Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1940)

n r gl SEADLER says it’s okay with him if we suggest to the studios that the third sequel in the current Edison series be entitled “Edison Hotel” . . . Arche Mayers and Ed Barison getting nostalgic and otherwise over the stills in front of the Miami, where silent films are getting quite a play . . . “Brought Back by Patriotic Demand,” says the ad copy accompanying the return Broadway engagement of “Confessions of a Nazi Spy” at the Globe . . . Stanley Hand, Altec staff representative, is back from a business trip to the west and south . . . Ditto Edgar E. Lloyd from a sales trip to Chicago, Cleveland and Pittsburgh, in behalf of his Czechoslovakian pictures . . . Milt Kusell, Paramount district manager, flew back from the coast convention to beat his colleagues in by two days . . . Half of the RKO home office personnel enjoyed a four-day Decoration Day holiday, having been given Friday off to make it possible. The other half gets the Friday in the July 4th weekend off for a similar break . . . Harry Towne, relief switchboard operator at the Strand, was acclaimed by the critics for his interpretation of the leading role in “Springtime for Henry,” put on at the Millpond Playhouse, unique cooperative theatre at Roslyn, L. I. Ed Peskay, over a couple of Lindy’s French crullers, recounting the work and pleasure he has derived from his gardening efforts at his Greenwich, Conn., home . . . Arthur Lee, lunching with Joe Seidelman, observing “this is no time to start a business,” which means his plans are being held in abeyance . . . Tom Mulrooney interpreting the war headlines for the benefit of Bill Levy, formerly for U A in the Argentine . . . Georgie Brandt and Marty Levine ehgrossed in and surrounding a beauteous blonde miss . . . Harry Gold and Arthur Silverstone with a guest . . . Pre-convention talk the chief topic among Abe Montague, Abe Schneider, Rube Jackter, Louis Astor, Max Weisfeldt and Ben Blake . . . Max Goldberg, I. E. Lopert and Sidney Franklin, Newark exhibitor, a threesome . . . Mr. and Mrs. Fred S. Meyer — he’s of the 20th Century-Fox studios and formerly with Universal — announce the engagement of their daughter, Delphine, to Gerson Marks. The brideto-be is an attorney in Los Angeles, while Marks is president of the Gerline Co., operating a laboratory for color photography. Charles Zingale, who operates the Happy Hour and Luna in South Brooklyn, took over the Pioneer in the same vicinity Saturday . . . Henry Brown has installed new sound, screen and seats at the Palace, Lakewood, which is on a weekend schedule for the summer . . . Harry Brandt stepped out of the Carlton, Jamaica, over the weekend with the landlord, L. F. Camardello assuming operation. Vaudeville is out for a straight film policy . . . Louis Weinzimmer and Harry Egert of Progressive Poster are now ensconced at the Paramount exchange department under Advertising Accessories management . . . Eddie Sutherland and Jules Levey were hosts to the press Wednesday at an informal — Photo by Cosmo-Sileo Pre-"hene" Activity — As part of the opening day performance for the premiere of “Irene” at the Music Hall, Anna Neagle joined the stage cast to dance her “ Alice Blue Gown” waltz. Here she is shown with members of the Music Hall staff watching the dress rehearsal. Left to right: Herbert Wilcox, producer; Miss Neagle; W. G. Van Schmus, Music Hall managing director; Willa Van, costume designer; Russell Markert, Music Hall stage producer, and Eugene Bruan, director of lighting. luncheon to herald “The Boys From Syracuse” . . . Mary Pickford is here from the coast again. A great deal of anxiety at the M-G-M foreign department was quelled when cabled word arrived that Fritz Strengholt was safe in Amsterdam. Strengholt is supervisor for Holland, Germany, Scandinavia and the Baltic countries and was unreported during the Nazi invasion . . . Mrs. Joseph Friedman, wife of Columbia’s general manager of England, will be among the passengers returning on the Roosevelt . . . Jacques Grineff, French film man and formerly associated with Boris Morros, is stopping at the WaldorfAstoria Hotel. Also there is A. Gardner, Ceylon theatre magnate, and his wife . . . Bill Zimmerman of M-G-M’ s title department received a ticket for passing a red light ON A BICYCLE. And the fine was two dollars . . . Cecilia Ager, motion picture editor of PM, made her official bow at the RKO company luncheon . . . Herb Drake, Orson Welles’ publicity man, came east with the RKO impresario. Joe McConville probably won’t be on hand for the Columbia convention when it ft ~ So There's Nothing New in Exhibition Somewhere in New Jersey — About four years ago, when the things were a novelty, an independent exhibitor offered an electric refrigerator as the main prize in an audience game. Last week the same exhibitor offered another refrigerator, the second in the four-year period. It was won by the second wife of the man whose first wife, now deceased, won the first refrigerator. The second wife took the new box and the old one, to the same merchant from whom the exhibitor promoted them, and swapped them for a sewing machine. Vfc= J opens Tuesday in Chicago. That’s because he’ll be tied up at the commencement exercises for his daughter, Janet, who graduates the same morning from Trinity College in Washington . . . Oscar Serlin has gone to Hollywood to look into various film offers for “Life With Father,” the rights to which Serlin says, contrary to reports, have not been sold . . . Dave Blum cutting his lunch short in order to be on hand for an incoming refugee for whom he signed an affidavit . . . Oliver A. Unger of Hoffberg Productions is on an upstate New York sales trip in connection with three Robert Donat pictures . . . Charles Coburn is around from the coast, and will remain hereabouts until July, when he assumes direction of his upstate summer theatre project at Union College . . . Jerald Schnitzer, son of Edward M. of Warner, will graduate from Dartmouth next month. The lad produced the Winter Carnival this past winter, the outstanding social event of the season . . . Nate Blumberg flew to the coast for a summer hiatus. He was followed by Matty Fox, via the rails. The latter returns here June 8 for the summer. Reginald Armour, continental manager of RKO, returns to his post in Paris on the Manhattan, June 15 . . . S. R. Kent, president of 20 th Century -Fox, arrived from the coast Friday . . . News from Fred Ullman, now a RKO producer. His initial production effort “Professional Hero” goes before the cameras July 9 . . . Harry Kosiner, eastern representative for Walter Wanger, is back after a two-week stay in Hollywood where he conferred on advertising and selling campaigns for two forth ing productions . . . D. V . Lederman, 20thFox manager of the Philippines, is due in during the week . . . Bob Benjamin has returned from the coast . . . With the arrival of Max Seidelman, Milwaukee lawyer, the Seidelman brothers, Joe and Sam, are together in New York for the first time in years . . . Sol Lesser arrived on the coast Sunday . . . Billy Benson of the local exchange has been shifted to the Albany Universal sales staff. BOXOFFICE :: June 1, 1940 23