Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

BUSINESS ROSY FOR TECHNICOLOR An Increase of 70% in 1936 Over 1935 Take Is Reported New York — The use of Technicolor in positive motion picture prints increased nearly 70 per cent in 1936 over the preceding year, it is shown in the annual report of Technicolor, Inc., and its wholly owned subsidiary. Technicolor Motion Picture Corp. of Hollywood, released here this week. Net Profit $482,113.92 At the same time it was revealed that Technicolor sales in 1936 amounted to $2,701,228.74, “in addition to sales of positive prints,” and that the company showed a net profit, after dividends, federal taxes and surtax and all other charges, of $482,113.92 for 1936. This amounts to a dividend of 65 cents a share on 745,372 shares outstanding on December 31, 1936. The profit for the combined companies, before depreciation, amortization and federal taxes, for 1936 amounted to $880,650.49, compared with a corresponding profit for 1935 of $151,215.34. Net profit before federal income taxes for the combined companies was $591,585.23 in 1936, compared with a corresponding loss for 1935 of $3,471.78. 1937 Volume Greater Dr. Herbert T. Kalmus, president, gave the following figures of shipments of Technicolor positive prints for the last three years as indicating the steady increase in the company’s business: For the year ended Dec. 31, 1936, 37,822,444 feet; 1935, 22,182,981; 1934, 11,564,771. “The year has started out on a level of volume and profits substantialiy better than 1936,” Kalmus reported. “During the months of January and February, 1937, shipments averaged 3,200,000 feet, whereas shipments for the same two months of 1936 averaged 2,200,000 feet per month, that is an increase of approximately 45 per cent.” Technicolor production for 1936 was sold to 33 different customers, the report continued, and prints were manufactured and shipped of upwards of 300 different subjects, including 17 feature productions, 64 short subjects, 23 travelogues, 179 cartoons, 10 inserts, seven trailers and five slide films. Walter Wanger’s “Vogues of 1938” and Selznick International’s “Let Me Live,” set to start in April, are two major productions scheduled for Technicolor, Kalmus said, and Paramount has “Ebb Tide,” “Spawn of the North” and “Beau Geste,” and Warner “Desert Song” under discussion for Technicolor production. Expand in British Field Technicolor’s affiliate in London, which was ready to start operations in January, this year, is making prints for distribution in the British Empire of films produced in Hollywood in preference to processing prints of British production because “the British film industry is passing through a major crisis,” the report pointed out. Reference is made to the fact that Brit Austria Cuts Film Fee Hike 10 Per Cent Washington — The recent 25 per ce7it hike in Austrian contingent fees for foreign-made films has been reduced by 10 per cent. Under the previous fee assessment French film companies would have withdrawn their product from Austria as no longer marketable at a profit. The effect on Austrian film exports would have been adverse, since France provides a small but profitable market for the Austrian product. ish Movietone News announced exclusive arrangements to film the British coronation in Technicolor. Four cameras and an adequate technical staff, including Hollywood technicians, are in England preparing for this work, according to the report. The claim is made on the basis of “the consensus of opinion of every one concerned” that the last four features made in Hollywood in Technicolor “have done tremendously more business than the corresponding pictures would have done in black and white.” Increase Staff and Activities It is disclosed that the bonus distributed to employes late last December amounted to $24,634. The number of employes on the company’s payroll increased during 1936 from 230 to 310. “The activities of our various technical departments continue to push forward the frontier of the field of photography and print manufacture in natural color,” the report declared. “The results have been increasingly improved quality and steadily diminishing manufacturing costs.” During the year Atlas Corp. and Pioneer Pictures, headed by John Hay Whitney, exercised options and purchased stock which brought $995,000 of new money into the company’s treasury. WB ''KING" GETS TIE WITH AUTO-LITE CO. Commercial tieups on Warner’s “The King and the Chorus Girl” have been made by Shattuck and Ettinger, of Hollywood, agents for the Electric Auto-Lite Co., as a promotional scheme for a new sparkplug being introduced by the company. The campaign is centered around a lifesized, lithographed cutout of Joan Blondell, who appears in the picture, to be used in billboard advertising and theatre lobby display. Ten thousand of the life-size cutouts and sixty thousand fourteen-inch facsimiles will be made available to exhibitors throughout the country. LESSER SIGNS PAUL KELLY Paul Kelly has signed a term contract with Sol Lesser of Principal Pictures. EQUITY ASS'N NAMES TICKET OF OFFICERS New York — The regular ticket for officers and councillors of Actors’ Equity Assn, prepared by the nominating committee, is as follow: Frank Gillmore, president; Osgood Perkins, first vice-president; Florence Reed, secend vice-president; Arthur Byron, third vice-president; Peggy Wood, fourth vice-president; Paul Dullzel, treasurer, and Leo Curley, recording secretary. All are candidates for a three-year term and are at present in office. Nominations for five-year terms as councillors are: Glenn Anders, Franklyn Fox, William Gaxton, Walter N. Greaza, Louis Jean Heydt, Ben Lackland, Burgess Meredith, Claudia Morgan, Edith Van Cleave and Richard Whorf. Replacements to fill unexpired terms are Clifton Webb, to serve until 1939, and Mary Morris to serve until 1940. Members of an opposition group of actors, headed by Robert Reed, claim that this ticket “is not fully representative” as it includes no player appearing in the WPA Federal Theatre project. Kenneth Thomson of the Screen Actors Guild has been mentioned to head an opposition ticket, but Thomson has said that he would not enter the race against Gillmore. The regular candidates will be voted on at the annual meeting of Actors’ Equity on June 4. ZANUCK OVER LINE WITH SEASON QUOTA First across the wire with its completed shooting schedule for the current season is 20th Century-Fox, Darryl Zanuck up, paying off on 52 features. “This Is My Affair,” “Slave Ship” and “Wee Willie Winkie” all wound up Saturday to end the present season’s work. None of the other major companies has rounded the stretch into the finish line as yet. "Beau Geste" in Color After shelving production plans to remake “Beau Geste” two or three times. Paramount has placed the story on schedule once more, this time planning to make the P. C. Wren yarn in Technicolor. George Raft, Fred MacMurray and Ray Milland have tentatively been set for top acting spots. STORY BUYS Jefferson Parker’s original, “Crazy People,” has been purchased by RKO Radio. Robert Sisk will produce. “Blue Blood,” an original by Myles Connolly, has been purchased by Metro. “Twins for Her Majesty,” an original story by Lou Heifetz and Herbert Klein, has been purchased by Metro. 16 BOXOFFICE :: April 3, 1937.