Showmen's Trade Review (Jul-Sep 1945)

July 7, 1945 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REA'IEW 25 Four Films Set to Start This Month at Monogram Four new Monogram films will go before the cameras this month, according to Trem Carr. executive director. "Suspense," psychological drama by Alfred Zeisler and Dennis Cooper, started July 6, with Zeisler directing for producer Lindsley Parsons. Same day marked the start of the fourth in the Cisco Kid series, as yet untitled, starring Duncan Renaldo with Martin Garralaga. Sixteenth of the month is the starting date of "Swing Parade." musical starring Gale Storm and Phil Regan with Mantan Moreland, Ben Carter and the bands of Will Osborne and Louis Jordan, directed by Del Lord for producer Harry Romm. Fourth film of the month, also set for the 16th, will be the fourth in the western series starring Jimmy Wakely with Lee "Lasses" White, produced and directed by Oliver Drake. To Get Team's Literary Output Paramount has entered into an agreement with the writing team of Ruth McKenney, author of "My Sister Eileen" and Richard Bransten for one story annually. The couple, who have been working in Hollywood for the past year, arc coming back to Connecticut to write, and Paramount will have first rights to their annual output. RKO Signs Ralph Edwards Ralph Edwards, master of ceremonies on the popular "Truth or Consequences" radio program, has been signed by RKO Radio to a term contract by which the studio will have exclusive call on his film services for two pictures a year. In signing the contract, Edwards will not abandon his radio brainchild. Cast Set for 20th's 'Smoky' John Russell has been added to the cast of 20th Century-Fox's "Smoky," the classic horse story by Will James. Previously Fred MacMurray, Lynn Bari, Randolph Scott and .\nne Baxter had been signed for important roles. Ann Dvorak for Trail Town' Ann Dvorak has been engaged by Jules Levey to co-star with Randolph Scott and Barbara Britton in Guild Productions' dramatization of the Ernest Haycox best-seller, "Trail Town," which United Artists will release. Cutler Signs Goldwyn Pact Victor Cutler, recently released from the Army after winning a Purple Heart for his part in the New Guinea campaign, has been signed to a contract by Samuel Goldwyn and will play the role of a photographer in the forthcoming Danny Kaye Technicolor comedy, "The Kid from Brooklyn." WB Signs Patti Brady Patti Brady, eight-year-old Broadway actress who just finished an engagement in "Song of Norway," has been signed by Warner Bros, and will appear with Errol Flynn and Eleanor Parker in "Don't Ever Leave Me." Ladd, Hutton to Co-Star Alan Ladd and Betty Hutton will co-star in Paramount's "California," Technicolor romance of the early days of the Golden State. Set'on L Miller will produce the picture, which is scheduled for a fall start. Coulouris Gets WB Pact George Coulouris, no\/ appearing in "Confidential Agent" at Warner Bros., has been signed to a long-term contract. THREE-YEAR 'WINNER. For the third successive year Greer Garson has been selected by English moviegoers as their favorite actress. In the photo above, on the set of MGM's "This Strange Adventure," in which she costars with Clark Gable, she is shown receiving the Picture Goer's Gold Cup, Britain's highest honor for distinguished achievement, from British Consul General Henry B. Livingston. 4 Originals for PRC, One By Fabian Circuit Gen'l Mgr. Purchase of two original stories, "The Mummy's Daughter" and "Prison Farm," for PRC's 1945-46 program were announced this week by Leon Fromkess. Two previously announced purchases were "The Vanishing Gangster," by Police Lt. Maurice Spevak, and "Queen of Diamonds," by Lou Golding, general manager of the Fabian-Wilmer & Vincent circuit. Rights for Wurdemann Book Paramount has closed a pre-publication deal for the screen rights to the forthcoming novel. "The Life and Times of Uncle Jan Horak," to be written by the poetess, Audrey Wurdemann. The book, a story of a Bohemian family in Wisconsin, will be published by Simon and Schuster. Miss Wurdemann is the wife of Joseph Auslander, one of America's best known poets. Ira Gershwin Assigned Twentieth Century-Fox has signed L'a Gershwin to write the lyrics for "The Shocking Miss Pilgrim," the Ernest and Frederica Maas story of the first woman stenographer. Gershwin's last assignment for the company, in collaboration with Kurt Weill, was the Technicolor musical, "Where Do We Go from Here?" Karlson to Direct 'Parade' Phil Karlson has been signed as director of "Swing Parade," Alonogram musical to co-star Gale Storm and Phil Regan, with the orchestras of Will Osborne and Louis Jordan. Harry Romm produces, and filming starts July 16, it is announced by Trem Carr. executive director. Three 'Time Charlie Charlie Smith is working in three motion pictures at two studios. At Paramount he is playing a student in "The Trouble With Women," which stars Ray Milland, Teresa Wright and Brian Donlevy. At 20th Century-Fox Smith is playing a musician in "Kitten on the Keys" and a cook in "The Enchanted Voyage." Smith is well remembered as Dizzy in Paramount's Henry Aldrich series. Dear Mr. Exhibitor's Wife : Wolves (the two-legged kind), Red Riding Hood and Powder Puffs are all mixed together in the scene they're shooting over at Paramount today, for the Ray Milland-Teresa Wright picture, "The Trouble With Women." When I heard this, it sounded like so much fun that I arranged for us to go there. Milland and Teresa get mixed up (or should I say, messed up) with all these things because he is a snooty professor who has written a book called "The Subjugation of Women," and she, a newspaper-woman, is out to make him eat his words. After she is successful in interesting h'm in her, she takes him to a burlesque show to frame him. She has a cameraman planted to catch the compromising pictures the girls of the chorus are going to help her p"et. Set is a Burlesque Theatre. Iris Adrian is the Queen. Stage setting is a wooded forest, and in the pit, facing the stage, sits the photographer who is to snap the incriminating shots. On stage are some typical burlesque girls, slightly heavier than the usual "beauty" chorines. Each carries a large 18-inch powder pufT and a basket filled with powder, and wears the customary chorus costume. Teresa and Milland are standing in the wings and the girls join them when Director Sidney Lanfield gives the order for a rehearsal. The scene starts with Iris coming into the forest, wearing a Red Riding Hood Cape and carrying a basket on her arm. She sings softly to the strains of some background music. When she reaches the center of the stage, a pufT of wind carries her cape away and she is left standing in her bra and shorts. She immediately switches to a snappy number, and as she does this, the chorus comes out, dragging Milland with them, singing and pummeling him with their puffs. He takes an awful beating, for the puffs are made of large pieces of wood and have long wooden handles . . . and it's impossible to miss giving him some good hard whacks every once in a while. By the time Director Lanfield calls a halt, Milland looks like something out of this world. He is covered with powder from bead to foot. So much so, that he cannot see through the glasses he wears. Besides this, he has his hand around the throat of one of the girls when the flashlight bulb goes off. It takes several rehearsals and several takes before Lanfield is satisfied with the scene and okays the take. It is then we visit with Teresa Wright and get a chance to speak to Milland. who complains of being all black-and-blue from the beating he's taken. When our time is up, we don't mind leaving, for we've had a very enjoyable time. Until next week. Ann Lewis John Considine Back to MGM John W. Considine. Jr., for twelve years a producer at MGM, has now returned to that studio after an absence of four months. His first production under his new contract probably will be "The Gripsholm," with the story taking place aboard the ship which has been used to exchange prisoners throughout the present war. Tlie story is by Bob Considine, who was coauthor with Ted W. Lavvson of "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo." New Technique in Technicolor A new technique in Technicolor will be unfolded by Stuart Heisler and Cinematographer Charles Lang in the photography of "Blue Skies" for Paramount. Heisler and Lang will not work with the customary Technicolor lighting but will employ the principle of black and white lighting in Technicolor, process with which Heisler experimented recently in tlie army. Del Lord Withdraws Conflicting commitments have forced the withdrawal of Del Lord as director of "Swing I'arade," Monogram musical to be produced by Harry Romm. Lord is now beginning preparations for a Judy Canova picture at Columbia.