Robert Riskin has joined Samuel Goldwyn as his chief aide. His contract there is to run for five years with writing and production responsibilities and will garner him a million dollars over that time. First up he has been charged to speed up production on ‘The Lady and the Cowboy.’ He comes from Columbia where he scripted most of the pictures directed by Frank Capra. [Three years prior, Riskin received the Oscar for the screenplay on ‘It Happened One Night’ and was the screenwirter on Capra’s current production of ‘You Can’t Take It with You’].
The probation hearing was held in the matter of Sandra Martin’s guilty plea in the forgery case involving film actress Simone Simon (see June 20). Martin was sentenced from three to forty-two years in prison, but was given a nine month jail term to be followed by ten years of probation. To keep this pared down sentence she was never to divulge any personal knowledge that she acquired through her position, and if she were to reveal or sell any confidential information regarding her former employer she would be brought back into the court and remanded into prison.
Max H Golden has been signed by Universal to produce. He takes over from George Bilson who quit last week after a disagreement. Golden assumes Bilson’s current project – ‘Swing That Cheer’ Universal’s second installment in their collegiate series. Golden comes from Fox where he was an associate producer under Sol Wurtzel on the Jones family series. [Golden would be responsible for four Universal films in 1939].
Sol Wurtzel is the busiest producer on the Fox lot. Besides the Dionne feature ‘Five of a Kind,’ and four Jane Withers’ films, he is responsible for the following series – Mr Moto, Charlie Chan, The Jones Family, Sports, Big Town Girls, Roving Reporter, and Camera Daredevils.
Walter Wanger has set a budget of $1,000,000 for his next project after ‘Trade Winds.’ It will be a tale of the old west entitled ’Stage Coach.’ Director chores will be handled by John Ford.
John Carradine has been set to play the villain in 20th Century Fox’s ‘Jesse James.’ He will play Bob Ford who shot Jesse James, (Tyrone Power).
President of USC, Dr Rufus B von Kleinsmid, refutes Dartmouth’s claim to be the first college to teach scenario writing when they commenced last fall. Von Kleinsmid points out that USC has been teaching the craft for eleven years now, utilizing such instructors as Douglas Fairbanks, and Ernst Lubitsch.
Bing Crosby wins his battle with Paramount over the title of his next picture. They wanted to call it ‘The Unholy Beebes.” It will go out under the crooner’s choice – ‘Sing You Sinners.’
Frances Farmer has succeeded in getting her contract with Paramount revised. She will spend nine months a year in the theater, then three months at the studio.
Mickey Rooney is bicycling at MGM between two sound stages – one for ‘Boys’ Town’ and the other for ’Stablemates.’
20th Century Fox has increased the budget on ‘Suez’ by $250,000. The amount will cover the estimate needed for a sand storm sequence that will require three weeks to film.
Paramount, desiring to take advantage of the publicity surrounding the around-the-world flight of Howard Hughes, is changing the end of their film ‘Men with Wings.’ This is because Hughes’ feat represents the latest development in aviation.
At MGM director Edwin L Marin takes over from WIlliam Thiele after one week shooting on ‘Listen, Darling.’ [A musical comedy in which Jiudy Garland sings the song ‘Zing Went the Strings of my Heart’].
Per the Columnists
Ed Sullivan reports success in his campaign to have Grauman’s Chinese theater correct a grave error. They had recently installed a new box office in the courtyard with the famous footprints, choosing to cover those of deceased Marie Dressler. Through his efforts and fans letters sent to Grauman’s they have removed her slab and will place it elsewhere for display.
Sidney Skolsky reports about his time on the WB New York tenament set where ‘Angels with Dirty Faces’ was being filmed. He was seated in a camp chair under a hot sun while director Michael Curtiz put the Dead End Kids through their paces. The property men had put out ash cans and dirt on the street so that the outdoor set looked more like the the lower East Side than usual. The scene being filmed is the first encounter between James Cagney and the kids, who see the nattily dressed gentleman as an easy mark, and rough him up a bit. After the kids run away, Cagney checks to see if he still has his wallet. The scene took over an hour to shoot to the satisfaction of director Curtiz. Skolsky remarks in his column that after sitting so long on a dirty, hot New York Street that he wished he were back in Califormia.
Outside Hollywood
The city of San Francisco is upset about the plans at WB to include a scene of the 1906 earthquake in their production ’The Sisters.’ And since the studio plans to release the film at the time when the city will be promoting their 1939 Golden Gate Exposition they are worried that it could impact attendance at the event.
Silent film star, Pearl White is seriously ill. She lives near Paris, France.
Vienna had 32 independent film distributors before Germany annexed Austria. Afterwards, twenty two of them were sent into concentration camps, and three disappeared.
