Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1945)

THE NEWS DIGEST (Continued from l'n^> 29 re than 1200 industry men and women packed into the Grand llroom of the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. Rathvon declared t preparations for the current drive were completed to the last all. He stressed the fact that this year, no figure has been set collections because of the dire need for every available dollar, e Red Cross trailer, starring Ingrid Bergman was shown at the ;akfast and received enthusiastic endorsement. National Screen rvlce supplies the trailer free to participating theatres. A pressbook has been mailed to all theatres, complete with 1 information on accessories and exploitation data. PARAMOUNT WILL HAVE 28 Paramount will close its 1944-46 season with 28 features, arles M. Reagan, vice-president in charge of distribution, dered at a regional sales meeting in New York last fortnight, e total includes the DeMille production, "Sign of the Cross," d Reagan and stated that the balance of this season's program 1 include a large percentage of important films. In the shorts field, Oscar A. Morgan, shorts sales chief, said it despite the difficulties with raw stock and Technicolor print >blems. the studio is well ahead in production and the current tson's program of 64 subjects, including 36 in Technicolor, will delivered as per schedule. He added that sales of his departnt reached a new high last season and is maintaining the pace s year. Earlier, Reagan anticipated that "For Whom the Bell Tolls" 1 be the company's highest grosser. R. M. Gillham, Ad-Publicity told delegates that "Bell" will have a heavy advertising paign in every key city engagement, noting that $1,000,000 had __i spent to advertise the roadshow campaign. Several hundred '^ousand dollars has been allocated for cooperative newspaper itvertising, Gillham added. STUDIO ADVISORY BOARD AT "IT Formation of an advisory board to supervise all studio proction at Universal Studios was announced last week by Nate J. umberg. president. Cliff Work, vice-president and general manjer of the studio, will head the board, whose personnel includes ecutives representing all activities within the organization. With e announcement of the board's formation. Blumberg stated the w arrangement will "simplify and strengthen our studio's execute operation" particularly in view of the studio's increased bud "extending in every detail the scope of our activities." Dan Kelley. formerly in charge of talent, writers and direcrs. was named liaison between the advisory board and producers top-budget productions and production executives. Robert >eers. casting director, succeeds Kelley in his former spot. The visory board will include Martin Murphy, studio and produc>n manager; George Bole, production executive; John Joseph, tional ad-publicity director, and Harold Brewster, comptroller. THANK YOU for your cooperation in the handling of film. It is working out swell. NOW SAVE PAPER This is an important War Effort. Return posters sent to you in error. Do not throw them aside. Return all posters properly marked, labeled and wrapped. Don't throw them loose in the lobby. YOU DO YOUR PART! WELL DO OURS! HIGHWAY EXPRESS LINES, INC. 236 N. 23rd St. 1239 Vine St. 1225 Vine St. Philadelphia 7, Penna. LOCust 4311 LOEWS, WARNERS, MONOGRAM PROFITS UP A net profit showing more than a million dollar increase over the preceding year was reported by Loews, Inc., for the year ended Aug. 31, 1944. Net income, after provisions for depreciation and taxes, was $14,517,256. compared with a net of $13,422,853 in 1943. Operating revenues for the year from theatre receipts, rentals and sales of films and accessories totaled $160,604,310. Depreciation of buildings and equipment came to $15,339,173 and Federal taxes totaled $12,940,925. Warner Bros, and subsidiaries showed a net income, after taxes, of approximately $2,350,000 for the quarter ended Nov. 25, 1944. This compares with a net of $1,981,730 for the same period in 1943. The company also reported a reduction of $2,853,000 in consolidated funded debt since Sept. 1, 1944, bringing the total funded and other long term debt to approximately $46,800,000. Directors re-elected at the company's annual stockholders meeting were Samuel Carlisle, Stanleigh P. Friedman, Charles S. Guggenheimer, Samuel Schneider and Morris Wolf. Monogram showed a consolidated net profit, after all charges including Federal income and excess profit taxes, of $67,842 for the six months ended Dec. 30, 1944. This compares with $48,014 for the final six months in 1943. Total consolidated net was $196,000 against $147,651. Domestic sales showed a 43 percent increase over the previous year's period and foreign sales rose 61 percent, according to president W. Ray Johnston. TICKET TAXES DROP $7,000,000 According to Internal Revenue Bureau figures for admissions taxes collected in January on December business, the month's receipts was the lowest since the increase in rates last April and showed a drop of nearly $7000,000 from the preceding month Ci» lections came to $24,345,560 compared with $31,182,977, Dece.,>' take. Principally due to the increase in ticket taxes lac* collections for the first seven months of the Gover~ fiscal year were reported as $211,364,150, compared with 640 shown in the coi responding period the previous ;-r... t..ts lower rate was in effect. PEOPLE Among film men and women rescued from Jap prison camps in Manila were: Cliff Almy, veteran manager for Warner Bros, in the Philippines, and his wife; Larry De Prida, Universal's Philippine manager, his wife, child and mother; Charles H. Core, United Artists manager in the Philippines, his wife and daughter; George Kallman, RKO manager in the Philippines; and Arthur Doyle, Far Eastern representative of 20th Century-Fox. Milton Silver joined the Republic home office advertising department as assistant to director of advertising Charles Reed Jones. Silver formerly was with National Screen Service and Universal. Bert Kulick was named general manager of domestic distribution for PRC and Morris Safier was appointed Western division sales manager. Leo J. McCarthy, general sales manager for the last year, remains with the company in an executive production capacity. Milton Kusell. former district manager of Paramount in New York, was upped to Eastern supervisor of sales and Cresson Smith was appointed West Coast sales supervisor. Edward McNamee, advertising manager of National Screen service, resigned his post. He had been ad head since May. 1942. Martin J. Mullin was named Seventh War Loan drive state chairman for Massachusetts by Sam Pinanski, national chairman, marking Pinanski's first appointment D. A. Doran, Jr., executive assistant to Harry Conn, Columbia studio head, resigned effective April 1. RED CROSS WAR FUND WEEK MARCH 15-21 NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE Member Natl Film Carriers 260 N. JUNIPER ST. Philadelphia, Pa. il A R C H 5. 1945 35