The Film Daily (1938)

12 2B N 1 j3 M | I I J <> I) I E 1 W 44TH ST C 2 i ST F LCI OR W^V DAILY Thursday, May 12, 1938 FILMS ARE HELD LEAST HIT BY THE DEPRESSION (Continued from Page 1) Standard Statistics via the current issue of Standard Trade and Securities, released yesterday. Commenting upon the industry's showings, Standard Statistics says: "While gross receipts of most motion picture enterprises are moderately lower, at least three of the leading producing and distributingorganizations have experienced little or no decline in revenues. "The drop in profits of these enterprises, therefore, must be attributed to the greater expense of the feature pictures which were produced in 1937, in anticipation of an increase in domestic and foreign theater attendance which failed to materialize. "In the past three months, costs of feature pictures planned or shooting have been sharply curtailed, but amortization of expensive productions now being shown in domestic theaters and abroad will continue high for a considerable period. Hence, earnings of the average concern will probably continue to show considerable declines from yearearlier figures, at least through the seasonally dull summer period immediately ahead. Prospects for the early fall months, based on the showing of less costly productions, are somewhat more encouraging, assuming that further curtailment of consumer buying power does not induce a more drastic decline in theater attendance. "Until recently, demand for American pictures in England and other English-speaking countries was showing slight gains over that for immediately preceding periods, but moderate declines are probable during the next few months. Sales_ to Germany, Spain, Japan and China have practically ceased, while those to Italy and Brazil are sharply below levels for twelve months ago. Jack Ferentz Honored by Detroit Legion Post Detroit — Russell Johnson Theatrical Post No. 371, American Legion, has elected: Commander, Jack Ferentz, business agent of Detroit Federation of Musicians; Senior Vice Commander, Max Kolin, operator at Maxine Theater; Junior Vice Commander, William J. Stolz, operator at Avalon Theater; Finance Officer, H. 0. Blough, operator at Garden Theater; Adjutant, Harry R. Berns, operator at Dawn Theater; Chaplain, Buddy Fields, of Detroit Federation of Musicians; SergeantAtArms. William Marley, National Theater Engineering Co.; Historian, Edward Leon Crowell, operator at Fox Theater. On June 14, at midnight, the installation of the new officers will take place at the Lincoln Club. BOOK REVIEWS HISTORY OF MOTION PICTURES. By Maurice Bardeche and Robert Brasillach. Translated from the French by Iris Barry. Published by W. W. Norton & Co., Inc., New York, in association with the Museum of Modern Art. 412 -pages. Price $4.00. Although much of the material in this book is familiar to the student of American motion picture history, its chief value is the detailed information regarding the development of motion pictures in European countries, especially in France. Other volumes on the history of films have touched lightly on the contributions made by vai'ious countries to the motion picture industry, but Bardeche and Brasillach delve thoroughly into the background of pictures in Sweden, Germany, Russia, Italy and France. Inaccuracies on the part of the authors are noted carefully by the translator and corrected in footnotes. Many of the footnotes disagree decidedly with the text, both from the standpoint of facts and opinions. It is quite natural that the French authors should favor France and its producers in accrediting certain innovations and developments of screen technique. It cannot be denied that France contributed much in making the motion picture a universal medium of entertainment and the reader is never permitted to forget this fact. However, the authors have endeavored to be impartial with the result that a very clear insight into the picture business has been presented. Because of its data and enlightening facts, "History of Motion Pictures" should take its place among the better volumes on the history of screen entertainment. — A. S. Studios Get AFM Request to End Dubbing Practice West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Major studios have been formally asked by the Amercian Federation of Musicians to halt the use of dubbing and canned music, in the first move by the AFM to increase employment for musicians here. J. W. Gillette, AFM executive, sent the requests after a conference with Pat Casey, pi'oducer labor contact, who is said to have approved of the details embodied in the proposed agreement. Eastern meetings between Joseph N. Weber, AFM president, and heads of the major companies were scheduled originally, but were discarded in favor of negotiation with studio heads here, although final signing most likely will take place in New York. It is the contention of the AFM that elimination of these practices "Caesar" on Screen? West Coast Bur., THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Clarence Brown, just back from Europe, has bought Buchanan's "Life of Caesar," from the galley sheets of the Dutton-Fairchild publishing house in Oxford, and says he will seek Paul Muni to play its lead for M-C-M. The role of Caesar is decidedly that of a "heavy" and would be the first unsympathetic part Muni has essayed in the past several years. K-A-0 '37 ADMISH INCOME $13,933 (Continued from Page 1) Albee-Orpheum reported a consolidated net profit of $1,300,887.71 for the year; B. F. Keith a consolidated net profit of $1,042,628.37 and Monogram reported a net loss of $239,076.05 from Feb. 1, 1937 to Dec. 31, 1937. The K-A-0 special report revealed that the company's certificate of incorporation had been changed on April 13, 1938 to reduce the authorized number of shares of common stock from 2,000,000 to 1,400,000. The Opera Theater Co. was reported acquired for $500 and the Beeton Corp. was purchased for $1,000. Mid-States Theaters, Inc., was dissolved on Sept. 17, 1937, it was reported. The annual report disclosed a total income of $1,223,424.72 on the unconsolidated report and a net profit of $1,142,457.57 for the year. The consolidated report showed theater admissions at $13,933,888.91, rents at $953,272.56 and total income, $15,641,950.30. Theater overhead and operating: expenses were reported at $5,546,521.81 for the largest single item of expense on the consolidated report. Profit of seven subsidiaries, not included in the consolidated statement was $226,362.48. The B. F. Keith special report disclosed that the annual meeting of stockholders has been changed from the third Wednesday in March to the second Thursday in April. The annual report listed a net income of $6,942,309.15 on the unconsolidated statement with a net profit of $1,005,148.50 for the year. The consolidated statement reported a net income of $10,329,460.77. Six subsidiaries, not included in trie consolidated report, listed a net income of $1,884,759.98 and net profit of $226,362.48. Monogram Pictures reported income of $286,780.07 with eross profit from operations at $60,279.22. Salaries were reported at $133,347.69 as the biggest single item of expense. J. A. Sisto & Co. were reported as holding options on 300,834 shares common capital $1 par value stock. Sale of 360,586 shares of $1 par common capital stock during the year, was reported. BRITISH GEA ACCEPTS will increase employment of musicians in the film industry by onethird. (Continued from Page 1) was announced last night following yesterday's session of the CEA's General Council. The grading principle, it was learned, will be suspended whj£"tthe Board of Trade arbitrates. Meanwhile, it was further ascertained, joint conversations on the general issues will be resumed by the exhibitor and distributor organizations. Deter Procedure Hearing in Dallas Anti-Trust Sui (Continued from Page 1) over with the intention of reaching the case later in the week. Assistant U. S. Attorney General B. W. Henderson is here. ' WEDDING BELLS Announcement is made of the engagement of Tina Kreisberg, home office staff publicist of M-G-M, to Jonas Wilfand. Plans for the wedding, it is stated, will be disclosed shortly. Chicago — Wedding bells are ringing on the B & K circuit these days. H. W. Swan of the Nortown theater was married recently to Miss Genevieve Charness while Miss Mary Ann Lakr of the cashier's staff of the house married Tony Babarz. Sol Weitzenfeld of the Rivera theater wedded Miss Caroline Hart of the Granada theater staff. Canton, O. — Jerome D. Reinhart, assistant to his father, Harry Reinhart, secretary of the Lyceum Amusement Co., Mozart Theater Co. and the State Theater Co., Canton, O., was married May 1 at Canton to Miss Gertrude Gluck, former cashier of the McKinley Theater, one of the company's circuit here. More than 300 friends, including employees of the three houses attended a reception following the wedding ceremony. New Haven, Conn. — Jim Memery, Loew-Poli artist at the New Haven division office for the past four years, will be married to Connie Parker on May 15 in Springfield. Denver — C. J. Diamond, assistant manager of the Santa Fe, Civic Theaters house, and Maxine Jennings, local girl, were married, and have made their home here. Salt Lake City — Marriage of Lee W. Scott, manager of the local branch of National Theater Supply Co., to Miss Alice Ruth Hansen of this city in Dillon, Mont., has just been announced.