Boxoffice-11.11.1950

land, Nancy Davis and John Hodiak. The
story line concerns the efforts of Milland, a
college professor, to adjust to the sudden
death of his wife and child in an accident.
Fletcher Markle is the director.
Monogram
Dropping a notch below the October tempo,
[his studio lists four starting subjects. Producer
Barney Gerard will gun "According to
Mrs. Hoyle," a comedy drama in which a
retired schoolteacher becomes involved with
gangsters. It's to be directed by Jean Yarbrough
with a cast which, as the month
began, had not yet been chosen. Similarly
uncast were "Rhythm Inn," a musical to be
produced by Lindsley Parsons, and "Flight
to Mars," science-fiction fantasy which is
on Producer Walter Mirisch's agenda for
lensing in Cinecolor. From Producer Jan
Grippo will come another contribution to the
"Bowery Boys" saga, this one titled "Bowery
Battalion." Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall are,
as usual, the cast toppers, and the offering
is in the directorial hands of William Beaudine.
Paramount
Matching last month's pace, four subjects
are destined for camera work during the
period at this Marathon St. film factory. As
his third historical western for the company.
Producer Nat Holt will roll "Devil's
Canyon," a Technicolor sagebrusher which
has Arizona in the 1870s as its locale. With
Ray Enright directing, the opus will topline
Sterling Hayden. Co-starring in "Rendezvous"
be Joan Fontaine. John Limd and Mona
will
Freeman. The romantic drama, to be megged
by Mitchell Leisen for Producer Harry Tugend,
is an adaptation of Sir James Barrie's
play, "Alice-Sit-by-the-Fire." The Hal Wallis
production unit will gun "Night Man," a suspense
drama by Lucille Fletcher, authoress of
a previous Wallis success, "Sorry, Wrong
Number." Heading the cast is Burt Lancaster
but, at month's beginning, no director has
been recruited. A carryover from an earlier
starting date, which it did not meet, is "Here
Comes the Groom," a Bing Crosby starrer in
which he becomes involved with a passel of
French war orphans. Frank Capra is the producer
and director.
RKO Radio
Messrs. Jerry Wald and Norman Krasna,
who have been rapidly acciunulating a stockpile
of literary properties upon which to base
their ambitious program for release through
the Howard Hughes company, selected "Cowpoke,"
a story about a modern cowboy, as
the first of their features to hit the cameras.
Robert Mitchum will have the title role as a
rodeo rider who risks life and limb in that
hazardous but profitable profession. Also on
the RKO docket are two topical subjects,
"Flying Leathernecks," a story of the U.S.
marine corps' air arm, and "High Frontier,"
dealing with the development of the superbomber,
the B-36. Robert Ryan will be the
topliner in "Leathernecks," an Edmund
Grainger production, which Nicholas Ray will
direct, while "Frontier"—minus a cast early
in the period—wiU be produced and directed
by Robert Sparks and H. C. Potter, respectively.
A late October starter, but not previously
tallied, was "Gun Notches," an entry
MGM PACT
FOR SINGER
Billy Eckstine, popular vocalist, is
shown signing an MGM film contract
which will take him to Hollywood next
year. Eckstine also renewed his MGM
Records contracts at the same time
which will keep him on the MGM
label for the next ten years. Charles
C. Moskowitz, vice-president and treasurer
of Loew's, Inc., is seated with
Eckstine. Standing, left to right:
Harry Meyerson, artist and repertoire
director for MGM Records; Prank B.
Walker, general manager for the recording
company, and Milton Ebbins,
Eckstine's personal manager.
in the Tim Holt sagebrush series. Herman
Schlom produces, Lesley Selander directs.
Also on tap, after innumerable postponements
and delays, is "Two Tickets to Broadway,"
Technicolor tunefilm to co-star Janet Leigh
and Tony Martin. Listed as a "front office"
production, it will be megged by James V.
Kern.
Republic
Somewhat of a slowdown appeared probable
at this valley studio, which projected
three starting films as compared to five last
month. Hitting the cameras in the latter
days of October was a new chapter in the
western series starring Rex Allen, "Silver
City Bonanza," with George Blair megging
for Producer Mel Tucker. Sans casts as the
period got under way were two others
"Million Dollar I^ursuit" and "Fighting U.S.
Coast Guard." The former is a cops-androbbers
programmer, to be directed by Phil
Ford and produced by Stephen Auer: the latter,
glorifying one branch of our nation's
armed services, will be produced and directed
by Joe Kane.
20th Century-Fox
Both of the starting entries on the Westwood
studio's agenda are in military vein.
"U. S. S. Teakettle." starring Gary Cooper
and adapted from a New Yorker magazine
article, deals with navy experiments with a
steam-propelled vessel. Eddie Albert and
Richard Erdman have the top supporting
roles in the Fred Kohlmar production, which
Henry Hathaway directs. An item on Producer
Samuel G. Engel's docket is "The Frog
Men," the heroes of which are members of
the underwater demolition squads who functioned
in World War II. The topliners are
Richard Widmark, Millard Mitchell and Oary
Merrill, and Lloyd Bacon will direct.
Universal-International
Exceeding the October tempo, during which
three vehicles went onto the sound stages,
this studio plans to launch four subjects
during the current period. One of them,
"Bonaventure," looms as probably the most
interesting to be undertaken by any studio
and is therefore di.scussed fully in a box on
the opposite page. The other three, early in
the month, were suffering from shortages as
concerns casts and other assignments. "Cattle
Drive," a high-budget western to be produced
by Aaron Rosenberg, was without actors or
a director. Producer Leonard Goldstein,
readying "Francis Goes to the Races" as a
sequel to last season's success, "Francis," had
Donald O'Connor booked for one of the starring
spots, but the directorial niche had not
been filled. And "Little Egypt," a tunefilm
with the Chicago World's Fair as its background,
boasted neither players nor a megaphonist.
It will be produced by Jack Gross.
Nassour Bros. Plan
Independent Films
NEW YORK—Edward and William Nassour
have disposed of their interests in the Nassour
Studio in Hollywood to concentrate on
film production, for which they plan to make
separate deals with independent producers.
The Nassour Bros, and Paul Henreid have
recently formed H-N Productions for the
filming of "For Men Only" which will be
made by Henreid with himself in the leading
role.
Henreid, who has been in New York for
ten days to interview stage and radio actors
for leading roles in his new picture, will
leave by air for the coast November 7. Henreid
also used unknowns in his previous film,
"So Young, So Bad," which was produced in
the east with the Danziger Bros. This picture
was made at a cost of $252,000 and has
grossed over $480,000 in seven weeks of release.
It also brought fame to Rosita Moreno,
who has been signed by MGM, and Anne
Francis, now playing the lead in Louis De
Rochemont's feature, "The Whistle at Eaton
Falls."
"For Men Only," which was written by Lou
Morheim, author of the first "Ma and Pa
Kettle" feature for Universal-International,
will have a budget "under $500,000" and much
of it will be filmed in outdoor locations. It
is scheduled to start filming early in December
but it may be postponed until just after
the Christmas holidays.
The Nassour brothers are also producing
"Valley of the Mist," an exploitation special
in Technicolor and they have a verbal agreement
with Henreid to produce future pictures
of which all three parties approve. One of
these may be "Rendezvous in Vienna." which
would be filmed in Austria next summer.
Montague Marks, head of the British producing
firm. Film Locations, may also participate
in this deal.
Henreid originally planned to make this
picture in Austria last summer but he found
that it takes four or five weeks to get basic
approval from foreign governments for American
filming.
BOXOFHCE November 11, 1950 Zi