Boxoffice-November.24.1951

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Production Activity Booms
Among the Independents
Riding the crest of filmdom's current upswing
in optimism and enthusiasm—sparked
by the recent Movietime U.S.A. campaign and
the marked increase in revenues noted on a
number of new releases— is the independent
filmmaking fraternity. After several months
during which camera activity by such units
hit a low ebb, something of a boom appears
to be in the making, paced by several newly
blueprinted projects.
Marking his entrance into production after
many years in the agency field, Donald
Hyde has teamed with Anthony Veiller,
writer-producer, in a new company which has
secured a United Artists release for its first
venture, "Red Planet." Based on the stage
play by John L. Balderston and John H.
Hoare, it's another contribution to the current
space opera cycle, and will star Andrea
King, with Harry Horner at the megaphone.
A December start is planned by Arch
Oboler for the provocatively titled "The
Twonkey"—what it means is anybody's guess
—which Oboler will shoot before arranging
distribution, as he did with "Five," now being
distributed under the Columbia banner.
Oboler, who will produce and direct, also
wrote the original screenplay and has set
Hans Conreid, character actor active in
screen, radio and TV fields, as the lead.
Camera work is due to get under way
almost immediately on another film-it-firstand
- arrange - a - release-later project, "The
Fighter," which is being produced by Alex
Gottlieb at Motion Picture Center. Starring
Richard Conte, it's based on a short story by
Jack London and was scripted by Aben
Kandel. Gottlieb is also preparing, for
Zanuck Answers Charge
On 'The Desert Fox'
In no uncertain terms, 20th Century-
Fox's production chief, Darryl P. Zanuck,
has taken exception to adverse reactions
anent the filming by his studio of "The
Desert Fox," highlighting the career of
Nazi Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. Zanuck's
reply was to a charge by the Jewish
War Veterans of America, in New
York, that officials of the U.S. State department
viewed the making of the feature
with some concern, and that 20th
Century-Fox representatives had been so
informed.
Said Zanuck:
"Twentieth-Fox produced 'The Desert
Fox' with the full authorization and cooperation
of the State department. Parts
of the film itself were photographed in
Germany. Pull permission to do this
naturally was obtained from the State
department. The film is a picturization
of the book by British general Desmond
Young and was distributed throughout
the U.S. and England. 'The Desert Fox'
has proved to be one of the most popular
boxoffice hits our studio has made."
By
IVAN SPEAR
launching this spring, "Abbott and Costello
Meet Captain Kidd," which will co-star the
comics with Charles Laughton. It's for Warner
Bros, release.
Meantime Monogram-Allied Artists in a
progress report on its 45-picture schedule for
1951-52 disclosed six features have already
been completed, nine others are being edited
and screenplays for eight more have been
turned in. Of the completed .sextet, "Fort
Osage" and "Aladdin and His Lamp" are in
Cinecolor, which process was also utilized on a
pair now in editing stages, "Rodeo" and
"Wagons West."
Also charting an active course is Joseph
Kaufman, who—in addition to a multiplepicture
distribution commitment with RKO
Radio—has set a deal for the joint production
in Rome, next year, of "Carmen," from the
Bizet opera. His partner in the overseas venture
will be Robert Haggiag, who heads the
Scalera studios in Italy, and Beniamino Gigli.
former Metropolitan Opera tenor, has been
inked for the male starring role.
Kaufman's first under his RKO Radio
ticket is "Sudden Fear," to star Joan Crawford,
and which will be made before the
Italian
project.
Episodic Features Appear
To Be in Vogue Again
Hollywood's productional history, over a
period of years, has been studded with occasional
sallies into the field of multi-episode
subjects in which a group of .stories, portrayed
by separate casts and frequently employing
different producers, directors and
writers for each sequence, are packaged into
one feature-length attraction. Among the
more successful of such ventures: Paramount's
"If I Had a Million" (1932) and
20th Century-Fox's "Tales of Manhattan"
(19421.
Now the episodic feature appears to be
enjoying a new vogue. Metro recently tradescreened
"It's a Big Country," containing
eight sequences dedicated to the Americanism
theme, and starring such personalities as
Gary Cooper, Ethel Barrymore, Van Johnson,
Fredi-ic March, Keefe Brasselle, Marjorie
Main, Keenan Wynn and a host of others.
Utilizing the services of seven directors, it
was produced by Robert Sisk.
At least two others are on tap for 1951-52
filming. Metro is preparing "Three Love
Stories," a romantic trilogy which Sidney
Franklin will produce, and for which Directors
Vincente Minnelli and Gottfried Reinhardt
have been set, as have cast toppers
Fernando Lamas, Leslie Caron and Pier
Angeli. And 20th Century-Fox is packaging
five O. Henry stories as "The Full Hou.se,"
utilizing separate casts, writers and directors
under the productional supervision of Andre
Hakim.
Slated to start next month is the first of
the O. Henry quintet, "The Gift of the
Magi," which will co-star Jeanne Crain and
Farley Granger, with Henry King directing.
This will be followed by "The Ransom of Red
Chief," "The Cop and the Anthem." "The
Last Leaf" and "Clarion Call"—which, at
this writing, are uncast.
Mary Pickford to
Return
To Screen for Kramer
On tlie heel.s of the literary beat which
he scored some weeks ago by acquiring
film rights to the
life story of
Franklin Delano
has inked Mary
Pickford — once
Pro-
Roo.sevelt.
ducer Stanley
Kramer racked up
something of a
casting coup with
the disclosure he
known the world
around as "America's
Sweetheart"
Mary Pickford
— to return to the
screen for her first starring role in 19
years.
u
Miss Pickford, whose last picture was
"Secrets," made in 1933, will topline
"The Library," which Kramer will produce
next year as a part of his multiplepicture
deal with Columbia.
A member-owner 'with Charles Chaplin)
of United Artists, Miss Pickford described
"The Library" as "a picture w-hich
stands for everything we Americans hold
dear ... I consider the story, and my
part in it, an almost sacred responsibility."
It is being scripted by Daniel
Tarada.sh and Elick Moll.
Four Literary Transactions
Recorded During Week
. . .
.
Four sales were recorded on the literary
market. Columbia purchased "The Good
Tidings," a novel by William Sidney, and
inked Robert Ardrey to develop the screenplay
Another novel, Gw'en Bristow's
"Jubilee Trail," was picked up by Republic
Bros. Productions acquired "The
Longshot," an original w-ith a horseracing
background by John Higgins to
Aspen Productions, the independent unit
headed by directors Robert Wise and Mark
Robson, went "Blessed Event," a comedy by
Sumner Arthur Long.
Samuel Bischoff No-w Back
As Warners Producer
Returning to the studio with which he was
associated from 1933 to 1940, Samuel Bischoff
has checked back into Warner Bros, to assume
duties as a producer. He resigned his
executive berth at RKO Radio some weeks
ago.
B. B. Kahane, now in his 16th year
as an executive and vice-president of Columbia,
entered into a new- long-term contract
with the company . a fiveway
ticket at 20th Century-Fox was Max
Showalter, of TV and Broadway, who will
function as actor, lyricist, composer, test director
and dialog director.
Classic Pictures will distribute the British
film production of T. S. Eliot's "Murder in
the Cathedral" in the U.S. in January, according
to Max J. Rosenberg, president of Classic,
who recently returned from England. The picture
was produced and directed by George
Hoellering from a screen play by Eliot.
BOXOFFICE November 24, 1951 19