Boxoffice-July.01/1950
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. . Robert<br />
—<br />
. . . Sherry<br />
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Six Literary Properties<br />
Bought During Week<br />
The literary market held firm with the<br />
acquisition of six properties for upcoming production.<br />
To Paramount went Vina Delmar's<br />
new novel. "About Mrs. Leslie," with George<br />
Stevens to produce and direct the story of a<br />
worldly wise woman and her conflicting experiences<br />
. Stillman. who has a sixpicture<br />
releasing commitment with United<br />
Artists, purchased a Dorothy Parker short<br />
story. "Horsie." which he will incorporate as<br />
the third episode in "Queen for a Day" . .<br />
Jack Natteford sold his original. "Cattle<br />
Drive," to Universal-International and was<br />
booked to develop a script of the sagebrusher<br />
for produtcion by Aaron Rosenberg . . . Olympic<br />
Productions (headed by Sam Wiesenthal<br />
and W. R. Frank) bought "The Heat's On," a<br />
semidocumentary crime drama authored by<br />
Paul MacNamara, onetime public relations<br />
topper for David O. Selznick . . . Acquired<br />
by 20th Century-Fox was "Diplomatic Courier,"<br />
story of the U.S. State department by<br />
Liam O'Brien. It's been set as a Richard<br />
Widmark starrer and will be produced by<br />
Casey Robinson ... A western, "The Shooting<br />
Marshal," by Ande Lamb, was purchased<br />
by Lippert Productions, w-hich placed it on<br />
schedule for a September start.<br />
Norman Foster, Robert Keith<br />
Form Independent Company<br />
Their association as director and featured<br />
player, respectively, on Fidelity Pictures'<br />
"Woman on the Run," made for Universal-<br />
International release, has led Norman Foster<br />
and Robert Keith to form their own independent<br />
unit. Keith, a writer as well as actor,<br />
did a scripting stint at Universal a decade<br />
or more ago and then returned to Broadway<br />
as a thespian.<br />
Foster and Keith have begun lensing backgrounds<br />
in Arizona for an untitled original.<br />
They have set no releasing arrangements.<br />
Also venturing into the field of independ-<br />
Jack M. Warner's 'Gun'<br />
To Be Fox Release<br />
Comes next fall, those showmen who<br />
glimpse Jack Warner's name on the main<br />
credits of a 20th Century-Fox release may<br />
think their eyes have been awry.<br />
Not so.<br />
Jack M. Warner, son of the vice-president<br />
and production chief at Warner<br />
Bros., has secured 20th-Fox distribution<br />
for "The Gun," which he recently completed<br />
as his first independent venture.<br />
It is set for release this autumn, with<br />
the probabiUty that the offering, directed<br />
by Felix Feist, will be given another<br />
handle before it goes into distribution.<br />
The cast topliners are Lee J. Cobb, Jane<br />
Wyatt and John Dall.<br />
By<br />
IVAN SPEAR<br />
ent production is scenarist Milton Krlms, who<br />
plans to make two features abroad with British<br />
financial backing. He will script, produce<br />
and direct "The Ninth Man" and "The<br />
Story of Toulouse-Lautrec." the former to be<br />
made in England and Italy, the latter in<br />
France. Krims likewise has arranged no release.<br />
George Breakston to Lens<br />
Fihn on Japanese Soil<br />
The bulk of the industry's overseas production<br />
in the postwar era has been concentrated<br />
in Europe, with side-trip junkets to<br />
India. Africa and the South Seas. But—and<br />
undoubtedly because of red tape in connection<br />
with the occupational forces of Gen.<br />
Douglas MacArthur—Japan, the Land of the<br />
Rising Sun. has been left pretty strictly<br />
alone.<br />
Now comes announcement from Producer<br />
George Breakston and Scenarists Dorrell and<br />
Stuart McGowan that they have secured the<br />
necessary clearances from the U.S. State department<br />
and General MacArthur to lens<br />
"Tokyo. File 212" in Nippon, begirming this<br />
month.<br />
Set for the lead—the only Hollywood actor<br />
in the cast—is Leif Erickson. American<br />
soldiers and Japanese civilians will be recruited<br />
for other roles. The yarn, which the<br />
McGowans will co-direct, is concerned with<br />
the rehabilitation of the Japanese populace<br />
following the nation's defeat at the hands of<br />
the U.S. in World War II. No release has<br />
been set.<br />
Ne'w Rocketship Fantasy<br />
On 20th-Fox Schedule<br />
Interplanetary fantasies, currently the<br />
hottest item in Hollywood's well-known<br />
penchant for cycles, have so far concentrated<br />
on rocketship travel in one direction<br />
away from the earth. Witness: Lippert's<br />
"Rocketship XM (Expedition Moon)," now in<br />
release, and the soon-to-be distributed George<br />
Pal opus, "Destination Moon." being released<br />
through Eagle Lion.<br />
Now the field is being reversed. Announced<br />
for early production at 20th Century-<br />
Fox is "Farewell to the Master." an original<br />
by Harry Bates, which is concerned with the<br />
arrival of a rocketship from another planet^<br />
and landing in Washington, D. C, no less.<br />
As yet uncast, the scientification yarn will<br />
be produced by Julian Blaustein.<br />
Director Robert Wise Gets<br />
Option Lift at 20th-Fox<br />
Megaphonist Robert Wise, who has just<br />
completed "Two Flags West" for the studio,<br />
was given an option hoist for another year<br />
by 20th Century-Fox . . . Meantime another<br />
director, Don Siegel. asked for and received<br />
a release from the balance of his ticket at<br />
RKO Radio in order to free lance. His last<br />
for the Howard Hughes company was the<br />
Robert Mitchum vehicle. "The Big Steal."<br />
New 3-Color Process<br />
For Rogers' Oaters<br />
Standard equipment on Roy Rogers'<br />
starring westerns at Republic for the pa.st<br />
several years has been Trucolor photography;<br />
but up to now Roy and his saddle<br />
pals have been ridin' thataway in a twocolor<br />
process.<br />
Now. it is confirmed by studio sources,<br />
a three-color system has been perfected,<br />
after years of experimentation, and will<br />
be utilized fir.st in the making of an<br />
upcoming Rogers sagebrusher, which<br />
probably will hit the cameras next month.<br />
Advantages claimed for the new threehue<br />
method:<br />
It utilizes a single negative in a conventional<br />
35mm camera. From that<br />
negative, color separations may be struck<br />
off for printing on a newly developed<br />
DuPont tricolor stock. All optical work<br />
required is said to be incorporated in the<br />
separation negatives.<br />
Not known at this point:<br />
1. Whether the new process will be<br />
called Trucolor or will be given some<br />
other trade handle.<br />
2. Whether it will be made available<br />
on a commercial basis to companies or<br />
producers other than Republic. Trucolor,<br />
in its two-color form, has been<br />
utilized by outside producers providing<br />
they use the Republic lot as their filmmaking<br />
headquarters.<br />
Roy Rogers Film to Feature<br />
Lane, Hale and Allen<br />
His fans may consider it lese majesty—but<br />
Cowpoke Roy Rogers isn't going to defeat the<br />
villains single-handed in "Trail of Robin<br />
Hood," his current Republic starrer. The<br />
studio's three other sagebrush stalwarts. Allan<br />
"Rocky" Lane, Monte Hale and Rex Allen,<br />
are set for guest shots in the picture and<br />
will ride in. guns flaming, at the crucial moment<br />
. . . Joan Davis draws the featured comedienne<br />
role in "Illegal Bride," next Fidelity<br />
Pictures venture for Universal-International<br />
release, which co-stars Ginger Rogers and<br />
Jack Carson . . . Lloyd Nolan has been cast<br />
as "Barefoot Charlie" in Paramounfs new<br />
Bob Hope starrer, "The Lemon Drop Kid"<br />
Moreland is the romantic interest<br />
opposite Johnny WeissmuUer in Columbia's<br />
"Fury of the Congo," latest in the "Jungle<br />
Jim" series.<br />
Walter Hart Set to Direct<br />
'Goldbergs' at Paramount<br />
Walter Hart, director of the television program,<br />
"The Rise of the Goldbergs," has been<br />
signed by Paramount to meg the film version<br />
Teamed on the script of<br />
thereof . . . "Goodbye, My Fancy." upcoming Joan Crawford<br />
vehicle at Warners, are Ivan Goff and<br />
Ben Roberts ... On the same lot Novelistscenarist<br />
MacKinlay Kantor is writing "Force<br />
. . . Richard<br />
of Her Arms" and James Webb is on the<br />
screenplay of "Raton Pass"<br />
Whorf has been booked by Howard Welsch's<br />
Fidelity Pictures to meg "Illegal Bride." It's<br />
Universal-International release.<br />
for<br />
30 BOXOFFICE ;: July 1. <strong>1950</strong>
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