Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

^Inimatlc5 After seeing their grandson’s latest film twice, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Bartholomew sr, are set to return to England April 9. ★ Joan Crawford and Franchot Tone were to leave this week for a three-week vacation in New York. * Barrett Kiesling, Metro publicist, has returned from a three-months’ tour of the United States contacting publishers and newspaper editors. •k Ben Goetz has returyied from New York. •k Arthur Lamb, Erpi’s commercial manager, is on his way to New York for his semi-annual trip to the executive offices. He will remain in the east for three weeks. * RKO Radio’s publicity chief, Howard Benedict, is in San Francisco to ballyhoo a picture opening. He was accompanied by Eric Blore, who will make personal appearances. * Guest of honor at the weekly surprise party at the Ambassador Hotel’s Cocoanut Grove this Tuesday was Dorothy Lamour. k Lord Broderick Tarbat, heir to the earldom of Comartie, and his Viscountess, the former Dorothy Downing, realized a lifelong ambition when they visited Walter Wanger’s studio and watched some scenes being shot on the set. Lord Tarbat will return to California next fall on a hunting trip. * Roger Imhof gave a dinner party in honor of Mrs. Imhof’s birthday. Sophie Tucker was among the guests. * Director and Mrs. Gus Meins have returned from a vacation of several days at Lake Arrowhead. * Gordon Douglas is vacationing at Palm Springs, having completed direction on an Our Gang comedy for Hal Roach. ★ Sidney Howard is in Hollywood conferring with David O. Selznick. * Nathaniel Finston, Metro music chief, spent the weekend in San Francisco digging up files of old music popular during the gold rush of 1849 for use in a forthcoming picture. * Frank Fay led the list of guests at the weekly Scotch Treat luncheon sponsored by the Author’s Club this week. Other visitors included Paul Jordan Smith, Charles Warren, Sasha Siemel, Lee Payne and Larry Blake. k Bing Crosby and wife Dixie Lee are vacationing for a few days in San Francisco. The Ernst Lubitschs are entertaining Mrs. Lubitsch’s father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Bezencenet, of London, England. * Lois January, actress, and Abe Meyer, film musician, plan to marry within 10 days. ★ The Paramount Studio Club tennis tournament got under way last weekend at the Los Angeles Tennis Club under the chairmanship of Sam Frey, with the finals scheduled for April 18. k To try out the new automobile she purchased last week, Claudette Colbert drove up to Santa Barbara last Sunday. Marlene Dietrich drove down to Palm Sprmgs last loeek to see the desert flowers. k Dmitri Tiomkin is on his way to New York for a twoweeks’ stay. k Phil Regan and his wife are motoring to New York for a month’s vacation, during which he will make radio arid personal appearances. k To confer on product distribution. Fanchon Royer left for New York last week. She will remain two weeks. k George A. Hirliman is in the east conferring with Frank Snell and Amedee J. Van Beuren, Condor executives. He ivas due back in Hollyioood Thursday . * George S. Kaufman is in from New York. * Fred Hope, Metro associate art director, is recovering from an appendectomy performed last week at St. Vincent’s Hospital. k Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Sheekman — Gloria Stuart — dined the Peter Finley Dunnes at Perrino’s last week. * Paul Kelly was host to members of the cast of his current production when the company went on location in San Fernando Valley, not far from Kelly’s Northridge home. Present at luncheon were Sol Lesser, Howard Bretherton, Judith Allen, Johnnie Arthur, Bonny Briskin, LeRoy Mason, Charles Heriley. Earl Snider, Mike Eason, Wilbur McGraw, Peggy Gray and Ethel La Blanche. k Virginia Verrell, new singing starlet, arrived here via American Airlines, from New York, to begin work on her first picture for Samuel Goldwyn. ★ Ernest Roller left for Neiv York one day this week. k Margaret Sullavan arrived in Los Angeles this week, after closing her Broadway stage engagement. Miss Sulla'van made the trip from New York by way of Dallas. Major Pictures’ eastern talent representative, Ernest Gann, has returned to New York after a series of conferences with Emanuel Cohen. k Funeral services for Edward Laemmle, former Universal director, who died of a heart attack last week, were held Tuesday at the Temple of Israel in Hollywood. ★ Hurt in an auto accident while returning from a location trip to Chatsworth, Ewing Scott, film director, is under treatment at the Queen of the Angels Hospital. He suffered a broken leg and severe lacerations of the face and neck. k Visiting and vacationing in Hollywood are Hope Hampton, Chicago grand opera star, and her husband, J. E. Brulatour, executive of the Eastman Film laboratories. k Adolph Zukor and J. Christopher Dunphy were due m fro77i New York this week. k Mrs. Roger Imhof entertained Mrs. James Burke, Mrs. Bryan Foy, Mrs. Charles Grapewin, Mrs. Lillian Corrigan, Mrs. Glenn Goodman, Mrs. Goodman sr., and Mrs. George Schaefer at luncheon this week. UA NEGOTIATING NEW PACT WITH SELZNICK New York — David O. Selznick will extend his present association with United Artists in a new contract now being negotiated, George J. Schaefer, vice-president of United Artists, informed BoxofFicE this week. Schaefer said that the present two-year agreement calls for the delivery of eight pictures, of which three have been completed. These are “Little Lord Fauntleroy,” “The Garden of Allah” and “A Star Is Born,” the latter scheduled for April 30 release. Five features are still to be delivered on the contract, which expires next year. The term of the new pact and the number of pictures to be produced by Selznick under it are in process of negotiation, Schaefer said. WALDEMAR YOUNG SIGNS WITH METRO Terminating an association with Paramount that extended over a six-year period, Waldemar Young has signed a term writing contract with Metro. He goes to work immediately on the script of “Shopworn Angel,” the story rights on which Metro has acquired from Paramount. Tentative casting on the remake have Jean Harlow and James Stewart in top spots, with Louis Lighton handling a repeat job on the production. Lighton was the producer on the Paramount version in 1928, starring Gary Cooper and Nancy Carroll. BOXOFFICE :: April 10, 1937. 37