Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1939)

Boardwalk Gossip Atlantic City — Jack Cohn again tried out a new yarn on the assembled delegates and it proved to be the laugh hit of the day. * * * Joe McConville, expert on foreign affairs, was busy showing Australian Head Cecil Mason, Puerto Rico Manager F. Knocke and Cuban Executive Ernesto Smith the wonders of “America’s Playground.” * * * Maurice Bergman kept plying the sales lads with questions leading to angles on advertising Columbia product. * * * A1 Seligman took a walk along the boardwalk and was heard muttering: “Boy, those hotel fronts would look good with some 24 sheets on ‘Only Angels Have Wings.’ ” * * * Allan S. Moritz looked the personification of “What the Well-Dressed Cincinnatian Would Wear.” He was a symphony in pastel shades. * * * Joe Miller, the Buffalo wizard; Tim O’Toole, the New Haven flash, and Nat Cohn, New York division manager, made a bee-line for the most comfortable couch in the Ritz-Carlton lobby to discuss sales plans for the new season. Or was it sales plans? * * * Harry Rogovin, after a year or so in Boston, still refuses to adopt a Harvard accent. * * * George Josephs and Joe Freiberg had the time of their lives watching the boardwalk parade. * * * Hank Kaufman, in charge of everything, took praise for his arrangements with his inevitable smile and a bow to aides Bernie Zeeman and Vince Borelli. * * * Arnold Picker was practicing his French on Rudolph Bach, who sells Columbia’s Gallic importations. * * * “Pahdon Mah So’thin Accent” could have been the theme song for Southerners R. J. Ingram, John B. Underwood, J. J. Rogers, H. Duvall. * * * Legalite Irving Moross had no trouble advising how to keep the boys out of difficulties. They all knew the answers. * * * Bashful Sam Moscow finally had to pose for a picture — when Abe Montague and Rube Jackter ganged up on him. * * * Abe Montague dispensed with talk at the banquet, insisting that the “no speeches” rule be lived up to all the way. But that didn’t bar Louie Weinberg from getting off a couple of gags. * * * Nate Spingold came down with the late home office crowd to find the banquet festivities in full swing. — Metropolitan Photos Three Foreign Offices Opened by Columbia Atlantic City — Further extending foreign distribution, Columbia has opened new offices in Paris, Brussels and Marseilles with plans to establish new branches shortly in Bordeaux, Algiers and Lille, J. A. McConville, foreign manager, told delegates at the Columbia convention here. McConville also told of acquisition of a number of pictures produced in foreign countries. World-wide releasing rights to French pictures have been arranged with Paul Graetz of Transcontinental Films. Four British productions a year are anticipated through a deal with Irving Asher. Deals have been made for Tamil and Hindustani pictures for distribution throughout Ceylon, Straits Settlements, Dutch East Indies and other Far Eastern territories, as well as for pictures produced in the Philippines. Conventioneering — The foreign contingent at Columbia's Atlantic City sales regional. The group above includes Arnold Picker, lawyer; Charles Roberts, LatinAmerican supervisor; Ernesto Smith, Cuban representative; F. Knocke, Puerto Rican distributor; J. A. McConville, foreign sales manager, and Cecil Mason, Australian representative. In beeksteak regalia are Lester Blanke, producer; Sam J. Briskin, general manager of production, and Jack Cohn, vicepresident. The general group, made up of home office executives includes, left to right kneeling, Vincent Borelli, Seth Raisler, Rudolph Bach. Standing, left to right, are Maurice A. Bergman, Louis Weinberg, Irving Moross, Joseph Freiberg, Louis Astor, Maurice Grad, George Josephs, A. Montague, William Brennan, Leo Jaffe, Rube Jackter, Lou Melamed, Sam Liggett, Irving Sherman, Al Seligman, Max Weisfeldt, Tom McCue and Harry Takiff. 20 BOXOFFICE :: May 13, 1939