Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1946)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVILW, November 16, 1946 37 HOLLYWOOD STUDIO ROUNDUP Circus Performers Set For 'Blaze ol Noon' Circus and carnival fans will recognize many famous performers in Paramount's "Blaze of Noon." Opening scenes of the aviation epic are played against the background of a county fair, in which most of the available top perfoimers in Hollywood have been set to appear. ■ Heading the list is the famous i'c od.e^ lianneford, the clown rider who has played vaudeville and the circuses for some 40 years. The Hannefjrd family of riders, now in its fifth generation, also will be represented by Poodles' daughter, (jrace, who will appear as an aerialist. Also in the county fair is the famous clown, Buster Brody, the aerialist and acrobat, Pat Moran, and an expert with the Australian bull whip, Dave Kashner. Hollywood's tallest c'tizen, seven-foot, six-inch Lockhart IMartin, w'll be seen walking through the crowds. Gabriel Canzano, official Hollywood organ grinder for more th->n 20 years, and his monkey, Josephine also will be seen. Wehtnaxvl Pl«^iis Expssnsion To Handle 1947 Progr«fm Producer Seymour Nebenzal is planning a general expansion of his west coast organization preparatory to handling a 1947 production program predicated on a budget of $7,000,000 for a series of five pictures to be released through United Artists. First offering on the production sheets in "Heaven Only Knows," to be followed by "Atlar.t's," in which iMaria iNlontez will star. Third on the list is "Mayerling," then "The Tempest," starring Jorja Curtwright. C^mpleting the projected iNTebcnzal schedule for 1947 w'll be "iMadame Butterfly," based on a modern-day story parallel'ng the opera version and with the addition of the Puccini music. Greene General Manoger Of Comet, Triangle Harold Greene has been appointed general marager of both Triangle and Comet Productions. Greene, former assistant story editor at Paramount, will take charge of general operati ns under Alary Pickford, Buddy Rogers and Ralph Cohn, top executives of Comet and Triangle. 2 Named for Western Columbia has assigned Robert Scott to the juvenile lead, and Hugh Prosser to the "heavy" role in "Prairie Raiders," latest in the "Durango Kid" series starring Charles Starrett and Smiley Burnette. Derwin Abrahams has been named director of the film, replacing Ray Nazarro. Ethel Griffies Signed Ethel Grifiics, who recently returned to Hollywood from a road tour with the stage version of "Rebecca," in which she played Mrs. Danvers, has been named by Columbia for a featured role in "Millie's Daughter." Forms 16-mm. Company Smiley Burnette, Columbia's cowboy-comicinusician, is forming a company to make onereel 16-mni. comedies for home and commercial showing. He plans to have two of the subjects ready for release by the middle of December. {Continued from Page 35) from a "A Time to Kill," and resumed interiors following a siege of location work. Sol Le.ser signed "Breezy" Eason to direct the second unit of "Tarzan and the Huntress." Eason began the supplementary unit's labors on November 7 at a Santa .Anita ranch, shooting sequences involving Johnny Weissmuller and others in an elephant stampede. Other RKO films being made are "Dick Tracy vs. the Claw" and Robert Riskin's "Ma2'ic Town." Latter stars Jimmy Stewart and Jane Wyman. WB Prepares 'Frontiersman' Director Raoul Walsh and assistant Russell Saunders are in St. Louis, using that city as a base of operations while scouting ou.door locations for "The Frontiersman " being readied for production at the Burbank lot. Walsh and Saunders last worked on the U. S. Pictures' "Pursued." The Joan Crawford-\ an Heflin starrer, "Possessed," is really goirg some — they added two more small parts to the picture being directed by Curtis Bernhardt and produced by Jerry Wald. Warners are also shooting the Swedish importation, Viveca Lindfors, in her first American ofTering, "Night Unto Night," co-starring Ronald Reagan ; and "Deep Valley," with Ida Lupino, Dane Clark and Wayne Morris. Also, the Technicolor "My Wild Irish Rose" is before the lensmen. One in Work at U-I The lone film in production at UniversalInternational is "The Egg and I," now in its second month. "I'll Be Yours," starring Deanna Durbin, is being edited. 'Boomerang' Coming Home In its final stages of shooting on location at Stamford, Conn., and White Plains, N. Y., is 2Uth-Century Fox's "Boomerang." Dana Andrews, Jane Wyatt and company return to Hollywood very shortly. Martin Lamont was added to "Forever Amber," one of four 20th-Fox films going, as a lover of the versatile lady. Lamont is a recruit from the Broadway stage. Other film rolling is Betty Grable's "Mother Wore Tights" which, like "Amber," is in Technicolor. When Sol Wurtzel puts the last touches to his "Jewels of Brandenburg," shooting at Sutherland Studios, it will wind up his 1946 schedule of independent action dramas for 20th-Fox distribution. Wurtzel works closely with exhibitors, letting them determine the types of stories brought to the screen under his banner. Republic Film Titleless Republic has not decided on the title for its Nelson Eddy-llona Massey musical extravaganza formerly called "Will Tomorrow Ever Come." It is untitled at this writing. Tamara Shayne, wife of Akim TamirofT, fresli from a hit as Al Jolson's mother in Columbia's "The Jolson Story," will enact the part of Miss Massey's confidante and maid. Eight songs are to be included in the film. Virginia Bruce is the most recent addition to "Wyoming," and will co-star with William Elliott, Vera Ralston and John Carroll. Miss Bruce, just recovered from a pneumonia attack, plays a dancehall girl in this story of Wyoming in the cattle-baron days. Joe Kane directs and serves as associate producer. Frank Borzage is producirg and directing "Gallant Man," ending i's initial month of shooting. Director R. G. Springsteen completed the Red Ryder, "Marshal of Cripple Creek," starring Allan Lane with Bobby Blake and Martha Wentworth. Wctllis Ends 'Desert Fury' Hal Waiiis completed "De;ert Fury," his independent venture for Paramount release after 57 days of shooting, most of it on .Arizona locations. It was made in Technicolor. "The Big Haircut" sent a second company on November 13 for two days of location near Bakersfield to film progression shots of a harvesting combine crew's travels from Texas into the Dakotas. The main company has completed a 57-day shooting schedule, directed by Tay Garnett. Pearl Bailey, Negro singer, reported on No^ vember 11 to start work cn her specialty number in the 36-star "Variety Girl," story of the Variety Clubs. Frank Loesser, veteran songwriter, wrote Miss Bailey's "torch song." The big musical has kept four stages busy at the studio, with three dance directors, a producer and a group of musical supervisors handling the units. Daniel Dare is producing and George Marshall directs. Sid Grauman, one of the country's pioneer showmen, will make hi^ professional screen debut when he plays himself in a sequence in the film in which Grauman's Chinese is the background. Joan Caulfield has been re-optioned by Paramount for a third year. Columbia Shoots Three "The Lady from Shanghai," being produced and directed by Orson Welles for Columbia, started its second month on location in .^capulco, Mexico. Eighteen of Mexico's most beautiful girls and a Mariache band were flown to Acapulco from Mexico City last week for a beach barbecue scene. Welles also co-stars with his wife, Rita Hayworth. Two recent starters at Columbia ;were "King of the Wild Horses" and "Blondie's Holiday." Pre ton Foster, Gail Patrick and "Big Boy" Williams are featured in the former, bein,g produced by Ted Richmond and directed by George Archainbaud. The regular line-up of .Arthur Lake, Penny Singleton and Larry Simms get ioyi b'llinw in "Blondie." which is directed by Abby Berlin, assisted by Carter DeHaven, Jr. Janney, Lasky Talk on Production of 'Miracle' Russell Janney, author of "The Miracle of the Bells," which Jesse L. La-ky recently purchased for $100,000 and a profit-sharing arrangement for the author, is in Hollywood conferring with Lasky on the filming of his novel which Lasky wlil produce for RKO release. Following the conferences, Jaimcy was scheduled to continue a lecture tour through San I'rancisco, Sacramento, Portland and Seattle. New Ideal Theatre Chairs /OE HORNSTEIN hat If/