NEWS AROUND HOLLYWOOD
- At Universal, Walter Lantz is making color tests for his animated feature ‘Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp.’ The feature is budgeted at $750,000. In addition he will produce 22 cartoon shorts. [Inspired by the success of Disney’s Snow White, Lantz wanted to move into the animated feature arena. The comedians Abbott and Costello, then on the rise in the radio world, were mentioned as possible voice contributors. Lantz kept planning for it through 1939, but the project did not come to pass. In fact, things were not going well in the shorts department either, Oswald the Rabbit was faltering, and new characters were not resonating. Lantz’s Woody Woodpecker did not come along until 1940].
- Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne have been signed to single-picture deals at RKO. They will co-star in ‘Memory of Love,’ to be the first producer-director project for Leo McCarey. [A little mystery here. It is obvious that the film made by and with these individuals was the 1939 ‘Love Affair.’ However, its working title was not ‘Memory of Love’ but rather ‘Love Match.’ There was another 1939 RKO film that bore the Memory of Love working title – ‘In Name Only’ with Cary Grant and Carole Lombard, directed by John Cromwell. The title was most likely one that RKO owned (there are examples of the film studios trading titles with one another). RKO again put it forward in 1948 for another John Cromwell film with Dana Andrews and Merle Oberon. It went into release as ‘Night Song’].
- Moe Siegel has been promoted to executive producer on the Republic lot. He will be responsible for all of the features turned in by the associate producers. [Two producers will be reporting to him – his brother Sol C Siegel, in charge of the regular features; and Charles E Ford, the head of the Westerns].
- Darryl F Zanuck arrives back in Hollywood. After a two month long combined vacation/business trip in England, the Continent, and New York he has returned with an upbeat forecast for the picture business. He projects that his company’s lineup will surpass the $5 million mark. The grip of the Depression on the business should be broken. [Chief among his problems to address were the start of their western biopic ‘Jesse James,’ and finding an actor to assume the role of Charlie Chan].
- No sets will be built for ‘Jesse James’ when Henry King shoots on location in Pineville, MO. Instead they will utilize actual homes and the courthouse in town.
- Ed Sullivan reports that Charles Coburn and Walter Connolly are being considered for the role of Charlie Chan. And that Elaine Barrymore’s scenes have been dropped from ‘Hold That Co-Ed.’ Noticed holding hands on a date – Judy Garland and Billy Hallop.
- Shooting recommences on ’St Louis Blues’ with George Raft and the supporting cast – working around the missing lead Dorothy Lamour, out recovering from an appendentomy. [Raft, who had multiple instances of refusing roles and being suspended by Paramount, did so again with this film. Paramount substituted Lloyd Nolan in his place].
- Warner Brothers announced their intent to do an updated remake of ‘The Desert Song,’ the 1926 operetta, which they originally filmed in 1929. In contention for the lead female role are Kitty Carlisle, Florence George, and Rosemary Lane. Michael Curtiz is tapped to direct, and Max Steiner to work on the score. [The project was put off and was finally made in 1943 with a different cast and crew. (And again in 1953)].
- Philip Ahn will co-star with Anna May Wong in ‘The King of Chinatown” for Paramount.
- MGM has acquired the rights to the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings novel The Yearling. Many think the young actor Gene Raymond would be perfect for the role of book’s protagonist. [The book had just come out in March of 1938 and was on the Book of the Month Club list by April of that year. MGM made a good deal, for it won the Pulitzer for a novel in 1939. However, it was not made into a film until 1946, with Claude Jarman jr in the young boy’s role].
- Greta Garbo will be returning to work on Nov 1 – on a title at MGM – ‘Ninotchka.’ Afterwards she is slated for the biopic ‘Madame Curie.’ [‘Ninotchka’ was made with Garbo and released in 1939. MGM made ‘Madame Curie’ with Greer Garson in 1944].
- The ‘Wings of the Navy’ company returns from San Diego today. [The Warner Brothers production will take up shooting interiors at the studio].
OUTSIDE HOLLYWOOD
20th Century Fox director of advertising & publicity Charles E McCarthy wants to solve a problem at the Roxy theater in NY, which was playing ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band.’ The problem – people were staying through two shows. He is thinking about playing the ads backwards to get the hold overs out. [The theater has reported $80,000 for the weekend (ticket prices between 35 and 75 cents for adults and 15 cents for children). 27,960 tickets were sold the first day, Fri 8/5].