Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1939)

<?L memo. tki James Dunne has returned from Palm Springs, where he spent two weeks, to begin work in a forthcoming motion picture. * Al Alleborn, Warner unit manager, left for New York on his first vacation in five years . . . Ned Holmes, Warner exploiteer, headed for San Francisco to handle the “Confessions of a Nazi Spy ” opening. ★ A. Edward Sutherland to El Paso on business . . . Mrs. Hal Roach left for New York to bring her daughter, Margaret, back to the film capital . . . Warner hosted 180 officers of the U. S. Coast Artillery at a studio screening of “Confessions of a Nazi Spy.” Crane Wilbur, contract director, addressed the gathering. * Harry M. Warner, Crane Wilbur, John Litel and Claude Rains will go to Chicago, May 21, to attend a $10 -a-plate dinner to raise funds to erect a memorial to Haym Salomon, Revolutionary patriot. Rains will make a personal appearance at the world premiere there of “Sons of Liberty,” Warner featurette based on Salomon’s life ■ . . Bob Burns is now a yachtsman, having acquired a fishing boat down at Balboa . . . Monte Blue will be guest of honor at a dinner to be given by the Will Rogers Memorial Highway Ass’n at Santa Monica. He is national president of the organization. ★ Paramount’s studio club will hold its ninth annual outing June 18 at Catalina Island with Joseph Robbins handling arrangements . . . More than 100 members of the Paramount Camera Club exhibited their work at the monthly salon in the studio monitor room. ★ Harry Cohn, unit manager for the Pete Smith short subjects unit at Metro, has planed to New York on business . . . Frank Morgan has gone east to attend the World’s Fair . . . Director Sidney Lanfield plans a two-week vacation at Prescott, Ariz., when his current 20 th Century-Fox assignment is completed. * Mai St. Clair plans to leave for Honolulu within a few days, upon completion of his current 20th Century-Fox directorial assignment. His wife will accompany him. Harold Lloyd Takes Space On the RKO Radio Lot Harold Lloyd has taken production space on the RKO Radio lot, continuing to retain space at General Service studio for the Harold Lloyd Corp. Lloyd will make at least one comedy for RKO Radio on the 1939-40 slate. Doing "Beau Geste" Music Paramount has assigned Alfred Newman to write the score for “Beau Geste.” Fred MacMurray has returned from a fishing trip in Northern California . . . Sidney Howard, the scenarist-playwright, has gone back to New York after a writing job at Selznick International . . . Leon Schlesinger's employes draw a four-day holiday over the Memorial Day weekend as a reward for pushing production o?i his cartoons . . . Johnny Mack Brown is vacationing in Bakersfield for a few days. * Clement Ripley arrives at Warner from Charleston, S. C., in June to begin a scripting assignment . . . Harry Moore, editor of MacLean’s magazine, Canada, and Mrs. Moore were the guests of Norman Reilly Raine on the Warner lot . . . Mr. and Mrs. J. Carrol Naish have left for Vancouver on a month’s vacation. They plan to drive through the Canadian Rockies to Banff and Lake Louise. ★ Glenda Farrell and Marsha Hu?it trained out to join the “Union Pacific” special in which Cecil B. DeMille is touring the east . . . Paramount’s studio club met to plaji production of a full-length feature picture, of which Ted Palmer will be in charge . . . IATSE Local 37, planned a “jamboree” for May 12, with Frank Tuttle directing, and proceeds going into the local's autonomy defense fund. ★ Director Henry King has returned from a trek to New York and Florida . . . Some 500 celebrants attended the United Artists studio club’s first annual party, held at the UA studio . . . Lester Ziffren, 20th Century-Fox scripter, discussed his experiences as a war correspondent in Spain as featured speaker before students of Long Beach Junior College . . . Brian Donlevy pulled out for New York to join Cecil B. DeMille’s “Union Pacific” special ballyhoo train. * Fay Bainter is due back at Warner’s next week, after a short cruise to the West Indies . . . Mr. and Mrs. Andy Devine are planning a motor trip to Oregon and Washington . . . Cecil B. DeMille has returned from a three-week tour around the country on the special “Union Pacific” ballyhoo train. •k Aiden Roark, 20th Century-Fox writer, has deserted his pen for the polo mallet, heading for the east to play with the visiting British squad. Hall Draws Clipper Al Hall has been signed by Columbia to direct “Super Clipper,” which is on William Perlberg’s production slate following “Golden Boy.” Cortez Assigned Twentieth Century-Fox has assigned Ricardo Cortez to direct “Heaven With a Barbed Wire Fence,” from the story by Dalton Trumbo, starting June 15. Garfield With " Juarez " Touring Key Cities Appearing in Salt Lake City, June 10, with “Juarez,” John Garfield will follow the Warner film in a dozen or more key cities. Erik Rhodes, screen-stage comedian, is set for a midwest tour beginning May 19. Harry Langdon, Oliver Hardy and Jean Parker are in Portland, Ore., for a week’s p. a. in conjunction with the exhibition of Hal Roach’s “Zenobia.” Publicist Jules Seltzer accompanied them. Currently in Detroit on a p. a. is Nancy Kelly, 20th-Fox player. Universal’s “Little Tough Guys,” including Hally Chester, Harris Berger, David Gorcey and Charles Duncan, are set for a week at Loew’s, New York, beginning June 1. Anna May Wong has sailed for a twomonth tour of Australia, while Tex Ritter’s p. a. jaunt has been postponed until July, his next Monogram western having been moved up to a May 15 starting date. Ray Corrigan, Republic, has checked in after five weeks of Florida, Alabama and Louisiana; John Payne, back on the Warner lot after p. a.’s in Cleveland, Richmond and New York; John Boles, completing a lengthy concert engagement; Mickey Rooney spent a week at the Paramount, San Francisco; Joan Davis checked in at 20th-Fox after four weeks in the east and midwest. Republic Holds " Parade "Irish" Going Ahead Republic has shelved “Hit Parade of 1939” temporarily, due to inavailability of big-name bands for the musical, and will prepare for an immediate start on “The Fighting Irish” as the next starring vehicle for Phil Regan, who was set for “Hit Parade.” Sol C. Siegel will produce. OPTIONS — Metro J. WALTER RUBEN given renewal of his contract as associate producer. Next assignment is “Thunder Afloat,” to star Wallace Beery. DON CASTLE given acting contract renewal. HARRY RUSKIN given new writing contract, lie is working on “Miracles for Sale,” which Tod Browning will direct. DALIES FRANTZ, pianist, draws term contract as an actor. — Monogram JACK RANDALL signs eight-picture deal for the 1939-40 production season. Two of the eight will be specials, based on James Fenimore Cooper’s “The Pioneers” and “The Prairie.” — Paramount CAROLYN LEE, child actress, given term contract. — Republic JOE WALTERS, cameraman, given contract renewal. He has left for a brief New York vacation. — 20th Century-Fox PAUL McVEY signed as technical advisor to aid in the musical scoring on “Stanley and Livingstone.” ROBERTSON WHITE joins story department to write an untitled original for Shirley Temple. THURSTON KNUDSON ticketed to write and score background music for “Stanley and Livingstone.” — Universal GLENN TRYON signed as dialogue director on “The Underpup,” a Joe Pasternak production. — Walter Wanger LORETTA YOUNG signs one-picture deal to star in “Whose Wife,” an original screenplay by Gene Towne and Graham Baker, which Tay Garnett will direct. 28 BOXOFFICE : : May 13, 1939