Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1939)

(2lnematlc5 Frank Morgan is spending a week in New York . . . Richard Carlson, stage and screen player, and Mona Mafield were married in Las Vegas . . . Harry and Jack Warner will act as hosts to national officers of the Veterans of Foreign Wars at a luncheon and studio tour June 19. The studio’s faminine stars will entertain the officers’ wives at luncheon the same day. The VFW is holding its national convention in Los Angeles at that time . . . Irving Berlin has returned from New York for huddles with Darryl Zanuck pertaining to his next production assignment. * Jerry Sackheim, Universal’s scenario editor, is back on the job after a story-hunting trip and vacation in the east . . . Preliminary plans for the premiere of Jack Benny’s new Paramount picture are being handled in Waukegan, III., by Cliff Lewis, studio advertising head, and Mervyn Houser . . . Jack Fier, of Columbia, is spending the week in Kanab, Utah, where a serial he is producing is on location. * Members of Paramount’s special “Union Pacific” ballyhoo train were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Warren William for an afternoon of tennis, bathing and other recreations at the William home. The frolic was attended by the William Henrys, William Pine, Mr. and Mrs. Brian Donlevy, the Anthony Quinns, Sheila Darcy, Luana Walters, Patricia Morison and her brother, Ralph Forbes and Heather Angel, Florence Buttner and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Beauchamp . . . Elliott Nugent entertained for Humorist James Thurber at his Beverly Hills home . . . Andy Devine and his wife will accompany Jack Benny and Mary Livingston to the Waukegan premiere of “Man About Town” . . . The briny deep has beckoned Director and Mrs. Frank Borzage, who are cruising the Pacific on their yacht, the Athene . . . Fully recovered from bruises she received while skeet shooting, Claudette Colbert is in Del Monte playing some golf. "k Capt. Dwight L. Mulkey, of the U. S. Army Signal Corps, has returned to Washington, D. C., after completing an eight-month study course in motion picture production under the auspices of the Academy Research Council. He will engage in the making of army training films. Next officer scheduled to take the course is Lieut. Harry J. Lewis, who checks Pascal on Way to London To Produce Next Film Gabriel Pascal is on his way to London to produce his next film for M-G-M release. He is accompanied by Lawrence Irving, art director, and Marian Baldwin, Hollywood publicist. Pascal has not yet determined whether “The Doctor’s Dilemma” or “The Devil’s Disciple” — both Shaw plays — will be placed in production first. in early in September . . . Frank Morgan hopped a plane for a hurried business trip east. ★ Irving Rubine, Warner publicist, was dispatched to Omaha to handle the “Juarez” premiere there . . . Mayor Emmet McMenamin and a group of city officials from Monterey attended the preview here of Warner’s “Daughters Courageous.” They played roles as extras in some of the scenes. * Joan Bennett has returned from a three-week vacation which took her to Mexico City in company with Mr. and Mrs. William Leeds . , . Harlan Thompson, Paramount producer, played host to Novelist Lloyd C. Douglas at one of the studio’s convention sessions at the Ambassador Hotel. Douglas delivered a short speech . . . Nate Watt, directing the next Hopalong Cassidy picture for Producer Harry Sherman, has headed for Lone Pine to set locations. Derwin Abrahams, assistant director, and Louis Rachmil, art director, accompanied him. ★ President Anastasio Samoza of Nicaragua and his party were guests at 20th Century-Fox for luncheon and a tour of the lot. “Young Mr. Lincoln” was screened for the Central American diplomat at his request . . . Consuls of 17 LatinAmerican countries were guests of honor at the coast premiere of Warner’s “Juarez” at the Warner Hollywood Theatre. J n, ★ Paramount’s studio club is making final arrangements for its ninth Catalina Island picnic, to be held June 18. Lee Hinson and Jack Crouchley are handling arrangements and Buss Newman is in charge of special games. More than 3,000 participants are expected . . . Lucile Gleason has headed for New York to serve as head of the Federal Theatre Project’s qualification board for three weeks . . . Henry King has returned from an extended vacation and is preparing for his next 20 th Century-Fox directorial assignment. * Claude Rains, John Litel and Crane Wilbur have been set by Warner to trek to Chicago to attend the dedication of a statue to Haym Salomon . . . Lou Childers, Warner technician, hit par, 71, on the nose to romp home winner in the annual studio golf tournament at Altadena country club. John Ridgeley led the acting contingent with an 80. All participants were awarded prizes, even Cutter Ralph Dawson, who: carded a 162 . . . 20th Century-Fox’s golf tourney was won by Lou Tate with a 73, the match being staged at the Rancho country club. Kenneth Macgowan topped the producers with a 99. ★ Maury Cohen and Fortunio Bonanova, co-producers of Atalaya Films, plan to attend the opening of their first picture, “La Inmaculada,” in Mexico City, July 7. •k Robert Buckner, Warner writer, has returned from South Bend, Ind., where he conferred with officials of Notre Dame concerning a script on which he is working. Story received the university’s okay. k Walter Bradfield of Paramount’s publicity staff goes to Miami, June 21. He’ll spend four months there handling the campaign on the new feature-length cartoon being produced by Max Fleischer . . . Sam White, Paramount associate producer, is vacationing in New Orleans and the West Indies. k Bill Boyd has returned from Des Moines, la., where more than 75,000 citizens of the state turned out to watch him perform as guest of honor at a giant benefit show for the Midwestern Newsboys Ass’n. ★ Funeral services were held for Henry Falk, veteran Paramount music librarian, who died of a heart attack. He is survived by his widow and two sisters. Falk had been with Paramount for 20 years . . . William Thomas, associate producer for Paramount, and Mrs. Thomas are vacationing in Vancouver, B. C. k Maureen O’Sullivan, her husband. Director John Farrow, and their new son, Michael Damien Farrow, are planning a two-month vacation in Hawaii. The actress and her baby have just returned home from St. Vincent’s Hospital. ★ Harry M. Warner will be awarded the Gold Cross of the Veterans of Foreign Wars when the organization opens its state convention in the Hollywood Bowl, June 18. Warner will be honored in recognition of his services in producing the patriotic short subjects . . . Mike Shathin, Warner sales inanager in Japan, has left for conferences with New York after stopping off at the studio for a few days en route. * Festivities at the recent Paramount convention banquet at the Cocoanut Grove were momentarily interrupted when Harry Sherman, producer of the “Hopalong Cassidy” westerns, presented Russell Hayden, featured player in the series, with a birthday gift and delivered a short speech. Auer Succeeds Hoffman On ", Highway Patrol" John H. Auer has taken over production of “Highway Patrol” at Republic, succeeding M. H. Hoffman, who has checked off the lot. Auer will also direct. Michel Jacoby is doing a polishing job on the script, aiming it for a June 20 start. New assignment for Auer has set back his “Hit Parade of 1939” temporarily. BOXOFFICE :: June 17, 1939 37