Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1939)

Published Every Saturday by Associated Publications Editorial Offices: 9 Rockefeller Plaza, New York City. J. H. Gallagher, General Manager. Louis Rydell, Advertising Manager. Wm. Ornstein, Eastern editor. Telephone Columbus 5-6370, 5-6371, 5-6372. Cable address: “Boxoffice, New York.” Western Offices: 6404 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, Calif. Ivan Spear, Manager. Telephone Gladstone 1186. Publication Offices: 4704 E. 9th St., Kansas City, Mo. Telephone Chestnut 7777. Other Associated Publications: Boxoffice BAROMETER, Boxoffice RECORDS, Boxoffice PICTURE GUIDE, published annually; THE MODERN THEATRE, published monthly as a section of Boxoffice. ALBANY — 21-23 Walter Ave., M. Berrigan. ATLANTA — 148% Walton St., N. W.. Lee Fuhrman, Southeastern editor. Telephone Walnut 7171. BOSTON — 14 Piedmont St., Brad Angier, New England editor. Telephone Liberty 9305. BUFFALO — The Courier-Express, W. E. J. Martin. CHARLOTTE — The Observer, Mary B. Parham. CHICAGO — 332 S. Michigan Ave., Eugene D. Rich, Central editor. Telephone Wabash 4575. CINCINNATI — 127 Tremont St., Ft. Thomas, Ky., Clara Hyde. Telephone Highland 1657. CLEVELAND — 12805 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights, Elsie Loeb. Telephone Fairmount 0046. DALLAS — 210 S. Harwood, V. W. Crisp, Southwestern editor. Telephone 7-3553. DENVER — 319 S. Clarkson St., J. A. Rose. DES MOINES — 2233 E. Grand, Rene McCluskey. DETROIT — 424 Book Bldg., H. F. Reves. Telephone Cadillac 9085. HOLLYWOOD — 6404 Hollywood Blvd., Ivan Spear, Western editor. Telephone GLadstone 1186. INDIANAPOLIS — 2575 Churchman Ave., Howard N. Rudeaux. Telephone Drexel 3339. KANSAS CITY — 4704 East Ninth St., Jesse Shlyen. Midwest editor. Telephone CHestnut 7777. LITTLE ROCK — P. O. Box 253, Lynn Hubbard. Telephone 3-0156. MEMPHIS— 399 So. Second St., Carolyne Miller. MILWAUKEE — 210 East Michigan St., H. C. Brunner. Telephone Kilbourn 6670-J. MINNEAPOLIS — 507 Essex Bldg., Maurice Wolff. NEW HAVEN — 42 Church St., Suite 915, Gertrude Pearson. Telephone 6-4149. NEW ORLEANS — 1509 Bodenger Blvd., J. W. Leigh. Telephone Algiers 1495. NEW YORK CITY — 9 Rockefeller Plaza, William Ornstein, Eastern editor. Telephone Columbus 5-6370, 5-6371, 5-6372. OKLAHOMA CITY — P. O. Box 4547, E. W. Fair. Telephone 7-1038. OMAHA — 1402 South 55th St., Monte Davis. PHILADELPHIA — 903 Manning St.. Joseph Shaltz. PITTSBURGH — 1701 Blvd. of the Allies, R. F. Klingensmith. Telephone Atlantic 4858. PORTLAND, ORE. — The News-Telegram, D. W. Polivka. ST. LOUIS — 5149 Rosa Ave., David F. Barrett. Telephone Flanders 3727. SALT LAKE CITY — ‘605 Utah Savings & Trust Bldg., Viola B. Hutton. Telephone Hyland 4359. SAN FRANCISCO— 1095 Market St., Nathan Cohn. Telephone Market 6580. SEATTLE — 2417 Second Ave., Joe Cooper. Telephone Elliott 8678. WASHINGTON — 1426 G. St., Earle A. Dyer. IN CANADA CALGARY, ALTA. — The Albertan, Wm. Campbell. EDMONTON, ALTA. — The Bulletin, W. A. DeGraves. HAMILTON, O. — 20 Holton Ave., N„ Hugh Millar. LONDON, O. — Free Press, Chas. E. Carruthers. MONTREAL, QUEBEC — 4330 Wilson Ave., N. D. G., Roy Carmichael. Telephone Walnut 5519. REGINA, SASK.— 1 The Star, Andy McDermott. ST. JOHN, N. B. — 34 Cranston Ave., S. Trueman. TORONTO, ONTARIO — 242 Millwood Road, Milton Galbraith. VANCOUVER, B. C. — 615 Hastings, C. P. Rutty. VICTORIA, B. C. — 350 Robertson, Tom Merriman. WINNIPEG, MAN. — 709 Selkirk Ave., Ben Lepkin. DODGE CITY, Kansas — Maybe there was excitement like this here when the Santa Fe brought its first iron horse across the prairies to what was then the end of the line. Nowadays with the Super Chief and the Chief sliding by the sun dial that marks central and mountain time, the railroad doesn't create the fuss it used to back in the more prosaic days of 72. There was much going on in these parts, however, on Saturday. Warnermen brought in newspaper writers from the east in special cars and a flock of Hollywood names from the west to converge here for the world premiere of a piece of celluloid they have been touting for quite a spell now. To flash a picture called "Dodge City" for the first time in the city that carries the same name seemed to make sense anyway. Saturday, then, was the day. And what a day! And Saturday night, the night. Never a dull moment. But, while all of this throwback business to the days that once were, was all right and in the properly festive spirit, this trek more than half way across the continent had something to do with matters beyond highballs and scenery, round-ups and celebrations. There was picture to be caught. A Two-Fisted Lulu What kind of an attraction is "Dodge City" and what is it all about? Meeting the questions one at a time, here goes: "Dodge City" is a lulu. It is twofisted and bang-bang, robust and alive. It travels all over its presumably Kansas prairies, but it knows where it is traveling all the way. From the opening thrill of Number 18 pounding its rails into what becomes Dodge City at the terrific speed of thirty miles — more or less — an hour, it goes into adroitly spaced and paced climaxes in the roaring melodramatic manner. And in color, too. It seems those were the years on this western frontier when bullets fashioned justice and men still knew how to guzzle their licker. When they came in off the range and got rid of their cattle, "The Gay Lady" with its gay ladies was the place for them. It was Saturday night every night in that thinly disguised den of smoke, beards and iniquity. That was why, after a time, the law-abiding citizenry decided something had to be done to run Dodge City like its respectable counterparts in the east and so that the builders of the open spaces would no longer stop their covered wagons at Kansas City or even Wichita. Flynn Gets Cabot To do it meant ending the career of gun-toting, rope-twisting Jeff Surrett, or, in other words, Bruce Cabot. That, in turn, meant a man who was faster on the draw. He turns out to be Wade Hatton, or Errol Flynn— Irish-born, tall, lithe and handsome and marked with a gentlemanly grace and a way of bowing courteously from the waist. Flynn has his troubles, as he soon discovers, but he also has his victories and, in the final count, gets the girl. She is Olivia De Havilland who resists him part of the way, but not all, finally concedes her love and gives this invigorating outdoor spectacle what Grad Sears calls "a picture finish." But between start and end, a great deal goes on. There are stirring shots of a race between train and stagecoach. There is Cabot causing men to be shot in the back because he won't pay them off for their steers. There is a runaway picnic wagon with Flynn leaping to the rescue. And a perfect whale of a climactic climax in a burning baggage car with Cabot and his 19th century gangsters holding off Flynn, the girl and Alan Hale until they get the upper hand and shoot down the horsebacked and fleeing gun-packers as Number 18 rushes across the open lands. Appraisals The cast is fine from the courteous Flynn and the retiring Miss De Havilland to the torch singing of yesteryear by Ann Sheridan and the villainy of Cabot; the newspaper owner of Frank McHugh and the comics of Hale and "Big Boy" Williams; the snarling of Victor Jory and the old worldliness of Henry Travers and Henry O'Neill. In the hands of Michael Curtiz who seems to know how to make his films accelerate without having big outdoor scenes clutter the action, the direction is in extremely safe and competent care. This is one on (Continued on page 24) 6 BOXOFFICE :: April 1, 1939