LATEST DOINGS FROM THE STUDIOS

Chronicle (Levin), 20 July 1946, Page 6

LATEST DOINGS FROM THE STUDIOS

LES. M.

MURPHY) .

V Children On The Screen

(SPECIAL— From

"7 WELLINGTON, Tbis Day.

Seymour Freedman . has been assigne.d as assistant director to Johm-"Stu,rges on Columbia's "The Man/Who Dared," which is shortly to go'into prduction. Allan Roberts and Doris Fisher were set to write four songs for "Rendezvous in Rio," the big-scale Latin-rAmerican musical which wiii starr Ann Miller. They have just fmished writing the songs to be used- ip "Down to Earth," the new Rita Hayworth starrer. "The Gloved Hand," an original story being developed by Julian Harmon, has been added 'by Columbia Pictures to the production siate of Leon Barsha. The yarn, a melodramic thriller, is scheduied for next season's programme. Leon Barsha was assigned by Bennie F. Zeidman to reproduce the film adaptation of "The Keeper of the Bees/' the Gene Stratton Porter novel. The screen treatment of ihe novel is being written by Ralph | Rose. | ■ The actor and actress for whom I A1 Jolsen acted as Cupid at their jback-stage wedding about 40 years ago are delighted to know that itneir romance is to be revived on 'the screen in "The Story of Jol1 son." . Doug. Fairbanks, Junr., is enjoyinu the proverbial bus-man's holi-

day.' -His part in "Sinbad tne Sailor" keeps hina in the water as much if not more than his job in 'the Navy. It is rumoured that 50,000 dollars were paid for the rights to a story built around "Alcoholics : Anonymous," the organisation that has rendered aid to those who need to overcome the craving for liquor. Rita Hayworth has been taking time oif "Down to Earth" to eat out 'with James Stewart, but Hollywood i is still backing Tony Martin. : Gail Patrick, like so many actors ! and actresses these days, has a : sicle-line. She sells "everything for Yabies" in her shop which she calls ithe "Enchanted COttage." "The Jolson Story" moves into ;the current period of A1 Jolson's life. Playing the . title role Larry Farks* . has to age by make-up 30 ; years to cover the transition from ithe 1910 period to the present. iParks' work in this film is out- , standing.. i Metro has gone Andv Hardy 1 crazy with -the return to Hollywood foT ''MiSkej/ •" Rodney .' There are ! already three "Andys" waiting for him, the flrst of which is expected to go into production this month. Captain JefCrey Lynn has been i discharaed from the U.S. Army and

iresumed his acting career at Warner Bros. last month. Lynn is the 1 last Warner §tar to return from ithe services. 1 ! vivega Lindfors, Swedish screen and stage star, has arrived in ! Hollywood to start her Warner ;Bros. acting contract, her Ameriican screen debut being in "Ships in the River." 1 Following their successful team- ; ing in "Devotion" and "In Our iTime" Ida Lupino and Paul Henjreid have been signed to co-star in ; "The African Queen." It is a : romantic adventure story, taking place on a small river boat on an i African river. "Saratoga Trunk," the Gary : Cooper— Ingrid Bergman starrer, which is in its sixth month at the s Hollywood Theatre, New York, has Also been running in Sydney for iseveral months. It is expected to ' open in New Zealand next month. ! It is a gay, romantic comedy. Play- \ ing' a temperamental French | Creole, Miss Bergman wears a Iblack wig over her blonde hair, i parades some 30 beautiful cositumes, is fiery, wilful, slightly iwicked and altogether alluring. Gary Cooper is her male co-star ond she has with her Flora Rob- ' son, and a 3ft. 6in. dwarf. A magI nificerit train wreck is shown in the I fiim. ! The homely face of William Ben- ' dix, who makes no pretence to j oeing a bobby soxers' hero, - has enlivened many recent films. Bendix. large and ungainly, has a I special charm all of his own. Life l has not always been too easy for ; this lovable comedian, and he has i not forgotten the days when he | was one of America's ' army of Junemployed, striving hard to hieke ' •both ends meet and support his I '

wife and child. A break came for him with a role as the policeman in Saroyan's hit play, "Time of Your Life," which brought nim to the notice of Hollywood. Marjorie Reynolds admits to supersticion. When she started rehearsals for the elaborate dance roulines in "Meet Me on Broadway" she wore a pair of Mae Murray's rehearsal shoes. Mae, who danced the famous waltz with John Gilbert in "The Merry Widow," gave the slippers to Marjorie when Mae was the star of a vaudeville unit several years ago, and Marjorie was dancing in the chorus. Marjorie wore tne arstwhile star's shoes when rehearsing for "Holiday Inn" with Freu Astaire. The film pro'ved a hit, and since then, the young dancer has worn the shoes while rehearsing for every screen dancing role. Respect for motherhood causea Marc Platt to use a bicycle to report to the Columbia set for "Tars and Spars." It seems that his cat, Mirandy, gave birth to seven kittens, using the back seat of his automobile for an accouchement chamber. Marc didn't want to disturb the family until the mother cat decided to move her oiTspring to another spot. t