LATEST DOINGS FROM THE STUDIOS

Chronicle (Levin), 5 July 1947, Page 7

LATEST DOINGS FROM THE STUDIOS

Les. M.

Murphy) J

(SPECIAL — From

Gail Patrick has finally divorced Arnold Wnite. Louis B. Mayer's wife, Margaret, has sued for a divorce charging him with desertion. They have been married for 43 years. / Myrna Loy, who has signed a term contract with Republic, will co-star in John Steinbeck's "The ' Red Pony." The film goes into production this month. Bob Hope is reported to be very funny in Paramount's "My Favotfrite Bru'nette," his latest film. It is said that it is one of his most humorous performances, with Dorothy Lamour. Greer Garson and Richard Ney were out together in Hollywood last week for the first time since their separation. Greer says there is no reconciliation and no present plans for a divorce. "Dick wanted to talk to me, and I thought I owed it to him" she said. "We are going lo take ample time 'to think things over before making a final decision." Dick is apparently very anxious to make up.

As "Murderer Monsieur Verdoux" in his latest film, Charles Chaplin dresses to "kill." He wears 21 different suits, all of them very elegant in the French style. He has locked away his baggy, threadbare pantaloons, bent cane, and little bowler hat which brought him fame and millions. But he has not destroyed them. They rest interspersed with mothballs in a ■ fireproof vault behind the walls of his studio. He may use them again. M.-G.-M. has secured the world dist.ribution rights of "Joan of Arc," which is to go into production at' 'the Hal Roach Studios for Walter Wanger early in July. Based on the current stage success "Joan of Lorraine," "Joan of Arc" will star Ingrid Bergman. The film will be in technicolour and under the direction of Victor Fleming. ! Frank Sinatra is thrilled over his

top role as the priest, Father Paul, in "Miracle of the Bells." The popular singer, who will not sing in this film, has announced that he will donate his entire salary, amounting to about £24,000, to charity. ' . , , M.-G.-M. is to lease. the Liberty Films production, "St'ate of the Union," based on the highly successful stage play. Spencer Tracy will star when production begins next month when Tracy has completed "Cass Timberlane." Frank Capra will -produce and direct. Hollywood is wondering if Ruth Hussey, who played the stage role opposite Ralph Bellamy, will star in the film. Cary Grant is to star m R.-K.-O.'s "Weep No More," an original suspense drama with Hitchcock directing. M.-Gl-M. is making the "Life of Jean Harlow," which stars Walter Pidgeon, Deborrah Kerr, Jane Powell and Lauritz Melchior. The second film of what looks iike the beginning of a "Dickens cyclc" is now being shown in London. The first, "Great Expectation," was a great film; the second, "Nicholas Nickleby," is not so good. It has a star-spangled cast, including Sir Cedric Hardwicke as Ralph Nickleby, Sybil Thorndike as Missus Squeers, Alfred Drayton as Squeers, Fay Compton as Madame Mantalini, Stanley Holloway as

Vincent Crummles, Vera Pearce as Missus Crummles, and Bernard Miles as Newman Noggs. The trouble is that Nickleby is a rambr ling great piece of clockwork that Dickens wrote as a serial story. ! Each of the famous characters occupies considerable time and space in the book itself. They are built up and elaborated. In the film it is impossible to spend ade.quate time on the characters, even with the drastic pruning of subsidiary figures. The result is that the film is episodic and patchy.