Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

AMPA Seriously Set for Progress New York — That Associated Motion Picture Advertisers (Ampa) will assume a more serious outlook under his presidential tenure was indicated on Thursday by Ralph Rolan at the first meeting of the organization since the new officers were installed. Rolan proposed that while the weekly luncheon meetings may be devoted in part to entertainment, they can have their instructive uses as well and that, for example, outstanding advertising and exploitation campaigns on various companies’ pictures could be described for the benefit of others. He urged that the membership signify to him later whether this course is acceptable and that suggestions be offered. On behalf of the retiring board of directors and the newly-elected board, Rolan presented a watch suitably inscribed to Gordon S. White, who held the Ampa presidency two years. Herbert Spencer Berg, outgoing treasurer, made his report which included the announcement that the recent dinner dance is expected to show a profit of approximately $690 after all accounts are settled. It was voted, on Gordon’s motion, that the new auditing committee check the organization’s books for his two administrations. Rolan announced committees as follows: Entertainment and program, Rutgers Neilsou, chairman; Leon Bamberger, Hortense Schorr, Eli Sugarman, Ruth Weisberg, Tess Michaels, Tom Waller, Arthur Jeffrey, Mort Eilumenstock, Irwin Zeltner; service bureau, Ray Gallagher, chairman; S. Barret McCormick, Charles Alicoate; publicity, Kenneth O’Brien, chairman; Frances Weil, Jose Schorr, Mel Hyman, Jack Harrower, James Cunningham; national counsellor of U. S. Chamber of Commerce, A. J. Powers; advisory council, Howard ^^iet^, S. Charles Einfeld, Charles McCarthy, Rodney Bush, Paul Gulick, Ed Finney, S. Barret McCormick,; Monroe Greenthal, William Ferguson, Robert Gillham, A1 Selig, Hy Daab, Marvin Kirsch, James Cunningham; membership, Ed Finney, chairman; Paul Lazarus, James Cunningham, Ralph Lund. Amiia meetings will be suspended for the summer after the May 27 session. The board has voted Sardi’s restaurant as the meeting place hereafter. UMPTO Committee Accuses Columbia Philadelphia — The breach between independent exhibitors and Columbia broke into open warfare last week. A committee named by the board of managers of UMPTO called on Harry Weiner, branch manager of the Columbia exchange here, and asked for a showdown on the alleged servicing of non-theatricals by Columbia. Boycott Threatened Weiner told the committee that “he had nothing to do with it’’ and referred them to the home office. The board will meet again within two weeks to hear findings of the committee. A boycott of Columbia is threatened, according to reports. The trouble started with Columbia’s alleged servicing of a church in Bridgeport in competition to the Broadway Theatre there, owned by Mike Egnal. COLUMBIA COMMON $1.61 AT QUARTER New York — Columbia Pictures Corp. and subsidiaries for the quarter ended March 27, 1937, shows a net profit of $559,583 after depreciation, amortization, federal income taxes, etc., equivalent, after dividend requirements cn $2.75 preferred stock, to $1.61 a share on 316,358 no-par common shares outstanding. For the nine months ended March 27, last, net profit was $1,189,355 after charges and federal income taxes, equal after preferred dividend requirements, to $3.27 a share on 316,358 common shares, as compared with $958,579 or $3.12 a share on 280,413 common shares in nine months ended March 28, 1936. Current assets as of March 27, 1937, amounted to $11,037,957 and current liabilities were $1,511,409, comparing with $9,692,440 and $1,694,664, respectively, in March, 1936. Consolidated Film Net New York — Report of Consolidated Film Industries, Inc., and subsidiaries of the quarter ended March 31, 1937, shows a net profit of $229,704 after depreciation and federal income taxes, equivalent, after dividend requirements on 400,000 nopar shares of $2 preferred stock, to five cents a share on 524,973 (par $1) of common stock. This compares with $290,249, or 17 cents a share on common in the March quarter of 1936. Reveal RKO Net New York — Figures were revealed Wednesday in the RKO reorganization hearing indicating a net for the first six months of this year of approximately two million dollars. Warner Highlights (Continued from preceding page) phone shorts, beamed from ear to ear when anyone suggested what a nice new studio he has in Brooklyn. Harry Decker made himself personally responsible for the boys from the New York exchange. They all behaved so well Harry still thinks it was a good gag. Joseph Bernhard had his theatre force right down where the going was thickest. No favor from the out-of-towners was big enough. Joe Hummel, who knows the foreign market, had a bagful of seldom heard stories that went round and round. S. Charles Einfeld and Mort Blumenstock were up to every emergency. A smoother functioning publicity barrage has rarely been equalled at large scale conventions. Al Schwalberg, exchange supervisor, dug deep into the memory bag when he recalled his Warner Club “Gaieties” days with some of the fellows who have since been transferred. Don Jacocks and Herb Copelan are only separated by a few miles as Newark and Atlantic City zone managers, yet they had to wait until they got to the Waldorf before they could chew the “fat.” Warner Managers Meet With Payette Washington, D. C. — Managers of Warner Bros, theatres in this territory attended an all-day meeting here last week with John J. Payette, general zone manager, and other executives of the local home office. After business session a screening of “Prince and the Pauper” at the Ambassador was held and in the evening Payette was host at a dinner, at which time he received a handsome watch, gift from managers and executives. Executives included George Crouch, Nat Glasser, Harry Lohmeyer, Guy Wonders, Frank La Falce, Charles MacGowan and Alvin Pratt. Representatives of the 38 houses in the territory: Robert Etris, Ambassador; Arthur Kilburg, Apollo; Lamar Keen, Avalon; Henry Coon, Academy Grand; Claude Land, Central; Lawrence Snoots, Colony; Alan Bachrach, Calvert; Charles Grimes, Earle; Sidney Hoffman, Home; Maynard Madden, Metropolitan; Dan Reynolds, Penn; Fred MacMillan, Savoy; Fred Thomas, Sheridan; James Root, Tivoli; Walter Cersley, Uptown; Theodore Lohmeyer, York — all Washington theatres. From out of town: Charles Clark, Tivoli and Frederick, Frederick, Md.; George Payette, Maryland, Hagerstown, Md.; Joseph Cumiskey, Academy and Colonial, Hagerstown, Md.; Lou Kusner, Apollo and Central, Martinsburg, W. Va.; Henry Clark, Arcade and Strand, Waynesboro, Pa.; Prank Boucher, Metropolitan, Balto; Rodney Collier, Stanley, Balto.; Thomas Baldridge, Capitol, Winchester, Va.; Charles McKinney, Masonic and Ridge, Clifton Forge, Va.; Jack Forney, Dixie, Staunton, Va.; Ted Crowther, Strand, Staunton, Va.; Ralph Daves, Lyric, Lexington, Va.; Don Nichols, Broadway, Charlotte, N. C. Drops Day and Date New York — Skouras Theatres has agreed to eliminate day and date bookings at its Bronxville and Scarsdale houses at the request of Westchester women’s clubs who complained that such an arrangement precludes viewing films if they are missed during the first simultaneous exhibition. Recently Skouras abandoned double bills at both houses when the same clubs protested the policy. View Old Films Washington — Members of capital society interested in the forthcoming work of the film society of Washington gathered at the fashionable Sulgrave Club here recently to view old motion pictures from the Film Library of the Museum of Modern Art. John J. Payette BOXOFnCE ;: May 15, 1937. 18-A