Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1948)

25 APRIL 3 atre Manager Jerry Sutherland is the father of a 7 lb. boy. his first ; Bill Howell, Eagle Lion shipper, has" resigned to go to London to work as a cutter for the Rank studios ; Harry Thornton succeeds him. The new $250,000 Avon Shopping Center, which includes an 800-seat theatre, will be the first theatre in Vancouver with room for standees. Checik interests will operate. PITTSBURGH RKO's Joseph McCormick is the proud father of a daughter, born this week in Mercy Hospital. Mr. and Airs. Mike Shapiro, of the Hazelwood and Grand Theatres in this city, returned from Florida where they have been spending the winter this week end to attend the wedding of a close relative, after which they will return to Florida to remain until the end of April. A Testimonial dinner will be held in the Hotel William Penn April 5th, by his many friends in the motion picture industry for Paramount Salesman Lou Averbach, who was promoted to assistant to Mideastern Division Manager, Earle Sweigert. Mr. and Mrs. M. A. Silver left this week end for Miami Beach, Florida, where they will remain until the end of the Variety Convention. Silver, who is Zone Manager for Warner theatres here, is convalescing from the flu. PICTURES STARTED LAST WEEK Jimmy Lam Dana Andrews, Director, Lewis MONOGRAM Partners Of The Sunset— Principals : Wakely, Cannonball Taylor. Director, bert Hillyer. ENTERPRISE No Minor Vices — Principals : Lilli Palmer, Louis Jourdan. Milestone. 20TH CENTURY-FOX That Wonderful Urge— Principals : Tyrone Power, Gene Tierney. Reginald Gardiner. Director, Robert Sinclair. UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL Rogues' Regiment— Principals : Dick Powell, Marta Toren, Vincent Price. Director, Robert Florey. WARNER BROS. My Dream Is Yours (Technicr lor)— Principals: Doris Day, Jack Carson, Adolphe Menjpu. Director, Michael Curtiz. PRODUCTION PARADE Philip Krasne, who has owned the "Cisco Kid" properties since 1943, has signed a releasing deal with United Artists calling for a series of eight pictures a year for the next three years. The first will start some time this summer. Gar Moore, an American boy from Oklahoma, had to make good in Italy before he was recognized here. Now that he is Italy's current matinee idol, David O. Selznick has signed him to a long-term contract. Warner Baxter will depart from his "Crime Doctor" characterization to play a dual role in Columbia's "Gentleman From Nowhere," which Rudolph Flothow will direct. Then back to the "Crime Doctor." * * * Shelley Winters, the waitress-victim in "A Double Life," has been signed to a long-term exclusive contract by Universal-International. Her first assignment will be in "Larceny." RKO Production Chief Dore Schary has borrowed Valli from David O. Selznick for the co-starring role opposite Joseph Cotten in "Weep No More." * # * Because their first picture for Film Classics, "The Argyle Secrets," received fine comment, Producers Alan H. Posner and Sam X. Abarbanel will make "Return to Treasure Island" as a large budget color production. * * # Additions to the cast of Warners' Technicolor musical, "Silver Lining," include Charles Ruggles, Rosemary? DeCamp, Ray Bolger and Gordon MacRae. Picture goes into production shortly with David Butler directing and William Jacobs producing. * * * Tames Tinling has been signed by Sol Wurtzel to direct "Big Dan," a story dealing with the detraining of a paratroop dog. Picture is Wurtzel's next for 20th Century-Fox. — Ann Lewis TITLE CHANGES "The Long Grev Line" (Para) now BEYOND GLORY. "Four Faces West" (UA) now WANTED. "The Tudge's Wife" (U-I) now I STAND ACCUSED. "Sunburst" (WB.) now THIS SIDE OF THE LAW. STUDIO ROUNDUP Michael Curtiz has started his independent production at Warners, "My Dream Is Yours," a Technicolor musical starring Jack Carson and Doris Day. Curtiz is directing, and Harry Kurnitz, who penned the screenplay, is producing. Curtiz' brother, David, heads the second unit on location. While Universal-International was completing "The Saxon Charm" and "One Touch of Venus," two other pictures were going before the lenses at the same studio : Producer-Writer Robert Buckner's "Rogue Regiment" and the Westwood Production, "The Countess of Monte Cristo," Starring Sonja Heme. "No Minor Vices," starring Louis Jourdan, Dana Andrews and Lilli Palmer, started March 29 at Enterprise, with Lewis Milestone producing and directing. At 20th-Fox "That Wonderful Urge" started on April 1, starring Tyrone Power with Gene Tierney, Reginald Gardiner and Lucille Watson. With "The Boy With Green Hair" completed, RKO has only two pictures going. Second unit of "Blood on the Moon" was trapped by a snow avalanche in Colorado, but the players escaped injury. Jimmie Wakely finished "Partners of the Sunset" at Monogram, then planned to start "Arizona Sunset" April 5. "A Palooka Named Joe" (tentative title) started April 1. Five hundred extras were used for Yankee Stadium grandstand scenes in Allied Artists' "The Babe Ruth Story," and Mrs. Ruth arrived to be technical director. Recovered from a rehearsal accident last summer, Cyd Charisse resumed her dancingcareer at MGM when she went through a routine for "The Kissing Bandit." — Jay M. Goldberg PLAYED ENTIRE LOEWS NEW YORK CIRCUIT. STRAND, BROOKLYN PARAMOUNT, NEWARK 'Joe College' Series President Irving Goldstein has announced that East-West Pictures will produce a "Joe College" series for Screen Guild release. ASTOR PICTURES CORP. 130 West 46th Street. N.Y. 19. N.Y. R. M. SAVINI, Pres.