaz. Original comedy by Dorothy ty. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. and Herbert Fields. Produced by Lee "Sister Carrie," Theodore Dreiser's Marcus and directed by Jack Hively. novel, adapted by Bella and Sam Spewack, produced by Graham Baker. "Valley of the Sun." Clarence Budington Kelland's "Saturday Evening Post" serial novel, co-featuring Dorothy Comingore and James Craig. Graham Baker producing, George Marshall directing. "Journey Into Fear," scripted by Ben Hecht from Eric Ambler's novel. Produced by David Hempstead; directed by Robert Stevenson. "Unexpected Uncle," co featuring Charles Coburn, James Craig, Anne Shirley. Based on Eric Hatch's "Liberty" magazine serial. Tay Garnett to produce. "Bambi," FeUx Salten story, to be produced by Walt Disney. "The Devil and Daniel Webster," 'The Marines Are Ready," starring Victor McLaglen and Edmund Lowe, in an original by James Edward Grant. Howard Benedict to produce and Leslie Goodwins to direct. "Mexican Spitfire's Baby," another in the Spitfire series co-starring Lupe Velez and Leon Errol, with ZaSu Pitts and Buddy Rogers. Charles Roberts and Jerry Cady are its co-authors, Cliff Reid its producer, Leslie Goodwins its director. "Powder Town," from a novel by Max Brand, suggested by an idea by Vicki Baum, to be produced by Cliff Reid. "Army Surgeon," from original by John Twist, to be produced by Cliff Reid. "Mayor of 44th Street," to be produced by Cliff Ried, based on an original by (tentative title), produced and directed by Robert D. Andrews, suggested by maga William Dieterle, with Edward Arnold, zine article by Luther Davis and John Walter Huston, James Craig, Anne Shir Cleveland. ley, Simone Simon, Gene Lockhart and "Street Girl," to be produced by John Jane Darwell. Screenplay by Dan Tothe Twist, based on his screenplay, roh, based on Stephen Vincent Benet's "The Little Foxes," starring Bette story. 'Saturday Evening Post "Joan Morgan. George Kessels. Lewis Milestone to di rect, David Hempstead to produce Davis, based on the Broadway stage hit of Paris," presenting Michele by Lillian Hellman, is the first of three Story by Jacques Thiery and Samuel Goldwyn productions for RKO release. William Wyler directs. Screenplay by its author. Supporting cast in EXECUTIVES AT RKO CONVENTION With his resignation as director of the Production Code Administration of the MPPDA effective this week, Joseph I. Breen was In New York to conclude his negotiations with President George J. Schaefer of RKO-Radio whereby Breen assumes his duties as head of the company's studios in Hollywood. He is shown here (left) with Schaefer and Ned Depinet, RKO vice-president in charge of distribution, at the RKO sales convention held in the Waldorf-Astoria. 190 SHORTS SCHEDULED One hundred and ninety short films are planned for RKO's 1941-42 releasing schedule, it was announced this week at the company's sales convention in the Waldorf Astoria. Twenty nine two reelers will comprise the season's output. The single-reelers are: 104 issues of RKO Pathe News, 18 Walt Disney Technicolor cartoons; 13 "Information Please" subjects; 13 "Sportscopes" and 13 "Picture People" subjects. The tworeelers include: 13 issues of The March of Time; six Edgar Kennedy comedies; six Leon Errol comedies, and four musical westerns starring Ray Whitley. eludes Herbert Marshall, Richard Carlson, Teresa Wright, Patricia Collinge, Charles Dingle, others. Gary Cooper is the star of a second Samuel Goldwyn production to be directed by Howard Hawks from screenplay by Charles Brackett and Bill Wilder. "The Singing and the Gold," third of Samuel Goldwyn productions, starring Gary Cooper, authored by Howard Koch and Anne Froelick. William Wyler to direct. "Dumbo of the Circus," to be produced by Walt Disney. "Fantasia," with Deems Taylor and Leopold Stokowski participating in a Walt Disney picture. "Week End for Three," with Jane Wyatt, Edward Everett Horton, Dennis O'Keefe, Philip Reed, to be produced by Tay Garnett, directed by Irving Reis. "Three Rogues," Ferenc Molnar stage comedy, will star Charles Laughton, Lucille Ball, Edmond O'Brien, George Sanders. To be produced by Graham Baker. Screenplay by Sam and Bella Spewack. "Look Who's Laughing,*' with radio favorites Edgar Bergen, Charlie McCarthy, Fibber McGee and Molly, costarred with Lucille Ball. Allan Dwan will produce and direct. Kay Kyser, orchestra leader, will star for the third time in a musical for RKO. Cast will include Ginny Simms, Harry Babbitt, Sully Mason, Ish Kabibble, May Robson, Lupe Velez, Patsy Kelly and Dennis O'Keefe. David Butler to produce and direct. "Lum 'n' Abner," hillbilly radio team, in a production by Jack Votion. "The Gay Falcon," series of mystery detective dramas starring George Sanders with Wendy Barrie, are based on a novel by Michael Arlen. Irving Reis will direct and Howard Benedict produce. "Scattergood Baines," based on the popular Clarence Buding Kelland stories, will star Guy Kibbee in three pictures, to be produced by Jerrold Brandt. Six Tim Holt Westerns, first two of which are "The Outlaw Trail" and "Dude Cowboy," will be produced by Bert Gilroy. Tim Holt will star, with Ray Whitley, the singing cowboy, featured. Orson Welles will follow "Citizen Kane" with another production, as yet untitled, in which he will star, as well as write, produce and direct. Herbert Wilcox productions schedule two Anna Neagle starring vehicles. "London House," told in sequences starring many Hollywood stars. Each group of stars appears in a sequence directed by one of Hollywood's aces, and the sequences become parts of the picture. The first sequence directed by Herbert Wilcox, offers Anna Neagle, Ray Milland, Ray Bolger, C. Aubrey Smith, Dame May Whitty, Gene Lockhart, Claude Rains, Lumsden Hare, Edmund Gwenn, Halliwell Hobbes, Patric Knowles, Ben Webster, Doris Lloyd, Helena Pickard, Claude Allister, Stuart Robertson, Lionel Belmore, Alan Edminston. Other sequences vrill be announced as completed. "The Band Plays On" (tentative title), wrill be produced and directed by William Dieterle, with Charles Glett as associate producer. Celebrities and bright lights marked the premiere on Broadway of Universal's ' Tight Shoes. " Above, Milton Berle, clowning as usual, offers an elusive hand in congratulation to Producer Jules Levey, as Damon Runyon, author of the story, looks on. RKO 1st Block to be Shown Week July 7 Di scussing the sale of RKO's first block of five pictures at Wednesday afternoon's session of the company's sales convention at the Waldorf.\storia Hotel, Sales Manager Andy Smith announced that the first trade showing under the consent decree would be held in all exchanges during the week of July 7, and that the selling of the first block would take place immediately thereafter. Each of the first five was screened during the convention. In a talk Wednesday afternoon. President George J. Schaefer issued a flat warning against any attempt to solve the business slump through the resort to pictures which "swerve from the path of decency and wholesomeness." On Wednesday evening, all delegates were surprised when they received invitations to attend the LouisConn fight at the Polo Grounds. Special busses transported the whooping RKOites to the scene of combat. Pictures of the fight will be distributed by RKO. Following a morning meeting Thursday in the Sert Room, the delegation was broken into divisional blocks for separate meetings conducted by Eastern Sales Manager Robert Mochrie, Western Sales Manager Cresson E. Smith and Canadian Sales Manager Leo Devaney. Plan Shorts Series Based on Gallup Surveys and Studies "Gallup Reviews" will be the title of a series of short subjects based on the surveys and studies of Dr. George Gallup of the American Institute of Public Opinion to be produced and shown to the American public. Sponsoring the shorts as its initial venture will be a new company, Film Institute, Inc., with Lawrence W. Fox as president. Distribs Pledge Aid Chicago — Representatives of seven distributors pledged cooperation in the territorial move to combat the business slump which has sent grosses down at a "war council" held here under auspices of Illinois Allied.