Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1940)

Published Every Saturday by Associated Publications Editorial Offices: 9 Rockefeller Plaza, New York City. Louis Rydell, Advertising Manager. Wm. Ornstein, Eastern editor. Telephone Columbus 5-6370, 5-6371, 5-6372. Cable address: “Boxoffice, New York.” Western Offices: 6404 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, Calif. Ivan Spear, Manager. Telephone Gladstone 1186. Publication Offices: 4804 E. 9th St., Kansas City, Mo. Telephone Chestnut 7777. Other Associated Publications: Boxoffice BAROMETER, Boxoffice RECORDS, Boxoffice PICTURE GUIDE, published annually; THE MODERN THEATRE, published monthly as a section of Boxoffice. ALBANY — 21-23 Walter Ave., M. Berrlgan. ATLANTA — 183 Walton St., Theatrical Printing Co. Helen Hardy. Telephone JAckson B331. BOSTON — 14 Piedmont St., Brad Angler, New England editor. Telephone Liberty 9305. BUFFALO — The Courier-Express, W. E. Martin. CHARLOTTE — The Observer, Mary B. Parham. CHICAGO — 332 S. Michigan Blvd., Eugene D. Rich, Central editor. Telephone Wabash 4575. CINCINNATI— 127 Tremont St., Ft. Thomas, Ky., Clara Hyde. Telephone Highland 1657. CLEVELAND— 12805 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights, Elsie Loeb, Teiephone Fairmount 0046. DALLAS — 408 S. Harwood, V. W. Crisp, Southwestern editor. Telephone 7-3553. DENVER — 319 S. Clarkson St., J. A. Rose. Telephone Spruce 0318. DES MOINES — The Colonade, Rene Clayton. DETROIT — 424 Book Bldg., H. F. Reves. Telephone Cadillac 9085. HOLLYWOOD — 6404 Hollywood Blvd., Ivan Spear, Western editor. Telephone GLadstone 1186. INDIANAPOLIS — 444 North Illinois St., Don R. Rossiter, KANSAS CITY — 4804 East Ninth St., Jesse Shiyen, Midwest editor. Telephone CHestnut 7777. LITTLE ROCK — P. O. Box 253, Lynn Hubbard. Telephone 3-0156. MEMPHIS — 399 So. Second St., Carolyne Miller. MILWAUKEE— 210 East Michigan St.. H. C. Brunner. Telephone Kilbourn 6670-J. MINNEAPOLIS — 507 Essex Bldg., Maurice Wolff. NEW HAVEN — 42 Church St., Suite 915, Gertrude Pearson. Telephone 6-4149. NEW ORLEANS — 1136 Behrman Ave., J. W. Leigh. NEW YORK CITY — 9 Rockefeller Plaza, William Ornstein, Eastern editor. Telephone Columbus 5-6370, 5-6371, 5-6372. OKLAHOMA CITY — 2614 S. Robinson, Frederic Schofield. OMAHA — 5640 Woolworth Ave., Monte Davis. PHILADELPHIA — 903 Manning St., Joseph Shaltz. Telephone WAInut 0860. PITTSBURGH— 1701 Blvd. of the Allies, R. F. Klingensmith. Telephone Atlantic 4858. PORTLAND, ORE. — 404 Pacific Bldg., Robert L. Thomas. ST. LOUIS — 5149 Rosa Ave., David F. Barrett. Telephone Flanders 3727. SALT LAKE CITY — 167 South State St., Viola B. Hutton. Telephone WAsatch 165. SAN FRANCISCO — 606 Grant Bldg., 1095 Market St.. A1 Scott. Telephone Market 6580. SEATTLE — 2321 Second Ave., Joe Cooper. Telephone MAin 8398. WASHINGTON — 1426 G St., Earle A. Dyer. IN CANADA CALGARY, ALTA. — The Albertan, Wm. Campbell. EDMONTON, ALTA. — The Bulletin, W. A. DeGraves. HAMILTON, O. — 20 Holton Ave., N., Hugh Millar. LONDON, O. — 97 Adelaide St., S., John Gore. MONTREAL, QUEBEC — 4330 Wilson Ave., N. D. G., Roy Carmichael. Telephone Walnut 5519. REGINA, SASK. — 7 Crescent Annex. Andy McDermott. ST. JOHN, N. B.— 161 Princess St.. D. Fetherston. TORONTO, ONTARIO— 242 Millwood Road, Milton Galbraith. VANCOUVER, B. C.— 615 Hastings, C. P. Rutty. VICTORIA. B. C. — 434 Quebec St., Tom Merriman. WINNIPEG, MAN. — 709 Selkirk Ave., Ben Lepkin. ONE MAN'S peek into the future: "Now that production programs are officially on the table for the new season, it will be extremely interesting to see how they match up with the fall, the winter and events to come. "The International situation is so desperate that I, for one, am confident not a single company will deliver all of the attractions it has declared. "Because part of my job is concerned with sales, naturally I maintain pictures cannot be cheapened. This suggests, by way of understatement, that negative costs will not come down; in fact, it will be something calling for a hollow cheer if they don't go up. "The severe restrictions on total income, more now than ever, make it advisable to gear the situation to revenue bulked from the domestic market. It's an enforced case, then, of holding budgets to domestic returns. If, however, the product cannot be made at a lower price, it follows quickly enough there'll have to be less of it. That's how, as I view it, fewer pictures than have been announced will reach the market. "Hand in hand with this will run a product shortage, as we understand the market now, unless Hollywood can deliver attractions of a calibre that, on their merits, will warrant longer runs. It seems pretty obvious, also, that intensified merchandising will have to be applied to those pictures which are made and delivered. "It has been said before, and probably will be said more frequently in the immediate future, that a lot of individuals who have been riding along merrily on well-greased ways will have to return to work. It will be a new experience for many of them." A Deiinition From one who sits in comes this picture of the negotiations looking toward formulation of a consent decree acceptable to the government, as well as all and sundry: "On one side of the table you find the head of one of the large companies. He is flanked by his chief counsel, in this case a man with a national reputation. Across from him is the head of another large company. He, too, is flanked by a highpriced attorney. And so on, their salaries aggregating in the hundreds of thousands annually. "This and that are discussed. A likely formula is reached on a given point. But down the line and, perhaps representing as many companies, are four young lawyers. They're good lawyers, too. Had high rating in school and wear their honor keys proudly. They sit, they listen and they don't say much. Finally, they get the formula, file out of the room for their own huddle and return in due course, profoundly serious and declaring what executives who helped to develop the industry and who ought to know say can be done is no dice. "It's a case of veterans bowing before striplings, thoroughly versed in the law but not knowing a damned thing about the practical, working angles of the picture business." Again, Please? Hollywood curiosity: " 'Mr. Co-Ed,' hilarious modern comedy of a young man who finds a legal loophole which enables him to enter on exclusive girls' college in the interest of maintaining old-fashioned democracy, has been purchased by Metro-GoldwynMayer for a forthcoming motion picture." "Old-fashioned democrac y?" When did styles in that change? He's Clever Nicolai Remisoff is art director at the Roach studio. In connection with "1,000,000 B. C.," the studio press agent puts these pearly words into his mouth: "There's no need to go on location for such scenes, except to take notes to carry back to the studio for help in constructing sets. We can duplicate, even improve upon, anything that nature offers." What's his substitute for a little common sense? 6 BOXOFFICE :: July 6, 1940