A MERE £2000 A WEEK—EVERY WEEK!

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 32, 20 January 1939, Page 21

A MERE £2000 A WEEK—EVERY WEEK!

Hollywood’s Highest-Paid | Director Made Columbia’s Biggest Attraction For 1939

His HES paid director in ood, Frank Capra receives a weekly salary from Columbia Pictures of £2000 a week, whether he is working or not." In addition, he receives 25 ‘per cent. of the profits on each of his pictures. This arrangement seems to satisfy both Capra’ and Columbia. He Bae. been with the studio ‘now for. ight years. Capra makes only one picture a yéart. Latest is "You Can’t Take /it'.With You,". from the Pulitzer Prize play, and plum of the new. season’s batch of films from... Columbia,- according to Cecil Mason, general manager for the company in. Australia and New Zealand, who was in Wellington last week to sign the yearly contract for the screening of Columbia films in New Zea, fand. Interviewed by the "Record," Mr. Mason said he was just completing the deal ‘with Theatre Management.

Ltd. (the company comprising the theatre circuits of Fullers, Williamsons, und New Zealand Theatres) for the release this year of 40 Columbia features, of which it was an-

ticipated that twelve would be out- | standing attractions... First and foremost, said Mr. Mason, was the unique Capra comedy, "You Can’t Take it With You," which starred Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore, James Stewart and Edward Arnold. ‘The film is already in New Zealand, ‘due for release at the end of February. Capra makes ‘only one picture a year, but takes a year to do if in. He is now working on a sequel to his greatest. success, Mr, Deeds Goes To Town," entitled, ‘Mr. Deeds Goes to Washington." He hopes to secure Gary Cooper again for the title role, with Jean Arthur also, as feminine lead. This aitraction is not likely to be seen pefore the end of 1939. For the past two months, Columbia have been busily seeking a youthful star to interpret the title role in the. screenplay of Clifford Odet’s. success,. "Golden Boy." Jean Arthur will co-star with whoever is eventually chosen. "The Awful Truth," "with Trene Dunne, was easily the biggest success from Columbia in 1938. This year Miss Dunne will be seen in another Columbia comedy, entitied "This Thing Called Love." . Other very promising coming attractions include, "There’s That Woman Again," with Melvyn Douglas and Virginia Bruce. It will be a modern sophisticated comedy written as a successor. to ‘’There’s Always a Woman." Jean Arthur and Cary Grant will appear in "Our Wife." _ Scheduled as one of the most costly films of the’ coming year is "The Lost Atlantis." It is described as a production of somewhat the Same type, and on the same spectatular scale; as: "The Lost Horiz0n." Noteworthy departure from Columbia’s previous all-American production policy is the decision this year to make at least three pictures at Denham, England. The company is committed to a total expenditure of £250,000 on these three British pictures, two of which will be "The Sp¥ in Black" (with Conrad Veidt and Valeri: Hodson), and "Q Planes" (Laur: ence Olivier and Vulerie Hobson). The title and cast of the third production are still being discussed.

i's = — . DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS, jun., is due -back in Hollywood soon from England to make "The Man]. in the Iron Mask." The silent version was a Douglas Fairbanks, sen., picture. For the] new edition Director James Whale | is going to have Douglas, jun. Young Douglas worked for years to get away from parts that resembied his father’s line of countrys But it was no use. Hiis fate was sealed with that dashing performance of his in "The Prisoner of Zenda." He was heading straight for Dumas with every flashing grin and darting swordthrust. For the girl in "The Man in the]. iron Mask" Whale hopes to get} Sigrid Gurie. He says that in her} two films. to date-"Mare. Polo" ant "Algiers’-we have seen nothing at all of her beauty or ability.