Showmen's Trade Review (Jul-Sep 1942)

24 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW July 11. 1942 STR West Coast Offices 10424 Bloomfield St. North Hollywood, Calif. Telephone, Sunset 1-6292 PROGRAM NOTES FROM THE STUDIOS Joan Crawford In 'Reunion^/ Gloria Jean Gets Leading ' hAen ; Fellows and Wallace Prepare "Bombardier^' For RKO ►Producer-Director Gregory Ratoff has announced that his forthcoming musical for Columbia with Don Ameche, Jack Oakie and William Gaxton, will be called "Something to Shout About." ^Lester Coimii apparently has the cooperation of the United Nations for his "Commandos." Director John Farrow is on leave from the British Navy, Robert Coote is on leave from the RCAF to do a part, the scenes will be shot in British Columbia by leave of the Canadian Government, and Barbara Everest, in a top character role, arrived in a convoy from Liverpool to Neiv York. ►John Shelton has been signed for the leadingmale role in "Foreign Agent," first of the Alonogram pictures to be produced by Martin Mooney and Max King. ^George Archainband has been signed by Harry Sherman to direct Bill Boyd in the forthcoming Hopalong Cassidy, "Hoppy Serves a Writ." ►Producer Robert Fellows and Director Richard Wallace are preparing for the filming of "Bombardier" for RKO, an air picture with Pat O'Brien, Randolph Scott, Anne Shirley, Walter Reed and Eddie Albert. A simulated attack on Tokio will be one of the features of this one. f I ►Joan Crawford's new vehicle sounds interesting. "Reunion" directed by Jules Dassin and produced by Joe Mankiewicz for MGM ; leads Philip Dorn and John Wayne, with Albert Basserman, John Carridine, Reginald Owen and Ann Ayars supporting. ^Cast of "Man and the Devil," Monogram picture being produced by A. W. Hackel, is about complete with the engagement of Ian Keith, John Hamilton, Mantan Moreland, George Leivis, J. Farrell MacDonald, and others supporting Joan Woodbury, Dick PiirccU and W arren Hymer who were originally announced. U^illiani Beaudine will direct this original by Karl Brown. ► Paramount Producer Richard Blumenthal conferred with scenarist Virginia Van Upp regarding new sequences for "The Crystal Ball." The picture will be directed by Elliott Nugent and will star Paulette Goddard, Ray Aiilland and William Bendix. ^Albert S. Rogell will direct the Albert J. Cohen production "Chatterbox" for Republic, it'ith John Hubbard, Ruth Terry, Martha O'Driscoll, Tom Broim, Charlie Smith and Lynn Merrick in principal roles. ►Ken Goldsmith will produce Gloria Jean's next picture for Universal, "Never Been Kissed." Goldsmith and Charles Lamont, who will direct, have selected two leading "men" for Gloria, Freddie Bartholomew and Donald O'Connor. ^Director Irving Rapper's work in "The Adventures of Mark Twain" with Fredric March in the title role will have an American literary flavor with such characters portrayed as Mark Twain, Bret Harfc. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworfh Longfellow, John Greenleaf Whittier, and William Dean Howells. Jesse L. Lasky is producing this for Warner Bros. ►Producer Jack Fier has started "Shall I Tell 'Em" for Columbia with Bert (The Mad Russian) Gordon in the title role. ^Robert Taylor, Cl'orles Laughton, Brian Donlevy and Walter Brennan are starring in an MGM which Robert Z. Leonard and 0. 0. Dull are producing with Leomrd also directing. "Clear For Action" is a story of the war in the Pacific. ^Williatn Morgan is directing the Gene Atitry special at Republic with Harry Grey producing. It's called "Bells of Capistrano." ►Howard Hawks' "Courvettes in Action" with Richard Rosson directing, is moving apace for Universal. The scripts are to be approved by the Canadian Navy. If and when they are approved, Hawks hopes to make a package deal for the entire cast of Wanger's "Eagle Squadron." That would include Diana Barrymore, Jon Hall, Evelyn Ankers, Robert Stack, Nigel Bruce and Leif Erikson. ^Jerry Wald will produce "Shine On, Harvest Moon" for Warner Bros, and they plan to star .-inn Sheridan in the life story of Nora Bayes. ►Producer Joseph Pasternak begins his second at MGM with "Presenting Lily Mars" which Norman Taurog will direct. This will be a starring picture for Judy Garland and George Murphy and Richard Carlson will be her leading men. Other cast credits include Spring Byington and Marta Eggerth. ^Jack Benny zvill have to do more talking in his part as the "Meanest Man in the World" over at 2Qth-Fo.v than he ever had to do on his own radio program. The script has 125 pages and Jack ivill have something to say on all but nine of them. That's almost like being a monologist. Zorina Gets Coveted Role in "For Whom the Bell Tolls" After a search of a year and a half, the role of Maria in the Paramount production of "For Whom the Bell Tolls" this week was awarded to Vera Zorina. Zorina joins a cast including Gary Cooper, Akim Tamirof¥, Katina Paxinou, Vladimir Sokolof¥, Mikhail Rasumny, Eric Feldary, Fortunio Bonanova, Victor Varconi, Arturo De Cordova, Lila Yarson and Joseph Calleia. Monogram Buys Timely Themes "Spies on Our Shores," an original story by Pauline Josephs, inspired by the recent spy expose, and George W. Hotchkiss' "Little Yellow Rats" have been bought by Monogram, in line with a policy of devoting a large portion of its product to timely themes. Gags A-Cookin' Harry Ritz of those mad Ritr Brothers is busy selling a bit of comic business as an add to the script for Universal's "Off the Beaten Track," to Director Edward F. Cline. At right is Morey Amsterdam, gagman on the production. Joseph E. Davies Consultant On "Mission to Moscow" Joseph E. Davies, United States Ambassador to Russia from 1936 to 1938, will act as consultant in the production of the picture based on his book "Mission to Moscow." The precedent for this sale and planned picture was established by Warners with "My Four Years in Germany," based on Ambassador Gerard's experiences prior to World War I. Mr. Davies is making available personal diaries, memoranda and other private information not included in the book. Producer Robert Buckner, who was .Moscow correspondent for the London Mail during Mr. Davies' service there, hopes to have the picture ready for release in October New Gottlieb Assignments Alex Gottlieb, associate producer on all the Abbot and Costello comedies at Universal and close friend of the comics, tossed a farewell get-together on the set of "Who Done It," and then started all over again with an assignment to four new comedies. Three of them will be Abbott and Costellos, and the fourth will be an Olsen and Johnson "Crazy House" which Gottlieb is scripting himself. Goldwyn Borrows Marion Martin Sam Goldwyn, by loan from RKO, has cast Marion Martin in an important role in "They Got Me Covered," Bob Hope-Dorothy Lamou'r starrer which David Butler will direct. The title will work in reverse for Miss Martin however, since she will have the role of a burlesque stripteaser whom Bob Hope is hoaxed into marrying. Three No Jinx That three is definitely not a crowd is proved by the successful trio of Jimmy Rogers, Noah Beery Jr., and Hal Roach Jr., who are now working together on their third picture, "Prairie Chickens." Each of the boys is in his middle twenties, each is married and the father of two children, and their work together is the first instance of Hollywood's second generation clicking in a big way.