Latest Doings from Studios

Chronicle (Levin), 10 April 1946, Page 8

Latest Doings from Studios

Les. M.

Murphy)

SIX NEW MALE STARS

(Special — From

WELLINGTON, This Day. Van Johnson and newcomer Jan Clayton are to be teamed in Metro's big film "Nellie Was a Lady." Mary Martin is leaving Broadway for Hollywood to do. tnat J. M. Barrie play, "Alice-Sit-By-the-Fire," for Paramount, with Cliarles ("Lost Week-end") Barrett as producer. As soon as his old Universal contract expires Lieut. Robert Stack, who expects to be out of the Navy this month, will star in "One Big Happy Family" for Liberty Films. Lilli Palmer has definitely won the lead opposite' Gary Cooper in "Cloak and Dagger" with Fritz Lang directing. Recent prowler at the home of! Eleanor Parker left the seat of hisj pants with her watch dog. His end, the police say, is in sight. Charles Boyer says that "feminine j glamour exists only in the mind ofl man," but cheerfully admits that he j finds something of magic in everyi woman. Hollywood Boulevardiers are commenting on the peculiar resemblance becween S. Z. Sakall, multichinned character-comedian and his daily promenade companion — a St. Bernard. * Ronald Reagan recently discharg- j ed from the American forces, hasj been given the rnale lead in "Stallion Road." Errol Flynn, and subsequently Humphrey Bogart were I earlier scheduled for this main part j in the story. The next Hollywood wedding is : expected to be between Peggy I ("Amber") Cummins and "Life"! photographer Bob Landry. Director Mervyn Le Roy, who has j been courting film actress Evelyn j Keyes, married Chicago society matron Kitty Spiegel — they are , honeymooning at Palm Springs. The most recent conventional Hollywood wedding was that of ! Marsha Hunt and writer Robert | Presnell Junr. They were married , at the Richard Carlson's home in j Van Nuys, California. Marsha wiil continue her screen career after 1 the honeymoon. j Actress Kirn Hunter, who charged ! her husband, Captain William Bald- i win, with "preferring night life to | home life," received an uneontested freedom, and the custody of ■ her 1 daughter, Katharine. Quentin Reynolds, noted author j and commentator, has been oifered ! the post of narrator for Warner 's i projected newsreel service. Joan Crawford was unable to be present in person and receive her ! 1946 Academy Award for the best I feminine perfonnar.m in "Mildred Pierce." Wamer Bros.' personnel department cable that influenza has laid quite low a number of other stars jmcluding Errol Flynn, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Martha Vickers.

Paramount announce the following two iilms due for production shortly: "The Perils of Pauline," based on the life of the famous silent days serial queen, Pearl Wliite — with Betty Hutton starred; and "Suddenly It's Spring," with Fred MacMurray, Arleen Whelan, MacDonald Carey and Lillian Fontaine (mother of Joan). Producer Walter Wanger (Universal t has- announced his ambitious programrne for 1946 — 10 films at a total cost of £5,000,000. Wanger's stars include Joan Bennett (his wife), Edward G. Robinson, Dana Andrews, Susan Hayward, Dan Duryea — and Ingrid Bergman, who is "Wanger's co-pro-ducer and star of tliree pictures. In his first picture since retur'ning to Hollywood from service in the South Pacific Sabu, the Indian actor, whose interview with the writer when on his way back to America was published in "Filmland" a few months ago, plays a new type cf role, a cabaret singer, ! in Universal's modern murder melo- 1 drama, "Tangier." He proves him-| self to be an excellent comedian. ' Others in the film are Maria Mon-i tez, Louis Albritton, Robert Paigej and Preston Foster. s Most of you will remember that ! well-loved American comedian, Will | Rogers, who was killed in an aero-i plane accident some few years ago. { It is some time now since Warner j Bros. decided to make a film on his j life, and a dozen or more actors, | some famous, some unknown, were I tested, but the right one was notl found. Then news came that Stuart Erwin was set for the part, and later inl'ormation gave the role to Joel McCrea. It was said that Bing Crosby would have liked to wrmr n mn — i i ■ i n — 1 1 ■■ i i ■■■ --- -

play the humorist-philosopher buJ his contractual obligations prevent- 1 ed it. Now comes the news that Ronald Reagan has been cdst for the lead. Odd Casualty One of the oddest casualties on movie ree.ords held up Ginger Rogers' "Heartbeat." When added scenes were deemed necessary for the film, Miss Rogers was called from her ranch in Oregon and other members of the cast assembled. Then Adolph Menjou arrived with an infected foot — caused by tying a lace of one of his golf shoes too oightly. Menjou played 18 holes with the pinching brogans and then went to bed. He has been unable to walk for several weeks and his incapacitation has set RKO back iabouc tUjOOO dollars. j Most on-again-off-again project in Warner Bros. history is "The Life i Story of Marilyn Miller," which has | been shelved no fewer than a dozen | times m ihe iast four years. One day they decided against making 1 the biography of this famous | dancer, the next day there was a jchange of heart. Story difiiculties, iplus inability to decide on a star i for the title role, now seem to be the chief factors in the hold up. Screen Children Grow Up Screen children are always faced with the problem of growing up, and such obvious examples as Shir-j ley Temple and Deanna Durbin j advanced with each successive film.1 The process becomes more compli-l cated when a child is starring in aj

i I series, and Baby Dumpling of i "Blondie" fame, is no longer a baby. ! Larry Simrns, who has played this i role since its inception, has gradu- ! aily grown to boyhood, wearing his first pair of long trousers in the curi rent film of the series, "Leave it to ! Blondie." He has also graduated from "Baby Dumpling" to "Alexander," a more dignified name for his ten years. It seems that Dorothy Lamour was just thirty years behind Enid ; Marker in introducing the sarong to ; the screen. Enid, famed silent star . of Thomas H. Ince films, who Ireturns to motion pictures after ani I absence of a quarter of a century, ' jin George Abbott's screen produc-i 1 tion of his Broadway stage hit, i ! "Snafu," was the first glamour girl ! I of the moyies to sport a sarong.! The momentous occasion was in ! | "Aloha, Oe" in 1915. Wh'en Miss! Markey returned to Hollywood to ; play the part of Aunt Emily, which ! she created in the stage production j of "Snafu," she brought along thei original sarong of 1915. She pre- ; sented it to Dorothy Lamour, the; sarong favourite of 1946. The funniest remake announcement in months concerns 20th Century-Fox's determination to reshoot "Ramona" — but this time as! a modern tale with music and dancing. This film was first made 10 years ago in the exact period of its novel — (1870) — and had Loretta Young and Don Ameche miscast in the leading Indian roles. Nevertheless, it made big money. Rita

| Hayworth, then a 75-dollar-a-week stock player at the Zanuck Studio, was considered for the original Ramona part and then vetoed. Now, it is reported, a deal is underway whereby she will be borrowed from Columbia to dance in the modern version. Four years .ago, at 17, blonde Dolores Moran, just out of high school, was tabbed one of the greatest prospects on Warner Bros.' contract list. From bits she went into featured roles and during the past two years hit some very high spots. Recently her option was dropped. There was no explanation. Dolores may go to M.-G.-M., or some other lot and become a great star. On the other hand she may fade right out of the picture. That's Hollywood — the greatest gamble in (he world, even when on the orinx of suecess. Patricia White is the most recent Cinderella girl. After playing a small role in "Night and Day," she attracted the attention of director Robert Florey, making "The Beast With Five Fingers." She will play a maid in this story, the part being obscure until near the finale when she rises to a violent dramatic scene which can elevate her to a spot among the top-rung players. She is only 19 years old and this will be her second screen appea/ance. Rita Hayworth hst v/orn a pedometer ever since she has been playing dancing leads in films. She can only carry the instrument during rehearsals, so she allows a nominal 20 miles for each number's numerous takes. Rita clocked off her first

i Ithousand miles of screen dancing iwhile rehearsing with Marc Platt jfor her recent film "To-night ai.d | Every Night." New Swing Idea j A new idea for swing addicts iappears to have been thought up ! by Carl Anderson, art director on ; Columbia Pictures' musical "Blonde | From Brooklyn." Instead of the ; "rug-cutters" jamming a section of j the dance floor in front of the band, : the bandstand is built in the centre of the floor and revolves with the dancers, obviating congestion. The !idea had its drawbacks, however, and director Del Lord's call sheet read "Have studio nurse. in attendance when bandsmen work, in case any become dizzy." Chester Morris, who has entertained . countless ■ thousands of troops with his famous magic. tricks, now plays the part of a magician in his latest film for'Col-f umbia, "Boston Blackie's Rendezvous." His co-player for one scene was "Herbie," a three-hour-old baby chick, who was no respector of con- j ventions or ethics. He squeaked during takes and would walk straight into the camera at the -.lightest opportunity. After several takes were ruined, director Arthur Dreifuss started wise-crack-ing: "If you were any kind of s magician, you'd turn him back intc an egg." The long-awaited "Joan of Arc" will be filmed this month by Selz-

■ i nick. with JennifeL ,iones in thej title role, It will be interesting to see. if Selznick — through his recent ap'reement with British film magnate J. Arthur Rank — will use the Bernard Shaw play on ""Joan of Arc." Rights to Shaw's "Joan" are held by producer Gabriel Pascal who made "Caesar and Cleopatra" most recently (for Rank. For years, Pascal has talked of filming "Joan of Arc" with Greta Garbo in the title role. Selznick has had an idea of starring Ingrid Bergman in another history oi "Joan of Arc," but Bergman herself did not like the idea. If Selznick uses his own script for his film, we may yet see two rival "Joans" on the screen. Cornel Wilde has been chosen by 20th Century-Fox to co-star with Irish Peggy Cummins in "For ever Amber." Wilde will play the virile Bruce Carleton who, like Rhett Butler, of "Gone With the Wind," leaves the capricious "Amber" at the end of the tale. Wilde was in disgrace with Fox — under a suspension ban for having declined a film role — when Zanuck personally lifted the ban and gave him the role. "Forever Amber" in elaborate technicolour, is now before the cameras. Nineteen-year-old Irish blonde Peggy won the role of "Amber" after 40 actresses had been through the test. She has made a few British films and was spotted by a Fox scout in the London stage play "Junior Miss" and flew her to Hollywood for studio tests, which were successful. Made Official Stars Six young men of Hollywood have been made ofbhial stars on the strength of one picture each. Their appearances were followed by huge fan-mail — 90 per cent. of it from women. Every type of women from matron to bobby-soxer penned applause, which was all the studios

wanted to know. The six are: Kuri Kreuger of "Paris Underground;" Kurd Hatfield, of "The Picture of Dorian Gray;" John Dall, of "The Corn is Green;" Peter Lawford, of "The White Cliffs of Dover;" Glenn Langan, of "Hangover Square;" and Guy Madison, of "Since You Went Away." The six have youth in common — not one of them is past his middle-twenties. Apart from j this, they are strongly contrasting types. Kreuger is a big, blonde, fiashing-smiled Swiss. Hatfield is a dark, high-cheekboned, deliberately enigmatic highbrow. Dall is a tall, gangling, intense stage actor. Lawford is a sunny and boyish Englishman. Langan is a handsome American giant measuring 6ft. 4in., and Madison is a buoyant, curly-fiaired ex-sailor. Luckiest of the six was Guy Madison, who played the smallest bit-part, that of a saiior in a bqMingf-raliey, rin Selznick's "Since You went Away." Madison then went cheerfully away himself into the Navy. His fan-mail, however, sold him to Selznick, who is now starring him with Shirley Temple. Their first picture as stars should 3e here this year. You can watch .'or Glenn Langan in "Dragonwyck," vith Gene Tierney; Guy Madison with Shirley Temple iri "Spring tomance;" Hurd Hatfield on loan •o Paramount in "The Diary of a Jhambermaid," with Paulette Godlardy Peter Lawford in M.-G.-M.'s 'Two Sisters From Boston," with iune Allyson and Kathryn Gray>on; and Kurt Kreuger in Fox's 'Dark Corner," with Lucille Ball. To •his list of films there is an interesting postscript: Glenn Langan is now playing that dashing Restoration soldier, Captain Rex Morgan in "Forever Amber."

Seventeenth Century Film Even in these days of rationing when we frequently run short oi tea, there are few of us who would be prepared to pay £3 for a pound of this commodity — but this was its price in the 17th Century, the period of the new Gainsborough film "The Wicked Lady." Many interesting sidelights on the period came tc light from research into the Charles II manner of life, a day in whict there were no commercial laundries practically no table glass or china and only about six cases of divorcr in ten years — the reason for thai being that a divorce in those days took at least five years and involved going through the Ecclesiaitical Courts, a bill in both houses .oi Parliament and the Royal Assent Margaret Lockwood has the title role in the film, James Mason b.eine cast as a dashing highwayman with whom she has a love affair. When he secured film rights to "Beware • of Pity," Maurice Elv.ey, ■ Two Cities film director, realis.ed a I six-year-old ambition. When the [Austrian writer Stefan Zweig wr.ote >

his first and only full length novel "Beware of Pity," Elvey was immediately struck with the "extremely filmic possibilities of the book. He approached Zweig, then living ih England, a refugee from Nazi infested Europe and havirig been depleted of all material possessions, and made an offer- -for the film rights. But Zweig, hoping that Hollywood would offer its usual very high figure, courteously refusea. Hollywood, however, turned a blind eye towards the Austrian-set period story, and Zweig died some two or three years later by his own hand, a tired, sad man, the film rights stili unsold. Through Zweig's agents, Maurice Elvey was at last able to realise his ambition, and "Beware of Pity" went into production with Lilli Palmer, Albert Lieven, Cedric Hardwicke and Gladys Cooper in the chief roles. d