Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1939)

B R (0) A D WAY yy G. VAN SCHMUS returned to his Music Hall office this week, his waist line considerably trimmed, after being under the doctor’s care several weeks . . . Dewey Washington, who appears in Paramount’s “Grand Jury Secrets,” is looking over the town and taking in the Fair . . . Adolph Haas played host to local exhibitors and trade paper men Friday afternoon at the housewarming for Alexander Previews in the Film Center Bldg. . . . Manny Reiner, Monogram publicist, spent two days in Lancaster visiting relatives before returning from the Chicago convention . . . Eddie Smith, court reporter, turns professional pitcher for the Federal Court-Admiralty Bar game slated for May 27. Monroe Greenthal mid Al Margolies returned from Los Angeles and the UA convention Thursday. Lynn Farnol followed the next day while Harry L. Gold and L. Jack Schlaifer, newly appointed vice-presidents in charge of distribution, are on their way by rail. Murray Silverstone stays on the coast for a few additional days, then hits into New York again . . . Plaza scene : Bill Rodgers lunching with Spyros Skouras; Bill Powers and Jack Sullivan with Eddie Saunders. Must be the M-G-MNational Theatres deal . . . Gene Towne will be around town for a couple of weeks. Thereafter, it’s Hollywood to prepare for his and Graham Baker’s first for RKO. After the boss has kicked you around all day and you go home thinking maybe this is a whacky business after all and how much easier and profitable it would be to become a Broadway producer, song writer or actor, run, do not walk to your nearest newsdealer and pick up a trio of authori tative books on these subjects. Then go back and let the boss kick you around, and be grateful. The books are fun and revealing and smack of authenticity. They’re all by the same authors, Jeron Criswell and Louise Howard, and are titled: "How to Crash Tin-Pan Alley,” “How to Crash Broadway,” and "How Your Play Can Crash Broadway.” . . . Among those present at the AMPA were: S. Barret McCormick, H. M. Richey, Howard Strickling, Bill Ferguson, Rutgers Neilson, Lou Lifton, Leon Bamberger, Steve Brooks, Vincent Trotta, Chester Bahn, Joel Swenson, “Hap” Hadley, Don Velde, Al Selig, Gene Towne and Lee Blumberg. Nate Blumberg, Universal president, on Monday will tender a special luncheon to the press at the Rainbow Room after the opening performance of “ The Mikado” at the Rivoli . . . Bob Weitman sneaked in an extra preview of ‘‘Union Pacific” at the Paramount Tuesday, the first showing of the film being shown at 6:20 and the second 11:30 . . . Mrs. Hal Roach got in from the coast Friday to join her daughter, Margaret, and Virginia Field who preceded her earlier in the week. The producer’s mother is due shortly for a visit . . . A. J. Herman, eastern Universal district manager, is back from Boston after a quick trip . . . Mischa Violin, Music Hall associate producer, sailed on the Santa Paula on a 16-day cruise to Haiti . . . Myer P. Beck is busy functioning as eastern representative of Birdwell and Associates . . . Ben Y. Cammack, newly named assistant to Phil Reisman at RKO, is here from Hollywood. Which rounds out an extensive trip of South America, South Africa and the Far East. Joe Seidelman has joined the Walk-toWork-Contingent these mornings. Nicholas M. Schenck is among them. And, by the by, Joe is “toying” with the idea of making another European trip very shortly ... Al Zimbalist, advertising and publicity spokesman for 60 Warner Philadelphia houses, was a Gay White Way visitor Wednesday and Thursday . . . Bill Scully lives four blocks from the World’s Fair and, believe it or not, hasn’t been near the modernized Flushing Meadows sightseeing grounds . . . Leto Hill, formerly of the St. Louis Amusement Co., is managing the DeWitt, Bayonne, for Warner. He was with the major circuit before joining F&M in St. Louis . . . Ted Schlanger was another Warner visitor from the Quaker City with Lester Krieger in with him on bookings . . . John Gunther’s "Inside Europe” has been purchased by M-G-M and may be produced on the 193940 schedule . . . Joseph L. Stein of the Copyright Protection Bureau is in Redlands, Cal., vacationing at the orange ranch of Danny Field. Following that, he dips into official business while en route east. Fred W. Lange, Continental manager for Paramount, sails for home on the Normandie the end of the month with his bride, Rosita Montenegro. The couple were married over the weekend at John W. Hicks’ home in Westchester . . . Shirley Ross, Paramount player, is appearing in Atlanta and returns to New York, May 19, following which she will go back to Hollywood . . . George Raft has gone to Holland, Mich., for the annual tulip festival. From there he heads for the coast . . . Lowell Thomas will be one of the speakers who will broadcast the opening of “Young Mr. Lincoln” in Springfield, III., on Memorial Day . . . Irene Rich is back in town after six months in Hollywood. She plans to stay for a couple of weeks and then back west . . . Rocco Paone is doing a swell job twirling the baseballs for Columbia . . . Ralph R. U?iks is the new Albany branch manager for Ross Federal, succeeding K. A. Davis who has returned to the coast. Ernest Emerling, assistant to Oscar A. What with Hollywood names and the “Union Pacific” special in town, there inevitably followed a party. The National Art Club in Gramercy Park was the place. There, club quarters were done over sufficiently to reflect the atmosphere of a gambling hall and saloon of the ’60s. Among those present were Evelyn Venable and Lynne Overman, shown above as they arrived in New York with Margaret Roach. The applauders below, left to right and seated, include Patricia Morison, Warren William, William H. Pine, Luana Walters and Robert Preston. 18 BOXOFFICE :: May 13, 1939