NOVEMBER

^oU^tmod ^e^iont
Two New Companies Formed
To Produce Independently
Shaping up as somewhat out of routine
were two virtually concurrent announcements
relating to new independent filmmaking enterprises.
Television's "Time for Beany," a popular
entry for the moppet trade, is due for fulllength
theatrical film treatment under terms
of a commitment signed by Bob Clampitt, the
"Beany" impresario, and M. L. Gunzburg's
Natural Vision Corp., the three-dimension
company. Clampitt, utilizing the puppet
characters of "Beany" and his pal "Cecil,
the Sea-Sick Sea Serpent," plans to begin
camera work before the end of the year from
his own original screenplay.
At the same time, came word from Paris
that Jules Buck, who recently resigned as a
20th Century-Fox producer, has formed G-B
Productions in association with David and
M. A. Getz to film a minimum of two features
within the next six months. The kickoff
subject, from a screenplay by Jo Eisinger,
will be "Von Luckner, the Sea Devil," a
marine drama based on the World War I
exploits of Count Felix Von Luckner, the sea
raider who wreaked havoc upon Allied shipping
without taking a single Allied life. The
picture will be directed by Robert Siodmak.
and G-B, which is financing its own films,
will negotiate western hemisphere distribution
for this and additional upcoming product.
Lippert Has Six New Films
Ready for Distribution
Off to a flying start on a 1952-53 schedule
whereby President Robert L. Lippert of Lippert
Pictures is aiming to supply 20 releases
annually to his franchise holders throughout
the U.S., the company now has six pictures
By
IVAN SPEAR
ready for distribution, three in editing stages
and four others in preparation for camera
starts before the end of the year.
Awaiting release are "Scotland Yard Inspector,"
"Tromba, the Tiger Man." "Mr.
Walkie-Talkie," "Gambler and the Lady" and
a reissue combination, "Great White Hunter"
and "Captain Kidd."
In the cutting rooms are "I'll Get You,"
with George Raft; "The Tall Texan," starring
Lloyd Bridges, and "Bad Blonde," featuring
Barbara Payton. Due for the sound
stages are "Carib." another Raft starrer;
"Spaceways," with Howard Duff; "Project X"
and "Hangtown."
'Billy Budd' to Be Made
At Paramount as 'Slot'
Herman Melville's sea classic, "Billy Budd,"
which received Broadway stage treatment a
season or two back, has been added to Paramount's
upcoming slate as a modernized adventure
yarn backgrounded against American
naval action off the Solomons during World
War II. Bernard Smith will produce under
the tag of "The Slot," and Julius J. Epstein
has been set to write the screenplay ... An
early-January starting date has been arranged
for the film version of F. Hugh Herbert's
stage hit, "The Moon Is Blue," which
will be co-produced by Herbert and Otto
Preminger. The latter will direct. Of interest
is the fact that the independent venture
will be lensed simultaneously in both
English and German versions—^David Niven
starring in the former, Johannes Heesters, a
E^iropean actor, in the latter . . . Producer
Sidney Harmon tagged Irving Lerner to direct
his independent opus, "Man Crazy" . .
Replacing Roy Baker, who was forced out of
the assignment by illness, Henry Hathaway
will direct 20th Century-Fox's "White Witch
M-G-M TRADE SHOW -NOV. 21st