Show r l' Looking at HOLLYWOOD A A LANDAU a little guy with big ideas who once man man- managed managed managed aged Marie Dressler Dressier and Jean Oar Bar Barlow low punctures one of our pet no no- He says the outworn idea that movies suffer from a dearth of story material suited to the tho screen is ridiculous and ous That's going to bring a hail of sharp s arp cracks about Arthurs Arthur's ears because hes he's stepping on tender toes I ul know Im I'm sticking my neck out he insists but there it is Ive I've proved my contention by too many personal experiences not to know what Im I'm talking about The pulling puUing and hauling that goes goeson on behind scenes when theres there's a hot property going around is something that the outsider wouldn't believe Lets Let's let Arthur take us behind the scenes for a bit of case history H His He Heis is is incidentally chief production as as- associate associate associate for Ben Bogeaus and had a finger in three Bogeaus ventures ventures- Dark bark Waters Captain Kidd and There Goes Lona Henry Few even insiders know that it was Landau who channeled Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo one of the great stories of this war to Metro- Metro Goldwyn Has the Know How He was put in contact with Captain Cap Cap- Captain Captain tain now Major Ted Lawson by a well-known well Hollywood insider who being a former flier himself has lots lotsof lotsof lotsof of buddies among airmen Landau perceived immediately I that Lawson had something in the story of the Shangri-la Shangri fliers and their bombing of Tokyo I Paramount had first crack at it ft Y Frank Freeman was busy and told Arthur to send the idea through Bill Dozier story editor Arthur said Nothing doing and went to see Eddie Mannix 1 at Metro That's how Paramount lost out Lawson offered Landau a con con- tract Youre an army officer said Arthur If your word isn't any good your signature isn't either Lawson said How much can you get me Landau L said he didn't know maybe know maybe 5 maybe maybe nothing High Finance Metro held the script overnight sent for Landau and offered him for it Arthur said the au au- author author au- au author thor was holding out for They compromised for Landau was chinning with Eddie Cantor in Eddies Eddie's library one on eve eve- evening evening evening ning and happened to thumb through brough a volume of stories by Os Os- Oscar Oscar Oscar car Wilde One he liked He bought a copy of the volume and had a transcript made of the story Harry met him at Metro and said he was looking for a yarn Landau strung him along with an enthusiastic tic buildup and meanwhile ascer ascer- ascertained ascertained ascertained that the American rights were in the public domain snapped up the property Hunches Pay Off on The story was The Ghost which was made into a picture pic pic- picture picture ture for Charles Laughton Metro gladly settled with the British heirs to the Wilde estate Landau plucked 30 grand out of thin air and a hunch Heres Here's a free tip right out of the Landau feed box He caught a newspaper story re re- recently recently re- re recently about W. W II H. Donald the mys mys- mysterious mysterious mysterious Australian who has been Chiang Kai shek's Kai personal adviser for many years Donald was held captive in Manila by the Japs who were looking everywhere re for him at the time not knowing they had him right under their thumbs Theres another Lawrence of Arabia story in Captain Donald for anyone who can get him to talk says Landau where you find the germs of good stories stories right right righton on the front pages of your pers Surface Barely Scratched Ill venture says Arthur that there are arc more good stories in the public domain than Hollywood has ever made Not ot every Tom Dick or Harry can take these master master- masterpieces masterpieces masterpieces pieces and translate them to the screen screen successfully Take Conrad for example Every effort to trans trans- transfer transfer transfer fer his sea stories to the screen has flopped So we accept the mans man's explanation and agree that Conrad makes fine reading but cant can't be screened Posh Hell He'll be screened one day by someone who'll know how Right here in our own company we bought There Goes Lona Henry from which owned it for years No one wanted to play in it it We had a new script written and I 1 give you my word some of the most sought after feminine stars stars' in town have expressed an eagerness to do it I Kayes Kaye's Kind of Fantasy Sam Sant Goldwyn has bought James Thurber's Secret Life of Walter Mitty for Danny Kaye aye Sure its it's fantasy just fantasy just for Kaye It all starts when a girl looks at a hat Danny looks at the girl and sees a desert island Greer Garson tells it herself She calls herself Metros golden mare marc Col Tim McCoy western star star remember remember him him is is well into his second war at the pres pres- ent Hes He's now in Germany and was awarded the bronze star the other day J r t l' l |