LATEST DOINGS FROM THE STUDIOS

Chronicle (Levin), 10 August 1946, Page 6

LATEST DOINGS FROM THE STUDIOS

LES. M.

MURPHY) .

Gene Autry Back Again

(SPECIAL— From

• i Lana Turner and R.obert Hutton j are now more than close friends. Hollywood gossip says that wedding bells are on the horizon. Joan Crawford, who divorced her Jthird husband, Phillip Terry, last ! Apnl, is now romancmg with Greg ! Bauizer, Hollywood lawyer. The (couple have been seen together at j locs of places. j Jack Benny is taking a radio and screen vacation and is in Japan entertaining British and American j occupation troops. A recent survey shows Bing Crosby to be Paramount's mosi 1 popular star with 'teen agers, Alan Ladd being second. Jimmy Stewart begins work soon on his second post-war film, "A Miracle Can Happen" for United Artists. Greer Garson, who has been awarded the Palestine gold medalj : oy the Tel Aviv magazine "Kelnoa," ; Palestine, for tne_ .outstanding ! actress of the year, is now busy on "Lady in the Lake," a picture that : has changed its title more times ihan a star changes her husbands. Co-starring is RoDert Montgomery; j and aiso in the cast is Greer's j mother, Nina Ross, making her iiim aeout. j Peggy Wood, lovely American l otar who atom-ised London years ago in Noel Coward's "Bitter Sweet," wliich is being re-issued, is to have a big part in "The Magnificent Doil." She is to play Dolly Madlson's mother. Shooting on the film has been lield up meantime. An important role is being played oy Britisli David Niven, who is stili too cut-up over his wife's death to go 011 with the picture. Roddy McDowall, the British boy who has done big things m Hollywood, has left 20th Century-Fox. He says he is going to free lance and turned down two offers by , British studios. Fox studio has given iiini some breaks in films like •TIow Green was my Valley" and the "Flicka" flickers. Babies just keep on coming along in Hollywood. Pat O'Brien reeently celebrated the arrival of a : girl, Kathleen Bridget; Luise 1 Rainer, one-time star of "The Toy i Wife," became the mother of a girl, Francesca ; the Kay Kaysers got a girl and Gale Storm produced I a boy. Saddest couple were the jwayne Morrises. A boy was born to theni on the second birthday of their daughter, Pamcla, but he clied in a few nours. Humphrey Bogart and Warner Bros. have settled their difference ! and the studio has begun negotiations for a new- contract which wni : entail two films a year for Bogart, on a very lucrative oasis. His wife, : Lauren Bacall ("The Look") , incidentally, is not mentioned in the new studio deal with Bogart. . Gabriel Pascal, whose fabulous (and British) "Caesar and Cl'eopatra" opened in New York last month and received a grand ; eception, is in Hollywood seeking stars for Bernard Shaw's "Arms ; and the Man." It will be made in England and Pascal holds hopes of getting Paulette Goddard and Cary i Grant for the leads. Ellen Drew was signed to a longterm contract by Columbia and was ! cast in the feminine lead of a liaht i eomedy-romance "His Face was ; Their Fortune." Miss Drew's most j recent previous picture was "Man j Alive" for R.K.O. Now it's Barbara Stanwyck — a i wave of impersonators has been , ruvceping the fllm colopy, and the i iatest has been staying at the ; Savoy Plaza in New York, sending ill the bills to Barbara's account. 1 Melvyn Douglas's first picture ! iince his return from the Army will . oe "My Empty Heart," instead of he musieal "Rendezvous in Rio," : for which he was previously ! announced. Douglas will portray a j

MELLINGTON, This Day. dramatic role opposite Rosalind Russell in this picture. Ann Miller has finally married, after threatening to do so for 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." Australia's film staf who made good in Hollywood, Shirley Ann Richards, spent last month backj home in Australia with her mother. She is now on her way back to I Hollywood to fill further film con- | traccs. In her latest picture, j "Searching Wind," by Lillian Help- j man, author of "Watch on the ! Rhine," she has a star part. Mrs. Franchot Tone — she was Jean Wallace — was rushed to hos- i pital the other night suffering from an over-dose of sleeping pills. Tone found her unconscious. Doctors said her condition was complicated oy food poisoning. Katina Paxinou, famous Greek star, who won an "Oscar" for her role in "For Whom the Bell Tolls," is leaving Hollywood for England as soon as her husband, Alexis Paxinou has finished nis part in Hitchcock's "Notorious," with Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant. Katina is under contract to make a film in England for the RarA interests. She has been given the starring part in "Uncle Silor," an adventure romance which will be airected by Laurence Irving, grandson of the famous Sir Henry. "I am delighted to be going to England," she said. "I feel I am still unknown in Hollywood, but in London I have appeared' many times." Torn Drake will start work in the modern comedy-drama, "Faithfal in My Fashion," in which he will oo-star with Donna Reed. The setting of the fllm is a modern aepartment store. Drake has an 'important role in "The Green Years," which is now showing in Wellington.

In the cnear future, production i will start on "The Rich Full Life," ; starring Elizabeth Taylor. It is the jstory of a young girl in delicate i health, whose mother wants her to jenjoy all the pleasures of liormal i youth, including her first romance. j " It's a girl for the Hume Cronyns. jMrs. Cronyn is character actress 'Jessica Tandy. The new arrival is ; cheir third child and their second ! daughter, and' ha's" 'tte£ii"'''b&Hed' Tandy, so the name will stay in the | family. 1 Afier a number of roles in 'musicals and comedies, Van Johnison has been cast in a straignt, serious part. > He will star in "The (Risen Soldier," a story authored by Spellman of New York. ; Announced as M.-G'.-M.'s most important project for the year, ; "The Beginning of the End" is now ready for early production. • The : film will present tne history of the atomic bomb and required extensive preparations by research workers. Robert Considine, .who wrote the scenario of "Thirty Sec- : onds Over Tokyo," will handle the story of the film. Just about every important male star in Hollywood has been rumoured for a part in the film, but,: so far, no cast has been chosen. Preparations are completed for , the large scale musieal, "This Time for Keeps," which went into production last month. Esther Wil;liams, Lauritz Melchior, Jimmy 'Durante, Jose Iturbi and Xavier Cugart are the stars. Esther has just i;eturned. from an extended ' honeymoon with husband Ben Gage. The couple were married during production of "Fiesta." Gene Autry Back Again Gene Autry the popular singing cowboy star of pre-war days, is • back again in Hollywood making "Sioux City Sue" for Republic, his

j ■ first in f our years. Rated as one ; . of the ten best box-oifice stars' befqre he joined the Army in 1942, , Autvy will make four films this 1 year. He sought a court ruiing on his contract with Republic, claiming it had expired. The court ruled i otherwise. In "Sioux City Sue" Autry has Stirling Holloway and 1 Lynne Roberts with him in major parts. • ;