Boxoffice-July.17.1948

: July
Paramount Will Make 8
During Balance of Year
HOLLYWOOD—Paramount has geared its
production tempo to a steady pace for the
balance of 1948, with eight high-budgeted
entries scheduled for filming during that
period, it was disclosed by Henry Ginsberg,
studio chief. Supplementing the William
Wyler production, "The Heiress," which is
now in work, the list of slated starters includes:
"The Streets of Laredo." starring William
Holden. produced by Robert Fellows, directed
by Leslie Fenton; "One Woman," with Alan
Ladd, to be megged by Lewis Allen for Producer
Fellows: "A Mask for Lucretia," toplining
Ray Milland and Paulette Goddard, on
Ri-;hard Maibaum's production agenda with
Mitchell Leisen to direct: "Easy Does It,"
Edmund Beloin production starring Bob
Hope, to be piloted by Richard Haydn: a
Bing Cro.sby-Barry Fitzgerald vehicle, "Diamond
in the Haystack," for production by
Robert Welch: "I'll Never Love You," starring
Betty Hutton, with Leisen directing,
Maibaiun as producer: Cecil B. DeMille's
"Samson and Delilah," with Victor Mature
and Hedy Lamarr; and one Hal Wallis production,
as yet unselected.
SEVEN RELEASE DATES SET
Meanwhile, it was announced that Paramount
will release seven features dm'ing the
last four months of 1948. One will be in
Technicolor. Scheduled are:
September— "Sorry, Wrong Number," starring
Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster,
September — 24.
October "Isn't It Romantic," starring Veronica
Lake, October 8: "Night Has a Thousand
Eyes," starring Edward G. Robinson,
John Lund — and Gail Russell, October 22.
November "Sealed Verdict," featuring
Florence Marly, European actress, and based
on the war criminal trials in Germany, November
8: "The Tatlock Millions," starring
Wanda Hendrix, John Lund and Barry Fitzgerald,
November 19.
December— "Disa.ster," featuring Richard
Denning and Trudy Marshall, December 3;
"The Paleface," Technicolor comedy starring
Bob Hope and Jane Russell, December 24.
Paramount Enthusiastic
Over 'Magic City' Short
NEW YORK—Paramount officials are enthusia.stic
over the reception given "Tlie
Magic City," nine-minute short which combines
a tour of Hollywood and the Paramount
Studios with the introduction of scenes and
16
"SEARCH"
DIRECTOR HONORED—
Fred Zinnemann, who piloted MGM's
"The Search," bagged another award for
his work when the Foster Parents Flan
for War Children handed him a special
citation. The kudo was presented Zinnemann
by Madeleine Carroll, who during
the conflict was active overseas in the
rehabilitation of war orphans. Edna
Blue, international chairman of the
Foster Parents organization, hailed "The
Search" for having "depicted more accurately
than any other document today
what life is like tor a wandering child
without parents in Europe."
Screen Guild to Release
12 Stephens Features
HOLLYWOOD— Screen
release schedule will be increased by 12 features
within the next year under terms of a
deal just set with William Stephens, who will
produce a dozen films for the company during
that length of time.
Initialer, slated to roll in mid-Augusc, is
"Green Gold," story of Wisconsin lumber
camps, to team George Reeves and Ralph
Byrd.
The new Stephens commitment was set by
Robert L. Lippert, SG president, after a
screening of "Jungle Goddess, " upcoming SG
release recently completed by Stephens.
Reeves, Byrd, Wanda McKay and Ai-mida top
the cast.
Stephens has established production headquarters
at the Nassour studios.
comments on coming attractions. It has entertainment
as well as advertising value, and
is Intended as a contribution toward the industry
public relations program.
'Amber' General Release
Pour hundred prints of the .short are being Scheduled for Sept. 15
made available to exhibitors without charge. NEW YORK- "Forever Amber," Technicolor
"The Magic City" Is the second short of ihis
ijroduction starring Linda Darnell and
type from Paramount. It was designed by Cornel Wilde, will be put into general release
Stanley Shuford, ad'vertislng manager. Tlie by 20th Century-Fox September 15. The company
first, "Made In U.S.A.," was released in
reports the picture played 4,992 engage-
November 1947, and received 11,000 bookings.
Shuford expects equally good results witli thl.s
ments at advanced admissions during the last
quarter of 1947.
one and believes there will bo more In the Twenllelh-Fox says the picture rolled up
series.
an $8,000,000 gro.ss at advanced prices.
Repeal of Censorship
In Ohio Advocated
COLUMBUS—Repeal of Ohio censorship;
laws was advocated by H. Gordon Hayes. OhlO'
State university economics professor, in a
letter to the editor of the Dispatch in which
he declared that "censorship is a burden on
the movie industry and violates one of themost
sacred tenets of Anglo-American freedom—freedom
of expression."
"I wonder why we in Ohio should put
with censorship," wTote Hayes. "Who are
that we should have censors decide w]
ideas shall be communicated to us by way
the movies? Forty-two of our sister stai
leave the judgment as to what shall be
played on the screen to the producers
distributors who compete for the thea
goers' patronage, and the results are not
tently disastrous."
Hayes said he was concerned because
press has not campaigned for repeal of cen^l
sorship. He said that newspapers, like films,
"traffic m ideas" and might well be subject
to censorship along with motion pictures. HB^
pointed out that the Ohio Department of
Education does the censoring "although It
might be expected that one In public education
would avoid censorship as he would a
plague, for an educator deals almost wholly
with ideas and might easily become the prey
of censors if censorship is encouraged. It is
apparently hard for men to remember that
those who set fires may themselves be
burned."
Hayes asserted that censorship is doinf
harm because "our censors are less able to'
choose for us than are the artists of books
and screen." He declared that the censor's
point of view is almost necessarily narrow
and local in scope and time. Censorship Is
belittling to artists and producers and to the
citizens of Ohio, he added. It robs those who
engage in censorship of that humility and tolerance
which is a vital part of noble character.
It stands as an example of the tyraiujy
of thought control against wliich courageous
men and women have always fought and
against whicii this generation must continua
Guild Productions'
to fight.
King Baggott, Carl J. Weyl.
Industry Veterans, Dead
HOLLYWOOD—Death claimed wo uidus<
try veterans with the passing of King Baggott
silent screen matinee idol and director, anc
Carl Jules Weyl, architect and art dii-ector W
Warners.
Baggott, 69, died of a stroke atid is survived
by a son, Robert King Baggott. He came tl
Hollywood in 1909 after a stage career ant
wrote, starred in and directed numerous early'l
day hits. Baggott had been in retirement fOI
several years.
Weyl, 58, entered films In 1935 as a Warr^
art director and two years later won tt
Academy Award for his art direction of ""Im
Adventures of Robin Hood." Born in Qtti
many In 1890, he came to the U.S. early il
the 1920s.
To Handle 'Music City' Advertising
HOLLYWOOD The J. Walter ThoinpSOl
agency has been retained to prepare the oa.
tlonal advertising campaign for "Music City,
to be co-pr(>d\iced by Snm Coslow and NO*
Clarke for United Artists release.
BOXOFFICE
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