Boxoffice-Febuary.14.1948

FEBRUARY PRODUCTION LINEUP
AT LOW POINT WITH 25 FILMS
HOLLYWOOD—First noted last fall by
viewers-with-alarm when the pressure of
international and domestic conditions began
to reflect itself at the boxoffice, the production
panic went into a crash dive in the
early days of February.
The shortest month on the calendar loomed
also as the shortest in many years from the
standpoint of properties awaiting the studio
starting gun, bringing with it a rush to the
wailing wall by creative and technical talent
as major and independent film-makers combined
could muster up a dismal total of only
25 candidates for camera work. This is a
drop of ten from January's 35 scheduled
starters and two below October 1947, whose
total of 27 was the previous low.
Aggravating the situation was the fact that
four established production units—Screen
Guild, the Selznick Releasing Organization,
United Arti.sts and Warners—slated no new
vehicles for the sound stages during the
period. Of the month's scheduled entries.
20 are new subjects, the balance having been
carried over from January. By studios—and
with the possibility of amplification as the
period proceed.s—the lineup includes:
Columbia
Generally one of the most prolific studios,
productionwise, this company exemplified the
downward trend by scheduling only three
entires on its slate for the month. Sam
Katzman holds the production reins on "I
Surrender, Dear." a musical, featuring David
Street, radio and recording star, and Gloria
Jean, and to be directed by Arthur Dreifuss.
A release through Columbia has been secured
by a new independent unit, headed by Actor
Richard Quine and William Asher, for "Winner
Take Nothing," a comedy-drama about
the small-town prizefight game and the people
who become involved in it. Quine and
Asher will co-produce and co-direct, with
the former in the male starring role. Carried
over from the previous month was another
Katzman property, "Superman," a 15-chapter
serial based on the comic -strip and radio
pi-ogram. To be directed by Spencer Bennet,
it has Kirk Alyn in the title role, with Alan
Dinehart III portraying him as a boy and
Noel Neil cast in the feminine lead.
Eagle Lion
Two properties, both budgeted at aboveaverage
levels, constitute the month's scheduled
activities here. "Hollow Triumph," a psychological
suspence yarn, co-stars Joan Bennett
and Paul Henreid and is in the directorial
hands of Steve Sekely, with Henreid doubling
as associate producer under supervision of
Bryan Foy. On a share-cropping basis. United
California Productions contributes "Let's Live
a Little," a romantic comedy in which Hedy
Lamarr and Robert Cummings have the toplines,
with Eugene Frenke producing and
Richard Wallace as the director. Cummings,
as an advertising genius, goes off the beam
because all his clients are women. Miss
Lamarr, an expert on neurology, looks into
the problem and manages to straighten
Cummings out after the usual comic and
romantic obstacles.
'Boy With Green Hair'
Is Started at RKO
In a month keynoted by onrushing
production austerity, from the standpoints
both of curtailed budgets and a
slowdown in production tempo, the
task of evaluating the period's most
noteworthy celluloid entry was made
considerably more difficult. Casting
away the customary yardsticks of
measurement—importance of cast and
the price tag attached—made necessary
the substitution of other appraising
devices, chief of which is uniqueness in
story line.
As an example of Hollywood's newfound
interest in novelty and off-thebeaten-path
ideas for film fare, probably
the month's outstanding entry
comes from RKO Radio, which plans
camera work on an opus provocatively
titled "The Boy With Green Hair."
Described as a "realistic fantasy," it
spins the fable of a lad who, in a recurring
dream, has a verdant thatch
and is impelled to bring to the world
a message of peace. Awaking, he discovers
his hair has indeed turned green,
and sets forth to spread his anti-war
gospeL
It is, of course, to be filmed in Technicolor,
without which the title would be
meaningless. Dean Stockwell has the
role of the youth in the Stephen Ames
production, which will be directed by
Joseph Losey. Other cast topliners arc
Robert Ryan, Pat O'Brien and Barbara
Hale.
Metro-Gold-wyn-Mgyer
But one new starter is the best the Mighty
Leo can do for the month to supplement the
five properties already on sound stages. Tlie
newcomer, as yet uncast, is "Vespers in
Vienna," another contribution to the growing
cycle of subjects devoted to life behind, before
and amid Europe's Iron Curtain. Adapted
from a story by Bruce Marshall, "Red
Danbue," it purports to relate conditions in
Vienna under Red domination and will be
Ijroduced by Carey Wilson, with Victor Saville
dh-ecting.
Monogram
Four nominees for starting date awaited
the green light on this lot—three of them
newcomers, the other a holdover from January.
In the brand-new category is "I protege. Piloting chores are in the hands
Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes," slated for production
of Nicholas Ray.
by Walter Mirisch and co-featuring
Don Castle and Elyse Knox. It concerns an
unemployed vaudeville dancer convicted of
Republic
Action is the watchword as concerns this
mui-der, though innocent, and how he is
cleared. Another whodunit is "Mui-der by valley studio's February output, with all four
Alphabet," newest in the Charlie Chan
scheduled starters placing emphasis onmelodramatic
of its
series, with Roland Winters as the Oriental
motivations. A Sidney Picker'
sleuth. James S. Burkett and WiUiam Beaudine
production, "Secret Service Investigator,",
toplines Lloyd Bridges, Lynne Roberts and;'
are, respectively, the producer and
director.
Late in January Johnny Mack Brown
started riding thataway in "Thunder on the
Range," carving out another chapter in thi,^
sagebrush saga. Reno Brown and Raymonr!
Hatton have supporting roles in the Barnt^v
Sarecky production, which Lambert Hillynr
directs. Held over from January was "Stat'o
Struck," a Jeffrey Bernerd opus concerning
the problem of adolescent delinquency, to br
piloted by William Nigh.
Paramount
Supplementing three vehicles already ni
work this studio had another trio on the
starting line, one of them a new entry from
Pine and Thomas. The P-T contribution i.