Box office digest (Dec 1938-Dec 1939)

4 NATIONAL BOX OFFICE DIGEST H1GHLIGH OF THE W There comes a telegram to the desk. It is from Joe Cohen, MGM production executive. It reads: “Gentlemen: Your crediting me as producer of the Hardy Family series is incorrect and embarrasing. Any producer credit on this series should be given to Lou Ostrow and I would appreciate any correction you will wish to make. J. J. Cohen." So an orchid goes to modest Joe Cohen, and merited credit to popular Lou Ostrow right here at the top of the well known column. Money couldn't buy this space, Lou. Except for the rush of previews, with the boys evidently deciding to clear the cutting rooms before Christmas, the week didn’t produce any startling Highlights of news for the yawning presses. Winch is probably just as well. There is more news to exhibitors in knowing that they have a MacDonald-Eddy spectacle, a '"Kentucky,” a “Duke of West Point,” a new Bing Crosby, ready for delivery than there is in the usual headline. And with the class of attractions the distributors offered their first run show shops for the few weeks preceding the holidays this year, the exhibitor needs all the borrowed cheer he can get, even if he has to borrow on the future’s offerings. The distributors showed the white feather this year without shame. Despite the flash copy the ad departments are expected to turn out each year telling of the great array of holiday attractions each company is supposed to be ready to dump in the showman’s lap, the distribution heads seemed to freeze up even earlier than usual in seeking to avoid damage to grosses. Now they’ll all be out cutting each other’s jugulars in January and February. Eddie Smalt « Makes Good Start Eddie Small, whose past production record has its share of showmanship evidence — remember "Monte Cristo” — seems to be getting under way in stride for his new United Artists program. Without benefit of automatic star value, he has found means of substituting that box office touch. "The Duke of West Point” was well received last week, and the West Point lure that has never failed should help to move Louis Hayward nearer the money class since the picture will back up the lure as entertainment. Small then has "The Man In the Iron Mask” ready to move, and that’s a classic title with a goodly share of the advance box office that always attaches to such subjects. Then there’s the widely-talked of bestseller "My Son, My Son” in the future. Though that fine book is certainly going to be a tough job for the scripter. Capable George Bruce has the assignment. . . . We don’t know of any figure in the industry who could have received more whole-hearted sympathy on a messy situation than was felt by Hollywood last week for George Burns. Since we have our adequate share of phonies in this racket, why couldn’t it be one of the phonies and not an outstanding regular like Burns who would be pulled into TS EEK 4 FEATURES " GOING UFA... Was Now I. I Am The Law COL 100 103 Z. Justr nround the Corner FOX. .. 98. ...101 i. i he Mad Miss Manton RKO 90.... 92 4. Gangsters Boy MONO 83 .... 86 one of those city slicker nets. ... As for those who might be worrying about the possible effect on George’s audience popularity, let them forget it. The first genial wisecrack session on the airway will make everybody else do so. There’s A New Studio Epidemic As you skip from day to day reading of the studio announcements it is borne in on the casual reader that a new epidemic has attacked the production colony. 1 his is a disease called "added scenes.” Can it be, says the cynic, that such a great number of pictures are coming in with wobbly underpinnings that the added scenes are a necessity — or, says the optimist, are they all so surprisingly good that added money is just demanded to make "good” "better” — and "Better” "Best.” . . . Dick Powell and Joan Blondell reach the parting of the ways on their Warner association. No announcements as to the future, but it is a pretty safe bet that the team did not walk out on the side walk without some knowledge of its destination . . . what are the odds that they will wind up under the Darryl Zanuck wing? .... Bill Sistrom, one of the really capable production veterans, returns to the Radio fold to handle the making of a picture in "The Saint” series in London. Sistrom is the man for the job. He discovered the roguedetective character for the screen, and he knows his picture-making. Paramount Sets A Melon Cutting Paramount has set itself for one of the biggest melons of the coming year with the closing of negotiations that will bring Gary Cooper to the screen in the remake of "Beau Geste.” There’s a natural that just shouts sensational money. Take the original "Beau Geste,” and "Bengal Lancer,” wrap ’em up together and you have part of the answer. The i2 FEATURES "GOING DOWN ” Was Now 1. Cowboy and the Lady U.A. .143 136 2. If I Were King PAR 127 124 3. Drums U.A 109 103 4. Submarine Patrol FOX 107 102 5. The Great Waltx MGM 105 101 6. Young In Heart U.A 106. .101 7. The Shining Hour MGM 103 99 8. Boy Meets Girl WAR 1 02 96 9. Valley of the Ciants WAR 99 94 10. Dark Rapture UNIV....1 00... 88 1 1. Thanks for the Memory PAR 78 71 12. Peck’s Bad Boy at the Circus RKO 68. 62 # The News at a Glance additional ingredient is William Wellman, straining at tne leash to get his teeth in a subject like this. Wellman — Cooper — Beau Geste' — there’s a money tinkle to the sound already, and remember there are two other money male parts in the leads ot the picture. . . . Paramount should also leel cheenul over the iact that Mark Sandrich will swing into action immediately alter the first ot the year with Man About Town,” the Jack Benny subject. Sandrich is a money dirtctor. . . It David Selznick can line up Ronald Colman tor the picture that England’s ace, Altred Hitchcock, will direct, he also is one of the boys putting money in the bank in advance these days. Hitchcock alone means an outstanding picture, the combination spells box office. . . . Dick Arlen signs the papers on the deal for six at Universal, thus setting another item in that company’s next year schedule. Universal, you will note, is in shape these days to do some advance planning. . . . There are so many units shooting on "Union Pacific” just now that they must need a professional train dispatcher to keep track of the epics. Latest is veteran James Hogan to take over a portion of the chores. Well, building railroads isn’t any pickayune job. Millions , Millions , Millions Everywhere The MGM court trial in New York continues to provide interesting reading, but little excitement. Millions to the right of us, millions to the left of us, bonuses here and stock options there. But the only fact that stands out is that the company made the criminal mistake of making money. Now if that group of executives had only played around with 77B and some of the other recently popular nostrums, all would have been well. There wouldn’t have been any profits, and if there were no profits there wouldn’t have been any worry about keeping the executives within the fold. Simple, Doctor Watson. Of course, there could have been another solution. The boys could have modestly refused to ask for what they thought they could get. And the stockholders wuold be pinning bouquets on them now. Mebbe. We Need Each Other (Continued from Page 3) you starved out fifty per cent of the nation’s playhouses? The industry needs most of those theaters. The industry needs a legitimate number of theaters in every community supplying good entertainment, profiting by so doing, and KEEPING THE THEATER GOING HABIT ALIVE. When weak attractions at the other fellow’s theater kill off the habit for many customers — he’s killing them off for you too, in far too many cases. Think it over.