Boxoffice-January.07.1950

. . . Republic
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. . Other
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'f^oUcfiiMMd ^efoont
New Year Looks Promising
In Aiding Independents
It was grim, mighty grim, for many an
Leon Goldberg Leaves RKO
For New Duties at U-I
After 15 years with RKO Radio—the last
six of them in Hollywood—Leon Goldberg
has wound up his affairs as vice-president
and studio manager and assumed new duties
as a vice-president and treasurer of Universal-International.
He'll headquarter on the
U-I lot for two weeks and then head for Manhattan
to function as the company's chief
financial officer in the east . . . Owen Mac-
Lean, former casting director at Eagle Lion
and a talent executive at U-I for the past
three months, has checked out of the post
handed Scripter John K. Butler
a new one-year ticket. He's currently developing
"Fair Wind to Java," from the novel
by Garland Rourke.
Eight New Warner Films
Start Early This Year
There's some measure of cheer in Warners'
announcement that during the first few weeks
By
IVAN SPEAR
and Virginia Mayo in starring roles; "Sugarfoot,"
from a story by Clarence Budington
Kelland, toplining Randolph Scott, with Edward
L. Marin directing for Producer Saul
Elkins; a Bryan Foy entry, "Roadblock,"
which Andrew Stone will direct; "Elmer the
Great," starring Jack Carson; "Murder, Inc.,"
a contribution from Milton Sperling's United
States Pictures; and "The Breaking Point,"
from Producer Jerry Wald. The British
starter will be "Captain Horatio Hornblower,"
with Gregory Peck in the title role and Raoul
Walsh megging.
Already before the cameras in Burbank are
"Pi-etty Baby," with Dennis Morgan and
Betsy Drake; "Bright Leaf," a topliner for
independent filmmaker in search of a bankroll
back in 1949. But one indication, at least,
that the cui-rent year may be somewhat more
promising in that regard comes from Gordon
W. Levoy, filmdom attorney, with his disclosure
that he now is representing a group
of New York financiers—not heretofore connected
with motion pictm-es—which is prepared
to invest in package deals on budgets
ranging from $350,000 to $750,000.
For somewhat obvious reasons Levoy isn't
prepared to reveal the identity of the members
of this financial syndicate, but did make Gary Cooper and Lauren Bacall; and "Storm
Center," co-starring Ginger Rogers and Ronald
it clear that his principals are looking for
packages containing a good star name, screenplay
Reagan.
and megaphonist.
Speaking of independent production, the
early days of 1950 should see at least two
Only Four Literary Sales
entries in this category going before the As the New Year Begins
cameras. Co-producers Paul Sloane and
Film scriveners had little about which to
Helen Rathvon—she is the wife of N. Peter
celebrate as the new year began, since only
Rathvon of the Motion Picture Capital Corp.
a meager four story sales were recorded diu'-
—are planning to gim "The Sun Sets at
ing the Auld Lang Syne period. Aubrey Wisberg
and Jack PoUexfen sold their original,
Dawn," for Eagle Lion release, with a cast of
film newcomers including Sally Parr, Philip
"Horn of Plenty," to Rene Williams, film
Shawn and Lee Fredericks. At about the
financier and producer, who will make the
same time the newly organized Broadway
subject in Italy with Alfred Zeisler directing
. . . Producer Seymour Nebenzal acquired
Productions will launch "Dark Horizon,"
based on an original by Peter Brooke and
"Mine Sweeper," by Actor John Howard, and
Larry Klein. Headquartering at General
based on Howard's experiences in the U.S.
Service studios, the outfit comprises a group
navy during World War II . . . "Personal
of Rocky Mountain state exhibitors, Stanley
Column," a mystery novel by Jean Lewis, went
Neal, industrial film producer, and Attorney
to Republic, with Stephen Auer assigned the
Oscar R. Cummins. No releasing arrangements
production chores . . . "So You Want to
have been set.
Move," by Robert C. Houser, went to Warners,
where it will be included in the "Joe
McDoakes" two-reel comedy series stan-ing
George O'Hanlon.
Maxwell Shane Assigned
First 20th-Fox Chore
As his first assignment under a recently
set writer-director ticket at 20th Century-
Fox, Maxwell Shane is doing the screenplay
and will meg "Sense of Guilt" as a starring
subject for Susan Hayward and Hugh Marlowe.
Shane and Jules Buck—who draws
producer credit on the opus—are due to take
off for Quebec to select locals and supporting
players for the feature, which they will
shoot almost entirely in Canada.
Van Heflin Gets Release
From Contract at MGM
It's back to the stage and a free-lance film
career for Van Heflin, who asked for and received
a release from the balance of his MGM
contract after ten years on the lot . . . Move
over for another Fi-ench import—one Gaby
Andre, Gallic actress who was booked to a
. .
of 1950 the company will send eight new pictures
onto the sound stages—seven of them
on the Burbank lot, one in England—to supplement
term ticket by Warners and will make her
Charles
the three already in work.
American debut in "Roadblock" .
To be filmed locally are "Stop, You're Coburn and Charlotte Greenwood snagged
Killing Me," a comedy with Danny Kaye and two of the starring roles in U-I's "Rose
Lauren Bacall, Harry Kurnitz producing, Queen," which has the famous Pasadena
Phil Rapp directing; "Lightning Strikes Tournament of Roses as its background .
TY'ice," a Henry Blanke production to be Adele Jergens grabbed the stellar femme role
megged by King 'Vidor, with Richard Todd opposite Charles McGraw in RKO's "Code 3."
Varied Animal Films
On U-I, EL Slates
Fast becoming an annex to the Griffith
Park zoo is the Universal-International
lot, which allowed but a brief span
of time to elapse between completing
"Francis," its comedy about a talking
mule in the Burma campaign during
World War II, and launching pre-production
work on "Bedtime for Bonzo,"
another comedy—this one about a monkey.
Assigned to Producer Michel Kraike
who, incidentally, was — given an option
hoist at the same time "Bonzo" is an
original by Raphael David Blau and Ted
Berkman, and concerns a young couple
who purchase a monkey to experiment
with their theories on child -training before
they have a family of their own.
Pictures about animals are, of course,
no novelty—but horses and dogs have, in
the past, been most in the limelight as
concerns such offerings. A new and
somewhat exotic trend is reflected in
U-I's employment of simians and linguistic
mules and Producer George Pal's
upcoming Eagle Lion release, "The Great
Rupert," in which a squirrel, no less, has
the title role.
Schaefer Warns Producers
To Heed Foreign Market
As bad as the foreign outlook is now, it
probably will get worse—and American companies
therefore should begin immediately to
pay more attention to their foreign sales activities.
That's the word from George J.
Schaefer, sales manager for Stanley Kramer
Productions, currently in the film capital
after a lengthy European junket. Hollywood,
he declared, faces growing competition from
increased foreign production, which will result
in narrowing markets for celluloid emanating
from the U.S.
Germany, Italy and France all plan to
boost their filmmaking schedules this year,
the sales executive reported.
To Combine Two Yarns
Into One at 20th-Fox
Producer Fred Kohlmar at 20th Century-
Fox has been assigned to merge two story
properties, "Call Me Mister," the Broadway
musical, and "Cat^," story of the Civilian
Actors Technicians service, into one opus
under the "Call Me Mister" title. Story will
be laid in Japan right after the close of
World War 11 and Albert Lewin and Burt
Styler are working on the script ... On the
same lot Julius and Philip Epstein are collaborating
on the screenplay of "Take Care of
My Little Girl," which Anatole Litvak will
meg . . . Richard Wallace has been booked
to direct "The Man With My Face," a starring
subject for Macdonald Carey, to be
filmed independently by Jess Smith Productions
Aben Kandel is scripting "Winter
. . . Kill" for Warners, where it will be produced
by Hugh King . new WTiting assignments;
Waldo Salt to "St. Columba and the
River," for Norma Productions (the Burt
Lancaster-Harold Hecht independent) ;
Rip
Van Ronkel to "When Worlds Collide,"
which is on Producer George Pal's docket.
20
BOXOFFICE January 7, 1950