Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1945)

March 10, 1945 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 41 Dear Mr. Exhibitor's Wife: Constance Bennett has come back to pictures after almost two years. She is producing "Paris Underground," in which she and Gracie Fields are co-starred. So let's go on the set and meet both of them. This United Artists release is being made from the best-seller of the same name. It's about two women, one an American and the other English, who after the fall of France, helped hundreds of AlUed fliers escape from the Gestapo. Today's set is very small, for it represents the hallway, stairs and elevator (which works) of the apartment building in which they live. It takes up only a tiny corner of the stage, the rest of the space being used for props and dressing rooms. These dressing rooms are close to the entrance, so that we must pass them to get to the "set." In the first one we see Miss Bennett and Director Gregory Ratoff busily engaged in going over the forthcoming scene, so we don't disturb them. In front of the next one we find Miss Fields industriously knitting. Around her are several unnamed players and friends forming a coterie of ambitious knitters. We stop to visit with Miss Fields first, and get many laughs from her entertaining ways. From there we continue past George Rigaud's empty dressing room to Kurt Kreuger's. There we find the Gestapo agent and villain of the picture, reading, so we stop to converse with him. On our way back to see Miss Bennett, we're introduced to Rigaiid, her leading man. Then on to Miss Bennett's dressing room we go, where we hardly begin talking with her when the call comes through for "everybody on set," which happens to be the top of the stairs. The space is too small for us to watch the proceedings, so we stand below talking to the star's secretary. From her we get a description of the powder blue, tropical Shetland .dressmaker suit she's wearing, with its lovely detail and bow-tie closing. With this she wears powder-blue shoes and her blonde, wind-blown hair is worn very short. (This is just one of the Adrian costumes she wears in the picture.) Although we can't see what's going on, v/e can hear all the dialog and every command that Director Ratoff gives as he fusses over the scene to perfect it. Sudden silence up above gives us a chance to sneak out. Until next week. Ann Lewis Second Warner Featurette The O. Henry Memorial prize-winning story, "The Trial in Tom Belcher's Store," will be filmed by Warner Bros, as the second in its series of two-reel featurettes. Screen version will be titled "A Boy and His Dog." Don Siegel, who recently finished "Star in the Night," will direct. Cramer Re-Signed by RKO Marc Cramer's option has been exercised by RKO Radio. He is currently working on three pictures for the studio : "Those Endearing Young Charms," "First Man Into Tokyo" and "George White's Scandals of 1945." Tree' Trio Together Again Lloyd Nolan has been named by 20th Century-Fox for a leading role in "Command to Embezzle" which will co-star Joan Blondell and James Dunn. This will mark the second time that the trio will appear together in the same film. Previously they enacted important roles in Betty Smith's "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." Louis King will direct. 'Manhattan Miracle' to RKO "Manhattan Miracle," an original melodrama by Earl Felton, has been purchased by RKO Radio. Arthur V. Jones wll do the screenplay. TALK IT OVER. Charles Laughton, in his make-up as "Captain Kidd," discusses the day's shooting with youthful Benedict Bogeaus, producer of the spectacle which stars Laughton in the title role with Randolph Scott and Barbara Britton co-starring. United Artists will release. 'Ghost of Berchtesgaden' Planned As Another Warner Timely' Prepared by reactions to the well-timed "Hotel Berlin," early production of another topical story, "The Ghost of Berchtesgaden" has been announced by Jack L. Warner, Warners' executive producer. Faye Emerson, Helmut Dantine and Andrea King of the "Hotel Berlin" cast, and possibly Raymond Massey, if he is available, will be in the new picture to be scripted by Joe Pagano and Alvah Bessie, who wrote the "Berlin" screenplay. Lou Edelman and Peter Godfrey will be reunited as producer and director, respectively. Also at Warners "Dancing With Tears," musical featuring hit tunes of the late '20s, has been placed on the production schedule of Alex Gottlieb. Gordon Kahn will do the original screenplay. 'Kiss and Tell' in Cutting Room Filming of F. Hugh Herbert's stage hit, "Kiss and Tell," which Sol C. Siegel and George Abbott are producing for Columbia release, was completed Thursday (March 8). Starring Shirley Temple, the picture has gone to the cutting room to be made ready for early sneak previews. 'Storm' to Start June 14 Producers William Pine and William Thomas have set June 14 as the starting date for "Storm," high-budget special for Paramount which has been in preparation for six months. The screenplay of George Stewart's best-selling novel has just been completed by Lewis R. Foster and Isabel Dawn. 'Swing Parade' for Karlstein Phil Karlstein has been set to direct "Swing Parade," forthcoming Monogram musical. Janies In Again Despite the retirement of Joyce Reynolds, Warners' "Janie" series will continue, latest word from the studio indicated this week. Right after Warners announced the series would be dropped, letters began pouring in from exhibitors, service men and fans, asking the studio to reconsider its decision. As a result, preparations have been resumed for "Janie Gets Married," which Alex Gottlieb will produce. Young actresses are being tested for a new Janie. Mark Sandrich Rites Held in Hollywood Funeral services for Mark Sandrich, 44, Paramount producer-director who died suddenly last Sunday at his home in Hollywood, were held Tuesday afternoon at Wilshire Boulevard Temple (B'nai B'rith), with Rabbi Magnin officiating. After eating dinner Sunday evening, Sandrich went into the library to read and a short time later was found dead in his chair by Mrs. Sandrich. For several months Sandrich had been busy with preparations for producing and directing Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies" for Paramount, with Bing Crosby starred. His most recently released production was "Here Come the Waves." Others were "Holiday Inn," "Skylark," "Buck Benny Rides Again," "Love Thy Neighbor," "Man About Town," "I Love a Soldier" and "So Proudly We Hail." Sandrich became a top-flight director when he made "The Gay Divorcee" for RKO, which presented Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in their first starring roles. Then came "Top Hat," followed by three more Astaire-Rogers pictures in a row, "Follow the Fleet," "Shall We Dance" and "Carefree." Sandrich then turned to drama, directing Katharine Hepburn in "A Woman Rebels." He joined Paramount in 1938, and only a year ago signed a new contract to produce and direct one picture a year, with the right to produce three pictures for other companies during the five-year period. Monogram to Start Five Features During Current Month Five features are scheduled to go into production at Monogram this month, according to Trem Carr, executive director. Of the quintet, only two are westerns. "Here Comes Trouble" started March 5, while "Sunbonnet Sue" is set for a March 15th starting date. Then follows "Springtime in Texas" (March 19), "Prison Babies" (March 22) and "Under Nevada Skies" (March 26). Sparks Named to Advisory Board Robert S. Sparks has been named to an executive post on the recently created Advisory Board at Universal Pictures, and will co-ordinate all writing activities. Gwen O'Brien, story editor, and Ruth Barrett, head of the scenario department, will continue to function in their present capacities. Deighton 'U' Casting Director Howard Deighton has been appointed casting director of Universal Studios, succeeding Robert Speers, recently made a member of the new Advisory Board, in charge of talent. Deighton assumes his new duties immediately. Girard to Produce 'Angels' William Girard will produce "Angels in White," a story of war nurses and their experiences in training and during combat, which 20th Century-Fox will film. Lynn Bari will star. RKO Stock Company Totals 54 Constituting one of the largest stock companies ever carried by the studio, RKO Radio now has a total of 54 players under term contract, 28 of them men. — ADV. Can^t Get It? Joe Hornstein Has It