The Exhibitor (1952)

20 EXHIBITOR 20th-Fox Foreign Rentals On Increase New York — Spyros P. Skouras, presi¬ dent, 20th-Fox, last fortnight revealed in a message to stockholders that of the $92,489,357 in film rentals reported for 1951, $60,318,428 came from the United States and Canada, while $32,170,929 came from abroad. Domestic rentals last year were up from the $59,449,492 reported in 1950. Foreign film rentals rose from 1950’s $21,392,272. Dollar remittances to the United States from foreign film operations totalled $16,000,000 in 1951, compared with $12,900,000 in 1950. Expenditures of foreign balances for film production, theatre acqui¬ sitions, stories, taxes, and other items were equivalent to an additional $3,200,000 in 1951 against $4,600,000 in 1950. The company continued to expand in 1951, completing a 1,200-seat house in Alex¬ andria, Egypt, and acquiring two theatres and a theatre site in Durban, South Africa. National Theatres, required to divest about 90 theatres prior to June 7, 1953, last year disposed of about 20 theatres, two owned in fee and the others leased. 20th-Fox plans to further slash its aver¬ age feature production costs in 1953, Skouras said. The average cost of 1952 features previously was estimated at $1,260,000, against $1,370,000 in 1951. During the year, three employes, F. L. Harley, vice-president; A. W. Smith, Jr., vice-president, and Ernest G. Palmer, 20th-Fox cameraman for 24 years, were retired under the pension plan. N. M. Theatremen Elect Albuquerque, N. M. — At a board of directors meeting of the New Mexico Theatre Owners of America last fort¬ night Tom Ribble, Albuquerque theatre owner, was elected to fill the unexpired term of George Tucker, resigned. Ribble was a member of the board. Frank Peloso, Albuquerque, was elected to fill Ribble’s place on the board until next election. The group will hold its annual convention and meeting at the La Fonda Hotel, Santa Fe, N. M., on June 17-18. Marlin Butler, secretary, NMTA, and Albuquerque theatreman, was voted by the board to fill the appointment of the national TOA arbitration committee. Five Speakers At Ohio Meeting Cleveland, O. — Five principal speakers plus the guest appearance of screen star Janis Carter are scheduled for the conven¬ tion of the Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio at the Hotel Hollenden on May 19-21, it was announced last week. The five speakers include Abram F. Myers, general counsel, National Allied; Maurice Bergman, U-I public relations director; Wilbur Snaper, president, Na¬ tional Allied; Martin Quigley, Jr., and Ward Marsh. RUN THE CEREBRAL PALSY CAMPAIGN TRAILER NOW Survey Preliminary To COMPO Round Table NEW YORK — A national survey from which it is hoped to obtain a complete picture of current exhibitor opinion will be conducted among ex¬ hibitors as a preliminary to the second COMPO Round Table, it was announced last week by H. V. “Rotus” Harvey, San Francisco, chairman, COMPO Round Table committee. Because of the time needed to com¬ pile the results of the survey, Harvey said, the Round Table, which was originally scheduled to be held in Hollywood for three days begining on July 25, will be postponed until fall. Thirty questions are listed in a questionnaire which the committee plans to distribute to exhibitors. The questions cover public taste, adver¬ tising, publicity, and exploitation, public relations, and the programming and presentation of theatre attractions. According to present plans, Harvey said, the questionnaire will be dis¬ tributed as soon as possible to all exhibitors in the country, and these questionnaires will be used in formu¬ lating the Round Table agenda. Realart Offers $3,535 Prizes New York — Realart announced last week that in connection with its fifth anniversary, it was conducting a prize contest to start on May 3, and ending on Sept. 6, with prize money totalling $3,535. The prize money will be given on the basis of the exchange hitting the highest percentage of respective quotas, and awarded: first, second, third prize, etc., based upon the percentage figures. All prize money will be awarded at the end of the contest. In addition to the prize money award, there will be a booking bonus award pay¬ able to each franchise holder based upon each exchange territory exceeding the particular quota that has been established for each office. MPIC Seeks Coast Unity Hollywood — The Motion Picture In¬ dustry Council last fortnight okehed an executive committee recommendation that the organization continue to function, be¬ cause the “need for the Council was never greater than today.” It was moved to have a committee composed of MPIC ex¬ presidents meet with the board of direc¬ tors of the Screen Directors’ Guild, which recently resigned from MPIC, with a view toward bringing the SDG back into the organization. MPIC also unanimously endorsed the AFT, Film Council’s letter forwarded to Representative Donald L. Jackson challenging the Congressman’s assertion that Hollywood guilds and unions must “clean house” of Communists. DuMont Shows Loss New York — In a report to stockholders issued last fortnight, it was stated that Allen B. DuMont Laboratories last year sustained a net loss of $583,377. In 1950, the company had a profit of $6,900,788, equal to $2.87 per common share. The gross income last year was $50,741,596, compared with $76,362,655 in 1950. Republic Sets $500,000 For Bally New York — Announcing an appropria¬ tion of $500,000 for promotion for forth¬ coming films in various parts of the country, Republic President Herbert J. Yates last week revealed that the world premiere of Republic’s Trucolor “I Dream Of Jeanie” at the Fulton, Pittsburgh, will be the highlight of “Welcome Week” in Pittsburgh, where the Chamber of Com¬ merce will conduct an elaborate program of civic activities honoring stars Ray Middleton, Bill Shirley, Muriel Lawrence, and Eileen Christy. James R. Grainger, executive vice-presi¬ dent in charge of sales and distribution, stated that the Pittsburgh premiere on “I Dream Of Jeanie” is to be followed by similar openings at the Circle, Indian¬ apolis, on June 5, and the Rialto, Louis¬ ville, Ky., on June 6 with the picture slated for a series of forty (40) premieres throughout the country. To handle the Pittsburgh premiere and the series of premieres to follow, Republic has instituted a showmanship committee consisting of W. M. Saal, executive assist¬ ant to Yates; Steve Edwards, Republic director of advertising and publicity; Mickey Gross, recently appointed studio publicity director; Beatrice Ross, exploi¬ tation manager, and Dennis Carlin, adver¬ tising manager. Jack Keegan, Greater Indianapolis Amusement Company, will handle the premiere at the Circle, while Charles Krebs, Fourth Avenue Amuse¬ ment Company, will handle the opening at the Rialto. McWilliams Named Again New York — For the first time in the history of the Associated Motion Picture Advertisers, that organization will have the same president for three successive terms, it was evident last fortnight when at the annual elections meeting, Harry K. McWilliams, Columbia’s exploitation man¬ ager, was elected unanimously to the top office to serve for his third year. Elected with him were Liege Brian, vice-president; Albert Florsheimer, Jr., treasurer; and Edgar Goth, secretary. The membership also named a board which consists of the four officers and Miriam Brandon Moses, Gordon White, Blanche Livingston, Vincent Trotta, and Rutgers Neilson, and a board of trustees consist¬ ing of David Bader, Chester Freidman, and Jacques Kopstein. A special election of an auditing com¬ mittee resulted in the naming of Ray Gallagher, Charles Alicoate, and Hyman Kessler, while Gordon White, Blanche Livingston, Miriam Brandon Moses, Bill Boley, and Jacques Kopstein were named a committee to investigate the feasibility of reestablishing the AMPA Relief Fund, for the assistance of needy members. UA-Loew's Extension Set New York — It was announced last fort¬ night by the Department of Justice that an extension until a June date has been agreed upon as the deadline for the end¬ ing of joint ownership by Loew’s and United Artists Theatre Circuit in seven theatres. May 7, 1952