Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1939)

Trio of Regional Columbia Meets Bidding the Travelers Goodbye — Paramount executives go west on ’39-’40 plans and their children see them off. The group, left to right: Bud Netter, his father, Leon; Doug, another Netter; Mrs. Barney Balaban, then Balaban; Leonard, a shy Balaban; Mrs. Edwin L. Weisl, Judith Balaban, Stanton Griffis, Weisl and Jules J. Rubens. Bud, Doug, Leonard and Judith and Rubens were the farewell committee. Paramount Lineup to Appeal To LatinAmericans, English New York — First of three meetings scheduled by Columbia will get under way in Atlantic City, May 8, and continue to May 11. The second regional will be held in Chicago, May 14-16 and the third and final gathering is slated for Los Angeles, May 20-22. A. Montague will preside at all sessions. Jack Cohn will head the delegation attending the Atlantic City conference with Rube Jackter, Louis Aster, Louis Weinberg and Max Weisfeldt representing the home office; Nat Cohn, New York division manager; Sam Galanty, mid-east division head, and Sam Moscow, southern division manager, on hand as well as branch managers and salesmen from Albany, Boston, Buffalo, New Haven, New York, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Washington, Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Memphis, Oklahoma City and New Orleans. Phil Dunas, mid-west division manager, and branch heads and salesmen from Chicago, Des Moines, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Omaha, Detroit, Kansas City, Indianapolis and St. Louis will attend the Windy City sessions. Jerome Safron, head man for the western division, and sales representatives from Los Angeles, Denver, Portland, Salt Lake City, Seattle and San Francisco will gather at the Los Angeles regional. No "Pinnochio" Outlet New York — No distribution has been set on “Pinnochio,” his next feature length cartoon, Walt Disney told Boxoffice on his arrival here from Philadelphia. He expects the film to be finished in the fall to be followed in the spring by “Fantasia” while each of them, he estimates, will cost $2,000,000 to produce. Disney’s short subject contract with RKO expires sometime next year. Four Minutes of Dynamite New York— The Warner trailer on "Confessions of a Nazi Spy" is four minutes loaded with dynamite. It has a sensational message, one that ought to make American red blood run cold. That's because years of cold newspaper type have given vivid expression to what has come to be known as the collective world's greatest hatred. By spoken words, searing and exciting ones — -Gestapos, war, spies, stolen secrets, G-men, military codes, bunds and bayonets — and electrifying scenes — spy trials, massed and uniformed Nazis, orders under death penalty and contemptuous disregard for the American flag — the trailer delivers a message that should penetrate until relieved by the opportunity to catch the film's first local showing. — L, W. Hollywood — Production of pictures with special appeal to Latin -American audiences, the English-speaking peoples and other countries outside war threatened areas is planned by Paramount, Barney Balaban, president, said on his arrival from the east. “We feel that by paying special attention to the entertainment wants and interests of our neighbors of Latin America and the British empire we can compensate for possible shrinkage in market resulting from international troubles in Europe. With such plans we will not reduce the activities of our studios here.” He also stated Paramount planned to continue extensive advertising campaigns in newspapers with “Union Pacific” typical of this policy. Says Paramount to Deliver Lineup New York — Paramount will deliver its full lineup of 56 this season, Barney Balaban, president, reiterated on his departure for the coast with Stanton Griffis, Edwin L. Weisl and Leon Netter to map out next season’s schedule. Neil F. Agnew, general sales manager, and Robert Gillham, publicity and advertising director, preceded Balaban and his party by a day, met them in Chicago and continued on to Hollywood together. There may be two regionals or one national convention sometime in May, the meetings depending how soon the studio will have at least half a dozen of next season’s output ready for screening for the sales force. “By June 20,” Balaban said, “we will have a little over half of our big pictures for next season either shooting or in work.” This will mean, he added, the company will be in the best position as far as production is concerned in years. He said he was not referring to the smaller pictures. Asked if Y. Frank Freeman is staying at the studios permanently, Balaban said, “I hope he does!” Studio overhead is under control, the Paramount president said. Although next year’s product is pretty well lined up, Balaban asserted there were a few things to be taken care of before full details will be completed. The first quarterly statement on operations is due the end of the month. According to the Wall Street Journal, estimated net is $1,000,000 for the first three months. Balaban will stop over at Omaha on his way back. He leaves the coast April 27. Jules Rubens, head of Great States saw the executives off. Special Exploitation Dept, for Paramount New York — Creation of a special exploitation department to work from the studios with the men visiting the field periodically is the new plan of Robert Gillham, Paramount publicity and advertising head. He now is in Hollywood conferring with Cliff Lewis, studio advertising manager, on the setup. The idea is to have four men work out of the studios and contact exhibitors, who, it is asserted, prefer men come from the production center with their ideas on handling pictures. The new department does not portend a shift of any other department from the east. Carl Krueger, who formerly operated in the home office under Hal Danson and Alec Moss, is now at the studios and three other men will be added. Danson is to continue at the home office and coordinate his ideas with the studio. BOXOFFICE :: April 15, 1939 E 58-A