Evening star., 1949-01-23
How You Buy Movies
Who's in It?' Still the Quality That
Lures Screen Fans
By Harold Heffernon


Universal International, her home
studio.
Rhonda Fleming, q red-haired
newcomer who is a singer as well
as locker, was borrowed from Selz-
nick to appear with Crosby in "A
Connecticut Yankee in King Ar
thurs Court" Since this role Is
tantamount to making her a star,
Paramount thought it only fair they
should be assured the use of her
for one picture year. So now she
is appearing with Bob Hope in
Easy Does It."
One of the major borrowings of
recent years was that of Victor
Mature, a box Office firecracker,
from Goth Century-Fox to play
Samson in Cecil B. de Miles Sam
son and Delilah." Paramount also
leases him for Betty Hutton's next,
Red Hot and Blue" Such a two
picture deal necessitates power
loan back to Fox and this resulted
in Ray Milland, an Academy VIM
ner, going to the Zanuck lot for
1T Happens Every Spring"
Metro Now Generous.
The one-time actor boarding
MGM has been sending a goodly
share of players to Paramount.
Angela Lansbury is loan for SAM
son and Delilah," Audrey Totter to
co-star with Miland in alias Nick
Beal," and Donna Reed, a second
time, with Alan Ladd in Chicago
Deadline"
Another such arrangement was
Jane Russell from Howard Hughes
for Hopes THE Paleface.' Para.
mount also signed Claude Rains for
"Sin of Abby Hunt" on his one-film-
a-year-away-from- Warmers deal.
At the same time, the studio added
personalities to its pictures through
the castings of such free-lance
players as Hedy Lamar in Sam.
son and Delilah," Eve Arden in
Bitter Victory" Lucille Ball for
"Sorrowful Jones" and Brenda
Marshall for whispering Smith"
Now what has Paramount been
doing on the other side of the ledger
the loaning field? It's no secret
that loanouts skyrocket young &C.
tors. A newcomer is seen with other
than the home lot stars. The bud.
ding performer usually invades
theaters in which he hasn't ap.
peared previously. And, before lend.
ing a player. the home studio studies
the role and script carefully. Hence,
the borrower bangles luscious parts.
Wanda Come On Lean.
Paramount found itself in pos.
session of two new feminine head.
liners via loanouts. They are Wanda
Hendrix and Mona Freeman. Wanda
was a sensation in Universal's Ride
the Pink Horse" She has been
starred since on her home lot in
Miss Tatlock's Millions" and "Sin
of Abby Hunt" Then out she went
again on lease for the plum part
opposite Tyrone Power in Prince
of Foxes" at 20th-Fox.
Mona won tremendous praise for
her, work in Mother Wore Tights"
at 20th-Fox and Paramount had no
qualms in casting her as the FEM
mime lead in Streets of Laredo"
William Demarest went to Colum-
bia for THE Jolson Story" 8nd
came up with an Academy nomi-
nation. So now Paramount is happy
to lend him right back to the same
studio for the sequel film. "Jolson
Sings Again" Gail Russell has
grown in stellar status through
numerous lendings. Hal Wallis had
nothing for Lizabeth Scott to do.
so handed her over to three differ.
ent studios. She returned to him
18 months later with twice her
box Office value.
Up and down and across the
colony it's the samoan orgy Of
pooling and swapping top-notch
performers. Van johnson slips
from MGM to 20th-Fox, Alexis
Smith and Enrol Flynn go from
Warmers to MGM, and even the
great Carson herself is slated for
a trek to Universal. AL in answer
to Mr.. and Mrs. Fans Number One
demand:
Who's in it?"
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