Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Friday, August 5, 1938 i Purely Personal ► WALTER WANGER, now in the midst of "Trade Winds," has been forced to decline the invitation to represent the film industry at the W orld Youth Congress to be held at Yassar College Aug. 16-23. Thomas Moore and Jack Mercer, animator and dialogue director, respectively, of Max Fleischer Studios, will speak over WNYC at 6 :30 P.M. on Monday under the auspices of the National Board of Review. • Harry M. Warner left for Saratoga shortly after arriving from the coast. He is expected back here in 10 days or two weeks. Albert Warner is due Monday from the spa. • Salo Rosenberger, construction superintendent for Loew's, returned on the Contc di Savoia yesterday after supervising the construction of the Metro Cinema in Bombay. • Americo Aboaf, Paramount general manager in Italy, who arrived yesterday for conferences with John W. Hicks, Jr., will return in about two weeks. • Hugh Herbert, Warner comedian, will arrive Tuesday, and on Thursday will attend the Music Hall opening of "Four's a Crowd." • Herman G. Weinberg has left for a southern business trip after closing a deal with Oskar Fischinger for 10 abstract musical shorts. • W. Ray Johnston, Monogram president, plans to leave for the coast by train today to spend several weeks at the company's studio. e Harry Smith, RKO Pathe Sportoscope cameraman, has left for the coast to film a subject on swimming and diving. • Edward Small, United Artists producer, left yesterday for the coast following conferences here with U. A. executives. • Lynn Farnol, United Artists director of advertising and publicity, will return tomorrow by plane from Hollywood. • Morris Ebenstein, Warner home office attorney, will arrive at the company's studio today for a one week stay. • Emanuel Cohen will leave for Maine today for a vacation of several weeks. • Paul Kelly, actor, boarded an American Airlines plane last night for Hollywood. WlXFIELD SlIEEHAN is Pierre. at the Cotton, Newman Marry Glendale, Cal., Aug. 4. — Scott Colton, film player, and Azadia Newman of Washington, an artist, were married in Phoenix yesterday. Opera House, Face Lifted, Given Gala RKO Opening By IRENE KUHN With bright lights beating down on a Chelsea neighborhood crowd of 3,000 which five police sergeants and fifty patrolmen kept in order, RKO last night rededicated the oldest and most romantic theatre in New York, the old Grand Opera House at 23rd St. and 8th Ave., 70 years young. In its new dress — for Charles Lamb, architect, has remodeled the entire theatre — the historic old place which knew fabulous Jim Fisk, Jr., and Jay Gould, which cradled all the early song and dance shows of George M. Cohan — makes a bid for bigger and better box office in an old family neighborhood, coming into its own once more. All RKO turned out. John O'Connor, general manager, beamed and greeted theatre men and executives from other companies and their wives. At 6 p.m. a line of fans waited at the box office, Mr. O'Connor said, to see Ginger Rogers in "Having Wonderful Time," "Sky Giant" and several popular stars who came down to give a show. Commissioner Paul Moss, representing Mayor LaGuardia, dedicated the theatre after Martin Starr's introduction. Capacity Audience Before that, milling through the lobby admiring the simplicity of line and the harmonious and rich blending of color, were film men and their wives and neighborhood patrons who filled the house to its 1,800-seat capacity when the show got under way at 9 p.m. Huge baskets of flowers sent by well ^yshers were stripped of cards early by wide-eyed souvenir-hunting kids. One, Sam Frudakis, 274 Ninth Ave., proudly exhibited Ticket 00002 to Mr. O'Connor and Fred Meyers. "I bin here since 11 o'clock," he said. "I wisht I could have got ticket number 1 but that's for the box office. Mr. Embe says he's framing it." Mr. and Mrs. Jim Brennan came in from Trenton for the opening. It was their 24th wedding anniversary. Mr. Brennan is Washington district manager for RKO and has been with the company 20 years. Clarence Wallen, who opened the famous old Proctor's on 23rd St. years ago, sat on a divan before screen time and reminisced with the former owners of the opera house, Abe Flaum and Leo Harrison. Mr. Leon Goldberg chatted with Mr. and Mrs. Al Dawson of Forest Hills ; Joe DiLorenzo of New Rochelle and "Dynamite" Louis Goldberg, RKO junior circuit manager, exchanged trade notes and congratulations with other company officials. Larry Gribe, of RKO's 86th St. and 58th St. theatres, looked a shade envious of the spanking new attire of the old opera house. Charley Oelrich of Mt. Vernon smiled at the flashlights popping to catch Leon Goldberg of RKO. Compliment Architect Irving Wormser of Columbia, Joe Felder of Monogram, Jack Bowen of M-G-M studied the interior interestedly and complimented Mr. Lamb. Marvin Schenck explained that his boss, C. C. Moskowitz of Loew's had to be out of town. Larry Beattes from Loew's was on hand, however. The golf tournament at Gloversville claimed many who would otherwise have been at the opening. Major and Mrs. Leslie Thompson chose balcony seats after greetingJack Pegler and other friends and complimenting Russ Embe, RKO division manager, Mr. O'Connor and Mr. Lamb. The crowd saw a double feature in the new theatre, Gene Krupa, king of swing ; Mary Small, Jimmy Scribner, Jerry Cooper and Roy Smeck, all from the airwaves. And the street crowd that saw the fortunate first nighters in waited for them to come out. The lights went out on the opera house last night before the streets were cleared of a shirtsleeved premiere that augurs prosperity for RKO's new 23rd St. theatre. RKO Re-signs Marcus Hollywood, Aug. 4. — Lee Marcus, in charge of production of RKO's low budget pictures for the past year and a half, today was given a new threeyear contract by the studio. The contract of Robert Sisk, producer, was renewed by the studio today also. James Patterson Hurt Lebanon, O., Aug. 4. — James Patterson, 20, son of J. C. Patterson, local exhibitor, suffered severe shock and was painfully injured when an airplane which he was to pilot on an exhibition flight here struck a tree at the takeoff. To Build in Oklahoma Oklahoma City, Aug. 4. ■ — City Planning Commissioners have cleared the way for the erection of a 700seat $50,000 theatre at Northwest 23rd St. and Villa Ave. by rezoning the neighborhood in spite of opposition. Completion is scheduled for Oct. 1. Consolidated Has Profit Consolidated Film Industries, Inc., and subsidiaries for the six months ending June 30 reports a net profit of $317,442, equal to 79 cents each on 400,000 shares of no par value, $2 stock. This compares with $378,417, or 95 cents a share, for the corresponding period last year. For the quarter ending in June the net profit was $159,761, equal to 40 cents a share, against $157,681 or 39 cents a share in the preceding quarter, and $148,713 or 37 cents a preferred share, in the second quarter a year ago. "Drums" Preview Aug. 10 United Artists will preview Alexander Korda's "Drums" at the Hollywood Theatre here next Wednesday at 8 :30 P. M. Among those who have been invited to attend are Norma Shearer, Tyrone Power, Dr. A. H. Giannini, Eddie Cantor, Al Jolson, Louis B. Mayer, Sidney R. Kent, Darryl Zanuck, Neil F. Agnew, Harry Warner, Harry Cohn, John Hay Whitney, J. Cheever Cowdin and Douglas Corrigan. "Robin Hood" Headsl Herald "Champions'] "The Adventures of Robin Hood" is leader in the list of Box-Office Champions published today in Motio Picture Herald. It is followed by "Crime School" and "Holiday" in second and third places, respectively. "Josette," in fourth place, is trailed by "Kentucky Moonshine," fifth, and "Three Blind Mice," sixth. Seventh and eighth places are taken, retffctively, by "Three Comrades" Wi<\ "Vivacious Lady." Warner Zone Men Meet Washington, Aug 4. — John J. Payette, Warner zone manager, held his annual meeting with managers at the Mayflower the other night. Among those who attended were : Robert Smeltzer, district manager, who discused the forthcoming product ; Frank La Falce, advertising head ; George A. Crouch, assistant zone manager ; Guy Wonders, Maryland district manager, and Walter Pettus, in charge of projection and sound. Columbia, Baehr Sign Columbia has closed a two-year franchise deal with Baehr Bros., Minneapolis, it was stated yesterday by A. Montague, sales manager. The pact covers Columbia's entire list foi 1938-'39 and 1939-'40 in the 11 Baehr houses. Charles Logue Is Dead Hollywood, Aug. 4. — Charles A. Logue, script writer and former newspaperman, died at his home here yesterday. He was 51. Mr. Logue entered films 10 years ago and had worked for Universal and Columbia. MOTION PICTURE DAILY (Registered U. S. Patent Office) MAKTIN QUIGLEY, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; J. M. JERAULD, Managing Editor; .IAMES A. CRON, Advertising Manager. EDITORIAL STAFF: Charles S. Aaronson. Jack Banner, Al Finestone. Thomas Fitzsimmons, Sherwin A. Kane, Irene Kuhn, Joseph Priore. Published daily except Sunday and holidays Sept. to May and daily except Saturday. Sunday and holidays June, July and Aug. by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., Martin Quigley, president; Colvin Brown, vice-president and treasurer. Publication office: 1270 Sixth Avenue at Rockefeller Center, New York. Telephone: Circle 7-3100. Cable address: "Quigpubco, New York." All contents copyrighted 1938 by Quigley Publishing Company. Inc. Address all correspondence to the New York office. Other Quigley publications: MOTION PICTURE HERALD, BETTER THEATRES, TEATRO AL DIA, INTERNATIONAL MOTION PICTURE ALMANAC and FAME. HOLLYWOOD: Postal Union Life Building. 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