Showmen's Trade Review (Jul-Sep 1942)

26 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW August 1, 1942 WANDERING AROUND HOLLYWOOD Watching an outdoor scene for a Hopalong Cassidy, with Bill Boyd and Victor Jory, we learned that the large easel-like squares covered with silver and gold leaf are to direct added sunlight on the players and backgrounds. Mirrors would cause reflections and defeat their purpose. Gregory Ratoff is testing players for his "Something to Shout About" musical. We could have fun if Ratoff , singing a Gay Nineties song, took a part himself. For years columnists have criticized or flattered the acting of the players. At the showing of "Night for Crime," we discovered that they had a right to do so. Jimmy Starr, Erskine Johnson, Edwin Schallert and Harry Crocker performed so naturally and put over their parts so well that the movies may soon be raiding the columnists for talent. But please, no romantic leads 1 Anent the same picture and the party that preceded it. Ah, the power of the press! When only some of the columnists present zvere named, the producer, the director, the publicity director and all executives converged on the platform to remind the MC, zuho sounded embarrassed enough zvithout mentioning his name, that he had overlooked some pens. Must be something they "et" with the movies. Columnists are actors ; directors are actors, as per "Star Spangled Rhythm" with Ralph Murphy and C. B. DeMille : and now David Hempstead and Edward Griffith want to make a chorus boy out of tough guy Barton MacLane in "Look Out Below." All we need is to see "Gabby" Hayes doing the minuet, whiskers and all. the best regulated families! With the need for something to publiciae, the family of Dr. Corydon M. Wassell have fallen afoul each other on the great issue of who shall be cast as the Doctor in the coming DeMille attraction. The wife votes Spencer Tracy, the elder son for Walter Huston, the younger son for Warner Baxter, the mother for Jimmy Stewart. The studio names Pat O'Brien, Walter Pidgeon and Melvyn Douglas. And Joel McCrea has already been chosen for the part! Boost "Tales" Budget $200,000 An additional $200,000 has been added to the advertising budget on "Tales of Manhattan." The bulk of the advertising will go to newspapers and magazines, the music in the picture not being suitable for extensive radio exploitation. Set Next Jean Arthur Story Jean Arthur's next starrer at Columbia will be "Come One, Come All," a play by Jean's husband, Frank Ross, and Robert Russell. George Stevens will be the producer-director. "Lure Of Islands" Lures Army Monogram's sales department claims that "Lure of the Islands," the Margie Hart picture, has registered outstanding success in its first ten army camp engagements. Lillian Hellman Writing Film Script for Goldwyn Producer Samuel Goldwyn announced this week that he has engaged Lillian Hellman to write her first story directly for the screen. The story, as yet untitled, will describe the effects of the current war on a group of Russian children and the part they play during the invasion of their homeland by the Nazis. Miss Hellman, noted author of "The Little Foxes," "The Children's Hour" (which reached the screen as "These Three"), "Watch on the Rhine" and other successes, is making this departure from her usual writing procedure, it was said, in order to get the tale of the heroic young Russians before the world as quickly as possible. Having abandoned the first draft of the story she intended as a play, Miss Hellman is already at work on the film script. Goldwyn plans production immediately upon completion of the script. He has already obtained the necessary visas from the Soviet government to permit Miss Hellman and a director to go to Russia to gather photographic background and story material. Ginger Rogers May Star In Rachel Field Story Paramount, owner of the screen rights to Rachel Field's novel, "And Now Tomorrow," has offered Ginger Rogers the opportunity to play the lead in the planned production. Miss Rogers, pleased with her roles of the recent past as a dramatic actress, had asked the studio for more of that type. She is now reading the book and will advise the studio whether s!ie will take the role. RKO-Radio Taking to Horror Apparently believing in the financial possibilities of the horror picture, RKO has made up a schedule of the Boo dramas, and in one of the first, "The Cat People," is placing a wellknown cast. Tom Conway, "The Falcon's Brother," has been added to Simone Simon and Kent Smith. Jack Tourneur will be directing the Val Lewton production shortly. Readies "The Powers Girls" Top-name cast and director have been lined up for "The Powers Girls" with shooting scheduled to begin in mid-August. George Murphy gets the top role on the male side, while Priscilla Lane and Carole Landis handle the feminine leads. Norman McLeod has been borrowed from MGM for direction. Executive Committee for Fund Sol Lesser, Basil Rathbone and S. K. Lauren have been appointed to the Executive Committee of the M. P. Relief Fund. The three new members accepted their appointments immediately. Republic Gives Credit Screen credit will be given Curtis-Wright Corp. and William D. Pawley, co-founder of the A.V.G. for assistance rendered during the production of "Flying Tigers." Fimberg to Script "Johnny" The final screenplay for "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" has been entrusted to the pen of Hal Fimberg. Dear Mr. Exhibitor's Wife: We've been invited to Monogram today for lunch and then onto the set of "Foreign Agent," the picture Martin Mooney and Max King are making. The invitation comes from Lou Lifton, head of publicity, and I know vire'U have l^^^^^-r^ * "''■^ time. l^^^BiijK^ ...^ "^"r ^""^t intro ^^BHsllrji ^'''^^ duction is to the ^H^^JP ~tL i .^k star of the picture, »^ -Jr» " ~ al ^^^^ Storm (they W M . fc, call her the Itzy Bitzy girl). While finding out where she hails from . . . Texas . . . we make note of her costume which consists of a Royal Blue Satin Blouse Bandeaux with a white sailor collar, ^*^^&^VJ^^B knee length v/hite (jm^Jj^L I^^M ^at'" skirt edged ^^^^BHjH^ ^'^^^H in blue and a white ^^^r J M£^f^^^^^ satin sailor hat. ^mfKtm £ W^'^'^^^^A v°^^ for a ^^flHlt # ^^^•H.^^^^A picture together. i^Tlt m making sure that mm. * M *^a^^ >^ ' " " ground, for with such a cute trick who wants to see the other person. Back on the set we go and we notice behind us Lyle Lattel, one of the players, being patched up by the maKeup man. He hurt his head in a fight scene and the bandage has to be concealed. That must have been some scene, for in spite of the bleeding and dizziness, Ljle finished it. This is one time when the blood in the recorded scene will be real, not just realistic. Producers Mooney and King come over and we discuss the story. They tell us how timely it is, for it's about eight spies, just like the ones that were caught by the F.B.I. Then Vince Harnett walks over and he gives us his version of the "perfect" spy, in dialect. THERE'S a funny guy. All around us are extras made up as sailors, soldiers and just ordinary civilians. Over there in a corner is a sailor sound asleep . . . but ready to go at a moment's notice just as they are in the field. The call comes through for the players, for the set is ready. This is a night club and Gale Storm, Lyle Lattel and Patsy Moran are to look through a wallet which Gale has picked off the floor after the fight is over. The director, William Beaudine, has explained everything so clearly that only one rehearsal is needed before the scene is shot. There's nothing more to be seen right now, so we bid adieu to all the people we've met. On our way out we meet John Shelton, the boy who is being co-starred with Gale Storm. He tells us that this is his last picture before going into the army. Good luck, John, to you and all our boys. Be seeing you again next week. ANN LEWIS Gale Storm, Monogram's "ItzyBitzy" girl, and your studio guide, Ann Lewis. Ambitious Schedule for Brown The first picture Clarence Brown will direct under his new MGM contract will be William Saroyan's "The Human Comedy." For his second, Brown will do "White Cliffs of Dover" and, in anticipation has received several thousand feet of film of the famed Dover Cliffs from England. The picture, based on Alice Duer Miller's poem, will be both a bonanza and a get-together for Hollywood's English actors and actresses. Strong Male Roster Allan Joslyn has been signed to a long term contract by 20th-Fox and is the tenth experienced male actor to be signed by the company in the past six or eight weeks. In the same period, no new faces have been signed. In all, the studio has 44 male plavers, givii'g it the strongest roster it has ever had. CORRECTION In last week's Hollywood Studio Closeup, year of birth of Producer Richard Blumenthal was inadvertently given as 1935. Actually, Blumenthal was born in Paris, December 10 1905.