Showmen's Trade Review (1945)

3TR West Coast Offices 6777 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood 28, Calif. Telephone, Hollywood 2065 PRODUCTION NOTES FROM THE STUDIOS Fonda Opposite Bette Davis in Warners 'Ethan Frome / William Wyler Reports to Direct Goldwyn s 'Glory for Me' ►Following his signing of a five-year exclusive contract with MGM, Frank Sinatra was set for the lead role with Kathryn Grayson in the picturization of "Jumbo," New York stage success of a few seasons back, which will also have Jimmy Durante in the original role he created in the stage production. This musical extravaganza will be directed by Rouben Mamoulian and produced by Arthur Freed. ►Vivian Blaine gets one of the top roles in "Three Little Girls in Blue," the Technicolor 20th-Fox musical, which has Celeste Holme, John Payne and Cesar Romero already set for leading roles. Direction is to be John Brahm and production by Mack Gordon. ►Kirk Douglas, young Broadway actor, will play one of the leads in "Love Lies Bleeding," Hal B. Wallis production for Paramount release, which Lewis Milestone is directing. Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin and Lizabeth Scott comolete the lineup of principals. ►Walter Holscher and George Brooks are the two art directors chosen for the forthcoming Columbia Technicolor musical, "The Al Jolson Story," which H. Bruce Humberstone will direct for Producer Sidney Skolsky. Picture vill have 117 lavish sets. ►Purchase of the screen rights to "It Must Be Love," a modern romantic comedy with a big city background by Lou Breslow and Joseph Hoffman, was announced by Liberty Films, Inc., is this new major production unit continued to speed preparations for the nine features to be produced by Frank Capra, William Wyler and Samuel Briskin under its exclusive long-term :ontract with RKO. "It Must Be Love" will )e produced and directed by Frank Capra, three'ime Academy Award winner who recently received his honorable discharge from the Army Signal Corps with the rank of colonel, after serving nearly four years. ►"My Pal, Trigger," Republic's Roy Rogers' special, has been assigned by Producer Armand Schaefer to Don H. Brown for production supervision. Film is budgeted higher than any previous Rogers picture, and is expected to get under vay as soon as Rogers returns from his rodeo -how at Madison Square Garden early in November. ►Lloyd Nolan reports to MGM for his key role in "Time for Two," in which he appears with Lucille Ball and John Hodiak. Picture marks •he producing bow of Ralph Wheelwright, for<ner screen writer and publicity department issistant. Jules Dassin directs. ►Alan Napier has been added to cast of Arnold Pressburger's "A Scandal in Paris," United \rtists release. Picture stars George Sanders, Signe Hasso and Carole Landis, with Akim Tamiroff and Gene Lockhart. Douglas Sirk tirects. ►Pierre Watkin, character actor, walked into an important role when Bill Pine and Bill Thomas signed him for Paramount's "Swamp Fire," Louisiana bayou drama which they will produce, with Johnny Weissmuller, Buster Crabbe. Ce cilia Callejo and Virginia Grey. Pine will handle the directorial reins. ►Henry Fonda has been signed by Warners for the male lead in Bette Davis' next starring vehicle, "Ethan Frome." It will be Fonda's first assignment since his recent discharge from the service. Henry Blanke will produce from the novel by Edith Wharton. ►Noted character actor, Clem Bevans, gets a role in MGM's "Star From Heaven," which Andrew Marton directs in the new Cinecolor process. Featuring Marshall Thompson, George Tobias and Jim Davis, story tells the experiences of a Seabee who discovers a horse on a South Pacific island. Harry Rapf produces. ►Allan Young, famous radio comedian, has been signed to a term contract by 20th-Fox and will have the co-starring role opposite Jeanne Craine in "Margie," Walter Morosco production. ►A civilian again, William Wyler reports to Samuel Goldwyn, for whom he will direct "Glory for Me," the MacKinlay Kantor story of the returned soldier, for which Robert E. Sherwood is doing the screenplay. Cathy O'Donnell, 19year-old Goldwyn find from the University of Oklahoma, has been announced for the leading role in the picture. ►Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall will co-star in Warner Bros. "The Devil Was a Lady," which Robert Buckner will produce and Raoul Walsh direct. Paul Wellman wrote the original story, which is being scripted by Alan LeMay. ►In an effort to secure the best western talent even in smaller but important character roles for the pretentious "Badman's Territory," RKO has signed Kermit Maynard, Tom Tyler, Buddy Roosevelt and Bud Osborne. In support of Randolph Scott, who stars, are Ann Richards, George "Gabby" Hayes, Isabel Jewell, James Warren and Morgan Conway. Tim Whelan is directing the Nat Holt production. ►Byron Keith, war veteran and former radio announcer, producer and actor, has been placed under long term contract by William Goetz of International Pictures, following tests made for "The Stranger," Edward G. Robinson-Loretta Young-Orson Welles starrer. Keith's first assignment will be role of Dr. Lawrence in this picture, after which he will be groomed for leading roles. Wallis Signs Wendell Corey Wendell Corey, acclaimed for his performance in the Broadway play, "The Wind Is Ninety," has been signed by Hal B. Wallis for an important role in "Desert Town," which Wallis will produce for Paramount release. Cast in 'Take This Woman' Roberta Jonay and Dorothy Barrett, Paramount contract players, have been cast in "Take This Women," the Teresa Wright-Ray Milland co-starrer which Lewis Allen is directing. Burkett Seeks Budget Rise on Chan Films Because of rising costs in the production of his series of Charlie Chan mysteries for Monogram release, Producer James S. Burkett was in New York this week to stimulate additional revenue on the films to meet proposed increased budgets. As an item of considerable financial expenditure, Burkett cited location treks for background scenes, such as transporting a camera crew to Mexico for the. recently completed "Charlie Chan in Mexico" (tentative title) and the proposed trip to San Quentin for location shots for the second picture in the current 194546 series. Burkett expressed his pleasure at the long-lived popularity of the Chan mysteries and pointed out that the series, now an institution, had exceeded the longevity of other films in the series category. The producer was scheduled to return to Hollywood late this week to prepare for the filming of the next Chan adventure, an original story by George Callahan concerning the mystery that confronts the well-known Chinese dt tective, played by Sidney Toler, as he discovers a fingerprint at the scene of a crime belonging to a man who has long been imprisoned. Parsons Resigns as Mono. Producer To Produce on Own at Studio Lindsley Parsons' resignation as producer and studio executive for Monogram has been accepted by the Monogram Executive Committee to take effect upon the completion of editing on "Swing Parade of 1946" and "Suspense," which are now in the cutting room. Parsons resigned in order to accept a position as co-producer with Jan Grippo on the new Bowery Boys series, and to devote more time to the production of the Charlie Chan series, in which he has an interest. He also plans to reorganize his production company, Lindsley Parsons Productions, Inc. Unconquered' to Start in March Cecil B. DeMille's "Unconquered," story of romance and adventure which he will produce for Paramount as the most spectacular Technicolor production in his 33 years of film making, will start before the cameras on an Idaho location in late March, with extensive fiming in the Kiskiminitas River country in Western Pennsylvania, set for April. RKO Signs Leopoldine Konstantin Leopoldine Konstantin, Viennese stage and screen actress, has been signed by RKO Radio to play Claude Rains' mother in "Notorious." She was one of the players tested in New York by Alfred Hitchcock, who will produce and direct the drama which co-stars Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. "Notorious" will be her Hollywood debut. To Star in '3 Wise Fools' Margaret O'Brien, has been announced for the stellar role of Shelia in MGM's forthcoming "Three Wise Fools" where she will appear with Lionel Barrymore, Lewis Stone and Frank Morgan. William H. Wright will produce.