Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1941)

1*HERE were two big days last week for X the Moskowitz clan. On Thursday it was C. C.’s birthday and on the following day “Ma” celebrated her 77th . . . Walter Reade sr. and jr. are back from Palm Beach. Senior spent a month in the Florida resort, while Junior was there exactly eight days . . . Julius Allen, Canadian exhibitor, was in town the other day . . . Harry Egert of Advertising Accessories was in New Haven the middle of the week . . . Charles Stern, UA district manager, paid the Schines another visit at Gioversville the other day. When he got back Bert Stearn, Mideast district manager for the same distributor, was in town . . . Jack Shea visited Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Cleveland last week on behalf of Feiber & Shea . . . Charles Sonin of M-G-M got back from Miami with a color that belies all those pessimistic reports. Ben Knoble, who has been ill of late, is recuperating on Miami beaches ... Ed Hatrick, Hearst film general manager, spent a month at the Tower, Miami Beach, and is back on the fob again . . . Seymour Mayer, Loew district manager, says he dropped 40 pounds recently. Those vests he wears are something to look at, by the by . . . Arthur Rothafel, son of the late S. L., better known as “Roxy,” has resigned as manager of Skouras’ Glen Cove, Glen Cove, L. I., and enlisted in the army ... A. Montague and Leo Jaffe of Columbia’s home office executive staff returned from the coast early in the week after holding a series of production conferences . . . Jack Cohn and A. Schneider remained a while longer at the studio on other matters . . . Henry Reiner is proudly displaying that initialed ring Herman Robbins gave him as one of the honorable mentions in the recent National Screen drive honoring Robbins’ 20 th year in the industry. Henry Danziger celebrated his 2Lt anniversary Washington’s Birihday . . . Nicholas M. Schenck returned from a week’s trip to the coast with a bad cate of the flu . . . Laudy Lawrence is in from Europe and now plans to roost at the M-G-M office until things quiet down abroad . . . Norman Moray, back from a suntanning, be that what it was while he sojourned in Miami, left Tuesday for a swing of eastern Warner branches. He was followed by Roy H. Haines who made Cincinnati, Cleveland and Pittsburgh on this trip . . . Max A. Cohen is back from Hollywood, Fla. While he didn’t get much sun he got a little rest, for which he is thankful . . . Eddie Schnitzel is down Miami way, now that Sam Lefkowitz is back from those parts . . . Bob Benjamin insists he will fly to the coast next week . . . Henny Youngman will m. c. at the charity ball March 3 at the Waldorf for the Greek relief. A stack of entertainment is being lined up to round out the program. Sam Meinhold celebrated his 74 th birthday February 14. He’s still on the job at Loew's, chipper as ever . . . Frank Jarticola, Loew auditor, eloped the other day and is spending his honeymoon in Miami . . . Lester B. Isaac, head of Loew’s projection, on February 16 marked his 25th year with the company. He is honorary president of the American Projection Society, having been its first president . . . Irving Snyder of Sterling Sign will become a father this summer. He is well known to Loew-ites . . . Louis J. (Bud) Alleman of RKO’s publicity department They Clashed ; They Also Smiled — The idea was a quiz program conflict over NBC. Opposing teams were composed of men and women who do the commentating in the newsreels. Described as “Battle of the Sexes,” Julia Sanderson and Frank Crumit conducted and used these photographed individuals, in left to right array: Arlene Francis, stage and radio actress and in private life Mrs. Neil F. Agnew; Miss Sanderson; Sue Reed, radio and television actress; Adelaide Hawley, women’s commentation for News of the Day; Vyvyan Donner, fashion editor of Fox Movietone News; Crumit; Jim Clemenger, Patlie News announcer; Gregory Abbott, commentator; Jack Haney, Fox Movietone News commentator, and Andre Baruch, Pathe News commentator . Off for Hollywood — Joan Merrill leaves night clubs, where she sang, for Columbia and the coast. Her first assignment will be one of the leads in a forthcoming musical. She’s from Baltimore and, latterly, from Rudy Vallee’s show. has resigned and volunteered for service in the 101st Cavalry, Troop C of the National Guard. He is now at Camp Devens, Mass. . . . Alexander Korda arrived late in the week from Hollywood with a print of “That Hamilton Woman” . . . A. W. Alexander of Altec's Asheville, N. C., staff has celebrated his silver wedding anniversary . . . Arthur Knorr of the Roxy production staff has two of his latest original water colors on exhibition in the National Water Color Club. Mitchell S. Bernstein, St. Johns, New Brunswick, exhibitor, was in town during the week and given a taste of Lindy’s food by Haskell Masters . . . Joe Lee is due back next week from Miami, which means Harry H. Buxbaum will be flying south in his own plane shortly . . . Bill Murray, 20th-Fox Movietonews cameraman, is back from the war zone . . . W. C. Gehring is back after visiting 20th-Fox exchanges in Minneapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit and Indianapolis on the decree . . . Fred Pride and Felix A. Jenkins will wind up their legal discussions on the document before 20th-Fox sales forces next week . . . Francis L. Harley is back from Miami and sails March 1 for his headquarters in London . . . Harry C. Arthur jr. is vacationing at Palm Springs. Tony DiLorenzo of the New Paltz, New Paltz, was in booking the early part of the week . . . Alec Moss finally got away for a vacation in Miami Friday. He says if the weather continues cold he’ll head for Havana . . . J. J. Unger is slated to head south on vacation business the end of the week . . . Irving Cohen of the Paramount legal staff was in Erie, Pa., on another one of those anti-trust actions . . . Phil Engel of Warner’s exploitation staff has been in the New England territory during the week . . . Roy (Continued on page 24) BOXOFFICE :: February 22, 1941 23