Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1939)

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Facsimile Medium Peps Convention New York — Claiming to be the first film company to take advantage of the new device, 20th Century-Fox is embarked on a unique publicity course with the exclusive use of WOR’s “facsimile broadcasting” system to exploit its pictures and players. The initial program was devoted to “The Story of Alexander Graham Bell.” News copy, as well as photographs, went over the “visual” broadcast during a one-hour afternoon period that included feature and spot news items. The broadcasts are to continue daily between 2:30 and 3:30 p. m., and for about 30 to 40 minutes, depending on material available, each morning at 2 a. m. The tieup is for an indefinite period. The new device was inaugurated by WOR about a year ago. Known as facsimile broadcasting, the system makes possible the transmission from a studio of descriptive material and photographs which are reproduced in their entirety, by means of electrical impulses, direct in homes or wherever receiving sets are available. The station estimates there are about 350 such sets in operation within the metropolitan area. They are presently being marketed by Crosley for $80. In Metropolitan Area The 20th Century-Fox-WOR tieup does not go beyond the metropolitan area. The station, once each week at 2 a. m. on Saturdays, joins WGN in Chicago and WLW in Cincinnati, affiliated units, in a “network” presentation of facsimile broadcasting, but this particular broadcast will not utilize 20th Century-Fox items. The broadcasted material travels at the rate of 186,000 miles a second, according to WOR engineers. When the words or photographs are reproduced on a facsimile receiver, a receiving mechanism prints the impulses on a continuous ribbon of paper which may be torn from the receiver in desired lengths. Each receiver is equipped with a time clock, and when the transmission is completed the clock automatically shuts off the broadcast. Hence, the necessity for personal attention is eliminated, it is claimed. Wire Photos Speed Pictures Of 20th-Fox Premieres Chicago — For the first time in the annals of film company house organs, conventioners were able to view pictures of premieres less than 12 hours after they were shot when the Dynamo appeared at the 20th Century-Fox sales convention with wire photos of simultaneous openings in Washington and San Francisco of “The Life of Alexander Graham Bell.” Through a tieup with Hearst International News Pictures, Roger Ferri, editor of the house organ, arranged for photographers to be at the western premiere of the Cosmopolitan film at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Exposition, and at the Constitution Hall showing in the nation’s capitol on Wednesday night. These pictures were then put on the I.N.P. tele Month Will See the Windup Of 20th-Fox '38'39 List More About 20th-Fox In This Issue For complete details on 20th Century-Fox's production plans and data on sales policies and practices as they apply to the company please refer to pages 8, 12 and 14 of this issue. photo < Hearst trade name is “soundphoto”) wires and transmitted to the I.N.P. offices in Hearst Square here. Ferri was waiting for them, rushed the cuts through and inserted them into the publication for distribution to all the men at their opening session Thursday. Not content with that accomplishment, Ferri made air-express connections and had — in less than 24 hours — in all branch offices and in the hands of leading circuit accounts of 20th Century-Fox, copies of The Dynamo carrying the pictures and news stories of the two events. 20th-Fox Profits Drop Under '37 New York — Twentieth Century-Fox reports net profit of $7,252,466 for 53 weeks ended Dec. 31, 1938, compared with $8,617,114 for 1937. Dividends from National Theatres for the period were $882,000, compared with $1,134,000 for 1937. The parent company owns 42 per cent of National’s outstanding stock, with 1938 earnings on interest totaling $1,099,414 based on a net income of $2,617,653 for 1938, as compared with $2,988,228 for 1937. Current assets are figured at $31,275,908 including cash of $6,502,168 as against current liabilities of $6,211,515. Inventories increased during the year by $2,223,927 due to higher costs of production, the report states. Sales for the year increased $2,029,000 over 1937. Net assets in countries where currency is either frozen or restricted is set at $1,106,797. Outstanding stock of the parent company as of December 31 was 938,745 shares of preferred and 1,741,984 shares of common. After deducting dividends on the preferred, the balance of earnings for 1938 amounted to $3.35 per share on outstanding common. No Efforts to Settle B&K Clearance Suit New York — No efforts are being made to settle the anti-trust suit filed by Chicago independents against the major companies and B. & K., Eddie Silverman, head of Essaness circuit of Chicago, indicates to Boxoffice. Asked about a possibility of a settlement, Silverman stated, “There’s nothing that I know of.” He said his short visit here was on product buys for the new season. He visited various sales managers at their headquarters while in town. Chicago — With the last five of 20th Century-Fox’s announced 54 features for 1938-39 now in production at the Westwood plant, the studio will have its current season’s schedule completed before the end of the month and will be able to turn attention to a full-throttled start on the 1939-40 output, the annual sales convention here was advised by studio officials. In an effort to build up a substantial backlog of features for the new year before the start of the 193940 selling season, starting dates have been slotted for a quintet of features during the month, and an unbroken schedule will be maintained throughout the summer. Currently in production are “Second Fiddle,” the Sonja Henie feature: “Young Mr. Lincoln,” starring Henry Fonda; “The Return of the Cisco Kid,” a sequel to “In Old Arizona,” with Warner Baxter repeating in the role he created some years ago: “Stanley and Livingstone,” nearing completion, with Spencer Tracy starred; and “It Could Happen to You,” featuring Stuart Erwin, final production on Sol M. Wurtzel’s 1938-39 chart. Scheduled to get underway immediately for the new season’s lineup are “East Side, West Side,” a refugee story which Ricardo Cortez directs for Wurtzel, and “Hotel for Women,” a Raymond Griffith production in which Elsa Maxwell makes her screen debut. On April 17, the studio will gun “The Jones Family at the Grand Canyon,” 14th in the series, and “The Texas Kid,” Jane Withers starrer, both in the Wurtzel unit. Soon thereafter one of the studio’s most pretentious new season offerings, “Hollywood Cavalcade,” is set to get underway as an Alice Faye feature. Recently completed was the high-budgeted “Rose of Washington Square.” Others in the cutting-rooms, all for 1938-39 markets, include “The Gorilla,” “Charlie Chan in Reno,” and “Boy Friend.” Early summer will see cameras turning on “The Rains Came,” touted as the company’s most elaborate production venture in years, to be guided by Director Clarence Brown, borrowed from M-G-M, under the production supervision of Harry Joe Brown. Also being scripted is “A Briton at Yale,” to feature Richard Greene. Research is now being conducted on “The Life of Brigham Young,” while scenarists are at work on ideas for forthcoming Shirley Temple and Sonja Henie features. Convention Misses Exchange Cornerstone Ceremonies Chicago — Work has progressed so rapidly on the 20th Century-Fox exchange building here being constructed on Filmrow that original plans to lay the cornerstone during the company’s sales convention here were abandoned. Actually the cornerstone was laid some three weeks ago. BOXOFFICE ; : April 1, 1939 C 25