Evening star., 1942-11-21


of double-feature bills.
Two so-called major studios,
which have been making more "B"
than "A" pictures, must engineer a
sharp shift in producing policy to
keep up with the pack. Both have
the. stars and plant facilities and
should encounter no serious diff
culties falling in line.
BY late December, theatergoers
will note sharp change in policy
at their favorite movie houses. Pro-
grams will be shorter and more
diversified, and prices may be upped
by q nickel or dime. And gas ra-
tioning is going to make the neigh
borhood house the chief gathering
place of the community.
It's much more than a possibility
right now that groups Of neighbor-
hood theaters may be utilized to
give feature pictures simultaneous
first runs throughout each city. At
least, New York Offices Of all the big
producers are giving serious thought
to that phase of the distributing
situation.
Donna Quits Studio Club.
1t took gas rationing, or the threat
of it, to force Donna Reed out of
the Hollywood Studio Club. Despite
her sensational climb to fame dur
ing the past year, Donna has stuck
to her small room at the club which
houses mostly secretaries and screen
aspirants. Room and board there
runs girl about $12 a week. But
it's too far from the MGM studio,
so this week Donna went apartment
hunting in Culver City, winding up
with three rooms. She's buying un-
painted furniture and will paint it
herself; also she'll make her own
drapes. Studio Clubs "alumnae" in
clude Myrna 10y, Maureen O'Sul-
livan and Linda Darnell.
Twentieth Century-Fox, expects to
be in production by January / on
two of the biggest properties bought
this week from David o. SelMick
Both THE Keys to the Kingdom" :"
starring Ingrid Bergman, and Jane
Eyre" starring Joan Fontaine, have
scripts ready and cameras can turn
almost any moment a cast is as
sembled.
All studios are feverishly deter
mined to get every possible bit Of
product in the cans before mpre-
dictable priorities step in and balk
| them-hence, the rush to put Selz-
nick's prize numbers on celluloid.
jeanette Would Go Abroad.
Cass Daley, who has just finished
her role in "Star-Spangled Rhythm, ~
comes from Philadelphia, where her
father has been conductor on q
streetcar for rs years. This past
week he was promoted to superin-
tendent, as q direct result, he wrote
her, of the prestige accruing to her
name jeanette Macdonald Is
| trying to make arrangements to go
to England to entertain the men
over there. 1t will give her Q chance
to be near her husband, CAPT. Gene
Raymond .Nunnally johnson has
achieved something in writing the
script Of "The Moon Is Down"
Story is packed with Nazi officers
and much goose-stepping, but not
q single Hell, Hitler!" in all the
dialogue Republic flashes news
that Susan Hayward will be re-
vealed as an adroit pianist in "Hit
Parade of 1943." Can't possibly be q
fake, either, the studio maintains,
because Susan's been practicing all
of four weeks. They also promise
that the pretty redhead win sing.
Raft Identifies Himself.
George Raft Is wearing IN identi-
fication tag bestowed upon him by
his best girl friend. The reverse side
reads: IF lost, please return ia
Betty Cradle" =. Bette Davis Il
the most dimcult girl Ia town to
photosraph-beca she sttll be-