Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1946)

38 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, December 28, 1946 HOLLYWOOD STUDIO ROUNDUP (Continued from Page 27) for the part by Byron Haskin the director. Scoring of "Golden Earrings," Ray MillandMarlene Dietrich starrer, started with Victor Young conducting his score. The film was directed by Mitchell Leisen. WB Art Directors Busy With the signing of John Hughes as art director on "Whiplash," forthcoming Dane Clark starrer, a total of 11 art directors are at work on 10 films. Lew Seiler will direct "Whiplash." Milton Sperling, head of United States Pictures, signed Sidney Sheldon to develop the screenplay for "Dream Street," from the Robert Sylvester novel about New York and Hollywood. Property will be filmed in 1947. At the same time an announcement was made that USP had purchased "Nothing But the Night," murder mystery by Roy Huggins, for the company's 1947 production schedule. Third generation of an acting famil}', 4-yearold Dennis Donley, was cast in "Night Unto Night," Ronald Reagan-Viveca Lindfors starrer. Jean De Briac, character actor, goes into a supporting role in "The Unfaithful," being directed by Vincent Sherman and produced by Jerry Wald with Ann Sheridan, Zachary Scott and Lew Ayres co-starred. PRC Filming Two Damian O'Flynn and Clara Blandick have been added to the cast of the third Philo Vance picture, in which Will Wright plays the famed sleuth. William Beaudine directs and Howard Welsch produces. Bill Beaudine, Jr. has been made assistant director on this film. Father and son will now handle direction chores together. Glorian Marlen has been announced by Jerry Thomas, producer of "Border Feud," the second of the Al LaRue-Al St. John westerns, as the leading lady. Ray Taylor will direct. Republic's Many Sets Russ Kimball, director of Republic's art department, has been designing over 70 sets for use in three top-budgeted films. Major number were needed for the Nelson Eddy-Ilona Massey starrer, which required 35, most of them large and all requiring a great deal of research. An entire street, representing the Russian Fort Ross, was built, another set representing the interior of a Russian cathedral, while a Russian Junk of the period cost $90,000. "Gallant Man" rcfiuired 27 different sets, including reproductions of the Santa Anita race-track and stand, the Venice Amusement pier, an elaborate BelAir home which cost $35,000, and a completely stocked drug .store. Eighteen different sets were used for the third major picture, "Wyoming." .'\dele Mara and Stephanie Bachelor get the leading feminine roles in "Lightnin' Strikes Twice," an original story by Robert Bellem, adapted by Roylc Cole, and Lesley Sclander has been assigned to direct. "Song of the Golden West," the next Roy Rogers starrer, has been given a February starting dale. 20th-rox Molting 5 "Caiilain i'loni Castile," the Tyrone Power starrer which has been shooting at Morelia, Mexico, has added Stella Inda and Ramon Sanches, twd of Mexico's outstanding screen personalities, to the cast. Henry King, who is directing, will scout new location sites via studio plane. King will fly to Acapulco to look for locations along the coast for the final month of shooting in January. Cesar Romero, Alan Mowbray and Harry Carter have left for Mexico for their roles in the picture. Director Walter Lang started shooting the "Kokomo" number for the Technicolor musical "Mother Wore Tights." The routine is one of six production numbers in the Betty Grable starrer and will feature Betty and Dan Dailey in a four-minute dance specialty. Filming continues on "It's Only Human" the John Payne, Maureen O'Hara and Edmund Gwenn starrer, now that the cast and crew have returned to the studio. Director George Seaton and William Perlberg, the producer, are busy keeping the picture on schedule. Monogram Activities Ferike Boros and William Edmonds have been added to the cast of "High Conquest," currently being produced and directed by Irving Allen. Film co-stars Anna Lee, Gilbert Roland and Warren Douglas. After shooting background scenes in Louisiana, Producer Lindsley Parsons returned to the studio. Jimmy Wakely, western singing star, signed a five-year contract as a recording artist for Capitol Records. U-I Continues With 4 Jack Brooks, who wrote the lyrics for Hoagy Carmichael's Old Buttermilk Sky, was set to work with Walter Schumann in turning out a number for the Abbott & Costello current picture, "Buck Privates Come Home." Frank Skinner was assigned as musical director of "The Egg and I" and will work with Walter Schumann on the underscoring and directing of the Deanna Durbin picture, "I'll Be Yours." Other two films in work are "Time Out Of Mind," with Phyllis Calvert, Robert Hutton and Ella Raines, and the Sam Wood Production "Ivy" with Joan Fontaine, Patric Knowles, Herbert Marshall and Richard Ney. Robert Siodmak directs the former and Sam Wood handles the direction on his own production. 'Heart' for Cummings "The Glass Heart," an original by Marty Holland, has been purchased by United California Productions as a starring vehicle for Robert Cummings, according to President Eugene Frenke. The picture will probably go into production following UCP's initial venture, "Bad Guy," which gets the green light in -•Xpril. "The Glass Heart" will be produced by Frenke and Philip Yordan, associates of Cummings in the newly formed company. 'Father' Budget Upped Success of the recent three-week world premiere run of "Bringing Up Father" at the LafTinovic theatre, New York, has prompted Monogram President Steve Broidy to add $25,0(X) to the present advertising appropriation on the film. Barney Gerard produced, and luldie Cline directed. Wallis 1947 Budget Se^ at $8,500,000 Following conferences in New York with Joseph Hazen and Paramount executives, Hal Wallis in Hollywood last week announced plans for his 1947 production schedule which has been budgeted at $8,500,000. His current production is "I Walk Alone" (formerly "Deadlock") with an all-Wallis cast headed by Lizabeth Scott, Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Wendell Corey, Kristine Miller and George Rigaud. Byron Haskin directs. The first film to go into production next year is "Be Still, My Love," a suspense drama starring Barbara Stanwyck and slated for a late January start. In April Wallis will leave Hollywood for England to produce "For Her to See," which will be a Paramount production starring Ray Milland and an English-American cast. In the fall he will film "House of Mist" and a Technicolor film, probably "Lola." Monogram Sets 3 for Start in January First production to go before the cameras in 1947 at Monogram will be "Tragic Symphony," based on the life of Tchaikowsky. The picture, to be made by Symphony Films, under the production reins of Barney Glazer and Nat W. Finston, will be released by Allied Artists, new company formed to handle high-budget pictures. Starting date is January 6. Also set for January production are "Brooklyn Buckaroos," featuring the Bowery Boys, and a Johnny Mack Brown special. Set for Next Vance Alan Curtis and Frank Jenks have been signed by PRC for the top roles in the next Philo Vance mystery film, soon to go before the cameras. William Beaudine will direct the picture for Producer Ben Stoloff, from a screenplay by Robert E. Kent. To Portray Male Lead James Brown has been signed to portray the male lead in PRC's "The Pay-Oflf," which James Flood will direct for Producer Marvin Stahl. Opposite Brown in the female lead will be Sheila Ryan, who will report to the studio after her recovery from an attack of influenza. WB Buys Siodmak Story "Strange Desire," original psychological melodrama by Curt Siodmak, has been bought by Warner Bros, and placed on Jerry Wald's production schedule. Siodmak will do the screenplay. Seiler on 'Whiplash' Lew Seiler has been assigned by Warner Bros, to direct "Whiplash," in which Dane Clark will star. This will be Seller's first picture since returning to the Warner contract list. William Jacobs will produce. Richard Baer Joins WB Ricliartl Baer, who staged the modern version of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" now being presented at the El Patio Theatre in Hollywood, has been signed by Warner Bros.