Boxoffice-April.07.1958

Ivan
,OLLY.WOOD
AND VIEWS OF THE PRODUCTION CENTER
lUoUywood Oificc— Suite 219 at 6-i04 IloUinvood Bird ,
Sprar. Westcrji Manatim
'Magdalene' Slated
For Start This Year
HOLLYWOOD — David O. Selznick has
signed Harry Brown to script "Tender Is the
Night," and Chi-istopher Isherwood to pen
the screenplay of "Mary Magdalene." which
he will produce for 20th-Fox release staiTing
Jennifer Jones in both productions. "Magdalene."
to be adapted from the Rev. Edward
Murphy's "The Scarlet Lili." is scheduled to
go before the cameras this year, while
"Night," to be adapted from the F. Scott
Fitzgerald novel, is slated to roU in 1959.
* * *
Three new films to be made by David
March and David Kramarsky, duo who produced
"Cry Baby Killer" for Allied Artists
release, will depict America's underworld.
The story of Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll. slated
to roll in May. will be followed by one on the
notorious Ai-nold Rothstein, victim of assassins,
and a thu'd film based on the recent
revelations of a highly organized vice syndicate
in Utica. N. Y. No distribution deal
has been set on these forthcoming films.
* * «
Gramercy Pictures, headed by Arthur
Gardner, Jules Levy and Arnold Laven, has
placed "Vice Queen." an original screenplay
by Pat Fielder, on its immediate production
slate. United Artists will release.
Alfred Hitchcock to Make
Feature for Paramount
HOLL'YWOOD— Alfred Hitchcock returns
to Paramount to produce and direct "No Bail
for the Judge," a comedy melodrama by
British writer Henry Cecil.
The story tells what happens when a high
court London judge is charged with the murder
of a prostitute. His daughter gets a
gentleman-thief to help find evidence which
will clear her father and the yam races to
a surprising climax.
Hitchcock will make "North by Northwest"
at MGM before starting his Paramount assignment.
Pass Million Mark
HOLL'YWOOD—The million dollar mark in
residual collections for TV wTiters was reportedly
registered last week at the Writers
Guild of America West. Ever since the new
basic minimum contract was negotiated and
improved policing methods instituted by the
television-radio branch, payments for reruns
of video series shows have been growing
steadily. Collections this year have jumped
to $16,000. it was reported.
Hollywood AFL to Try
'Paul Jones' Boycott
HOLLYWOOD—The Hollywood AFL Film
Council. compo.sed of unions and guilds representing
more than 24.000 employes in the
Hollywood film industry, has announced that
it is sei-ving notice on Warner Bros, that it is
planning to organize a nationwide consumer
boycott against "John Paul Jones," being
filmed by Samuel Bronston in Spain for
Warners release.
In addition, said the council, formal protests
will be made to the U. S. Congress and
to the President against the United States
Navy cooperation in the production of this
pictui-e.
The council's action evolves around the
studio's filming in Spain of the film.
"We are not protesting the filming abroad
of scenes legitimately laid abroad." said the
film council. "But we do not think the
American public will approve the photographing
in Spain of the signing of the
American Declaration of Independence and
other historic American events, especially
when such foreign production deprives American
craftsmen of sorely needed work."
'Lassie' and 'Soike' Win
Top PATSY Awards
HOLLYWOOD—Top awards in the eighth
annual PATSY contest sponsored by the
American Humane Ass'n went to "Lassie" of
television fame and "Soike." the star of Walt
Disney's film, "Old Yeller."
Patsy stands for "Picture Animal Top Star
of the Year" and "Perfomiing Animal Television
Star of the Year." The AHA polled
1.500 of the nation's top motion picture and
TV writers to determine the best animal actors.
Second and third place in motion pictures
went to "Beauty." the horse in Paramount's
"Wild Is the Wind." and "Kelly." the dog
starred in U-I's "Kelly and Me." respectively.
"Cleo," the bassett hound m TV's "The
People's Choice," and "Rin-Tin-Tin" won
second and third spots respectively in video.
Silliphant to Do Screenplay
For Rin Tin Tin Biofilm
HOLLYWOO D—Producer Herbert B.
Leonard signed Sterling Silliphant to wTite
the screenplay for his theatrical film production
of "Rin Tin Tin and Me." the biography
of the famed canine star and his trainer.
Lee Duncan.
A September starting date is slated for
the pictui-e to be produced in color and widescreen
by Leonard Productions for Columbia
release.
Premiere oi 'Andrew'
For Tent 25 Boy Club
HOLLYWOOD — More than 100 .screen
celebrities attended the premiere of MGM's
"Meri-y Andrew" at the Pantages Theatre
Wednesday (2i. proceeds of which went to
the Variety Boys Club, sponsored by Tent
25 of Los Angeles.
Leading the glamorous parade to join state
and local officials in the fir.st night audience
was Danny Kaye. Pier Angeli and Baccaloni,
stars of the film. The circus was the theme
of the premiere, with the Pantages lobby,
facade and foyer decorated with "Merry
Andrew" balloons, colorful banners and gay
streamers, and Chucko, Bobo and Goo-Goo,
clowns, presiding. Others attending included:
Anna Mono Alberghetti, Eddie Albert, Jocques
Bergerac, Joe E. Brown, John Corroll, Marge and
Gower Champion, Jeff Chandler, Charles Coburn,
Steve Cochran, Joan Collins, Jeanne Croin, Donold
Crisp, Robert Cummings, Patricio Cutts, Dorothy
Dandndge, Linda Darnell, William Demarest, Buddy
Ebson, John Ericson, Robert Evans, Nonette Fabroy,
Anthony Fronctoso, Eva Gat>or, Zsa Zsa Gobof,
Hermione Gingold, Tob Hunter, John Irelond, Burt
Lancaster, Hope Lange, Guy Modison, Victor Mature,
Virginia Mayo, Ray Millond, Ann Miller, Don
Murray, Lori Nelson, Anne Neyland, Joan O'Brien,
Donna Reed, Edward G. Robinson, Rosalind Russell,
Mark Stevens, Clifton Webb, Shelley Winters, Dona
Wynter,
* * *
The first
underwater submarine premiere
of a Hollywood motion picture took place
when Hecht-Hill-Lancaster's "Run Silent,
Run Deep." Clark Gable-Burt Lancaster
starrer, was shown to a group of Navy and
newspaper guests aboard the USS Perch in
the Pacific.
Producer Harold Hecht hosted the invitational
audience who shipped out to sea
where the film commenced after the submarine
had completed its dive. Later a dinner
party for the guests and Navy officials
was held at the Long Beach Naval Station.
* * *
Edgar Bergen has accepted an invitation
to he master of ceremonies at the invitational
world premiere of Louis DeRochemont's first
Cinemiracle production. "Windjammer," at
the Chinese Theatre Tuesday i,8>.
To Screenplay 'Palace'
HOLLYWOOD—Jo and Ajt Napoleon will
return to Warner Bros., where they recently
scripted "Too Much. Too Soon." to pen the
screenplay for "Ice Palace." the EMna Perber
novel on Alaska.
Another DeMille
School
HOLLYWOOD—A second southern California
public .school is to be named for Cecil
B. DeMille. the new grammer school in Westminster.
The Cecil B. DeMille Junior High
School was dedicated in September 1956.
BOXOFFICE AprU 7, 1958 W-1