Boxoffice-October.04.1952

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Desassociation
with Sol Lesser. This one, too,
lacked players and meKaphonlst as the month
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REPUBLIC
Sole projected starter at this valley lot
early In the month was "Two Women of
Destiny." an upper-bracket historical western
laid in the southwest In the Civil War
era. To be produced and directed by Joseph
Kane, the entry was without a cast at this
writliiK
CENTURY-FOX
20th
Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell are the
eye-filling cast toppers of "Gentlemen Prefer
Blondes." film version of the Broadway stage
hit by Anita Loos, which will be produced in
Technicolor by Sol C. Siegel. The tunefilm Is
to be directed by Howard Hawks. Also due
to be launched is "Nearer My God, to Thee,"
a story of the Titanic disaster of 1912, with
Clifton Webb, Barbara Stanwyck and Thelma
Ritter as the hcadliners, Charles Brackett
producing and Jean Negulesco at the megaphone.
Uncast and without a director early
in the period was "The Desert Rats," a
Robert L. Jacks production glorifying the
British troops which defeated Nazi Field
Marshal Rommel at Tobruk in North Africa
during World War II. And, for release
through this company, Edward L. Alperson
began shooting "Invaders From Mars," a
.science-fiction opus, with William Cameron
Menzies directing. Leif Erickson and Helena
Carter are featured.
UNITED ARTISTS
A swashbuckler with a Caribbean locale.
"Swords Against the Mast," got under way in
September's closing days as an Edward
Small production for distribution by this
company. Starring John Payne. Donna Reed
and Gerald Mohr, the pirate drama is being
directed by Sidney Salkow.
UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL
"Vermilion O'Toole," a Technicolor westcm
co-starring Ann Sheridan and Sterling
Hayden, and "Night Flowers." a drama about
tough teenage girls in Brooklyn, are the two
entries on the October agenda at this film
foundry. "O'Toole" is a Ross Hunter production,
which Douglas Sirk will direct;
"Night Flowers" will be produced by Albert
J. Cohen and megged by Jack Arnold, with
a cast including Patricia Hardy, Joyce Holden
and Harvey Lembeck.
WARNER BROS.
In addition to serving as co-producer with
Robert Fellows on "Plunder in the Sun,"
which goes into work on location in Yucatan
this month for Warner release, John Wayne
also will be the topliner in "Alma Mater,"
the story of a college football coach, which
is slated to begin camera work at the Burbank
studio. The producer is Melville Shavelson,
and Michael Curtiz has been assigned the
directional reins. "Plunder," co-starring
Glenn Ford and Patricia Medina, is an action
drama which John Farrow will meg.
In biographical vein are "The Story of Eddie
Cantor" and "The Grace Moore Story." The
former, being supervised by Sidney Skolsky,
will have Keefe Brasselle essaying the role
of the famed stage-screen-radio-TV comedian,
with Lewis Seller directing, while
Kathryn Grayson w'ill title-role the latter,
tracing the career of the late, great soprano
from her childhood in Tennessee to success in
night clubs, musical comedy and the Metropolitan
Opera. Gordon Douglas will direct
the Henry Blankc production. Already In
work as the month began was "Cattle Town,"
a sagebrusher starring Dennis Morgan, which
is being produced by Bryan Foy and directed
by Noel Smith.
MGM Adds Two Features
To Schedule for 1953
Two new subjects have been added to
MGM's 1953 production docket. Handed to
Arthur Freed to produce was a new version
of "The Girl of the Golden West," based on
the David Bela.sco play, while Sam ZImballst
drew the production reins on "Valley of the
Kings," a romantic adventure story which will
be filmed on location In Egypt next spring.
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