The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-12-10
HOLLYWOOD
SHORTS
BY JOHN R. CHAPLIN

ny JOftN II. CHAPLlN
II Back from South America, brothe
Walt Disney is up to his old trick
again. His latest maneuvers have
created so much friction between
management and employees that al
most anything might happen, though
concrete action is not expected now.
Reshuffling his entire feature pro
duction schedule, which the studio
had been working on during his alb
sence, Disney decreed that the nearly
finished Wind In the Willows should
be abandoned Work goes ahead on
Bambi, which will be released in early
spring, and Peter Pan, which should
be ready by the end of 1912.
The new schedule called for laying
off 200 of the studios 100 employees,
with the promise only that they would
be rehired when the program war
ranted
Meantime Disney is working on new
characters, inspired by his trip to
South America. Let us hope that
they will be Good Neighborly concep-
tions, and not caricatures of the Lat
ms.
There is local shock over reports
that Maurice Chevalier is collaborat-
ing with the nazis in France, but
some skepticism also, as the reports
on sympathies and activities of
Frenchmen have too often been err
roneous. Hollywood is waiting for
further confirmation before judging. :.
Boom time: Rosalind Russell, who
made paltry $4,000 a week when
she was under contract to M.GM, is
now getting 100000 for an S-week
stint in Paramount's Take a Letter,
Darling. If the schedule runs over,
she gets s12,5OO a week. After that,
she will do My Sister Eileen for Co
lumbia.
Cary Grant hits new high In Ar
senic and Old Lace, for which Warn
ers are paying him 100000 for six
weeks work, and $4,000 a week If
1t runs beyond. E. Lillian Hellman's
Watch on the Rhine, bought by Warn
ers, drew down s150,000 for its film
rights. And Oscar Serlin turned
down an offer of 100000 minimum
ION percentage basis) for the rights
to Life with Father The offer came
from Mary Pickford, who wanted to
do it for United Artists. -.
Hollywood is in a stew over the
Legion of Decency's opposition to
Two-Faced Woman, the Carlo film,
which is called suggestive and irrev-
erent in its attitude toward marriage.
1t has been made an occasion of sin
for Catholics to see it, and Provf-
dence, R. l., among other places, has
officially banned the film because of
the Catholic objections Despite rum
ors to the contrary, the studio denies
the film will be withdrawn from cir
and cleaned up. That was
done, however, with Strange Cargo,
which met the same kind of opposi-
ton.
A Day in the Soviet Union, the ex-
cellent Soviet documentary, with
Quentin Reynolds stirring common
-ary, is sensation in Hollywood. The
-own is also looking forward to the
arrival of Erskine Caldwell, just back
rom the U. S. s. r. -.
Although the studio doesn't like to !
admit it, Orson Welles' epock-making
Citizen Kane is earning more money
han any other film R.K.O. ever re-
eased (not excluding the Fred |
Astaire-Ginger Rogers films). In the |
Eighth week Of Its popular-price run |
n Hollywood, 1t is playing to capa-
,fty; it is being held over practically |
it plays. And our London
correspondent informs us that it is the
Iensation of the British capital.
THE CURRENT FILMS
Keep EN- Flying (Univ): While
hey may not be so funny as they
we're before they became box office
'hamps, Abbott and Costello still pack
! powerful laughwallop. Worth see
ng.
Swamp Water (2Oth-Fox): French
lirector Jean Renoir's Hollywood de-
tut is wasted on poor story, but
he film is distinguished by beauti-
I'll scenes, good suspense, fine direc-
ion and acting. Unimportant but
veil done.
They Died With Their Boots On
W.B): Exciting, and not too anthem
ic, action in a little known part of
Us. history, the life of Custer even
'efore his last stand. Entertaining.
Tarzan's Secret Treasure (M.G.M.):
200 terrifying for the kids, and too
hildish for you. Only If you can't
I've without Weissmuller. II