Boxoffice-December.02.1950

—
. . Maxwell
. . . Borrowed
. . Under
. . Bing
. . Dane
. . Van
. . John
^oU^tWMd ^CfiWt
By
IVAN SPEAR
Two Independent Features
Added to Columbia Slate
To Columbia's 1950-51 releasing schedule
have been added two vehicles emanating from
independent production sources—one already
completed, the other set for an early camera
start.
Producer Seymour Nebenzal secured distribution
through Columbia for his recently
completed "M," a r\e^ version of the psychological
chiller which he originally filmed in
Europe in the early '30s. Directed by Joseph
Losey. the opus casts David Wayne in the
role of the neurotic killer which was delineated
in the earlier version by Peter Lorre.
Martin Gabel and Howard DaSilva have the
top supporting roles. It will be released in
March.
The upcoming contribution to the company's
releasing slate is "The Brigand," now
being prepared by Producer Edward Small as
a starring vehicle for Anthony Dexter—who
has the title role in Small's soon-to-bereleased
"Valentino," also made for Columbia.
"The Brigand" is from a novel by Alexandre
Dumas, in whose swashbuckling stories
Small has specialized in the past through the
manufacture of such films as "The Count of
Monte Cristo," "The Man in the Iron Mask"
and "The Corsican Brothers." Tentatively set
to roll early in January, "The Brigand" is
being scripted by George Bruce.
Republic Completes 15 Films;
Major Part Are Westerns
Of a total of 15 completed pictures in Republic's
current backlog—which is, incidentally,
reported as a new all-time high for the
studio—eight, or more than half, are in the
western category.
That's additional proof of the high esteem
in which sagebrushers apparently are being
regarded by most production and distribution
organizations—a film classification which has
been enjoying continuing popularity for the
past several seasons.
The Republic crop includes such larger-
Alan Ladd Lends Name
To Kiddy Cowboy Items
Move over, Hoppy, Gene and Roy
you're about to receive some competition
in the western commercial by-products
field from another actor who—although
not a sagebrush star in the accepted
sense—has toplined .several king-size
saddle operas.
The player is Paramount's Alan Ladd,
currently starring in Pi'oducer Hal Wallis'
"Quantrell's Raiders" and who recently
completed another outdoor opus,
"Branded." Ladd has lent his name to
a complete line of western toys and clothing
for the moppet crowd, including such
standard paraphernalia as cap pistols,
holster .sets, cowboy hats, boots, trick
ropes and the like.
They're due to make their appearance
in time for this year's Christmas trade.
budget subjects as "Oh, Susanna," a Rod
Cameron starrer dealing with California in
gold rush days, as well as such series westerns
as two starring Roy Rogers, one each
with Rocky Lane and Rex Allen, and "Buckaroo
Sheriff of Texas," initialer In a proposed
group featuring two youngsters, Michael
Chapin and Eilene Janssen.
Remainder of the valley studio's backlog
runs the gamut from romantic dramas to
melodramas, comedies and a serial.
'Breakthrough' FoUo'wup
Planned at Warners
In addition to a number of subjects recently
completed, currently filming or in preparatory
stages which deal with the present
Sid Rogell Forms Company
For Independent Films
Most recent addition to the roster of Hollywood's
independent producers is Sid Rogell,
until a few months ago an executive producer
at RKO Radio, who is resuming picturemaking
activity as the head of his own unit.
Rogell's initialer will be a film version of
Jules Verne's adventure novel, "20,000 Leagues
Under the Sea," a completed screenplay
which he acquired from Robert L. Lippert
Productions. It had been on the latter company's
schedule for nearly two years.
Camera work on the opus, under the Rogellian
banner, is slated to get under way early
in 1951 for a release which as yet has not
been announced. Rogell currently is completing
his corporate setup and arranging for
studio space.
Paramount Purchases Rights
To Topical Na'vy Comedy
Waxing topical, but in comedy vein. Paramount
acquired the film rights to "Trumpet
Smith," an original by Ben Finney, which
concerns two young ex-servicemen who are
called back into the navy because of the
current world situation. P. J. Wolfson has
. . . Frank
been signed to write the screenplay and Irving
Asher will be the producer
Capra took time out from his activities as a
producer-director at Paramount to sell his
original story, "Westward the Women," to
MGM. The outdoor action drama, dealing
with the experiences of a guide who brings
the first group of women across the prairies
to the early west, will be directed by William
A. Wellman . Shane, who recently
HE'S THE BEST—Billy WUder (left)
won the Screen Directors Guild's quarterly
award for Iiis megaphoning achievement
on Paramount's "Sunset Boulevard."
Wilder is shown here receiving the
medallion from Joseph Manluewicz,
SDG president, during a recent NBC
broadcast of the Screen Directors' Playhouse,
an SDG-created airshow.
conflict in Korea, Hollywood's filmmaking
fraternity is not neglecting World War 11 as
the subject matter for upcoming celluloid.
At Warners
hung
for example,
out his shingle as an independent producer-director-writer,
where "Breakthrough,"
produced by Bryan Foy and with
added "The Family
David Brian, John Agar and Frank
Way," a comedy
Lovejoy
in the leads, was lensed and
by Milton Raison, to his
docket . the banner of his newly
is now in
release, a foUowup to that story of combat
organized Standard Productions, and to be
in Europe has been
filmed for Allied Artists release, Hal E.
tossed into the productional
hopper. Titled "The Tanks Are Coming,"
it will deal with mechanized
Chester purchased "Models, Inc.," a story by
Alyce Canfield, magazine writer.
facets of
the European campaign.
An original by Joseph I. Breen jr., who U-I Signs Richard Conte
authored "Breakthrough," the new entry will
To Multiple-Fikn Pact
reunite Producer Foy and Stars Brian, Agar
Almost immediately after securing a
and Lovejoy.
lease from the balance of his acting ticket at
20th-Fox, Richard Conte was signed by Universal-International
to a multiple-picture,
non-exclusive contract and booked to star
in "The Hollywood Story" as his first assignment
. Crosby and Bob Hope next
will travel "The Road to Hollywood" as the
sixth in the "Road" series in which they have
co-starred for Paramount . Johnson
was assigned as June Allyson's co-star in
MGM's upcoming romantic comedy, "To(?
Young to Kiss" . Clark and Cathy
O'Donnell will be co-featured in "No Help
Prom Heaven." to be produced for Columbia
release by Lon Appleton and Monty Shaff
from MGM, Ann Miller will
have one of the leads in the RKO Radio
tunefilm, "Two Tickets to Broadway."
Pine and Thomas to Make
'The Las Vegas Story'
Not to be outdone by Universal-International,
at which studio the cameras have
begun grinding on "The Hollywood Story,"
those productional partners. Bill Pine and
Bill Thomas, have cooked up "The Las
Vegas Story" and assigned Lewis R. Foster to
develop the screenplay as an entry on their
Paramount releasing schedule . English
has been signed to direct "Whirlwind,"
new Gene Autry sagebrusher for Columbia
distribution. It will be English's 15th directorial
stint with Autry since 1947 . . . Hal
Walker was handed the megaphone on
"Junior," next on the Hal Wallis slate for
Paramount . . . Producer Samuel Goldwyn
booked Joel Sayre. magazine fiction writer,
to develop a treatment for his tentatively
titled "I Want You," a topical yarn dealing
with army ground forces training.
32 BOXorncE December 2. 195C