Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1939)

British Trade Papers to Publish Alternately ^HE real Hollywood premiere spirit was resurrected w'hen publicity men of Stanley-Warner and Metro put on a preview of “The Women” for a blue-blood invited audience. Affair took place at Station WCAU, and was combined with a fashion show put on by Hattie Carnegie. A microphone at the door announced Philadelphia’s fashionables as they arrived, all in formal clothes, and some spoke to the gaping hundreds that lined the streets. Powers Gouraud played emcee. Klieg lights and newsreel cameras were there. Bows should be taken by Ev Callow and Milt Young, S-W, and Jimmy Ashcraft, Metro. Lester Stallman’s Astor, Reading, is up to his ears in work, arranging the new season’s stage shows . . . Jack Mulhall, S-W Wilmhigton district manager, is a captain in the U. S. Army Reserves, is wondering how long before he’ll be called to the colors . . . Lewen Pizor, UMPTO president, is the proud and beaming father of a little girl . . . John Golder. Hollyivood Pictures, had 60 city and state police and detectives over to a screening of the Jam Handy one-reeler, “Radio Blockade,’’ a story of the two-way radio. He says even the cops got excited . . . Walnut Street Theatre is reopening with Yiddish stock. The Showmen’s Club will be holding open house every Sunday night this year at the St. James . . . And the Variety Club will set aside 5 p. m. each day as cocktail hour . . . A1 Herman, Universal district manager, was in town . . . Film A Theatre Reopens — A parade, a band serenade and an outdoor quiz program ballyhooed reopening of the S-W Germantown, in Philadelphia, under Manager Norman Bailey. Al Zimbalist, Warner publicity man, was the Mr. Quiz at the mike. The photo shows him questioning a girl from the crowd, while Roland Haynes, manager of another S-W house, the Colonial, looks on (left) . delineating the value of drinking mUk — Moe Verben, please note — will be released by Bill Hee'nan, Peerless, through Clark Films . . . Fourteen golf stars — practically stars, anyway — of the film industry held a private tournament at the Ashbourne Country Club . . . David Segal, Diamond, Hazleton, will also take over the Favini, Scranton, October 1 . . . Harry Cotton, Alexander Films, in town to establish the new preview enterprise . . . Adolph Haas, Alexander’s eastern representative, also a visitor. Joe Morrow, Metro’s upstate salesman, is in Mercy Hospital recuperating from an operation . . . Boss Bob Lynch and S. E. Applegate, riding up that way on a business tour, will drop in uhth flowers and candy . . . Bill Gabriel, Metro booker, will soon be driving his family down to Florida, then hop a boat to Cuba. He figures that’s safer than going on the high seas all the way, what with these wandering submarines and mislaid torpedoes . . . Ted Schlanger and Lester Krieger, Warner, went to New York for a home office cojifab . . . Harry Tarrante, Aldine, and Maurice Gable, Boyd, are the new coeditors of the Warner Club News. The S-W Astor will soon be torn down and completely rebuilt . . . Iz Barowsky reopened the New Jewel this week . . . Herb Given and Charles Donahue, Grand National, announce they’re still showing a profit with last season’s films, despite the company’s difficulties in providing new product ... Sir Eli Ginsburg, Ray Smith and Murray Beier, who specialize in fight films, felt they were let down by producers when none made a record of the Nova-Galento fight. But the Louis-Pastor bout may cheer them. James Feeley, Metro’s news cameraman, had his wrist fractured while photographing gcwennnent agents dynamiting a bootleg still in New Jersey. A flying piece of timber crashed against his wrist, almost knocked him from the camera platform. Universal’s Joe Krelling escaped injury . . . Jack Beresin announced first-rate progress on the Variety Club’s annual banquet. He’s being aided by Dave Weshner, vice-chairman; Ted Schlanger, dais committee; Harry Biben, entertainment committee, and E. M. Crowitz, publicity committee . . . “White Zombie,’’ formerly released by Jack Golder, will now be handled here by Mike Levinson. Stanley Hathan is making a feature for the local Democratic campaign . . . Joe Conway, Egyptian, has inaugurated a Friday night policy of swing bands, for the swing-happy youth of the neighborhood . . . Stan Benford’s keen eye picked out a girl who looked like Ginger Rogers, put her behind a baby carriage, and sent her around town to advertise “Bachelor Mother” at the Palace . . . Several S-W managers are slinging together a batch of Popeye cartoons as “Popeye Follies,” and using them as a kiddy attraction . . . Jack Lexey went the limit in exploiting by planting a papier mache grave in front of the theatre with the caption: “The guy who (Continued from page 39) dustry during these strenuous days.” Monday and Wednesday are Cinema days, with Tuesday and Thursday days for The Daily Film Renter. Meanwhile, Wardour Street, London’s film center, is virtually deserted. Columbia is maintaining a skeleton staff in its quarters, but the bulk of personnel has set up headquarters at Wadhurst Castle, Sussex. Twentieth Century-Fox has transferred to the Wembley Studios, General Film Distributors, which handle Universal here, to Sydmonton Court, Newbury, Berks; M-G-M from Tower St. to Scotsbridge Mill, Scots Hill, Rickmansworth. Paramoimt already is at Pinks, Shenley, Herts. Radio has set up a skeleton staff and all of its records at the Imperial Studios, at Boreham Wood. The rest of the staff is at home awaiting instructions. Warner will operate with a reduced staff at the Teddington Studios. Cinema Comics Formed To Operate in New York Albany — Cinema Comics, Inc., has been formed to conduct a motion picture and theatre business in New York. Capital: 1,000 shares, no par value. Incorporators are Arthur Sheinberg, Edmund P. Silver and Herbert S. Keller, 1450 Broadway. Attorneys: Weisman, Celler, Quinn, Allan & Spett, 1450 Broadway. Mediate in St. Louis St. Louis — Federal mediation by William F. White, federal labor conciliator, has been employed in an effort to settle the wage dispute by the lATSE Local 143 and Fanchon & Marco, which company operates the Fox Missouri and Ambassador deluxers and the St. Louis Amusement Co. chain of 25 neighborhood houses. thought he was quicker on the trigger than Frontier Marshal.” Al Reh, Stanley, worked up realistic lightning and rain effects in a big lobby display for “The Rains Came.” He also had an endorsement from Louis Bromfield, author of the book . . . Abe Goldsmith, CrossKeys, won the affection of kids when he handed out miniature G-men toy guns . . . Irv Blumberg, Oxford, has his own quiz program, a “Musical Quiz Jamboree,” put on by the house band. Cash prizes are awarded to persons who give the right answers . . . Matty Rosenbluth, Colney and Sol Getzow, Ogontz, are trying out similar ideas. Ben Blumberg, Lane, is working on a “most popular boy and girl of North Philadelphia” contest. Idea, tried elsewhere, has met with a lot of interest . . . Station WCAU has applied for a television license . . . Paramount exchange’s airconditioning system picked the stuffiest day last week to go on the blink . . . Paramount bookers are looking forward to a lot of extra work, now that they’ll have to book trailers. 40-H BOXOFFICE : : September 23, 1939