Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1939)

gTANTON GRIFFIS got in by train Sunday from the coast and Paramount’s convention. Milt Kusell was in earlier, having chosen the airlanes . . . Monroe Greenthal postcards that the upper reaches of New York are simply grand if you’re touring with the top down, and that he’ll put in a good word so we can get Fourth of July off . . . Andy Smith jr„ a Fifth Avenue hatless, tanned and nonchalant stroller . . . Walter Gould is back from an auto tour that took him around Canada’s Gaspe Peninsula. The net effect has made him so nautical that he’s shopping for an outboard motor . . . C. R. Dickinson, Paramount sales manager for Great Britain, and Tony Reddin, publicity director there, return shortly after attending the company’s coast convention . . . Manny Silverstone promises to discard his vest as soon as he finds another resting place for his pocket watch and cigarette case . . . Morris Helprin bought a map of Trenton, N. J., the better to ease through it on his way to and from that farm, and says he has lopped off five minutes from his former running time . . . Freddie Meyers and Max Fellerman, two Sixth Avenue subway hole gapers . . . Martin Quigley sailed Saturday on the Italian liner Roma for a European holiday. Hal Danson of Paramount is a papa. A seven-pound, boy was delivered to Mrs. Danson at Harkness Pavilion, Medical Center. It’s their first . . . Jack Glenn, March of Time director, is back at his home office desk after three months’ work directing film units in Cuba and several southern states, as well as taking some time to visit his family in Houston . . . Lou Nova, who recently mussed up Max Baer’s hair and fistic comeback, is making a personal appearance at the Orpheum, Jersey City, June 23 . . . Barney Balaban, a three-decker sandwich and a newspaper, going it alone for luncheon at the Cadillac . . . Ernest A. MacKenna, managing executive of Ross Federal Research Corp., will be married to Doris M. Williams of New Orleans in that city June 28. After a honeymoon trip to Havana the MacKennas will live in New Rochelle. Norman B. Rydge, chairman of the board of Greater Union Theatres, was host at a luncheon to the local trade scribes at the Hotel Gotham before he returned to his native land . . . More than 100 merchandise and cash prizes are on hand for the annual Warner Club boat ride to Bear Mountain, June 21. Ralph W. Budd is chairman in charge of arrangements . . . Arthur Arce, vice-president and head of S. O. S. Cinema Supply’s export department, sails on the S. S. Borinquen, June 22, with specifications for a number of new theatres shortly to be erected in the Caribbean area . . . Sam Pinanski of Boston was a home office visitor with Paramount theatre executives . . . The annual golf fiesta staged by George Walsh of Netco brought Bob Weitman, Harry Royster, Harry Rubin, Harry Kalcheim, Leon Netter, Paul Phillips, Monty Gowthorpe and J. McDermott from the local Paramount offices up to the Powellton Country Club at Newburgh. €» A ID) W — Photo by Cosmo-Sileo To the Normandie — The cameraman gets around to Myrna Loy and her husband, Arthur Hornblow jr„ as they arrived from the coast prior to hopping the Normandie for a three-week stay abroad. Miss Loy, on her return, is down for another of the “Thin Man” series, with William Powell. Hornblow isn’t talking about business while vacationing. Sam Rinzler, the Brooklyn circuit operator, pulled a nifty the other day when a Boxoffice reporter asked him if he was negotiating new film buys. Said Rinzler, “When did you ever hear of an exhibitor buying at this time of the year. I’m still losing on the old product” . . . Clay Eastman, Albany Paramount manager, and Henry Randel, local manager, got back Thursday from the coast bemoaning the five-day rail trek east . . . Harold B. Franklin says he may go back to the coast next week . . . Herbert Wilcox and Anna Neagle are due Wednesday from Hollywood to attend the RKO convention . . . Eric Mayell, 20th-Fox Movietonews cameraman, was arrested the other day while taking pictures of the Japanese barricades outside the British Coricession at Tienstin, China . . . Sidney and Laura Deneau of the Fabian office are mourning the death of their mother. Sigmund Kasse of the same office recently lost his father . . . And by the way, the circuit is now getting out a monthly publication for its employes known as The Family Circle. Ernie Emerling of the Loew advertising and publicity department is back from a vacation abroad with a nice cherry coloring which he got sunning on deck . . . Florence Browning, assistant to J. Robert Rubin, has been vacationing at her summer home at Brookfield, Conn. . . . Ben Goetz and Victor Saville are due from the M-G-M studios momentarily, en route to England . . . Two Fabian circuit changes: Dave Rogers of the Maplewood, Maplewood, N. J., is at the Rialto, Westfield, while E. Lenihan of the latter house is now at the Maplewood . . . A1 Treadwell, service chief at the Brooklyn Paramount, is sponsoring a series of fishing trips . . . H. J. Yates is back from an extended visit to the Republic studios . . . Jake Milstein already has gone Hollywood in his summer attire . . . Harry Miller of the Brooklyn Paramount and Gunnar Anderson of the Fox, Brooklyn, are seriously ill, the former at the Beth Israel Hospital and the latter at Brooklyn Hospital. Al Lowe, UA’s general manager for South Africa, sails for Liverpool on the Carinthia, July 1, from where he will make connections for his new assignment . . . Danny Heiss of Columbia's production department is honeymooning with his bride, Ruth Gillman, in the Adirondacks . . . Capt. Harold Auten, the only British subject in the United States who is a wearer (Continued on page 30-D) Critics Dine Publicist— ~Photo by cosmo sil Film critics from metropolitan daily newspapers gather at Pietro’s to fete Leonard Gaynor, recently resigned newspaper publicity contact for 20th Century-Fox. Clockwise, starting from lower left, are Leo Mishkin, Morning Telegraph; Ben Crisler, Times; Wanda Hale, News; Bosley Crowther, Times; William Boehnel, World-Telegram; Kate Cameron, News; Gaynor; Rose Pelswick, JournalAmerican; Frank Nugent, Times, and Mrs. Nugent; Edgar Price, Brooklyn Citizen, and Mrs. Price; Bland Johaneson, Mirror; Horoard Barnes, Herald-Tribune; Mrs. Leo Mishkin; Thomas Pryar, Times; Dorothy Masters, News; Herb Cohen, Brooklyn Eagle; Irene Thirer, Post, and Zac Friedman, her husband. BOXOFFICE :: June 17, 1939 27