Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

^EANNA DURBIN stopped work on Filmrow Wednesday. The little star and her manager, Jack Sherill, dropped in on Joe Engel, manager of the Philly Universal exchange, and posed for pictures. What loere Lew Shlifer and Nucky Beckett arguing about so heatedly the other p. m.? Warren Conner. Erpi Philadelphia district sales representative, returned to active duty Tuesday after an absence of six weeks during which he underwent a major operation. Things miist be picking up out in West Philly . . . Lou Siegel is sporting a brand new car. The boy friend of pretty Evelyn Hawkins. Dennis Games stenog, almost caused a strike scare the other day. He kept pacing up and down in front of the Dennis office until reports went out that he was picketing the place. Evelyn had a tough time explaining. Al Davis is the new manager at the Germantown Band Box. Len Edelson announced that he expects to reopen his Colonial Theatre within the next three weeks. It was pretty badly damaged by fire last month. Thomas Lark of Horlachers was operated on the other day at the Taylor Mernorial Hospital. Everybody is pulling for him to get better soon. Dave Molliver is planning to move his premium office to a new location. Charles Segall is back from a tivo months’ sojourn in Florida looking like a million bucks. The formal dinner dance planned for April 4 by the Variety Club has been postponed to April 25. The club distributed nearly 300 baskets over the Passover. Erwin M. Charlae and Mrs. Lee Biben were in charge of the distribution. Oscar Neufeld is nursing a couple of injured fingers. Better get a new manicurist, Oscar. Abe Einstein of Warner Bros, has been appointed a member of the publicity committee for the united campaign. Harry Weiner. Columbia Pictures district manager, left on a three-weeks’ auto tour Thursday. A meeting of the Will Rogers Memorial committee was held Friday at the BellevueStratford Hotel. Metro’s Bob Lynch is chairman. Quality Premiums is plaiining a trade show to start April 12. Stokowski Visits Philadelphia — Leopold Stokowski, leader of the Philadelphia orchestra and newest of the Hollywood entries, arrived in Philly last week with Deanna Durbin to make about half the sound track for the new Universal picture starring the pair, “One Hundred Men and a Girl.” SKOURAS CIRCUIT SHIFTS MANAGERS New York — Managerial changes in the metropolitan Skouras Theatres circuit were announced this week as follows: Bob Goodfried, formerly assistant manager of the Crotona, has been advanced to manager of the Monticello in Jersey City, N. J. Harry Knoblauch, from Nyack, has been appointed supervisor of the circuit’s Ossining, N. Y., houses. Nick Kerry, a newcomer, has been put in charge of the Rockland, Nyack, N. Y. Sturges Perry, former assistant at the Westwood, has been promoted to manager of the Broadway in Haverstraw. Bill Bolger is acting as manager at the recently acquired Bronxville. Lou Turchen, formerly of the Academy of Music staff, has been made assistant to Paul Hamilton at the Blenheim. Ted Rodis has resumed the assistant manager’s post at the Grand, Astoria, L. I. Mitchell Proffitt. former doorman at the Riyerside, has been made assistant manager at the Nemo. George Posner, former head of the service staff at the Riveria, has been promoted to assistant at the Liberty. Tom Burns, with a similar post at the State, Jersey City, is now assistant to Al Unger at the Capitol, same city. Fred Bartholdi has been made assistant at the Crotona, Bronx. NORMA SHEARER NOT "O'HARA" CANDIDATE New York — Norma Shearer’s decision not to play the role of Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone With the Wind” for David O. Selznick brought forth statements from both parties here this week. Miss Shearer said that “other plans which I cannot divulge at this time preclude my giving the idea any further consideration.” Selznick, regretting her decision, said “Miss Shearer has made other arrangements, and we are continuing the search begun several months ago, and never interrupted, for an unknown or comparatively unknown, actress for the part.” GOLDWYN AHEAD ON "POLO" SANS DOUG Hollywood — Douglas Fairbanks has sold his interest in the forthcoming “Adventures of Marco Polo,” which he had planned in collaboration with Samuel Goldwyn. Goldwyn, who now becomes the sole producer, plans to start “Marco Polo” about July 1 with Gary Cooper in the title role. Robert E. Sherwood has written the screenplay from the original outline by Fairbanks who had, at one time, planned it as a starring vehicle for himself. Drive for Skouras New York — On the occasion of the birthday of George P. Skouras, which falls on April 23, the personnel of the Skouras Theatre circuit of Greater New York, which he heads, has set aside the weeks of April 18 to May 1 toward making theatre receipts for the period exceed those for the same period last year. ^HIS tired town still chatters vigorously about the fun it had at that Variety cruise (on dry land) to Ireland. Thank Doc Prank Shyne who sired and gave birth to that wild ride to Kilarny. Day Tuttle is home from a Hollywood sojourn where, he reports, our Eddie Melcher is doing nicely on the RKO writing staff . . . another returning coast visitor is Brownie, head of the Metro newsreelers here . . . Harold Weinberger recites that his first assignment was aiding the director of "Night Must Fall.” Hardie Meakin pulled a smart one when he induced Katharine Hepburn to let him throw a party for her and thus gather in lots of space for “Quality Street.” Home from New York is our handsome Sam Galanty . . . From Florida come reports that the Carter Barrens are having themselves a time. Hunter Perry, Virginia’s smart exhibittor, was a weekender here. With Perry was his Charlottesville city manager, Ed Harris, who we still think has the finest brogue in all Dixie . . . Eddie Plohn, insists his boss Leonard Bergman, “has no bite” and with this we agree. Andy Kelly has been made an honorary member of the newly organized Burlesque Critics Association. Eddie Carrier, who tours the country with Metro’s traveling studio, popped in over the weekend to plan with Ray Bell for a Washington visit of his itinerant camera crew. Bert Granoff, local lad who made good, has been booked for a starring spot on the Earle stage, where he got his first start, for the tveek of April 2. Baltimore’s Fred Greenway made one of his few visits here. Torn Clarke made a flying trip to Miami where he bumped into vacationing brother Jim whom he didn’t intend to run into. Norman Pyle was host to an elegant party preceding a private screening of “Good Earth” . . . George Cukor was guest for a day. The Loew’s Boys Band provided music for the annual White House Easter Egg Rolling. Frank La Falce is eating his Easter Eggs in his Newark home. The Palace Theatre, Angie Ratto reports, has installed new RCA sound equipment. On March 13 the Willie Wilcox’ were wedded Forty Years. Jack Bryan looks optimistically to the close of Paramount’s ad-selling drive, feeling that he’ll wind up right in the gelt. Cameramen Hugo Johnson of Paramount’s crew and Universal’s Jimmy Lyons have returned from their Presidential junket to Warm Springs, Georgia. Jack Garrison’s Belasco is operating again after a week’s darkness. 20-B BOXOFTICE :: April 3, 1937.