Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1940)

Published Every Saturday by Associated Publications Editorial Offices: 9 Rockefeller Plaza, New York City. Louis Rydell, Advertising Manager. Wm. Omstein, Eastern editor. Telepnone 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 5331. 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., Hal Tate, 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 Falrmount 0046. DALLA.S— 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. Rosslter. KANSAS CITY — 4804 East Ninth St., Jesse Shlyen, 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 Kllbourn 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 Ornsteln, Eastern editor. Telephone Columbus 5-6370. 5-6371, 6-6372. OKLAHOMA CITY— 527% N. W. 9th St., Frederic Schofield. Telephone 79-8098. OMAHA — 5640 Woolworth Ave., Monte Davis. PHILADELPHIA — 426 Pine St., Joseph Shaltz. Telephone WAlnut 0860, PITTSBURGH — 1701 Blvd. of the Allies, R. F. Klingensmith. Telephone Atlantic 4858. PORTLAND, ORE. — Oregon Journal, Dick Fagan. Telephone ATlantIc 0123. 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 — 2418 Second Ave., Joe Cooper. Telephone Seneca 2460. 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. — The Leader-Post, Bruce Peacock. 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 Merrlmaa WINNIPEG. MAN. — 709 Selkirk Ave., Ben Lepkln. WHAT is the press writing about the business these days? Steadily gaining in volume are observations about relaxations in pro' duction code. Typical comment: "Movie dialogue has been creeping slowly, but surely, back to the free standard of the early 1930's, or haven't you noticed? ' ' — Philadelphia ' ' Bulletin . ' ' "... the Hays office is being bombarded by amateur censors who think the celluloids are getting naughty again — which they are, if you listen closely." — Dorothy Kilgallen, Milwaukee "Sentinel." ". . . so liberal have the powers-that-be become that in 'They Knew What They Wanted' we have the rather startling sight of seduction being condoned, although adultery is still frowned upon. Only a film czar or a state censor could make such delicate distinction between right and wrong . . ." — William Boehnel, New York "World-Telegram." "A close inspection of certain photoplays viewed here in recent months reveals the motion picture producers are cautiously reopening their old game of tag with the censors. The boys are feeling their way, mindful of snares and pitfalls, and being pretty subtle about it all, but there it is. Perfectly innocent words and phrases are again being used with mischievous intent and the business of hinting things with an otherwise routine gesture is being developed to a fine point. On the one hand, the writers are having fun with the double entendre; on the other, the directors are letting the camera tell the story." — Donald Kirkley, Baltimore "Sun." . . lately the Hays office seems to be terribly near-sighted anyway." — Cecilia Ager, "PM," New York. And now, the Rev. John J. McClafferty, executive secretary of the National Legion of Decency: "The number of morally objectionable pictures has increased. The number of pictures deemed suitable for general patronage has declined. There is a tendency toward indecencies in the treatment of films. There is a retrogression toward accepting immoral situations as permissible . . . Vigilance should be the order of the day . . ." There is no mystery about this. The war has narrowed the market. Producers are trying to get out from under; therefore, the spice which remains a staple in the market place unless it is carried too far. The matter of how far or too far, of course, is the nub of the problem. It rates care and attention. It must never be permitted to get out of hand. Three Approaches Communication from Ali Gaga: "As an itinerant opinion gatherer, I decided to help out by finding out just what a good picture consists of. I advanced the question, 'What constitutes a good picture?' to a critic, a housewife and an exhibitor. I got the following answers which you can send on to Hollywood for its guidance: "Critic: A good picture is one which presents a provocative theme, intelligently directed, capably acted and without any concessions to stars or star values. "Housewife: I consider a good picture one that helps me get away from my daily cares and gives me a couple of hours of entertainment. "Exhibitor: Any picture which brings in enough dough to pay off for the last four stinkers I got from the same company." Analysis Very amusing, as evidence of how some issues are figured out in Hollywood, is the explanation whereby Ann Sheridan feels she is entitled to more money from Warner. Douglas Churchill, studio correspondent of the New York "Times," reports it: "According to the Myron Selznick office. Miss Sheridan's agent, she is getting $600 a week and wants its doubled because ( 1 ) her fan mail rates next to James Cagney's and Errol Elynn's in volume; (2) Priscilla Lane gets around $1,500 a week and the studio has never said she has oomph; (3) she wants more dough." 18 BOXOFFICE :: November 2, 1940