I I

—
Production Outlook
Is Better Than Ever
(Continued from page 12)
Country" and has two others, "Three Love
Stories" and "American Beauty" in preparatory
stages: "Actors and Sin," written
and directed by Ben Hecht and comprising
two expisodes, is due for early release
by United Artists. And 20th Century-Pox
is going full steam ahead on a
pair of others, "We're Not Married" and
"The Full House."
STORY VARIETY A-PLENTY
Otherwise, generally speaking, exhibitors
can look for the film capital to supply, in
quantities proportionate to other years,
the varied types of celluloid entertainment
that have long since been established
as movie staples. Times being what they
aie, there is perhaps a shade more emphasis
upon topical fare—the topic being
warfare, either the current Korean conflict
or the first two world wars. One of
RKO Radio's heavily budgeted entries is
Producer Edmund Grainger's "The Korean
Story," while Republic, with "The
Wild Blue Yonder" now in release is readying
"Marines Have Wings" as a followup.
Warners has a passel of 'em, including
the aforementioned "Retreat, Hell!" as
well as "Darby's Rangers" and "The
Fighting Marine." On Stanley Kramer's
docket at Columbia is "The Caine Mu-
based on the best-seller by Herman
tiny,"
Wouk, while for the same studio Sam
Katzman is making "A Yank in Indochina."
Paramount has a pair of GI
comedies in "Jumping Jacks." the Dean
Martin-Jerry Lewis starrer produced by
Hal Wallis, and the Bob Hope topliner,
"The Military Policeman." Completed at
20th Century-Fox is "Five Fingers," the
Monogram slate includes "Down Periscope"
and Metro has "The Making of a Marine"
on the front burner.
MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANZAS
All is not blood and sweat and tears,
however. As still further manifestation
of Hollywood's decision to open the purse
strings a mite, many studio schedules are
heavy with the lush, multi-starred type
of musical extravaganzas which were so
popular in the year when money didn't
matter—much—and which only recently
have begun to stage a comeback. Some
of these are an adroit blend of tunefilm
and biography—as witness Warners' current
and popular "I'll See You in My
Dreams," the life story of Songwriter Gus
Kahn: 20th Century-Fox's upcoming "The
I Don't Care Girl," which traces the career
of Eva Tanguay; Paramount's "Somebody
Loves Me," wherein Betty Hutton
portrays Blossom Seeley: and Republic's
"Song of Youth," dealing with Stephen
Foster as a young man. Still others are
in the more-or-less familiar, frothy, songfilled
category of light-hearted "escapist"
fare, of which Paramounts' projected "The
Golden Circle"—draw-ing its title from the
studio's widely-touted roster of new- acting
contractees—Metro's "Belle of New York"
and "Singin' in the Rain" and Warners'
"She's Working Her Way Through College"
are typical examples.
Films with a religious and or spiritual
motif, the ever-popular crime subjects,
swashbuckling costumers with virile heroes
and bosomy heroines, fantasies, comedies,
romantic drama.s—they're all present and
accounted for. Biblical spectacle— always
sure-fire at the ticket window— will characterize
"Pilate's Wife," an upcoming
Wald-Krasna opus for RKO Radio: the
historical adventures range from Metro's
"Scaramouche" to Universal-International's
pirate actioner, "Against All Flags,"
20th Century-Fox's release of the Wanger-
Frenke production, "The Lady in the Iron
Mask," and Columbia's "Caption Blood.
Fugitive." In the realm of fantasy there
is the Kramer project for Columbia, "The
5000 Fingers of Dr. T," an Abbott and Costello
starrer. "Jack and the Beanstalk,"
which Warners will release, and, of course,
an impending contribution by Walt Disney,
maestro of the animated cartoon
field, who is at work on "Peter Pan" as
part of his RKO Radio distribution schedule.
The comedies will range from unadulterated
slapstick—witness Paramount's
"Aaron Slick From F^mkin Crick"—to
sophisticated fare such as Columbia's
"The Marrying Kind" and Metro's "Pat
and Mike."
SAGEBRUSHERS RIDE ON
Westerns? Relax. There'll be plenty
of horseflesh and sagebrush, running the
gamut from big-bankrolled, so-called supers
down through the modestly budgeted,
bread-and-butter "series" subjects—enough
of them in each category to assure a
steady flow to those showmen who rely
upon the gallopers as an important segment
of their programming and profits.
Of note in this regard is the lessened emphasis
upon the cavalry-vs-Injuns theme,
which in some quarters was thought to
have been overworked just a trifle in
1951. The paleface-against-redskin facet
isn't being entirely dropped however, with
Columbia's "The Sabre and the Arrow."
Monogram's "Fort Osage" and Universal-
International's "Battle of Apache Pass"
looming as examples of this sagebrush
school. Other biggies set for early release
include "High Noon" made by Stanley
Kramer for United Artists release, Warners'
"Carson City," Columbia's "Cripple
Creek" and Paramount's "Shane. " There
have been a few changes in the "series"
field: Roy Rogers is no longer riding the
range for Republic, but will soon appear
as the co-star with Bob Hope and Jane
Ru.ssell in Paramount's comedy western,
"Son of Paleface," while Tim Holt, after
many years with the company, left the
RKO Radio corral and, reportedly, plans
to concentrate on TV. Still doing business
at the old stand, though, are Charles
"The Durango Kid" Starrett who ambles
thataway for Columbia, and Gene Autry,
who produces and stars in .several annually
for distribution by the same company.
Rex Allen and Allan "Rocky" Lane
continue as top hands at Republic, while
Wild Bill Elliott. Whip Wilson and the
Johnny Mack Brown-Jimmy Ellison team
are on the Monogram payroll.
America being the sports-loving nation
that it is. upcoming picture schedules
are dotted with entries ranging from
horseracing (Columbia's "Boots Malone")
to baseball (20th Century-Fox's "Pride of
St. Louis" and Warners' "Alexander, the
Big Leaguer"), football ("All-American"
at Universal-International) and boxing
(U-I's "Hear No Evil"). There's some
stress, too. on pictures with a "message,"
whether they be an attack upon some social
problem such as Paramount's indictment
of alcoholism, "Something to Live
For," barrages against Communism and
the Iron Curtain, of which Monogram's
"The Steel Fist" and Metro's "The Big
Lie" are examples, or entertainmentcoated
preachments for Americanism, as
exemplified by "Mr. Congressman." which
Leo now has in work.
REVIVALS OF OLD HITS
The theory that good story themes (like
old generals! never die is bringing forth
an unusually heavy agenda of—you should
pardon the expression—remakes. One of
the biggest gros.sers of all time. Warners'
"The Jazz Singer," has been dusted off
and will be brought up to date in a new
version. Currently in production at 20th
Century-Fox are "What Price Glory,"
and "Les Miserables," while Metro—with
"The Merry Widow" awaiting release
has scheduled a new treatment of the silent
hit. "Flesh and the Devil." as well as
musical version of "Goodbye, Mr. Chips"
and "Peg O' My Heart."
Biographical subjects appear to be retaining
a strong grip upon the affections
of the picture-makers and, it is to be
hoped, the paying public. Typifying this
type of celluloid are Samuel Goldwyn's
forthcoming "Hans Christian Andersen,"
based on the life of the famed Danish
spinner of fairy tales: Paramount's "The
Houdini Story," 20th Century-Fox's "The
Pi'esident's Lady," a biography of Andrew
Jackson and his wife, and Warners' "The
Will Rogers Story" and "The Eddie Cantor
Story."
STAGE HITS AND NOVELS
Incomplete would be any production
year if it did not contain an array of film
versions of stage successes and best-selling
novels. That a Broadway stage hit
can still command a top price as concerns
the acquisition of screen rights thereto
was demonstrated w'hen 20th Century-Fox
opened the purse strings to purchase "Call
Me Madam" and "Gentlemen Prefer
Blondes" while Warners has completed
filming of "Where's Charley?" and Stanley
Kramer, who will make them for Columbia,
picked up "The Happy Time" and
"Member of the Wedding." Over at Paramount
"Stalag 17" is in the works and Hal
Wallis. for release through that company,
is about to launch "Come Back, Little
Sheba." In the best-seller category Columbia
scriveners are doing their derndest
to delete the four-letter words from
James Jones' "From Here to Eternity,"
while Metro will make "Moonfleet" and
RKO Radio has "The Left Hand of God"
on its docket.
In toto, and as heretofore noted, an
encouraging aura of optimism in production
circles, strengthened by a diversified
lineup of potent boxoffice properties, renders
it reasonably safe to predict that 1952
is going to be a healty year for industryites
who aren't averse to a .spot of enthusiastic
hard work.
BOXOFFICE 15