Warners and United Artists Affiliation Interesting news is the hint from Hollywood that Mervin Leroy, who has had marked success in the last few months with a production unit of his own at Warners, may become a United Artists producer at the expiration soon of his Warner contract.
The understanding is that the shift in affiliations would be in e measure one of convenience, since the United Artists' releasing organization needs the Warner theatres. and Warners need United Artists' releases, Charles MacArthur joined Metro a producer recently under a three-picture agreement, the first of which is to be "Only Unto Thee." which he is preparing. He had been on the job but a few days when he attended a screening of the Charles Boyer-Greta Garbo "Conquest," based on the Napoleon-Waleska romance, and recommended such drastic changes that the Dicture was returned to the retake stages. Miss Garbo was available. and Boyer divided his time between the remake work and Warners' version of "Tovarich," currently known as "To-night's Our Night."
The cast of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" at Selznick International is at last complete, after what seemed like an endurance contest in casting it. In the last year and a half more than 20000 boys have been scrutinized, and many of them tested, for the lead. It eventually went to a Bronx lad named Tommy Kelly. With May Robson as Aunt Polly, the film will have Eric Alden. Bruce Mitchell, Ed Lo Saint, Frank Darien, Marcia Mae Jones, Jackie Moran, Sora Sue Collins, Ann Gillis and Walter Brennan in the chief supporting roles.
Following the lead of Samuel Goldwyn, Herbert Wilcox, British producer, has announced that his entire 1937-38 programme, five class A fins, would be made in Techni colour, Mr. Wilcox said he considered any picture costing rore than $500,000 made in ordinary black and white to be "an extremely risky proposition" in Britain.
The comeback career of Anna Sten, this time under the direction of her husband, Dr.
Eugene Frenke, will have the added guidance of Leslie Howard. Howard and Dr.
Frenke have formed Frenke Productions, backed in part by California oil money, and will make three films starring Miss Sten for Grand National and three for release through other companies, Mr, Howard will probably in c Irene Castle is conferring with RKO executives on the filming of "Castles in the Air," a story of the dancing career of the Vernon Castles. She had discussed the film with the me officials several months ago, and recently with the option on it due to expire in a few days, she wired to learn what was what.
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