Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1938)

JT'S ribbers’ day at the Tavern where Harry Gold, Arthur Kelly and Sidney Meyers gather at a table adjoining the one seating Nate J. Blumberg and John J. O’Connor. Very little conversation passes between tables until the repast is over. Then Blumberg suddenly snares Gold’s attention and says: “You’re going to have stiff competition on ‘Drums’ when it opens at the Music Hall. We have ‘Dark Rapture’ opening the same day on Broadway.” “You mean The Dark Killer?” queries Gold with a robust laugh. The gag seems to act as an appetizer for Gold, who looks at Meyers, just back from a vacation abroad. “I’ll tell you,” the UA eastern sales head goes on to say, “One exhibitor lost so much money last season he had to go to Europe for a 16-week vacation.” No retorts, and Gold takes up the next course. Looking at Blumberg, he chirps, “You think you got troubles. Look at Sidney. He’s got to be on the golf course at 12:30 sharp every day, or else.” That reminded Gold of Charles McDonald’s recent trip to Italy. The RKO division manager wanted to meet the 20th Century-Fox manager there. He called the office and was advised his party was not in. This was about 1 p. m., and McDonald asked if he couldn’t be reached by phone. “No,” a genteel voice came back. “He’s at the beach and won’t be back until three.” So McDonald left for New York — and don’t be surprised one of these days if a petition crops up for onehour lunch and two hours extra for siesta for film executives here. Eddie Golden, Leon Fromkess, Norton V . Ritchey, Lou Lifton and Ruth Schwerin have joined the screening-after-breakfast club, strictly a Monogram society . . . Nicholas M. Schenck has visited Saratoga exactly once this month . . . Monte Proser is back at the La Conga on the coast . . . A. H. MacCausland has gone on a vacation and won’t be back until after Labor Day. Jack Skirball has returned from a visit to his brother in Dayton . . . Richard Blaydon and his bride are on the high seas bound for England where Blaydon " Professor " Boris Morros Now Hollywood — Just as it's written in quotes, Boris Morros, head of Paramount's music department, stands as a shining example of everything comes to him who waits. Morros has been appointed lecturer in Cinematography of the University of Southern California, with the distinction of being the world's first professor of music in the realm of motion pictures. Morros's first act after receiving the appointment was to start the scoring of “If I Were King." What, squawking already? will become production manager of Paramount’s new production setup under Dave Rose . . . Loren Ryder got into town the other day from the Paramount studio in connection with his key city checkup on sound equipment in theatres to play “Spawn of the North.” George Skouras’ greatest problem is to find parking space near the Paramount Building . . . Irving Cohen of Paramount’s legal staff has gone to the Maine woods on a two-week vacation . . . Louis Phillips says he never touched Chili Con Carne during his month’s vacation in Mexico . . . Herb Berg, Tom Waller and Lew Nathan of Paramount’s home office spent the weekend with Alec Moss at Blowing Rock, N. C., where they were joined by Harry Browning, M&P publicity head from Boston . . . Lina Basquette is appearing at Leon and Eddie’s, which marks her first night club engagement. Demands of Art Still Bullish Hollywood — There's no limit to the fun one can have in these parts. Even when you're not looking for it. Take Ben Blue. He was on the set until 2 a. m., working on a taffy-pulling scene culminating in a free-for-all fight with the stuff. The cool night air hardened the candy and Blue was walking stiffly and crackling by the time he reached his dressing room. It was locked. Blue yelled “Hhelps!" and a janitor called police. Two cops cracked taffy off his clothes and later pulled it out of his hair with denatured alcohol. And Blue hates candy. Artie Stebbins has gone back to the coast after looking over the town and friends for two weeks . . . William Hartley has succeeded Tom De Vane as editor of Screen Book. Helen Cunningham, formerly of Dell Publishing, now editing Romantic Story for Fawcett Publications, succeeding Mary Lou Butler, resigned . . . Gabriel Pascal sailed for home after an extended visit here and on the coast . . . Teddy Lazarus, son of Paul sr., is back from a summer abroad . . . Sidney Meyers, before returning to Miami, had lunch with Harry Gold and ordered roast beef because he couldn’t get it anywhere on his European vacation trip . . . John Walsh, manager of the Paramount, Newport, R. I., is on the job again after a seven-week survey of all Feiber & Shea houses. Brandt Bits: Vivian Gruder, Harry’s secretary, leaves on the Monarch of Bermuda, August 31, for a seven-day cruise through southern waters . . . Eleanor Hand, Arthur Schwartz’s secretary, was married Saturday at Imperial Gardens, Bronx, and is honeymooning in Canada for three weeks . . . Norman Elson, manager of the Globe and Central, returns from a Canadian honeymoon September 6 . . . Lou Brandt spent the weekend at Ar The Things They Think Up Los Angeles — Everything is kosher, even the ham, on the Paramount location in Malibu Hills where they are shooting "The Arkansas Traveler.” Reason is that Bob Bums, Fay Bainter and other players working in the picture were required to take dextrose and sodium chloride to make up for the depletion of body salts as a result of perspiration caused from the broiling sun. cadia Country Club, Lake George . . . Sam Levine, general manager of Brooklyn houses, is away with Mrs. Levine, the former Charlotte Brandt, Billy’s daughter . . . Bingo — or Bernard — is at Harry’s Lake George cottage. Charlie Cohen of Meske publicity has taken his wife to Lazarre Lodge, Old Saybrook, Conn., as part of a two-week vacation . . . Leon Netter got up so early on his return from the opening of the new Comerford, Wilkes Barre, he thought daybreak would never come . . . Morris Goodman, Republic foreign manager, is due from Europe around Labor Day . . . R. K. Hawkinson, Latin American division manager for RKO, is aboard the S. S. Corinthia for a cruise to Bermuda and the Saguenay River. Universal’s foreign chief, J. H. Seidelman, is expected back the middle of September . . . UA’s Carl Krueger has been ducking phone calls lately. Ribbers have been getting him out at night to ask what’s the idea of shooting his wife . . . Prize chapeau in the business is owned by Cal Swanson. It’s a battered, crinkled panama that looks like what you would expect it to look . . . Cecil Kellaway, who is currently appearing in RKO’s “Gunga Din,” sails from Los Angeles, September 14 for Sydney, Australia, where he will star in “Mr. Chedwood Hits Back.” Kellaway plans to return in time for the Christmas Holidays . . . Bob Benchley’s next short will be on “How to Watch Football.” It will be the ninth Benchley short that Roy Rowland has directed . . . Cecil Humphreys, English actor, arrived on the French liner Paris. Harry D. Buckley has dropped 12 pounds since going on a diet . . . A. W. Smith jr. was in Des Moines during the week and is doing a lot of road work these days. Last week Buffalo, and the week before, Minneapolis, were points of his visits . . . Monroe Greenthal spent a day in Boston and although he couldn’t be on hand for the judging of the campaign awards on “Blockade,” he sent a snappy wire which had Lynn Farnol simply ga-ga . . . Arthur Greenblatt spent a few days in Albany and Buffalo completing local arrangements with Warner theatre executices on GB playing time. Joseph M. Schenck is due from abroad September 12 on the Normandie . . . Dave Black of Herman ■ Gluckman’s staff is in fine fettle again with a week’s vacation in Atlantic City behind him . . . C. C. Moskowitz took on a terrific burn over the 20 BOXOFFICE :: August 27, 1938