Boxoffice-Febuary.18.1956

Cleffers
STUDIO PERSONNELITIES
Allied Artists
HANS J. SALTER was set as music director on
"Mother-Sir!"
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Score for "The Swan" will be composed by
BRONISLAU KAPER.
United Artists
Bel-Air Productions, headed by Aubrey Schenck
and Howord W. Koch, signed LES BAXTER as
musicol director.
Warner Bros.
Musical score for "The Spirit of St. Louis" will be
scored by FRANZ WAXMAN.
Meggers
20th Century-Fox
Taking over the reins from Samuel G. Engel
CHARLES BRACKETT will produce "A Roomful of
Roses," based on the Broadway play by Edith
Sommers, which will star Virginia Leith.
RICHARD FLEISCHER was assigned to direct the
David Weisbart production, "The Day the Century
Ended."
United Artists
"Hot Cars," upcoming Bel-Air production, will
be directed by DONALD McDOUGALL for producers
Aubrey Schenck and Howard W. Koch.
Options
Allied Artists
Booked for a femme lead in "Hold Back the
Night" was MONA FREEMAN. PETER GRAVES was
signed for a top role with John Payne in the
Hoyes Goetz production, which is being piloted by
Allan Dwan. Also inked for o top role was
AUDREY DALTON. CHUCK CONNORS was signed
for a top supporting role.
Character actor CARL BENTON REID was booked
for the Lindsley Parsons production, "The Intruder,"
which Irving Rapper will direct.
RANKIN MANSFIELD, MICHAEL GARTH and RICK
VALLIN were odded to the cast of "Three for Jamie
Dawn," courtroom drama starring Laroine Day,
Richardo Montalban and Richard Havoc, which
Thomas Carr directs for Producer Hayes Goetz.
Independent
BRUCE BENNETT was signed to star in "The
Three Outlaws," a Sig Neufeld production, which
Sam Newfield will direct from a screenplay by
Orville Hampton. The galloper will be distributed
by Associated Film Releasing Corp.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Added to the cast of the Rocky Graziano autobiography,
"Somebody Up There Likes Me," was
DICK RICH. Starring Paul Newman and Pier Angeli,
the Charles Schnee production is being directed by
Robert Wise.
Joining Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery
the topline cast of "Raintree County" is
Cliff in
JARMA
LEWIS. The David Lewis production will be megged
by Edward Dmytryk. British actor NIGEL PATRICK
was signed for a role. Character actor RHYS
WILLIAMS drew a key role in the production. The
historical drama is based on the novel by Ross
Lockndge.
LOUIS JOURDAN wos inked to star with Doris Doy
in "Julie," to be produced independently by Martin
Melcher and directed by Andrew Stone under the
banner of Arwin Productions. Also booked were
FRANK LOVEJOY and BARRY SULLIVAN in starring
roles in the romantic drama which will roll next
month.
Paramount
GILBERT ROLAND was signed to
star with Charlton
Heston and Anne Baxter in the Technicolor-Vista-
Vision western, "The Maverick," which rolls next
month as a Hugh Brown production. Rudy Mate
will direct.
As his second starring feature for the studio,
European actor-singer ORESTE will topline "The
Singing Fisherman," an original by John T. Michael.
Oreste recently completed "The Vogabond King,"
with Kathryn Grayson.
Nightclub singer-dancer KAY THOMPSON joins
Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn in the upcoming
musical, "Funny Face," which will be produced
by Roger Edens and megged by Stanley Donen.
Cast as Jack Palance's son in "The Lonely Man"
was ANTHONY PERKINS. The western drama, a Pat
Duggan production, will be megged by Henry Levin.
RKO Radio
Cast as a prosecuting attorney in "The First Traveling
Saleslady" was JOHN ELDREDGE. One-time Quiz
Kid ROBERT EASTON, now a college student, drew
a featured part in the Arthur Lubin picture which
stars Ginger Rogers and Barry Nelson.
20th Century-Fox
SHEREE NORTH and GORDON MACRAE were set
for starring roles in "The Best Things in Life Are
Free," a musical biography of composers Buddy
DeSylva, Lew Brown and Ray Henderson, which rolls
next month as a Henry Ephron production.
ARTHUR O'CONNELL drew a featured lead opposite
Marilyn Monroe in "Bus Stop," which Joshua
Logan will direct.
United Artists
Bryna Productions, headed by actor Kirk Douglas,
BLUE RIBBON WINNERS—When the National Screen Council selected "Good
Morning, Miss Dove," starring Jennifer Jones, as "the best picture of the month for
the whole family" to go into release in December 1955, the creators and cast of the
20th-Fox production were the recipients of the coveted monthly BOXOFFICE Blue
Ribbon Awards. At right, Producer Samuel G. Engel poses with Peggy Knudsen,
featured in the cast of the picture. In the center photo, Henry Roster, right, who
directed, displays his plaque to Robert Taylor, one of the stars of "The Sixth of June,"
which Roster is currently piloting for Producer Charles Brackett. At right, starlet
Ripp Hamilton, featured in the picture, is shown with her plaque.
hoisted its option on Elsa Bortinelli, Italian player
who appeared opposite Douglas in "The Indian
Fighter."
Universal-International
Returning to the screen after o five-year absence
VIRGINIA WELLES will enact the femme lead in
"Francis in the Hounted House," starring Mickey
Rooney. The Robert Arthur production is being
megged by Chorles Lomont. MARY ELLEN KAYE
drew a featured part. Contractee DAVID JANSSEN
was added to the cast.
Warner Bros.
CHARLES MCGRAW, who has been starring in
the studio's TV series, "Casablonca," stepped into
one of the leading roles in "Toward the Unknown,"
William Holden's Toluca production, which stars
Holden and Lloyd Nolan. It is being produced ond
directed by Mervyn LeRoy. PAUL FIX was cost as
on air force officer.
Cast as a cowhand in "The Burning Hills," which
stars Tab Hunter and Natalie Wood under direction
of Stuart Heisler, was RON HARGRAVE. The
CinemaScope-WarnerColor western is being produced
by Richard Whorf.
Stage actor JAMES GARNER was signed to a
long-term contract.
Scripters
Allied Artists
Producer Lindsley Parsons set CHARLES EVANS to
do a polish job on "The Intruder."
United Artists
ROBERT C. DENNIS wos set by Bel-Air Productions,
the Aubrey Schenck-Howard W. Koch unit, to pen
"Fort Laramie" as an upcoming feature.
Story Buys
Allied Artists
"The Oklahoman," an original by Daniel B. Ullman,
was purchased as a Joel McCrea starrer. Ullman
was signed to develop the script, dealing with a
frontier physician.
Columbia
"The Missing Witness/' a Cosmopolitan magazine
serial by John and Ward Hawkins, was purchased
and assigned to Jonie Taps to produce. Blake
Edwards will prepare the screenplay and William
Asher will direct.
"Fortune Is a Woman," a story by Winston
Graham, was purchased for lensing in England as
a Jack Hawkins starrer. It will be produced by
Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat.
Independent
Leo Productions, headed by Director Francis Lyon,
acquired "Deborah," an original screenplay by
Richard Collins.
Filmmaker Carl Krueger purchased screen rights
to the Patricia Cox novel, "Saint Patrick's Battalion,"
and plans to shoot it on location in Mexico. The
historical tome deals with a battalion of 700 Irishmen
who were hanged by Gen. Winfield Scott for fighting
against him in the Mexican War of 1847-48.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
"The Wreck of the Mary Deare," a Saturday
Evening Post story by Hammond Innes, was purchased
and added to the studio's production docket. It
concerns efforts of the owner of a freighter to
scuttle the vessel, and how its tenocious captain
foils the plot.
Technically
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
WILLIAM DORFMAN was set as unit manager on
"Somewhere I'll Find Him."
"The Opposite Sex" will be edited by JACK MC-
SWEENEY.
Paramount
MICKEY MOORE wos named assistant director on
the Hal Wallis production, "Gunfight at the O.K.
Corral."
RKO Radio
Art director assignments include CARROLL CLARK
to "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" and JOHN MANS-
BRIDGE to "Tension at Table Rock."
20th
Century-Fox
JOE BEHM will be the unit production manager on
"Bus Stop."
United Artists
LEE GARMES will photograph the Samuel Goldwyn
jr. production, "The Sharkfighters."
Universal-International
Assigned to Ross Hunter's production slate was
"For Love or Money," o Broadway play by F. Hugh
Herbert, which concerns the love affoir between o
celebrated actor and a girl who stops at his home
56 BOXOFFICE :
: February
18, 1956