Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1943)

40 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW October 23, 1943 HOME IN INDIANA (Fox) (Technicolor) Drama. Principals: Walter Brennan, Lon McAllister, Jeanne Grain, June Haver, Charles Dingle. Plot: A feud over a woman, between two horse-owners, lasted for twenty years. Then along came the nephew of the one man and he meets the granddaughter of the other one. The boy, a natural horseman, gets a job as a hand on the other man's farm, without knowing of his uncle's feud. He and one of the trainers secretly breed a horse from each stable. This filly is entered in a race, but she loses because she has inherited her mare's blindness. Director, Henry Hathaway. GOING MY WAY (Para.) Drama-WithMusic. Principals: Bing Crosby, Rise Stevens, Barry Fitzgerald, James Brown, Jean Heather. Plot: Bing Crosby, as a young priest, althletic and music-loving, is sent to rehabilitate a run-down parish. With the help of a former schoolmate, who has become an opera star, and another former schoolmate who has likewise become a priest, Bing succeeds in selling his music and paying off the church debt and in forming a boys' choir. Rents 'Shooting' Space With every sound stage at Republic occupied and with a heavy schedule for the balance of the month, the studio has rented space at the Fine Arts Studio for the next Jane Withers picture, 'Rhythm Revelry," scheduled to start soon with Anthony Mann directing. The picture, produced by Harry Grey, will include Frank Craven in a lead role, and have Jimmy (Henry Aldrich) Lydon in the romantic lead for his first grownup characterization. Frank Plans New Picture Immediately upon completing "Dr. Paul Joseph Goebbels, His Life and Loves," W. R. Frank will start preparations on his next picture, "Springtime in Vienna," which will be a musical with a pre-war background. As in the case of Goebbels, Frank will not make releasing arrangements on "Springtime in Vienna" until after the picture is completed. The producer-exhibitor has slated Claudia Drake to star in the next picture, with Alfred Zeisler directing. 300 'Princess O'Rourke' Openings As a result of exhibitor response following trade showings of "Princess O'Rourke," Warner Bros, has set 300 simultaneous nationwide openings for October 23, national release date for the picture. Charles Einfeld, director of publicity and advertising, has announced that an additional $200,000 above the present budget is being spent for newspaper advertising campaigns to launch 300 openings. Rene Clair Film Starts Rene Clair's "It Happened Tomorrow" has gone before the cameras at General Service Studios with Dick Powell, Linda Darnell and Jack Oakie in starring roles. The picture is being produced by Arnold Pressburger for United Artists release. This is the story that Colonel Frank Capra planned to produce as his next picture when the Army intervened. He subsequently sold the property to Pressburger. He straightens out a romance between two young people and finally wins over all the resentful and apathetic parishioners with whom he has to contend. Director, Leo McCarey. THREE CHEERS FOR THE BOYS (Univ.) Comedy-DramaWith-Music. Principals: George Raft, Zorina, Charles Grapewin, Grace McDonald, Susanna Foster and hosts of others. Plot: A U.S.O. Camp unit embarks from San Francisco for Australia. In it are many prominent people of stage, screen and radio. Among them is George Raft and his dancing partner, Zorina. In the mid-Pacific they are torpedoed and Raft is among those lost. Then Zorina, who was his estranged wife, recalls the days before he became a success and a cutback shows his life. She also reveals the secret that she is soon to become a mother. Director, Eddie Sutherland. MAN IN HALF MOON STREET (Para.) Drama. Principals: Nils Asther, Helen Walker, Reinhold Schunzel, Brandon Hurst, Paul Cavanagh. Director, Ralph Murphy. Plot: A young scientist who believes he has found the secret of immortality, commits a series of murders in order to further his experiments. Just as Scotland Yard starts to close in on him and he realizes the impossibility of concealing his secret from his fiancee, nature takes over. Buys Equipment, Signs Director PRC has purchased all the equipment of the old Fine Arts Studio, for a cash price of $60,000. The studio had been acquired recently by PRC for a price of $305,000. Leon Fromkess, vicepresident in charge of production, has also announced the signing of Edgar Ulmer to a term contract, making Ulmer the first director placed under contract by the company. Artur Rubinstein's Film Debut Artur Rubinstein, celebrated Polish pianist, will make his first motion picture appearance in "Three Cheers for the Boys," Charles K. Feldman's all-star production for Universal release. He has selected Chopin's Polonaise in A-Flat Major, which he has been playing with notable success in Army camp appearances for his stint in the picture. Hopalong Cassidy Troupe Home Harry Sherman's western troupe has returned to Hollywood after spending a week at Big Bear, Calif., filming location scenes for "Timber," 53rd Hopalong Cassidy in the United Artists western sleuth series. Led by William Boyd, the cast of 85 cowboys performed actual logging operations under the supervision of Government Forest Rangers. Marshall Contract Renewed Paramount has concluded a deal with Director George Marshall for another year. Now preparing the elaborate Texas Guinan musical, "Incendiary Blonde" to star Betty Hutton, Marshall recently completed "True to Life," "Riding High" and "And the Angels Sing," all awaiting release. Illness Halts 'Buffalo Bill' Shooting on "Buffalo Bill" was halted at 20th Century-Fox because of the illness of Joel McCrea who plays the title role and who is in 350 of the 427 scenes in the Technicolor production. RHAPSODY IN BLUE (WB) DramaWith-Music. Principals: Joan Leslie, Robert Alda, Alexis Smith, Charles Coburn, Julie Bishop, Morris Carnovsky, Paul Whiteman. Plot: From his first lesson in music at a penny arcade to the day of his untimely death, this is the story of George Gershwin, the man destined to follow his love of music to lasting fame. At the age of 18 he was playing professionally, first in vaudeville and later as a song plugger for a music publishing firm. His first number was introduced by Al Jolson and from then on fame and fortune flooded his life. Director, Irving Rapper. COVER GIRL (Technicolor) (Col.) Comedy-With-Music. Principals: Rita Hay worth, Jinx Falkenburg, Gene Kelly, Phil Silvers, Leslie Brooks, Anita Colby. Plot: The owner of a nondescript night club in Brooklyn runs his place like a benevolent dictator. The star attraction is his girl friend. She enters a contest sponsored by Vanity Magazine. When she wins, she becomes a legend. Offering her a starring part in a Broadway musical, she turns it down until the owner fires her. From then on their paths separate, so she agrees to marry her producer. At the last moment, however, she is saved and goes back to the owner of the night club whom she loves. Director, Charles Vidor. WILD-HORSE ROUNDUP (Univ.) Western. Principals: Tex Ritter, Fuzzy Knight, Jennifer Holt, Dennis Moore, Johnny Bond and his Red River Valley Boys. Plot: Two men are assigned to trail and capture the outlaw leader whose band has been stealing herds of captured wild mustangs before they can be delivered on contract to the U. S. Army. Disguised as cowpunchers, they arrive in town in time to witness a robbery. One of them is wounded and he is removed by a young lady to her hideout in the mountains. It is through her that they finally straighten out the mess. Director, Lewis D. Collins. CANYON CITY (Rep.) Western. Principals: Donald Barry, Wally Vernon, Morgan Conway, Twinkle Watts, Helen Talbot. Plot: An eastern business agent sent to buy the dam and water rights owned by a group of local ranchers in a small town, creates trouble in order to get possession of the million dollars in purchase money he holds. Things seem to be going his way, for he has had the honest Senator killed, when along comes a public-spirited young citizen who takes matters in hand. He helps the dead man's daughter pin the guilt on the right man, and with his disposal peace reigns again. Director, Spencer Rennet. THE LODGER (Fox) Mystery-Drama. Principals: Merle Oberon, George Sanders, Laird Cregar, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Sara Allgood, Aubrey Mather. Plot: In London, a family whose finances are at a low ebb, take in a lodger just about the time the place is in an uproar over a series of murders. The man is a quiet, unassuming fellow and they have no suspicions about him until the newspapers print stories about the satchel the murderer carries, and they catch him burning his. The daughter of the family, an actress, is almost killed by the man before the police catch up with him. Director, John Brahm. KLONDIKE KATE (Col.) Drama. Principals: Sheldon Leonard, Ann Savage, George Cleveland, Lester Allen, Glenda Farrell, Tom Neal. Director, William Castle. Plot: The Klondike in the year 1897 was a world in itself, lawless and bawdy. On the same train with a troupe of showgirls, is a young lady who has come to take possession of a piece of property left her by her father. Her property is the town Hotel and Dance Hall being operated by a young man. She takes a job as singer, makes a hit with both audience and young man. Director, William Castle. NEWS FROM HOLLYWOOD