Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1941)

QIRL-OF-THE-WEEK: Theresa Sandler VJr at National Screen . . . Theresa tells Joosh stories with a divine accent . . . She credits her talent to her home environment . . . says Theresa: “Mom’n Pop came to this country and they couldn’t speak English. They went to school, and when they got out of school, they still couldn’t speak English.” Theresa says when she telephones home, she can depend on her grandfather, who can’t hear so well, to answer, and it goes like this: “Hello, this is Theresa.” “What?” “This is Theresa.” “Theresa? Theresa ain’t home, goodby.” Bang! Chic Sale will soon be asking Elmer Tilton where he wants that privvy put . . . Tilt’s bought himself some acres out west of town. Doug Pratt, Columbia’s home office representative, was here from NY . . . Dorothy Pratt came along. Gene Melone’s father-in-law died week before last. We thought we couldn’t mention seeing Joe Smith and Ralph Olson in Chicago one Thursday, but found out later it was on the up’n up .. . Universal was having a sales meeting there. Down Mexico way Metro is ballyhooed as “Su Compania Amiga” with “Miles De Clientes — Miles De Amigos” ... at least that’s what it says on the letter & Co. received from Branch Manager Carlos E. Niebla regretting that we had failed to look him up when we were in Mexico City. Art Thiele’s back from that supply dealers’ convention in Chicago. Boxoffice seems to be upsetting the Kappler Quads’ lives no end . . . Francis refuses to converse with Bert Thomas unless there’s a witness present, and Bill got in trouble with Dick for getting Dick in trouble with his girl by bringing Boxoffice (the mag, not us) home. Quoting Mrs. Sy Harlan: “Some anniversary. Sy got a telephone call at midnight and had to spend the whole night at the office.” Mary Benjamin has Bert squelched and he won’t talk any more — at least not about Mary. Bert says even the Law’s picking on him now ... a squad car followed him all the way home and into his driveway the other night so the cop could threaten Bert with a fine if he didn’t mend his driving habits. Boxoffice hears two of the girls down at the office telling how they waited in line at the Orpheum for 30 minutes Sunday and then couldn’t get in to see “High Sierra” because of the crowd . . . when she gets home, & Co. pulls this one with the superior cynicism of the all-knowing press: “Heh, heh, heh, Emil tried to tell me today he couldn’t get all the customers in Sunday and that for the eighth consecutive week, he’s had above-average business. Heh, heh, heh.” But Emil gets the last heh, heh, which is reputed to be the best. Morris Smith, who has just returned from California with his wife and family, has sealed the mouths of his staff . . . the Film Transportation boys have been instructed to be as silent as the tomb . . . Morris, our word of honor, you’re fretting up the wrong tree . . . it’s not your boys who give out about your doule dealing pitch . . . and Morris, where’ve you been hiding that pretty Smith girl, Ruth? Since Bud Moran got back from his Oklahoma holidaisy, it’s just been one derned thing after another . . . First there was that 10-day wrestling match with flu bugs and then came the booking department changes . . . But Bud can still say “Sis Hopkins” and smile — plenty. Max Gallin’s the guy who’d like to get the Iowa Film drivers and Pan American Follies chorus gals together . . . Max was here advancing the Follies stage show and trying to get his chorines on the coattails of a truckers’ convention in order to squeeze an extra picture or two into the news columns. Memo to Gabe Yorke: When the Minneapolis Star-Journal saw the double page “Picture Story of America” & Co. developed out of your “Land of Liberty” stills for the R&T they wired for permission to use the same layout . . . and the R&T syndicate grabbed for the prints and layout, too, which makes that some punkins of a plant. As a gesture to Boxoffice’s recent burst of Americanism, & Co. bought her a book of flag-stamps for letters when he was in Chicago (price, 5c) ... he forgot she’s so busy writing letters she gets paid for that she’s no time for personal billeting ... so that explains, Dear Editor, why we give your plant a treat with a couple of “God Bless America” stamps on our this week’s NEWS RUSH . . . Quittin’ time scenes around Tri-States: DD on the verge of relaxing . . . Madge Ward administering some salve to Hazel Dunn’s eye . . . Virginia Orr taking some last-minute dictation from G. Ralph . . . Georgia Bricker eating peanuts . . . that soblonde switchboard gal walking out without a word . . . Mrs. Sandquist sitting on a stack of newspapers in DD’s office . . . Art Stolte getting be-coated and all ready to go and then stopping to fuss about this’n that first. Madge Ward’s birthday (now don’t be like that, we don’t know which one) was February 17 and the gals abandoned their Tri-States traditional hanky shower to add a cup and saucer to the Lenox set Madge is promoting . . . Madge will welcome any contributions to this new project at any time. Rose Stolte is fresh back from California where she’s been visiting . . . Harry Holdsberg ain’t been a-feelin’ so good lately . . . he just don’t know what’s a-ailin’ him. Loudest rumor on the Row: That Speed Lambert, ex-exploiteer for this Metro in this territory, is going to work for Frank Rubel out in California. Sil Vogl, who went to Cedar Rapids recently to bowl, and Virginia Calhoun are the two hot-shots around which the Tri-States Trixies would like to build a bowling team. Wonder if Bob Gottlieb, who is blond like mama but looks like papa, has the DD pep and Hershey Bar’s enviable sweet disposition? Good old Nate Sandler does give a fig for the National Screen kiddies ... he proved it by sending them a whole box from California. We never visualized Adam as being a red-head but, Adam Marchek at Film Transportation is .. . Adam had to lay the law down to a flatfoot who tried to tell him he couldn’t do that when he was unloading film at the Highland Theatre the other day . . . Adam just quoted from Sec. 385 of the drivers’ little blue handbook which say you CAN do that. Cesteen Naylor has been missing his wife (“Dimples”) and Judy Ann who was three June 16 . . . they’ve been in St. Paul and Minneapolis for about six weeks visiting “Dimples’ ” sister. Kenneth Watson is what’s new at Film Transportation in the way of drivers ... he has the Dubuque route. Morris’ gang have had two new Chevie trucks since January . . . they acquired Carl Iserman, the new steno, about the same time . . . We haven’t seen Mike Riley for nearly a year, and we were glad to note that he’s still got that sunny Riley smile. Robert Van Houten is awfully big to be so bashful. Lou Patz made the girls make room for him at their table at the Old Colony Luncheonette the other noon, so they let him have the checks . . . now Lou’s claiming they rung their week’s bill in on him too. Grace Simons is bragging because she has climbed up and down the National Screen steps for so long and all she’s done is nearly fall down them so far. After sobbing his little heart out over being transferred to Cleveland, Bill Scholl received a blue towel and a copy of “Oh Dry Those Tears” from Emil Franke, and the Claytons . . . Bill wrote a right techin’ note about how sorrowful he was over leaving DM, considering he wasn’t asking for an inch of space. This reminds us of a note we should put down for our pick-up man, Bev (for Beverly, not beverage) Mahon: That man who lives with us is a great admirer of astounding ideas, but the trouble is, he thinks there aren’t any . . . we, who have tried to sell him a few of our own now and then, wish to warn you that it’s virtually impossible . . . but you can try. (Editor’s Note: He went for one didn’t he?). ALWAYS A GOOD NIGHT'S REST-AWAY FROM ANY STREET CAR NOISE 1 CONTINENTAL in the heart of KANSAS CITY, 10 BOXOFFICE :: February 22, 1941 51