Showmen's Trade Review (Jul-Sep 1945)

September 29, 1945 S H O M E N ' S T R A D K R R V I E W 35 Studio Stfiallittf Dear Mr. Exhibitor's Wife: We're going to Paramount today to see what's going on on the "Blue Skies" set where Bing Crosby is working. This is the Technicolor picture that has Bing, Fred Astaire, Joan Caulfield and Olga San Juan heading a very fine cast, with Stuart Heisler directing. Though the picture will contain over thirty of Irving Berlin's songs, it is not the story of his life. It is about a guy who has a passion for small, intimate night clubs, but who never hangs on to them. He establishes one, and then immediately disposes of it to go on to another. The clubs have such interesting names as Flapjack, Hole in the Wall, Songbook, Samovar, Top Hat and Cracker Barrel Cafe. They are all large replicas of what their names signify. The Cracker Barrel Cafe is the one we enter. And •here we find Bing among a group of AAF men who are also visiting. They are the forty-five members of, the 2nd Air Force football team, called "The Bombers," who are in town to play the 4th Air Force men. A terrific amount of excitement reigns, for action has been halted to get a photograph of Bing with the boys. This takes some doing. After it is accomplished, another with Bing, Olga and three of the men is set up. There's a lot of kidding with this one, for the fellow next to Olga is a big hulk of a guy and when he attempts to put his arm around tiny Olga, it causes quite a bit of comment and laughter from his comrades. The men leave as soon as this is over. Then the technicians start setting up for the next shot. While they do this, we wander around and find the club a very atractive, homey place. With its green-checkered tablecloths, its vertical barrel halves which are used for decorations and flowers, and its plant tubs that have farm implements used as stakes, so that among the leaves one sees a pitchfork, a hoe. a rake, etc. The year is 1925, which makes Olga's tight-fitting, tioor-length black dress the proper outfit. With this she wears a feather boa hat and muff and a huge rhinestone pin at the low neckline, with earrings and necklace to match. It's hard to tell what Bing's suit will be like, for all this time he's been in his shirt sleeves and suspenders (the script calls for this), but the trouser pockets certainly look different from present-day styles. It is now lunch-time, so the cast is dismissed. This giv«9 us an opportunity to say "hello" to Bing and to discuss the picture with him. Although he speaks highly of the film in its entirety, it is the new Berlin number. You Keep Coming Back Like a Song, with which he is particularly smitten. He predicts its ininstantaneous success, which we don't doubt, especially with him introducing it. We meet Olga and the director just before we go off for lunch ourselves. Until next week. Ann Lewis To Cast Only War Veterans Producer 'Dore Schary has pledged himself to -.ign only honorably discharged war veterans for the lesser male roles in RKO Radio's "They Dream of Home," an adaptation of Niven Busch's best-seller novel of the readjustment of marine heroes to civilian life. Production will ^tart on October 1 at the San Diego U. S. Marins Separation Center under Edward Dmytryk's direction. Indians Study Picture Making Three producer-dirfectors and a technician, representing the Indian motion picture industry, now in Hollywood on the first postwar mission from that country, have made two visits to the Paramount Studio to observe camera work and study other technical activities. The mission, which has the approval of the government of India, includes Roop K. Shorey, Kidar Sharma. K. S. Hirlekar of Bombay and S. Soundara Rajan of Madras. Palmer Scripts 'Step by Step' Stuart Palmer, recently honorably discharged from the Army, has been assigned to write the script for "Step by Step," the RKO Radio mystery. Story is an original by George Callahan. READY TO RUSH. On the set of RKO Radio's "From This Day Forward," Star Joan Fontaine makes ready to rush into the arms of Mark Stevens (out of camera range) while Director John Berry, on her left, seems deep in thought. Script Girl Ann Pyle (extreme left) concentrates on timing and dialog for the scene. Cecilia Callejo Gets Lead Cecilia Callejo, Castilian beauty and newcomer to the screen, will be Johnny Weissmuller's leading lady in "Swamp Fire," forthcoming drama of the Louisiana bayous, to be produced for Paramount by Bill Pine and Bill Thomas. Writing 'Bowery Boys' Story Irving Elman has checked in at Monogram to write an original screenplay, under the title, "Terry Comes Marching Home," for the second in the new Bowery Boys series with Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall and Billy Benedict. Jan Grippo is the producer. McCord Returns to Warners Ted McCord, after three years of U. S. Army service in the European sector, has returned to the Warner Bros, studio and resumed his post of, first cameraman. Serial Withdrawn from Air .After three years as a radio serial, .\nne Nichol's "Abie's Irish Rose" has been withdrawn from the air pending its production as a motion picture by Miss Nichols, Bing Crosby and Eddie Sutherland. Wife Wanted' to Kay Francis "Wife Wanted," a novel by Robert E. Calla!ian, has been purchased by Monogram as the company's third story to star Kay Francis, and to be produced by Miss Francis and Jeffrey Bernerd. Abrahams Directing 'Rollin' Along' Derwin M. Abrahams has been signed to direct "Rollin' Along," Monogram western special with Johnny Mack Brown and Raymond Hatton, scheduled to start this week. Myrna Loy's First for RKO .\Iyrna Loy's first starring role under her recently announced RKO Radio contract will be in "Come Share My Love." This is the picturization of the popular Kay Swift novel, "Who Could Ask for Anything More?" Ida Lupino, Errol Flynn Co-Star Ida Lupino and Errol Flynn will be co-starred in Warners' "Escape Me Never," based on Margaret Kennedy's novel, "The Fool of the Family." Peter Godfrev will direct. ADVANCE DOPE BAD BASCOMB (MGM) Drama. Principals: Wallace Beery, Margaret O'Brien, Marjorie Main, Frances Rafferty. Director, S. Sylvan Simon. Plot: Following a raid on a small town bank, three notorious bandits seek refuge with a band of Mormons, and are accepted in the guise of converts. When they feel safe again, they plan the robbing of a wagon train carrying gold, but find their plans upset when Indians attack the caravan. One of the bandits is killed, the other gives himself up because of a little child whose life he has saved and the people he has come to respect. The third remains with the Mor mons, turns straight, and marries the girl with whom he fell in love. THE HOODLUM SAINT (MGM) Drama. Principals: William Powell, Esther Williams, Angela Lansbury. Director, Norman Taurog. Plot: After World War I, an ex-newspaperman becomes successful on an important paper, and while in this position is able to help an old gang of his financially. He turns them straight by making them believe in the patron saint of Hoodlums, St. Dismas, and their belief helps them to become successful. After the crash of 1929, they are all wiped out, so they plan to filch the public for donations to the patron saint, and then skip with the money. The newspaperman discovers this in time to straighten them out, but he dies in the attempt. THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE (MGM) Drama. Principals: Lana Turner, John Garfield, Cecil Kellaway, Hume Cronyn. Director, Tay Garnett. Plot: An arrogant young hitchhiker stops at a roadside cafe and falls in love with the unhappy wife of the proprietor. Faced with deceit and a hide-and-seek affair, they kill her husband. Although acquitted of the murder charge, and free to marry, they are still suspected by tlie district attorney. They now begin to fear and distrust each other until he proves his love by saving her from drowning. On their waj' home, happy at last, she is killed in an auto accident and, by an ironical twist of fate, he is convicted of her murder. SUNBONNET SUE (Mono.) Drama. Principals: Gale Storm, Phil Regan, Minna Goml)ell, George Cleveland. Director, Ralph Murphy. Plot: This is the story of the conflict between a divided family; one part living on the Bowery in New York and the other having graduated to the upper crust of Society. Mixed up in this is the young girl who sings in her father's saloon, who finds herself torn between her loyalty to the father and her aunt's social ambitions. Politics also become involved, for the man running for Alderman in the downtown district is in love with her, and she with him. , Thej' finallj' get together after the girl's coming-out party is broken up, for the governor takes a hand and settles all disputes. WE SAY You Can't Beat if SPECIAL TRAILERS^^ On Your Next Order and See .^HH Can't Get ItP Joe Hormtein Has It