FOLLOWING THE FILM TRACK

Wanganui Chronicle, 4 October 1946, Page 7

FOLLOWING THE FILM TRACK

NEW SHORT SUBJECT SERIES

United Artists and The World Today, Inc., a new film producing company, have concluded arrangements whereby U.A. will release three monthly series of short subjects which will deal with three areas of widespread and universal interest: world affairs, the discoveries of science, and the common background of nature.

Heading the new production organisation is John Grierson, former commissioner of the National Film Board of Canada and war-time head of Canada’s Information Board. Associated with Mr. Grierson are Stuart Legg, producer of “The World in Action” series of short subjects, which United Artists also distributed, and Basil Wright, of London, who up to recently headed (he British Crown Film Unit and directed several noted documentary pictures.

“It Happened in Brooklyn” is the title of a forthcoming M.G.M. musical, to be produced in Technicolour. The film is now being readied for production and will star Kathryn Grayson, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Durante, and Peter Lawford. Kathryn co-starred with Sinatra once before in “Anchors Aweigh,” and had Lawford and Durante as her leading men in “Two Sisters From Boston.''

United Artists announce the following pictures completed and awaiting release: "The Outlaw,” Howard Hughes production. “The Diary of a Chambermaid,” Benedict Bogeaus production. “Breakfast in Hollywood,” Golden Pictures production. “Young Widow,” Hunt Stromberg production.

“Scandal in Paris.” Arnold Pressburger production. “A Night in Casablanca,”’ David L. Loew production

“Mr. Ace,” Benedict Bogeaus production. “Angel on my Shoulder,” Charles R. Rogers production. “The Strange Woman," Hunt Stromberg production. “The Bachelor’s Daughters," Andrew Stone production. “The Sin of Harold Diddlebock,” California Pictures production. “Duel in the Sun,’’ Selznick International production; “Abie’s Irish Rose,” Bing Crosby production. “Little lodine,” Comet production. “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomcr," Benedict Bobeaus production.

George Raft receives the highest flat price ever paid a Hollywood statin "Night Is For the Hunter," for pro-ducer-writer W. R. Burnett. Figure is £72,ooo—not bad for a star who has been in the game 20 years. Raft plays the part of a reformed gambler in Paris in the ’twenties who gets a murder pinned on him.

Censorship. Although he was invited to discuss American censorship problems relative to certain English films by J. Arthur Rank, it would appear that Joseph Breen, executive of Motion Pictures Producers and Distributors’ Association, could have better utilised his time in the States.

What with the furore Howard Hughes’ “Outlaw” is causing, another problem picture has been put into his lap. This is the technicolour production of Guy de Maupassant’s provocative story “Bel Ami." The Associated Women's Clubs of America have decided to boycott the film and all future pictures of its star George Sanders, unless elements in the screen play which show an “insulting and offensive attitude to womanhood in general" are deleted. The producers, David Loew and Albert Lewin (of

“Picture of Doran Gray"), refuse to make the deletions.

Edward Small, producer of “Strange Bedfellows,” is also at loggerheads with M.P.P.D.A. because he refuses to alter that title. All the films are to be released by United Artists.

Audrey Totter will be heard but not seen in M.G.M.’s “High Barbaree.” The young actress will impersonate the voice of Tokio Rose for a sequence in the films. Because of her radio background and her linguistic accomplishments she was persuaded to record the sequence after a number of other actresses had been tried. The Tokic Rose broadcast, plays an important part in a scene which Van Johnson and Cameron Mitchell as stranded Navy fliers, try to contact their base.

Ronald Reagan, who recently completed “Stallion Road," and Viveca Lindfors, Warner Bros, new Swedish star, were set by Jack Warner to star in "Night Unto Night," which is scheduled for early production. The screen play is an adaptation of the Phillip Wylie hook, a touching love story of a scientist’s disbelief, and a widow’s belief in a hereafter, which draws them together.

Evelyn Keyes has been chosen to play the feminine lead opposite Dick Powell in "Johnny O'Clock,” which Robert Rossen will direct, and Milton Holmes produce at Columbia. Miss Keyes continues a virtual marathon of top roles. She is currently starring before the cameras in an assignment in "Thrill of Brazil," which she wont into without a day’s rest after completion of her lead opposite HarryParks in "'rhe Jolson Story." The Jolson picture came right on the heels of her work in “Renegades." This great activity for Miss Keyes followed her sparkling performance as the genie in “10001 Nights."

Ann Miller has finally married, after threatening to do so far some time. The groom is society leader Reese Milner. Ann is not retiring from the screen, however, and is signed for a leading part in “Rendezvous in Rio."

Now it’s Barbara Stanwyck—a wave of impersonators has been sweeping the film colony, and the latest has been staying at the Savoy Plaza in New York, sending all the bills to Barbara’s account.

Lee Bowman says he has a right to call his latest assignment a hit role. In the course of “The Walls Came Tumbling Down,” Columbia's sophisticated mystery, Lee was cracked over the head three times, beaten up thoroughly by a pair of strong-arm men, and thrown down a flight of stairs.

The day is hot and the Technicolour lights are hotter. Irene Dunne and William Powell in Warners “Life With Father” have just completed four takes and are going into the fifth. A visitor asks a passing electrician, “Is that Irene Dunne?” “She ought to be,” replied the electrician, “she’s been under those lights long enough.”

First authentic flying ace ever to embark on a film acting career is Robert De Haven, 24-year-old fighter pilot who flew 262 missions and downed 14 Jap planes. He plays a top role in “Gallant Journey” which stars Glenn Ford and Janet Blair, and will pilot a glider, a far cry from the ships he flew jn the service.

An American columnist has great hopes for Rita Haworth’s new musical, “Down to Earth.” He reasons that in “To-night and Every Night” she did a comedy strip tease, removing velvet ribbons from her throat and wrists. In “Gilda,” to enrage Glenn Ford, Rita starts doing a strip act in a Buenos Aires cafe, removing earrings, necklace, bracelet, anklets, and finally garters while she sings “Put the Blame on Marne." Therefore, if “Down to Earth" follows the tradition—

Prior to the introductions of sound in motion pictures, Broadway was the main source of the nation’s tunes. During the past 20 years, however, motion pictures,‘increasingly emphasising music, have largely replaced the stage and New York’s Tin Pan Alley as the incubator of songs Americans sing, hum and whistle. Climaxing this trend is an announcement from M.G.M. that a record total of 65 recordings have been made of songs which will be featured in three of that company’s forthcoming pictures “No Leave No Love,” “Holiday in Mexico,” and “Faithful in my Fashion." The added importance being given to screen tunes, plus the current boom in record making combined to give movieland’s premiere producer of popular musicals this imposing record. An impressive mark was hung up by one song which is featured in “Faithful jn my Fashion.” It is the old favourite, “I Don’t Know Why." This melody has been recorded, a total of 36 times—a new record for any song from a picture.

“A 'Thousand and One Sweet Dreams,” a new tune by Allan Roberts and Doris Fisher, featured in Columbia's “It’s Great to be Young,” was named by Lois Fields, general of the Maestro Music Company, America’s largest operator of remote controlled juke boxes, as “The Number One Motion Picture Tune of the Month." The tune was selected from all new numbers in Hollywood musicals being made this month by the several hundred young record operators and supervisors employed by Maestro. Accompanied by a group of attractive "disc jock’.ettes," Miss

Fields visited the set of the musical and revealed the choice of her organisation to Bob Stanton and Leslie Brooks, who-introduce the the film