Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1939)

/o An assortment of tales, some true and some for laughs only, dug out of the Hollywood hills; 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. Berrigan. ATLANTA — 183 Walton St., Theatrical Printing Co. Helen Hardy. 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 Ave., 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. Telephone Fairmount 0046. DALLAS — 210 S. Harwood, V. W. Crisp, Southwestern editor. Telephone 7-3553. DENVER — 319 S. Clarkson St., J. A. Rose. Telephone Spruce 0318. DES MOINES — 1700 Grand, Rene McCluskey. 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 Shlyen, Midwest editor. Telephone CHestnut 777 7. 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 G670-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 — P. O. Box 4547, E. W. Fair. Telephone 7-1038. OMAHA — 4677 Marcy St., Monte Davis. PHILADELPHIA — 903 Manning St., Joseph Shaltz. PITTSBURGH— 1701 Blvd. of the Allies, R. F. Klingensmith. Telephone Atlantic 4858. PORTL.AND, 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., Tommy Gray. Telephone Market 6580. SEATTLE — 2321 Second Ave., Joe Cooper. Telephone MAin 7716. 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. — Free Press, Chas. E. Carruthers. MONTREAL, QUEBEC— 4330 Wilson Ave., N. D. G.. Roy Carmichael. Telephone Walnut 5519. REGINA. SASK. — The Star, 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. In Los Angeles, that hamlet adjacent to Hollywood where film colonists occasionally venture, is the office of the state unemployment service. This is the bureau which hands out sums up to $15 a week for a limited period of time to those unemployed two weeks or more but who are entitled to the money by virtue of having paid their assessments while working. There's a waiting line every day, frequently and substantially composed of well-known studio figures currently idle. It's a common sight now to see $1,000 a week — when they work — scenario writers rolling up in expensive cars. The one-grand boys are never embarrassed if they find another one-grand writer on hand for the same collection purpose. But when $1,000 a week runs into $300 a week, he shrinks and endeavors to hide behind his sun glasses. This must be one reason why Sidney Skolsky loves Hollywood. Handed down as a true story, so help the one who told it. In preparing Tex Ritter's horse for a forthcoming western, the shaving and combing process resulted in error. The animal's forelock was shaved off. But ingenuity triumphed. The horse now is wearing a toupee. Serial producer is reported to hr received an urgent communication from a small town exhibitor. The text: "Wish you'd add another chapter to your current serial. Patrons need only one more dish to complete their sets." The preview routine: One evening, "Four Wives." The following evening, "The Night of Nights." Virile country out here. • Big laugh line — in Hollywood — from "The Great Victor Herbert": "Actors are people working for agents." Signed by a major studio on a fat deal, his company went sour on him. Came option time and word the ticket would not be picked up. Purely for window dressing purposes was the decision to give the man in the case production credit on a film with which he had nothing to do. The studio expected the picture to do a nosedive anyway. But it turned out to be an instance in reverse gear; the film did far better than anyone had expected. Proceeding strictly on the accepted production credit system, the central character found himself signed by another studio. There he remained for about 14 months with little or nothing to do. Then his deal ran out. Then his old studio re-engaged him. There is no known explanation for all of this, but it happens constantly in Happy Hollywood. • Your traveling representative was strolling along the platform at Albuquerque. In pulled the westbound Super Chief and in its lounge car Dave Selznick, frowning and obviously worried about something. The incident was later related to the producer. To which he remarked; "Worried? You've made a mistake. That was my normal look." • At the Pasadena station, someone asked Mrs. Nate Blumberg how long she expected to remain west. In the true tradition of the film wife, she remarked: "How do I know? I only came along for the ride." Alice Eyland, a John Powers model also known as the Camel girl in those ads, is trying her luck at the studios. Her first role was in "Ninotchka," but already Alice is convinced Hollywood is a city of magic. That's merely an opening reaction. Just wait a while. The Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce is reputedly launching a movement to recall Mayor La Guardia. 6 BOXOmCE : : December 9, 1939