Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, November 5, 1949 33 Studio Roundup With their respective champion still arguing the laugh-provoking merits of the fli'ing pie and the flying word, and no decision reached, it is interesting to note that Chester Conklin, one of Mack Sennett's Keystone Kops of silent days, has been signed by Universal-International for a spot in the Donald O'Connor comedy, "Double Crossbones." One can speculate whether Conklin's return indicates a victory for those who contend that the silent comedies of two decades are still uproariously funny. At any rate, Conklin and his walrus mustache will be back. On the Alonogram lot, "Joe Palooka in Honeymoon for Five" started shooting last week. "Honeymoon," next in the Palooka pictures produced by Hal E. Chester, has Jean Yarbrough directing. Donald MacBride has been signed for a featured role in this chapter of the series which stars Leon Errol and Joe Kirkwood. At Republic, "Tarnished" rolled with Arthur Franz and Dorothy 'Patrick in the stellar roles. 'Baron' Launched Launched last week at Nas;Our Studio, the Robert L. Lippert production, "Baron of Arizona," is feased on an historical fact, a gigantic swindle perpetrated on the government in 1872 by James Addison Reavis, played by Vincent Price Also starred is Ellen Drew, who just finished "Stars In My Crown" at MGM. Carl K. Hittleman is producing. Samuel Fuller has the direction assignment. Under way, too, last week was Lippert's "Radar Patrol," starring John Howard. Adele Jergens and Tom Neal are cast for featured roles. Barney Sarecky v^'ill produce. Sam Newfield directs. The new Richard Widmark vehicle, "No Way Out," rolled at 20th Century-Fox with Linda Darnell co-starring. Steven McNally has been signed for a top role. Joseph Mankiewicz will handle the direction. Mike Raffeto, so well-known to radio fans in the role of "Paul" in "One Man's Family," was signed last week to play the sheriff in U-I's "Shoplifter." Shooting ends this week on RKO Radio's "Carriage Entrance," Robert Mitchum, Ava Gardner, Melvyn Douglas starrer, with location filming at Baldwin lake and the studio ranch in Encino Paul Kelly, who drew acclaim for his performance in the New York stage production of "Command Decision," has been signed by Producers Jack H. Skirball and Bruce Manning for a top role in "Blind Spot." Kelly will play the part of a district attorney who prosecutes the star of the picture, Claudette Colbert, for murder "Golden Gloves," story of amateur boxing, is currently being directed by Felix Feist in Chicago at the fight arenas. 2 More Ttucolors Added at Republic Republic has scheduled two additional Trucolor productions to go before the cameras before the end of the year, making a total of 12 pictures to have utilized Republic's color process during the year. The two planned Trucolor features are a Roy Rogers film, "Trigger, Jr.," slated for a Nov. 28 start, and a comedy romance starring Estelita Rodriquez, now beingprepared for late November production. One Trucolor picture, "Singing Guns," is now being filmed. LONDON OBSERVATIONS Driscoll Appeal Against British Court Conviction Is Lost; Disney Cancels Plans to Bring Child to England Next Year Jock MacGregor By JOCK MacGREGOR Walt Disney was a puzzled man when I met him in the Screenwriters. He had just returned from the continent with brother Roy and had heard that Bobby DriscoU's appeal against his conviction for appearing in "Treasure Island" had been lost Fortunately, by quick switching of schedules, Bobby was able to finish all his scene-, before the court niaciL its decision. As a result iJisney has had to cancel his plans for bringing Bobby over again next year to make another Technicolor offering which would have provided added work for the British technician. He is extremely disappointed, as he is pleased with the results of his first alllive action picture and is positively raving about Robert Newton's performance. He has now decided against combinii^g artists with animation which he introduced as a wartime measure and is concentrating on the production of feature-length cartoons. Soon after the New Year, he will start on the story of "Peter Pan" and revels at the thought of creating "Tinker Bell." Incidentally, Walt has become an addict of the English tea habit and welcomes the unions' insistence on morning and afternoon breaks. Under English law, the studios come under the Factory Act which forbids the employment of children, though this is often flaunted in the hopes there will be no common informer. In Bobby's case, he was charged with a contravention of the Aliens Order. I thought it would be interesting to find out how the government's sponsored Film Finance Corporation aligned itself with helping "One Night" in which young Bobby Henrey of "The Fallen Idol" fame plays the lead. Their spokesman was not to be drawn, appeared personally satisfied that no laws would be broken. I spoke to London Films. Their answer was that the film would be shot abroad and by not using actual studios, but houses and barns and the like, it would still qualify for quotaIt is rather remarkable that while an elevenyear-old child is not allowed to make a film in this country, producers can take one abroad and receive government financial backing for such a venture. * * * The fabulous Filippo Del Giudice, now back in his native Italy, has produced an amazing manifesto dealing mainly with his associations with a "monopolistic gentleman" and his "aide de camp" and his solution for the British lilm influstry. Hearty congratulations to Andrew Neatour i;:n being appointed manager of publicity to Associated British Cinemas by Jack Goodlatte. . • . b'ormerly with Warners, he came to England with the U. S. Army, married an English girl and took his demob here. Recently he has been public relations executive with the London office of Foote, Cone and Belding. This new appointment will considerably strengthen the publicity side of this group. F. B. Prior continues as advertising manager. * * * The Rank Odeon balance sheet will now be published on Nov. 7. Rank's second -run ^Vest End houses have been having a certain amount of chopping and changing Recently the Astoria was linked with the previously first-run Tivoli to give the ABC program an airing before going on release, but certain renters did not like the scheme. This week it is paired with the New Victoria which normally shares the Dominion's GB release program, while the Dominion and Tivoli play the same bill. It would appear that finding films for the Tivoli will continue to be a problem. * * * Exhibitors, while doing well with "Snake Pit" on release, have not done the outstanding business they anticipated, and blame the "No Under 16s" ban Old-timers reflect on the times when to announce a film as "Adults Only" was to draw the business. =!; ^ ^ David Rose has once again changed the title of his first independent British picture. It is now "The Witness," and wits are wondering whether William Shakespeare really had something when he wrote "A rose by any name . . ." ! Half 20thfox 1950 Releases Virtually Ready With 12 pictures already completed for 1950, three more before the cameras and scheduled to be finished by the first of the year, virtually the first half of the 20th Century-Fox 1950 releasing schedule has been completed, the studio announced this week. Films set for 1950 release and in various final stages after completion of shooting are "Twelve O'clock High," "Whirlpool," "Dancing in the Dark," "When Willie Comes Marching Home," "Three Came Home," "Oh Doctor," "Two Corridors East," "A Ticket to Tomahawk," "Night and the City," "Broken Arrow," "Love That Brute," "Wabash Avenue." Films currently shooting include "The Big Fall,"' "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "The Gun Fighter," TEA TIME. Everything drops for tea on the set of RKO-Walt Disney's "Treasure Island" at the Denham Studios in England. Above, Producer Disney joins a pirate and Bobby Driscoll for a "cupper char." Probably Ava Gardner Ava Gardner will probably be the feminine star in AIG-M's forthcoming fight film, "Right Cros.s."