Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1939)

Erif Defends Mox From Ali Hollywood Dear Editor: To dignify such a poisoned mind that writes of war with a copy of Joe Miller’s Jokebook in the other hand with an answer is worse than committing Harry Carey, who is always a good boxoffice draw in my theatre. However, just for the record, Ali Gaga should be exposed for the menace he is to society. Imagine, at a time like this when my father, Mox Shobbus, is probably subsisting on canned ham and eggs in the Foreign Legion he should speak of reclining in a mountain retreat! I hope you recognize the pairofdox in that mountain retreat Gaga speaks of; you know, an American Berchtesgaden — get it? If I thought he was capable I would even suspect him of making a non-aggression pact with someone, but the best pact he’d get would be from his grocer not to deliver any more birds’ nests in place of shredded wheat. It would be a great break for humanity if that tragic clown, that professional fraud, that model of coarse bestiality and living monster in the service of the most lunatic, infamous degradation that universal history records was given a fake oneway passport on an Egyptian submarine. Mind you, I don’t think anyone gives a blllp about Gaga’s serpentine mouthings, but who is he to call my father a dope? I’m sure you appreciate my position. Remaining yours, Erif Shobbus. annual dinner dance at Ben Riley’s Arrowhead Inn at Riverdale, Friday. Rosana Kennedy, “hello” girl at the local RKO exchange and sister of Dorothy, Loew home office receptionist, is recovering from pneumonia at Post Graduate Hospital . . . Izzy Rappaport of the Hippodrome, Baltimore, was in town during the week on bookings . . . Perry Charles arrived from the coast Thursday to assume his new duties on Howard Dietz’s staff. He looks fine and much improved in health. California has a habit of doing that . . . Harry C. Arthur, accompanied by his brother, Jimmy, his attorney, are in town from St. Louis and plan to leave Thursday. Harry says name acts are being booked into the Fox, St. Louis, when available, but vaudeville is not a continuous policy at the Grand Ave. house . . . Isabel Austin, Homer Harman’s secretary at the Roxy, leaves Thursday night for Atlantic City, the first lap on a two-week vacation. From there she will head for State College, Pa., to visit relatives . . . Those flowers in C. C. Moskowitz’s office make a colorful picture. And by the by, his secretary, Sylvia Sewards, has a new hobby, but we’re not telling. Joseph Bernhard, Warner circuit head, and Harry Goldberg, publicity director, were in Milwaukee for a theatre meeting . . . Joe Lee of 20th Century-Fox observes the football season has had a direct bearing on sales: ‘‘The film buyers are all running— but the other way” . . . Eddie Cantor has gone to Washington for a week’s engagement after standing ’em up in Loew’s Metropolitan, Brooklyn, seven days. — Metropolitan Photo P. S. iVo. 146 Graduate — In which Claire Trevor returns to home ground. She’s in New York from Hollywood after co-starring with John Wayne in “Allegheny Uprising” and later goes to Pittsburgh as honor guest of the Allegheny Centennial Celebration and for premiere of the film. W. P. Montague, assignment editor for Paramount Newsreel, was on the Dixie Clipper when the plane headed for Lisbon, Portugal, on the first leg of a month’s trip that will take him to most of Europe’s capitols in the interest of war coverage . . . Lee Patrick is here from Hollywood to do a stage play . . . David Niven is in town from the coast after a visit with friends in Virginia . . . Harry Buxbaum has let it become known that he would appreciate it if all further reference to colleague Moe Sanders would take the form of Morris Sanders. Sanders is arrangements’ committee chairman for the Motion Picture Associates annual charity ball at the Hotel Astor, November 25. Serving with him are Morris Kurtz, Joe Lee, Seymour Florin and Dave Kane. The A. W. Smiths are expecting an heir in March . . . Charlie Einfeld is sporting the very latest in portable radios. It’s not much bigger than a cigar box and is carried over the shoulder . . . Vincent G. Hart, a member of the MPPDA legal staff for the past ten years, has resumed the general practice of law in association with Norman C. Nicholson and Lewis M. Lawton, with offices in Radio City . . . Ted O’Shea, Tom Connors, Leo Spitz, Bob Gillham, Harry Brandt and Bernie Brooks among the 58,496 who witnessed the New York Giants trim the Chicago Bears . . . Harry Black, division manager of Fabian’s Staten Island theatres, is the “father” of 65 kids. He is sponsoring a local P. A. L. band unit to be known as Fabian’s Melodears . . . Charlie Bowers of the Strand managerial staff is bringing home the bacon in the form of quarry that his trusty IQ-gauge shotgun is leveling at an upstate game preserve . . , Tim Whelan, Columbia director, has returned to Hollywood after a stopover in Indiana . . . Ben Kalmenson, Warner western and southern sales manager, is 071 a tour of the company’s branches in the west a7id midwest for about three weeks. On the lighter side: The Cole Porters entertained the Jack Warners at dinner in the Towers of the Waldorf-Astoria. Among the guests were Alfred Duff Cooper, former British First Lord of the Ad mirality, and Mrs. Cooper, the former Lady Diana Manners, the Jay O’Briens, the John C. Wilsons, Prince and Princess Dimitri Djorjadzi, the Duchesse Grammont, Mrs. Harrison Williams, Mrs. Charles Feldman, Elsa Maxwell, the Due di Verdura, Captain Alastair Mackintosh, Baron Hubert Le Jeune, Andy Lawlor and Baron Hubert Pantz. The George Wests were hosts at a cocktail party for Arthur Levey, Lo7ido7i represe7itative for Mo7iogram, of which West is a franchise holder. The guests mcluded Mrs. W. Ray Joh7isto7i, the Arthur Silver sto7ies, Mrs. Edward Golden, Ruth Golden a7id her fia7ice Larry Witten, the Louis Lifto7is, the Lou Guimonds, Sybil Duse of Londo7i, Mr. and Mrs. G. Levey, Madeleme S. White, Mrs. Nellie Wittmg, Mr. a7id Mrs. W. Fmkelstem, Lester Alde7i, Everett Roller, Mr. a7id Mrs. M. Salomo7i, Shirley Sal07n07i and Al Gettler. Sol M. Wurtzel, executive producer at 20th-Pox, was the guest of honor at a luncheon given by Sidney R. Kent, president, at the Union League Club. Occasion was the celebration of Wurtzel’s 25th year in the industry. Home office executives who attended were: W. C. Michel, Herman Wobber, Truman Talley, Spyros Skouras, Charles E. McCarthy, Sidney Towell, William Kupper, William Sussman, William Gehring, Joseph Moskowitz, William Eadie, Alan Freedman, Felix Jenks, E. P. Kilroe, Joseph Pincus, Les Whelan, Roger Ferri, Irving Maas and Frank Underwood. The producer leaves for Hollywood, Tuesday. Budd Rodgers wasn’t as lucky as Jack Hoffberg at the NYU-Car7iegie Tech game. It seems both spotted two $10 bills on the field after the fracas but Hoffberg was quicker 07i the arm work tha7i his fellow distributor . . . Monty Proser has go7ie back to the coast a7id says he’ll be back in about a week . . . Leo7iard Goldstem is in from the coast . . . Wally Howes of Trans Lux has been lunching at the Astor all week . . . Barney Balaba7i had Karl Hoblitzelle as his guest early in the week in the Huntmg Room . . . Al Lewis, 1 Continued on next page) BOXOFFICE : : October 28, 1939 33