Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1944)

f April 1, 1944 SHOWMEN," S TRADE REVIEW 35 IN HOLLYWOOD IT'S NEWS... Richard Thorpe will direct "The Thin Man" when he "Goes Home"; that's the one in which Myrna Loy returns also . . . RKO's "Deadline at Dawn" will be I met by Adrian Scott, producer, and Harold Clurman I director . . . John Carradine will be a broken-down ' Shakespearean actor in Jack London's "Trail of the Yukon"; a cold house can be colder than the Yukon I . . . Musical score of "The Hairy Ape" will be made I into symphonic form by the musical director, Nicholas F. Michelet . . . Bernie Wayne and Ben Raleigh will do two songs for "Out of This World" . . . Republic tells us that they employ a 48-piece orchestra in reI cording music for Roy Rogers westerns . . . Warren ' Wilson is producing "Twilight on the Prairie" and Jean Yarbrough is directing its action . . . Busby Berkeley uses a camera boom on a truck while the ' vehicles are traveling 30 miles an hour for "Cinderella Jones" . . . Rita Hayworth and Janet Blair were dancing so much "Tonight and Every Night" that they needed two dance directors, Jack Cole and Val Raset ... A new story by Alexander-Stern says "I Accuse My Parents" ; that's better than self-condemnation . , . RKO is taking care of "That Hunter Girl" and borrowed for her, Edgar Buchanan in a top role, John Elliott as dialogue director, and Edward Killy as Richard Wallace's directorial assistant . . . Fred Allen is due in Hollywood June 5 to star in Jack Skirball's untitled comedy for United Artists; and saying untitled comedy is not taking a crack at Fred Allen's I style . . . "Enchanted Forest," which Jack Schwarz will produce for PRC, probably hides one of those fairy treasures, for it will carry the biggest budget in PRC's history . . . W. R. Frank is almost ready to tradeshow "The Private Life of Dr. Paul Joseph Goebbels" ; he'd better hurry or we'll be expecting the real-life cast . . . Walt Lantz' character. "Woody I Woodpecker," supplies the name for the machine guns I of the boys at Camp Haan . . . Bill Goodwin, the "Swan" is being groomed for more comedy roles in pictures . . . Charles Coburn, the perennial "wower," is all set to "wow" them on Broadway with a play, as soon as his chore in "The Impatient Years" is finished . . . Harry Carey, we hear, has scored a personal triumph in the Harry Joe Brown-John Golden play, ! "I'll Be Seeing You" . . . Marsha Hunt is back from ■ an entertainment trip so secret she daren't say where she went; but she does say that movies, mail and manual labor are the whole life of American troops on the outskirts of the world . . . Greer Garson won a double in Canada; She was voted the best actress of 1943, and the exhibitors voted her top box-office for the year . . . Even bears are choosey over their meat ; the 700 pound Russian Bear which wrestled with Bob Hope in "The Road to Utopia" without biting him, bit his owner, Stanley Beebe, so severely some days ago, that he is in the hospital. (The owner, not the bear.) Swing Pianist to Lead Band Benny Goodman and Director Archie Mayo will back swing pianist Jess Stacy's debut as a band leader. The Goodman pianist, who is portraying himself in 20th Century-Fox's "Sweet and Low-Down," decided to front a band of his own when Benny made his recent announcement that he was disbanding the Goodman orchestra on completion of their current film. Now, Archie Mayo, who is directing "Sweet and Low-Down," has decided to back the Stacy band financially. MGM Buys Cronin Novel One of the top story purchases of the year is that of A. J. Cronin's latest novel, "The Green Years," announced by MGM. Still in manuscript form, the story will not be published until next Fall. Sale was arranged through the Frank W, Vincent agency. Program Notes From the Studios {Continued from Page 34) Conan Doyle's "The Five Napoleons," will be the next production for Universal ProducerDirector Roy William Neill, co-starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. Production is tentatively set for April 10. ►"San Antonio," colorful story of the early days of the Texas city, will be Errol Flynn's next starring vehicle for Warner Bros. Raoul Walsh, recently handed a new long-term contract at the studio, again -will direct Flynn. On the set of RKO Radio's "Heavenly Days," Director Howard Estabrook (left! coaches the children who play little refugees in the Fibber McGee and Molly comedy. Visitor on the set (at the right) is STR's Ann Lewis, who describes one of film's scenes in her column, appearing below. Ml6-. SAoiu*Ha*t Qo-ei Dear Mr. Exhibitor's Wife: Children's voices yelling "Okey-dokey" greet us as we enter the set of "Heavenly Days" over at RKO. That's the studio we've chosen for today because we want to meet Fibber McGee and Molly. As we get closer, we see eight youngsters, each of a different nationality, ranging in age from 6 to 12, dancing up and down, clapping their hands and yelling to their hearts' content. (They get paid for this.) Scene is the living room of Fibber's cousin's home in Washington where Fibber accidentally bumped into the children when he came to call. Each child is wearing a Red Cross Refugee identification tag, having been sent to this home for temporary refuge. Fibber's cousin was supposed to receive them, but he has been called away and it is now up to Fibber and Molly to see what they can do. At a command from Director Howard Estabrook they all hush simultaneously, except for an extra "Okey-dokey" from the piping voice of the Chinese boy. This makes everyone laugh, breaking up the proceedings for a few minutes. While Estabrook is explaining the next scene to the children, Molly comes in and sits down to one side awaiting her call. She looks very Springy in her navy blue two-piece dress trimmed in white pique. At the same time Fibber's standin gets seated on a low stool close to where the next action takes place. From what we can gather, here's the way the next "take" should go; Fibber, seated on a stool, teases the children, claiming he can do whatever they do. They crowd around him, booing him and one pulls the stool out from under him, so that he lands on the floor. Then another one does the Russian Kazotski and dares Fibber to do it too. Scene is hysterically funny, once Fibber is in it, and we all have a swell time, especially since rehearsals have to be repeated several times. Our admiration goes out to Estabrook and Fibber and Molly for their patience and for the admirable way they work with the children. Estabrook comes over to greet us, and when we express a desire for a still of the children, he is kind enough to arrange for it on the spot. We're introduced to Molly, and find her as charming a lady as we who admire her, expected her to be. When all the excitement dies down, they go back to work and we sneak out quietly so as not to disturb them. Until next week. Ann Lewis P.S. Since writing the above lines, we have been advised of Fibber's serious illness, lobar pneumonia. We. along with his millions of fans, are hoping and praying for his quick recovery, for Tuesday night is void and empty without the genial good humor of Fibber McGee coming from our radio set. It's Now 'Sensations of 1945' Due to long runs of motion pictures on the current market, title of Andrew Stone's "Sensations of 1944" has been changed to "Sensations of 1945." HOLLYWOOD STUDIO ROUXD-LP Eight new pictures were started in production last week. This compares with a total of ten new productions started in the equivalent week last year. Hollywood studios at which new pictures were started last week are : COLUMBIA UNTITLED MUSICAL FEATURE-Principals : Kay Kyser, Ann Miller, Victor Moore. Director, Leiiih Jason. * MONOGRAM h'^'^^^w", ■^^r tTHE IRISH-Principals: James Dunn, Wanda McKay, Dick Purcell, Arthur Loft, y'"'^?. Ba"iett Jack LaRue, Barbara Woodell. Director, Wilham Beaudme. MGM HAREM-Principals; Abbott and Cosello, Marilan Maxwell, John Conte, Murrav Leonard Director, Charles P. Reisner. RKO UNTITLED MUSICAL-Principals: Anne Shirley, Dennis Day, Phillip Terry, Raymond Walburn Director, John H. Auer. REPUBLIC SECRETS OF SCOTLAND YARD-Principals : Edgar Barrier, Stephanie Bachelor, C. Aubrey Smith Lionel Atwill, Walter Kingsford. Director, George Blair. ^ 20th CENTURY-FOX GOOD NEIGHBORS— Principals: Laurel & Hardy, Uoris Merrick, Helene Reynolds. Director, Mai St Llair. UNIVERSAL THE SINGING SHERIFF— Principals: No one selected. Director, Leslie Goodwins TWILIGHT ON THE PRAIRIE— Principals : Eddie L'uillan, Connie Haines, Leon Errol, Johnny Downs Director, Gene Yarbrough. TITLE CHANGES (Universal) now ALl "Dixie Showboat" (PRC) now DIXIE JAMBOREE. "Slick Chick" (Universal) now ALLERGIC TO LOVE. PCA Signs Frank Tours Frank Tours has been signed as the new musical director for Producers Corporation of .America, according to Sig Schlager, president of the organization. Tours replaces Jacques Samossoud who has severed his connection with the company. Samossoud was the musical director for PC.A.'s "Knickerbocker Holiday." Tours has been active in motion picture music for many years and is currently the music director for the Ma.xwell Coffee radio program, featuring Fannie Brice and Frank :Morgan. Team Susanna Foster, Jon Hall Susanna Foster and Jon Hall have been teamed by Producers Michael Fessier and Ernest Pagano to play the romantic leads in Ruth McKenney's original comedy drama, "San Diego I Love You" for Universal. Susanna achieved stardom last year in "The Phantom of the Opera," and is currently working in "The Clima.x'' with Turhan Bey and Boris KarlofT. Production of "San Diego I Love You" is slated to start April 3. -| ADV. Can't Get It? Joe Hornstem Has It