The Exhibitor (May-Oct 1945)

THE EXHIBITOR 11 Walker Leaves Cabinet WASHINGTON — Frank C. Walker last week resigned as Postmaster Gen¬ eral, and was succeeded by Robert E. Hannegan, chairman, Democratic Nat¬ ional Committee. It is expected that Walker will shortly return to his executive post with the Comerford Circuit of Penn¬ sylvania theatres. WPB ACTION ASKED ON "CALL'' RELEASE Washington — Allied States Association indicated last week that it hoped that Stanley Adams, War Production Board, would investigate why “Call of the Wild” had not been re-issued by 20 th Century Fox. A bulletin released by the national ex¬ hibitor unit said, in part: “Numerous trusting exhibitors, relying on 20th Century-Fox work sheets and sales talks, signed applications for groups of pictures including the Clark Gable re¬ issue “Call of the Wild,” only to find this picture had been omitted from the ap¬ proved contract. This happened not once, but twice. “One exhibitor leader recently wired Tom Connors, 20th Century-Fox’s vicepresident in charge of world distribution, charging that prints of the picture are resting on the shelves of the exchanges, adding: “In view of the critical raw stock situation . . . we think an explanation is due not only to those who bought this pic¬ ture in good faith, but also to the War Production Board.” “This phase of the matter properly is an issue between 20th Century-Fox and Stanley Adams, WPB. It is hoped that this official will inquire into the facts. “But more is involved than a possible waste of raw stock. A Clark Gable pic¬ ture, even a re-issue, would be manna to many picture-starved exhibitors. Pres¬ ence of “Call of the Wild” in the groups undoubtedly was an incentive for exhibit¬ ors to sign the contracts. Release of the picture now would bolster 20 th Century Fox’s sagging good will, and also would yield tidy film rentals. If the major dis¬ tributors are as competitive as they soon will be telling Judge Goddard they are, why doesn’t 20th Century-Fox release this picture?” UA Executives To Coast New York — Carl Leserman, United Art¬ ists general sales manager, accompanied by Barry Buchanan, director of advertis¬ ing and publicity, left for Hollywood last week. Leserman returns for additional confer¬ ences with various company producers on forthcoming releases while Buchanan, making his first trip to the company’s studios, has arranged individual meetings with various producers. WB Promotes Kay New York — Ellingwood W. Kay, story editor under Jacob Wilks in the Warner home office for the past two years, leaves in about two weeks for the coast to assume a more important post in the story depart¬ ment at the Burbank studio. 20TH CENTURY FOX SHOWS INCREASED PROFITS New York— The annual report of 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation covering the 53 weeks ended on Dec. 30, issued to stockholders last week by Spyros P. Skouras, presi¬ dent, disclosed a consolidated net profit of $12,480,491 after all charges, including $25,100,000 provision for taxes, equal to $6.04 a share on 1,771,364 shares of common stock outstanding. The consolidated net profit for the 52 _ weeks ended on Dec. 30, 1943, amounted to $10,901,768, or $5.37 a common share, after providing $23,800,000 for taxes. Consolidated earnings before Federal taxes, minority interest, and contingencies amounted to $40,244,588 last year, against $38,153,905 for 1943. Current assets on Dec. 30, 1944, are listed in the balance sheet at $89,126,623, and include $28,071,339 cash, both domestic and foreign, and $11,972,724 of United States Government obligations, while cur¬ rent liabilities totaled $46,809,920, of which the reserve for Federal taxes on income amounted to $27,203,891. Stockholders will be asked at the May 15 meeting to ratify agreements granting stock options to certain executives, elect 15 directors, and transact other business. Studio executives to whom options to purchase common stock at $25% per share were granted were Lew Schreiber, 4,000 shares; William Perlberg, 4,000, and Harry Brandt, Fred Metzler, and Ray Klune, 2,500 shares each. Following last year’s stockholders’ meet¬ ing, the board granted options to Spyros Skouras to purchase 70,000 shares and to W. C. Michel to purchase 15,000 shares at $241/2 per share. On Sept. 27, options to purchase at $25% per share were granted to the five studio executives, to Tom J. Con¬ nors, 10,000 shares; Sidney Towell, 5,000; Joseph Moskowitz, 4,000; Murray Silverstone and William J. Kupper, 3,000 each; W. J. Eadie and Hal Horne, 2,500 each; William Gehring, Alan Freedman, and Ed¬ mund Reek, 2,000 each; Anthony Muto, 1,500, and A. W. Smith, Jr., and Felix A. Jenkins, 1,000 each. L. Sherman Adams, Robert L. Clark¬ son, Connors, John R. Dillon, Wilfred J. Eadie, Daniel O. Hastings, Donald A. Hen¬ derson, Felix A. Jenkins, Robert Lehman, Michel, William P. Phillips, Seton Porter, Murray Silverstone, Skouras, and Darryl F. Zanuck are proposed nominees for the board. According to the proxy statement, the outstanding number of voting shares of each class of stock of 20th Century-Fox entitled to vote at the annual meeting as of March 31, 1945, was 805,829 6/12 shares of preferred and 1,824,711 23/24 shares of common stock. The statement showed that the aggregate amount of remuneration paid for the last fiscal year to directors and officers for services in all capacities was $1,184,334, of which $1,094,501 was paid to the officers for their services, and $89,833 to directors for attendance fees. Remuneration of $11,231,183 was paid to 205 other employes. MAURICE BERGMAN ELECTED TO WAC POST New York — Maurice Bergman, Universal advertising and publicity director, has been named chairman, public relations division, War Activities Committee. Announcement of the selection of Berg¬ man, was made by Francis S. Harmon WAC vice-chairman-coordinator. Bergman, who has been with Universal three years, previously was advertising manager of 20th Century-Fox, advertising and publicity director of Columbia Pic¬ tures, and advertising executive for the Publix Theatres. He is married, lives in New York, and is enough of a chess player to be elected to the board of directors of the Manhattan Chess Club. Will Whitmore Shifts New York— Will Whitmore, advertising supervisor, Western Electric Company, has been named advertising manager to suc¬ ceed H. W. Forster, deceased, according to an announcement last week by F. B. Wright, the company’s director of public relations. Whitmore joined the Western Electric Company in 1929, and has been with the organization continuously to the present time. His work in the company’s public relations department has covered all phases of publicity, advertising, and magazine editing. His articles, especially in the field of popular science, have appeared widely in business, trade, and photographic maga¬ zines. For a number of years, during the postintroductory phase of the talking motion picture development, Whitmore special¬ ized in the subject of sound films. He served as chairman of the publicity com¬ mittee of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers for nine years. Healy To MPPDA New York — M. A. J. Healy was added last week to the staff of the International Department of the Motion Picture Produc¬ ers and Distributors of America. He will be assigned to the London office, where he will be associated with F. W. Allport, long connected with the MPPDA. Before he leaves for England, Healy will spend some time in Hollywood renew¬ ing acquaintances there, and further ex¬ tending his knowledge of the industry acquired while serving as executive officer of one of the Government war agencies in Washington. Moss Closes House NEW YORK — Warners’ Strand, Broadway, was ordered closed two days last week until mid-afternoon by License Commissioner Paul Moss as a penalty for admitting an unaccom¬ panied minor to the theatre. Real Local Coverage Will Only Be Found In This Publication. Eagle-Lion Moves New York— J. Arthur Rank’s Eagle-Lion Films, Inc., last week moved in with the Lawrence Organization, his United States publicity representative, at 245 West 52nd Street. May 9, 1945