The Year Was 1938 – June 20

NEWS AROUND HOLLYWOOD

• Harry M Warner promises to speed up the production schedule at WB in order to end the current film shortage. In addition to the eight films already scheduled, three more will be added: ‘The Amazing Dr Clitterhouse,’ ‘Boy Meets Girl,’ and ‘Sister Act.’ To that end he has ordered the studio to go on a 24 hour a day schedule. His decision means an investment of another $3 million. Warner encourages other producers to do the same.

• Federal investigators finished their probe last week at Universal looking for anti-trust violations. This day they moved on to RKO.
• The former secretary to French film actress Simone Simon plead guilty to forgery today. She admitted to forging her boss’s signature to checks totalling $662.50.
• Sam Goldwyn reports that the change in directors from William Wyler to H C Potter for his production ‘The Cowboy and the Lady’ had proceeded without a loss over the weekend.
• Doug Fairbanks jr and Joan Fontaine have been awarded some lead roles in RKO’s ‘Gunga Din.’ Cary Grant and Victor MacLaglen hold the top roles. Eduardo Ciannelli retains his featured role. Robert Coote and Abner Biberman are newly added to the cast.

FROM COLUMNIST PAUL HARRISON

• He reports that on the jungle set for ‘Bulldog Drummond in Africa’ has a “zoo-ish” odor about it. He chalks it up to the fact that lions are employed. The best lion “actor” is the eleven year old Jackie –  a real trooper – he follows directions, knows right from left – “In a scene with J Carroll Naish, Jackie is supposed to be gnawing and clawing the villian unmercifully. Then director Louis King yells, ‘Cut,’ Jackie gets up, walks away from Naish, and lies down in a corner.” [This would have been on the Paramount lot. The same set was being utilized for ‘Tropic Holiday’].
• Also in the Paramount studio, their New York street was converted to the Malay jungle. “..the whole thing has been roofed with canvas and the street covered with earth and a tangle of trees and undergrowth.” [All for pickup shots for their 1938 film ‘Booloo’].
• Lionel Stander, a character actor known for ad libs, landed a good one when he appeared as a boxing trainer, in the fight picture ‘The Crowd Roars’ starring Robert Taylor, as his boxer. Stander comes to his aid against a mob thronging him. He goes off script and says, “Stand back, you mugs” who do you think this is – Robert Taylor?” The adlib makes it into the film.