Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1947)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, February I, 1947 HOLLYWOOD STUDIO ROUNDUP {Continued from Page 42) they made scenes with famous Hub City landmarks as backgrounds for "Indian Summer." Grady Sutton, slow-talking Southern actor, was inked for the part of a harassed Washington statistician in the Eddie Cantor-Joan Davis vehicle, "If You Knew Susie." Eight of the nation's top models have also been added to the film for a style show sequence. Paul Sawtell has started scoring "Tarzan and the Huntress" for Sol Lesser Productions. 'Copacaboxia' Completed Producer Sam Coslow has completed his "Copacabana" and put it into editing, prior to release in several months. Hunt Stromberg finished retakes on "Personal Column" and Benedict Bogeaus was washing up retakes on "Christmas Eve." Besides this United Artists activity, production continued on Seymour Nebenzal's "Heaven Only Knows," with the picture winding its second month of shooting. Producer-director Stuart Heisler carried the second start of "Vendetta" into its third month. Enterprise moved ahead with "Body and Soul" and Comet ended its second week on "Stork Bites Man," on which Harold Greene is serving as associate producer. Only a Serial at Republic Not a single feature is rolling at Republic, with the completion on Jan. 25 of the Gene Autry starrer, "Twilight on the Rio Grande." However, the serial, "Jesse James Rides Again," continues in work. On Feb. 5, Producer William J. O'Sullivan is set to start "The Finger Woman," for which 17-year-old Janet Martin has been cast thus far. George Blair will direct. 'Stepchild' in Work at PRC PRC is doing a new thing with actress Brenda Joyce. Ordinarily a blonde, she becomes a brunette in "Stepchild" in order to follow a tradition in enacting the menace. The part is the mother of children whose custody is secured by the father. She then becomes a threat to the kids' happiness. Jerry Briskin is producing and James Flood directing, with Terry Austin cast in a sympathetic role. King Bros. Ready for 'Gangster' After a long period following their "Suspense," the King Brothers are due to start their next production, "The Gangster." The boys are making this as their first Allied Artists film and will start it on Feb. 5, with Belita and Barry Sullivan co-starred. Featured will be Akim Tamiroff and Joan Lorring. 'Gordon Wiles will direct the picture, which will be filmed at the Hal Roach lot. Walter Thompson came over from Universal-International to be supervising film editor. The studio's second Allied Artists' milliondollar effort, "Tragic Symphony," is taking all of the stages at Monogram. "Panic," Bowery Boys' latest, was forced to move to other quarters in its final week of shooting because of the extensive feature. Sir Cedric Hardwicke reported last week for his role of the Grand Duke and Co-Producers Benjamin Glazer and New Mirrophonic Sound JOE HORNSTEIN has it! Nat Finston revealed cast additions of Lane Chandler, William Newell and Gordon Clark. fack Elliott Resumes Jack Elliott Productions resumed activity this week with "The Danger Ring," an actionmusical, starting again after a three-month lull occasioned by labor troubles and other matters. Directed by Bud Pollard and produced by Elliott, the picture is scheduled for Astor Pictures release. John Rarig is handling the musical score, including three of Elliott's own compositions. Featured in the films are Pat Starling and Michael Douglas,, former Kay Kyser vocalist. Mike Mazurki is also set for the picture. Eagle-Lion Status Quo Eagle-Lion remains as is, with "Repeat Performance," its most ambitious effort to date, still in production. SRO Resumes 'Paradine Case' Selznick Releasing Organization resumed work after a lull on "The Paradine Case." The picture is serving to introduce three foreign stars to America : Ann Todd of England, Valli of Italy and Louis Jourdan of France. Added Space for Duel For his role in 20th-Fox's "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir," George Sanders will have to "bicycle" between "Forever Amber" and this film. He will enact a villain who tries to get Gene Tierney away from Rex Harrison. Speaking of "Amber," the main interior thoroughfare at 20th-Fox was blocked to traffic last week as the studio built a 100foot-long tarpaulin addition to its largest stage to make room for the dueling scene in the picture. Cornel Wilde, amateur champion fencer during his college days, and Glenn Langan clashed foils for three days after four months of coaching from professionals. Producer Lamar Trotti returned to Westwood following conferences with Director Henry King in Mexico where the Tyrone Power starrer, "Captain from Castile," rolls on. It is one of three pictures 20th-Fox is making in Technicolor. Director George Seaton called in 175 kiddies to appear in the Santa Claus sequence in "It's Only Human," which co-stars John Payne and Maureen O'Hara. The children were used for scenes in Macy's famed department store, where they visited Kris Kringle, played by Edmund Gwenn. MGM Completes Two With two more films completed, Metro has the slowest production schedule it has had in many a moon. The films that were ended and put into editing were "The Birds and the Bees," in Technicolor and "To Kiss and to Keep." Longest-shooting of the trio in work is "Song of Love," which has been before the lenses over 75 days. Comparatively new starters are "The Hucksters" and "Song of the Thin Man." Keenan Wynn is featured in both pictures. WB Not to Make 'Valor' Warner Bros, announced over last weekend that it will definitely not make a screen version of the Charles Jackson novel, "The Fall of Valor." SG to Distribute Canadian-Made Feature Screen Guild Productions has concluded -a deal whereby it will distribute "Bush Pilot,"" the first full-length Canadian feature picture produced by Dominion Productions Ltd., of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. "Bush Pilot" stars Rochelle Hudson and Jack LaRue of Hollywood and introduces to the screen Austin Willis, noted Canadian stage and radio actor. The picture wa3 produced by Larry Cromien and directed by Sterling Campbell with Jack Ogilvie as associate producer and film editor. It was made from an original story and screenplay by W. Scott Darling. Although a definite date for release has not as yet been set, Screen Guild expects to add "Bush Pilot" to its 1946-47 program with probable release about April 15. U.I Sets 'Black Bart' For a Summer Start "The Adventures of Black Bart," a story of the fabulous early-day bandit who always left bits of verse at the scenes of his crime, has been set by Universal-International for summer production. Paul Malvern has been assigned to develop and produce the picture. "Black' Bart" is to be a top western and will include such characters as Joaquin Murietta, and the establishing of stage lines to the West into California. Luci Ward and Jack Natteford, who wrote the screenplay of "Badman's Territory," are writing the script. Lewis' First for U-I "Pygmalian Jones," a Cosmopolitan magazine story by Dorothy Kilgallen, has been selected by Albert Lewis as his first production for Universal-International. Lewis recently moved over from MGM and signed a term deal with U-I. Goldwyn Transfers Smith Bernard Smith, eastern story editor for Samuel Goldwyn Productions since last July, has been transferred to the west coast as story editor. His duties, in addition to etory buying and searching for ideas, include engaging writers for assignments. Max Wilkinson will continue in charge of writers working on the lot. To Write Film Concerto Leith Stevens, conductor-composer prominently identified with radio and films, has been signed to write a special piano concerto and also the background music for RKO's "Memory of Love," which Harriet Parsons will produce. Laughton in 'Clock' Charles Laughton has been added to the cast of Paramount's "The Big Clock," which will star Ray Milland. John Farrow will direct the picture, which Jonathan Latimer has adapted from the Kenneth Fearing novel. RKO Signs Benedict Dick Benedict has signed a new long-term RKO Radio contract. He made his screen bow for the studio in "Till the End of Time."