CINEMA NEWS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 63, Issue 218, 25 June 1943, Page 6

CINEMA NEWS

(By “Spotlight”}

CONTRACTS. Benny Goodman has been signed' to an exclusive picture pact with 20thF'ox, first to be “Girls He Left Behind. ” Others signed with the studio are Cob Calloway, Woody Herman, Harry James, Sammy Kaye, latter now in the army. Metro has signed Blanche Ring, former stage tapper, to a role apposite Charles Laugh-ton in “Man From Down Under.” Isadora Goldsmith, one of Europe's outstanding producers before the war, Columbia’s “Women In War.” Brian Donlevy has signed a new two-picture-n-year deal with Paramount. Former soprano with the Los Angeles Light Opera- company, Mary Walker has signed a term ticket with M-G-M. 20th-Fox has given Archie Mayo a new contract, good 1 for 104 straight weeks. First under new assignment will be- “This Is My Own,” a- Damon Runyon production formerly titled “Let Us Live.” Sam Goldwyn has signed _ Dean Jagger for the role of a Russian villager and patriot in “North Star,” based on a Lillian Heilman original.

STAR AND STUDIO GOSSIP. if 9 Gal chosen to decorate, the National Blood Bank pester was Deanna Durbin ; Bette Davis was selected to feature on the 24-sheeters for the Red Cross Drive .. . Sydney Greenstreet being pursued hotly since it was known he might do two outside pictures a veal. Service items: Orson Welles classified for limited service, will at least be given a deferment enabling him to complete “Jane Eyre.” .... Sterling Hayden is a drill instructor . . . • Wiilia-m Hoklen, on furlough, doing the rounds with Brenda Marshall . . . Greg Rautzer, now with. Naval Aviation wing, awaiting an anti-sub assignment. . . . Bruited that prominent show and radio biz figures, now in uniform. may be returned to inactive service, in Washington.. . During 1942 Bob Hope appeared m no less hail 383 camp shows and benefits .. . Madeleine Carroll, n:cw an American citizen . . . Instead of combing the little theatres, talent scouts roam the clinics on the hunt for beautiful 4F’s. . . . Pat Morison wants to entertain the boys on Gandalcanal; she has already toured England and Ireland .... Reported Quentin Reynolds is headed for Russia again . . . W g. Van Dyke estate amounts to 500,009 dollars First cheque from “Yankee Doodle Dandy” profits wns paid into George M. Cohan’s estate in February, approximately 14,000 dollars.

PRODUCTION BRIEFS. \ Fired Kohlmar lias been assigned the prod'ucevship cf “To-morrow Never Conics,” novel by Rachel Field to be filmed by Paramount. Jack L. Warner has signed Dolores Costello to a role in Irving Berlin’s “This Is The Army, ’’ now in production, with Joan Leslie in the tcp femme spot. - Next for vSonja Henie at 20th-lox and her first for six months, will be “Winter Time.” Four songs, composed by Aaron Copland with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, will be incorporated into Sam Goldwyn s Russian drama, “North Star.” Of the folk-song type, one will be sung by Anne Baxter. Remaining two, “Song of the Guerillas” and “Collective Loading Time” will be choral efforts. “Concertina,” a story written by Lieutenant John Huston«and Frederick Kohner, will be the next starter for Cary Grant at Columbia, under his new one-picture deal with the studio. Warners have already scheduled ty»o more pictures for Errol Flynn this year. They are “To The Last Man and “Buffalo Bill,” which with “Edge of Darkness” will make a total of three for the star this year. Latter is already completed. Republic has signed 'Dale Evans and Roger Clark for the romantic leads in the musical “Swing Your Partner, which: features Lulubell and Scot y, and Vera Vague. Frank McDonald will direct. , . . , „ Vaughn Monroe and! his 01 ' c ) 1 i e i sa will be featured in Metro's Abbott and Costello starrer, “Harem Scare ’Em.” Monroe will have an actual speaking part, as well as conducting the band. ~ Universal’s “Raiders of the Desert, to he filmed in Technicolor, will star Maria Montes, Jon Hall and Sabu. Paul Malvern will produce. Ivay Francis will play herself m 20th’s filmisation of the troop entertainment tour made by Martha Rnyo, Carole Landis, Mitzi Green and Miss Francis, “Four Jills in a. Jeep. First for Joe F. Brown under the termer signed w'ith> 20th--Fox on bis return from the Pacific will be “Mexico City.” in which he will be co-starred with Carmen Miranda. C. Aubrey Smith will have an important supporting role in Metros Greer Garson-Waltor Pidgeon starrer, “Madame Curie.” Father Mullane, parish priest of the Lourdos-ofrtho West, Altadene, has boon apopintod technical adviser to 20th-Fox on “Song of Bernadette,” religious subject. Mullane has , spent much time at the original Lourdes, in France, said to be the scene of miracles.

To lie reunited, the stars of “How Green was My Valley,” Maureen O’Harai and Walter Pidgeon, scheduled for leading roles in ‘•Blind Mans House,” picturisatiem. of Hugh "Walpole novel.