Boxoffice-March.06.1948

: March
and Woolley as a distant cousin who conspires
to be named the rightful heii'. The
holdover subject is "The Great Gatsby,"
postponed when the directorial reins were
shifted from John Farrow to Elliott Nugent.
Starring Alan Ladd, Ruth Hussey and Betty
Field, with Richard Maibaum producing, it
is a film version of the F. Scott Fitzgerald
novel, laid in the jazz era of the mid-20s.
RKO Radio
Only one subject (and that one a tentative
starter! was on the Une at this studio.
Titled "Brothers in the Saddle," it is another
in the Tim Holt sagebrush series,
based on stories by Zane Grey. No director
had been assigned, early in the month, to
the Herman Schlom production.
Republic
One action melodrama and one serial
constituted
the period's scheduled starts on this
valley lot. Uncast in the month's early days
was "Flight Fi-om Fm-y," a Sidney Picker
production to be megged by R. G. Springsteen
and described as the story of a young couple
who steal some money and then find that
their loot cannot buy them happineses. In
the chapter-play category is "The Thrill
Man," which concerns the exploits of motion
pictm-e stunt men and is slated to incorporate
famous stunt scenes from other films.
Russell Hayden and Lynne Roberts have the
leads and Yakima Canutt du'ects for Pi-oducer-Writer
Franklin Adreon.
20th Century-Fox
A thi'ee-picture starting schedule here relies
heavily on the output of independents,
with Sol M. Wurtzel and Pi-ank Seltzer to
gun two of the trio. "Fighting Back" is the
Wurtzel contribution, a melodrama in the
boy-and-dog category, toplining Paul Langton,
Jean Rogers and Gary Gray, to be piloted
by Malcolm St. Clair. From Seltzer comes
"The Gay Intruders," a burlesque on the
Hollywood conception of psychiatric subjects.
It concerns two temperamental
Broadway stars whose marital difficulties
compel them to consult a pair of psychiatrists,
only to get the doctors hopelessly entangled.
John Emery, Tamara Geva and
Hugh French head the cast. The studio itself
will launch "Bm-lesque," a remake of the
one-time stage success and early-day talkie,
with Betty Grable and Dan Dailey reunited
as the topliners, and June Havoc and
Jack Oakie in supporting roles. George Jessel
produces, Walter Lang directs.
United Artists
Several "firsts" characterized the month's
only entry for distribution by this company.
Titled "An Innocent Affair," it is the initial
production venture for James Nasser, circuit
owner and operator of General Service studios,
who set up an independent production
unit and borrowed Lloyd Bacon from 20th
Century-Fox to direct the romantic comedy.
it is Also the first screen appearance
Universal-International
This valley film emporium unlimbered the
Paramount 2-Reels Out;
70 One-Reelers Listed
NEW YORK—Paramount will release 70
one-reelers, 104 issues of Paramount News
and discontinue its two-reelers for 1948-49,
according to Oscar A. Morgan, sales manager
of shorts and Paramount News.
He said the company is dropping its tworeel
subjects because "for over a year there
has been a definite trend in theatres to onereel
subjects and away from the longer pictm-es."
According to Morgan, exhibitors in
single bill territories say they can build a
better balanced program with the single-reel
shorts. Exhibitors in double bill territories
have pointed out that the single-reel short
fits more easily into their shows, Morgan
added.
During the past several years Paramount
has been concentrating its two-reel efforts
on a series of musicals with Olga San Juan,
Johnnie Johnston, Peggy Lee and other film.
bankroll to schedule March starting dates
on three comparatively high-budgeted subjects,
a fairly rapid pace, especially in view
of the general trend. One of them, as a matter
of fact, emerges as probably the month's
most important properties in point of star
names and story values. Titled "Kiss the
Blood Off My Hands," it is described fully
in the box on the facing page. Deanna Durbin
goes before the cameras in "Washington
Girl," a romantic comedy in which her
co-stars are Jeffrey Lymi and Don Taylor,
with Robert Ai-thur producing and Frederick
de Cordova in the pilot's seat. Miss Durbin
is cast as a telephone switchboard operator
in a government building in Washington.
Taylor is the owner of a Pacific island who
comes to the nation's capital to protest
against use of his property by the U.S. navy
for atomic bomb tests. Producer Robert
Buckner will gun "Rogues' Regiment," a
story of the modern, postwar French Foreign
Legion, with Robert Florey directing and
Dick Powell co-starring with Marta Toren.
Warner Bros.
The new entry here is "Sunburst," to be
turned out by the studio's newly created
lower-budget unit headed by Saul Elkins.
With Dane Clark, Geraldine Brooks and
S. Z. it is Sakall as the leads, a melodrama
Clark i who
about a hit-and-run driver
i
searches for, and engages in a romance
with, his victim (Miss Brooks). Felix Jacovers.
promoted from a dialog director's
berth, is to pilot the piece as his first task
behind a megaphone.
Polaroid's 3-Color Plant
Is Ready for Operation
NEW YORK—Polaroid Corp. stockholders
were informed in the company's annual re-
in the post-war era for Madeleine Carroll,
who co-stars in the subject with Fred Mac-
Murray. In a top supporting role is Rita
Johnson. The film, described as a light port that a pilot plant capable of turning
romantic comedy, has a modern New 'Vork out several million feet of the three-color
separation process has been completed.
background.
Paramounfs cartoon orders will keep the
plant running practically to capacity, the
report states. The process is said to be
cheaper than Technicolor.
radio and recording artists.
Morgan said that the market is strong for
cartoons, and that Paramount will meet this
trend by increasing its cartoon output from
24 subjects to 30. It also will Increase the
Pacemaker series from six to 12, using new
personalities including Jinx Palkenberg, Tex
McCrary and Monica Lewis.
The complete 1948-49 schedule is listed
below: Eight Popeye cartoons, ten Noveltoon
cartoons, 12 Screen Song cartoons, 12 Pacemakers,
6 Speaking of Animals, 6 Popular
Science, 6 Unusual Occupations, 10 Grantland
Rice Sportlights, 104 Issues of Paramount
News. In addition, there will be 52
Canadian Paramount News.
issues of
Morgan left New York March 13 for a
thi'ee-month tour of Paramount exchanges.
He also will spend some time in Hollywood
conferring with studio officials and producers.
Four International Chiefs
On Road for Paramount
NEW YORK—Four officials of Paramount
International, including George Weltner,
president, left New York during the past ten
days.
Weltner and A. L. Pratchett, division manager
for Latin-American, left together March
6 for a five-week tour of South America.
They will visit company offices in Brazil,
Argentina, Chile, Peru and the Canal Zone.
Rio De Janeiro will be their first stop. They
are expected in Lima April 1 to attend the
opening there of the Tacna Theatre.
J. E. Perkins, managing director for Great
Britain, boarded the Queen Mary last weekend
and is now back at his London office
after a series of conferences at the New York
home office.
Paul Ackerman, director of advertising and
publicity, is now in Hollywood for talks with
studio
officials.
Arnold Says Film Leaders
Yielded Independence
WASHINGTON -Thurman Arnold says
film executives have "surrendered the independence"
of the industry. His comments
were sent to Sheridan Gibney, president of
the Screen Writers Guild, in explaining why
his law firm. Arnold. Fortas & Porter, has
taken over defense of the guild.
Arnold says he is not representing the ten
writers charged with contempt by the House
committee on un-American activities. Arnold
calls it an issue of "paramount importance"
and says the industry has set up
"what amounts to a private court."
20th-Fox Film Retitled
NEW YORK—"The Law and Martin Rome"
has been selected as the final title for the
20th-Fox picture previously known as "The
Chair for Martin Rome." 'Victor Mature and
Richard Conte are co-starred.
BOXOFFICE :
13, 1948
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