Boxoffice-Febuary.14.1948

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Columbia to Produce Film
About Associated Press
Columbia, which more and more has been
bending a receptive ear to outside commitments
whereby it lends its distribution
and /or production facilities to sharecropping
independents, seems to have latched onto an
exploitation natural in its latest deal of this
type It has completed negotiations whereby
Tony Owen, former Chicago newspaperman
and" husband of Actress Donna Reed, wUl
bring the story of the Associated Press, one
of the world's great news-gathering agencies,
to the screen.
That the property, as yet untitled, will reap
a rich harvest of publicity in those papers
utilizing the AP service is a foregone conclusion.
Under the arrangement, a share of
the film's profits will be turned over to the
AP for its employes' pension fund.
Owen is using several documentary sources
in the preparation of the script—"Barriers
Down," by Kent Cooper, AP general manager:
"The AP, the Story of the News." by Oliver
Gramling; and research material provided
from the agency's own files. The story wiU
cover the organization's history from its inception,
more than a century ago.
Ob.servers will recall that 'Warners some
years ago tried their hand at a similar undertaking—"Tlie
Man From Reuter's," a story
of the British news agency, which starred
Edward G. Robinson.
Story Market Sho-ws Gain
With Seven Purchases
Tempo of the hterary market hit a new
high for 1948, both in quantity and quality,
during the period, wherein seven transactions
were completed through which as many film
makers added to their stocks of story material.
Probably of major importance was Paramount's
acquisition of the current Broadway
dramatic hit, "The Heiress," as a starring
vehicle for Olivia De Havilland and the first
producer-director assignment on the lot for
William Wyler. Written by Ruth Goodman
and Augustus Goetz, "The Heiress" stars
Wendy Hiller and Basil Rathbone in its stage
version. The central character is a shy, plain
young lady who is considered a stupid object
of contempt and pity by her cultured, intelligent
father . purchased Joe
David Brown's published novel, "Stars in
My Crown," and assigned William Wright
to produce it. possibly as a starring commitment
for Robert Taylor. The drama deals
with a fearless preacher who brought the
gospel to a Tennessee town, overrun with
tough characters, shortly after the Civil war
. . . Republic delved into international affairs
thi'ough its purchase of "Red Menace," an
original by Sonya Marton, said to contain
factual background material on the operation
of Communist-front reorganizations. It
is undecided as yet whether parts of the material
will be Incorporated in another yarn,
"Police State," or whether to produce a separate
picture under "Menace" title . . . Also
jumping aboard the semidocumentary bandwagon
was Universal-International, which
bought "Illegal Entry," an orginal by Ben
Bengal, Dan Moore and Herbert Kline. It
By
IVAN SPEAR
concerned with the war waged by the U.S.
is
bureau of immigration against alien smuggling
rings, and will be scripted by Art Cohn
for production by Jules Schermer. Howard
Duff is set for the top male role . . Signet
.
Productions, headed by Producer-Dli-ector
Irving Cummings, bought "The Pasadena
Story," an original by Leo Rosten, from
Michael Curtiz, who acquired it recently and
then decided to dispose of it because he has
five other properties closer to starting dates
rights to "Fatima," novel by
Douglas Carter with a carnival background,
went to Sig Neufeld, who will produce it for
Film Classics release . . . "The Trimming of
Goosie," fantasy about a prosaic fellow who
suddently sprouts wings and flies like a bird,
was purchased by Marshall Grant Productions
from James Edward Hopper.
Joan Fontaine to Co-Star
In Burt Lancaster Film
Two independent units, both releasing
through Universal-International, got together
on a loanout arrangment when Norman
Pi-oductions (headed by Harold Hecht
and Actor Burt Lancaster) set a deal with
Rampart Productions (headed by William
Dozier and his actress wife, Joan Fontaine) to
borrow Miss Fontaine for the femme starring
lead in "Kiss the Blood off My Hands," upcoming
Lancaster vehicle . . . Walter Wanger
ticketed Richard Basehart for one of the toplines
in "The Bastile," which will be Wanger's
initialer for Eagle Lion release . . .
Another
EL casting found Turhan Bey set to star in
"Blood on the Snow," crime drama . . . June
Havoc draws a supporting spot in "Burlesque,"
the Betty Grable-Dan Dailey vehicle, at 20th
Century -Fox . . . Cast additions to RKO
Radio's "Blood on the Moon" include Walter
EVERYBODY'S DOING IT — Reading
BOXOFFICE, that is. An avid peruser of
the industry's most widely-circulated
trade journal is Josephine, 31-year-old
animal star of Jerry Fairbanks' "Speaking
of Animals" short subjects series, released
by Paramount. Here she is, relaxing
in her dressing room, and catching
up on the latest in film news.
De Rochemont to
MGM
As 'Roving Producer'
Louis De Rochemont, the man generally
credited with launching the current cycle
of semidocumentaries with realistic stories
and locales, has been ticketed to a "roving
producer" assignment by MGM and
has been handed supervisory chores on
the company's recently announced program
of factual celluloid fare. Formerly
at 20th Century-Fox, where he turned out
"House on 92nd Street," "13 Rue Madeleine"
and "Boomerang," De Rochemont is
now in the east seeking story material
and locales for the first of the subjects
he will make for the Culver City studio.
Brennan, George Cooper and Richard Powers
(formerly known as Tom Keene) . . . The
same lot handed Gloria Grahame a co-starring
role with Melvyn Douglas and Maureen
O'Hara in "The Long Denial" . . . Top spots
in Warners' "One Last Fling" go to Alexis
Smith, Zachary Scott and Alan Hale .
Claire Trevor will portray the Bambino's wife
in "The Babe Ruth Story," being readied by
Producer-Director Roy Del Ruth for Monogram-Allied
Artists . . . Columbia handed the
comedy lead in "I Surrender, Dear," to Don
McGuire.
Three More Independents
Appear During the Week
Three new independent production outfits
bobbed up during the period, making it more
obvious than ever that there is to be no shortage
of such film-making units in 1948.
Release through 20th Century-Fox was secured
by Carthay Productions, headed by
Gregson Bautzer, attorney; Agent Joe Rivkin
and Scenarist Leonard Hoffman, for its initial
film, an untitled musical biography of
Helen Morgan. Set for the topline is Dorothy
Lamour and Hoffman is writing the script
Fate," an original magazine story
by John S. Yuhasz. will be the first of three
pictures set for filming in 1948, for an unannounced
release, by Major Productions, incorporated
by Yuhasz and I. L. and Ira
Nickerson. The outfit is headquartering at
Nassour studios . . . Plans for production in
Mexico City of "The Underdog." by Mariano
Azuela, Mexican noveliest, were disclosed by
Norman Foster, who will produce and direct
the subject in both English and Spanish
versions. Poster treks south when he has finished
the piloting assignment on Universal-
International's "Kiss the Blood Off My T
Hands."
James Nasser Forms Unit
To Make Films for UA
Adding his name to the many-irons-in-thefire
department was James Nasser, head of
the family group which recently acquired
General Service studio. Now he has plunged
into the independent field with the formation
of James Nasser Productions, Inc., and the
signing of a distribution deal with United
Artists. For his kickoff picture, Nasser
ticketed Fred MacMurray as the star and
borrowed Lloyd Bacon from 20th Century-
Fox to direct. Titled "Innocent Affair," it is
an original by Lou Breslow and Joseph Hoffman.
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28 BOXOFFICE February 14, 1948
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