Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

^lnQmatk6 Harold Hurley, Paramount production executive, was to report back to the studio early this week after a four-week vacation in Honolulu. * Darrel Ware left for Mexico City on a six-week vacation from his writing job at 20th Century-Fox. •k M. C. Levee was to entertain agents this week at a dinner at the Hillcrest Country Club. The Palestine fund drive was to be discussed. * George Hirliman and Eleanor Hunt have planed east for a week’s vacation in New York. ★ Mrs. Dorothy Reid was due in this week from her location trip to Samoa, where she has been with a camera crew for the past two months. * Hollywood’s B’nai B’rith lodge held its third annual charity midnight show at the Carthay Circle Theatre last week with Dick Powell as master of ceremonies. Furnishing entertainment were Leslie Howard, George Jessel, Henry Fonda, Dick Foran, Borrah Minnevitch, Olivia de Havilland, Joan Blondell and Sally Filers. k Betty Furness is in New York to spend three weeks with her mother. ★ When the Japanese Davis Cup tennis team visited Metro last week, Clark Gable was their host on the set. k G. C. Pratt, vice-president of Erpi and his wife left for the east this week to sail for England. They will be away from Hollywood about two months. * Headed by Mrs. Gladys Mooney of New York, national president of the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, a delegation from that organization was guested at Paramount this week, with Marlene Dietrich acting as studio hostess. k Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Hornblow (Myrna Loy) returned this week from a New York vacation. * Gertrude Berg is back from a New York trip. Clyde Elliott, left, and Colin Tapley select the guns they will require on their expedition to the Malayan jungle, where Elliott will produce and direct “Booloo” for Paramount. Tapley will be the only white man in the cast, furnishing the atmosphere. With a technical crew, they are due to leave Hollywood late this month for Singapore. Edwin Knopf, Metro story editor, has cabled the studio that he will return from his European jaunt June 1. * Joe E. Brown arrived in Hollywood early this week from the east and is preparing to start loork in his next film assignment. * Madge Evans left this week for a short vacation at Arrowhead. ★ A visitor at Metro this week was Marian Hill, secretary of the Film Board of Trade of Indianapolis. * Neil Agnew, Paramount’s vice-president and sales chief, left for New York this week. k When Sol Wurtzel docked at San Francisco this week after his Honolulu vacation, he was met at the Golden Gate harbor by John Stone, 20th Century -Fox associate producer. k William Fox is in town conferring on his property holdings. He will remain several days and then go up to Santa Barbara. k Mary Pickford was hostess May 22 at a lawn party at Pickfair, given under the auspices of Phi Beta, national professional sorority. Anita Louise and Eloise Spann appeared on the program, proceeds from which went to the sorority’s scholarship fund. k Howard Davis, Paramount carpenter, topped the record crowd of 237 divot diggers who toured the Altadena Country Club in the Paramount studio golf tournament Sunday, May 16, with a low gross of 75. John Jennings, non-contestant, parred the course with a 71, the only player to turn in a better score than Davis. ★ Howard Dietz, Metro’s publicity and advertising chief, left for New York with Mrs. Dietz early last week . * Paramount’s vice-president in charge of sales and distribution, Neil Agnew, came into Hollywood last week from Hawaii. He will go on to New York this week, but will return for the company conventions June 10. k Walter Plunkett has returned to Selznick International after a trip through the southern states in search of background material. * Accompanied by Jack Ross, Carl Laemmle plans a two-month European vacation. He leaves May 28. * Sam Bischoff has returned to his Warner post after a Hawaiian vacation. ★ His three-week New York vacation ended, Brian Foy is back at work at Warners. * Paramount studio’s Bowling Club will celebrate the completion of its current tournament with a dinner at the Mayfair Hotel, June 13. Ben Blue will act as master of ceremonies, with Gene Hornbostel in charge of arrangements. STORY BUYS Walter Wanger has liought “The Illusionist” as a tentative Charles Boyer vehicle. It is a play by Sascha Guitry. Motion pictures rights to “Henrietta’s Big Night,” original by Edwin Balmer, have been purchased by Marion Gering, Columbia director Fanchon Royer has purchased two series of adventure storie.s by Geoige F. Worts — “Singapore Sammy” and the “Mr. Hazeltine” detective storie.s. BOXOFFICE :: May 22, 1937. 35