The Film Daily (1943)

Friday. May 14, 1943 * DAILY Chase Bank Drops 40% of GPE Stock Philadelphia — The Chase National Bank dropped 40 per cent of its holdings in the General Precision ipment Corp. during March, the -.^.ent SEC report shows. This company, formerly the General Theater Equipment Corp., is expected to be one of the post-war leaders in television. Chase National dropped 60,300 shares of its capital no par value holdings, retaining 92,613 as of the end of March. The SEC report also reveals that the Rexport Corporation holds 50,719 shares in General Precision Equipment, and the American Express Co., 13,600. The SEC revealed also that Walter E. Green, president of the National Theatre Supply Co., added 10 shares monthly of capital in General Precision Equipment from last July through December, bringing his holdings to 320. In February he sold 200 shares, retaining 120. The Amerex Holding Corp. has no shares in General Precision Equipment, according to the SEC, while Rexport Corp. holds 50,719 and American Express 13,600. The dropping of 86,800 shares of common no par value in 20th Century-Fox by Chase National was also reported by SEC, with the bank retaining 105,358 shares at the end of March. Chase National also dropped 3,000 shares of $1.50 cumulative preferred, but held 668,116 at the end of the month. WB Trust Funds Acquire Common A number of hitherto unreported dealings in Warner Bros, holdings, with the three Warner brothers as the principals, were also contained in the SEC summary. These were supplemental indirect transactions going back to December, 1941. In that month three trust funds which previously held only pre ferred stocks acquired 86.000 shares of $5 par common, 38,800 shares bought For trust "A," 40,900 for trust "B" and 6.900 for trust "C." A month later in January, 1942, 13.200 shares was added to trust "A" and IN NEW POSTS BARRY BURK, city manager, Corsicana Interstate Theaters, Corsicana, Tex. WILLIAM E. MICK, SR., special service department, National Screen Service, Dallas. BOB WHITE, Oregon representative, PRC, Portland. L. W. MONTGOMERY, Eastern Washington representative, PRC. Portland. ROSS BLUCK, home office representative, Columbia, Chicago. JAMES HARPER, assistant manager, Roosevelt, Chicago. CREIG R. JONES, manager, Kent, Moncton, N. B., Canada. HAROLD KL1NCMAN, salesman, National Screen Service, Des Moines. NORMAN KASSELL, exploitation manager, 20thFox, Chicago. JOHN RICCIUTI, manager, Apollo, New Haven. SYDNEY LEHMAN, special sales representative, Paramount, Buffalo. LEON HERMAN, salesman, United Artists, Buffalo. RALPH LAWLER, district manager, Paramount theaters, Peoria. MARVIN HARRIS, Paramount theaters manager, Toledo. INTO WAR JOBS FRANK AUDAS, operator, Capitol Theater, Amherst, N. S., Canada. REVIEWS Of SHORT SUBJECTS "Calling All Kids" (Our Gang) M-G-M 11 mins. Okay for the Kids In their latest offering the Our Gang kids deal out substantial entertainment for the youngsters. This time they put on a show for the men in uniform. The idea gives them an opportunity to strut their varied talents. Most of their efforts are devoted to the imitation of various stars of tne entertainment world. The kids do surprisingly well. "Private Pluto" (Walt Disney) RKO 7 mins. Swell Abundant hilarity is stirred up by Pluto as an Army private assigned to guard a pillbox against saboteurs. Chipmunks that have made their home in the pillbox give him a world of trouble. The little critters pull one trick after another on him, making a perfect sap of him. The footage, which is in Technicolor, is a first-i'ate booking. Drive-in Grosses $25,000 Despite Poor Weather Chicago — The Chicago Drive-In Theater grossed $25,000 for the first week, despite unfavorable weather. Buffalo — Opening last night of the Harlem Road Drive-In in suburban Cheektowaga brought both Buffalo area's outdoor picture stands in operation. Edward F. Wick is manager. Opening night receipts went to the USO. Kansas City, Mo. — Drive-In Theater, opening nearly a month ahead of last year's May 14, is running to good business considering gas rationing. Nearby Lake City Ordance plant, where hundreds are employed in war work, adds to the attendance volume. Miami, Fla. — E. M. Loew's Miami Drive-In will open Sunday. It was closed some months ago because of gas rationing cutting down attendance. A new speaker system has been installed. Albany — Neil Hellman's Open Air Theater near Latham, four miles from the city limits here and a mile from City of Cohoes boundaries, is tentatively set to start its season May 23. Hellman, who operates Cast of Industry Greek Relief Show Completed (Continued from Page 1) person, chairman of the entertainment committee Roster includes Irene Manning, George Jessel, Herbert Marshall, Dudley Field Malone, Grace Moore, Milton Berle, Kenny Baker, Ed Gardner, Fred Waring and choral group, •Jimmy Durante, Dean Murphy, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Dorsey and orchestra, the Roxy Theater company, Ethel Waters, the Music Hall company, Duke Ellington and orchestra, Arthur Treacher, Catherine Meskill, Jackie Miles, Alfred Drake, Betty Garde, Joan Roberts, Nicolas Moscona, Gypsy Markoff, Wayne & Marlin, the Christianos, and others. Paul Ash will conduct a 50-piece orchestra of enlisted men. Show is being staged by Hassard Short, Jack Partington and Russell Markert. Howard Bay designed the sets. Mrs. Jacques Convalescing Cincinnati — Mrs. Stanley Jacques, wife of RKO Radio's branch manager, is convalescing following' a major operation. three subsequent-runs in Albany and Troy, is located on the main Albany-Saratoga Road on Route 9. 2,600 to trust "I!" bringing the total holdings to 52,000 and 43,500. In December of last year, all common stock held by these three trusts was dropped. Hi May, 1941. 150 shares of $3.85 cumulative preferred were bought — acquired for trust "B." bringing its holding of that type stock to 9.863, while trust "A" held 9,539 and trust "C" 8,301 of the same stock. In December of last year the 9.539 shares held in trust were dropped, as well as all but 500 of the 9,863 held in trust "B" and 4,801 of the 8.301 in trust "C." Trust "C" was then discontinued, with its holding of 3,500 shares of the preferred transferred to trust "A." At the end of March trust "A" still held those 3.500 and trust "B" 500 shares of the $3.85 cumulative preferred. At the same time, Albert Warner held personally 22.280 shares of the preferred, Harry 19.395 and .Tack 15,181. Early in March Joseph H. Hazen, WB vice-president, dropped 1,200 shares of $5 par common, retaining 500, while Albert Warner bought 4.100 shares, bringing his total holding to 209.550." Also early in March, Harry Warner bought 2,400 shares of the common, holding 150,060 at the end of the month, while Jack stood pat with 186,600. Rockefeller Center Sells RKO Stock March saw the sale of 46,400 shares of RKO dollar par common by Rockefeller Center, which retained 497,829 at the end of the month. J. Miller Walker bought 100 shares during the month, previously holding none, and also bought 500 warrants for the com mon, holding 2,000 such warrants at the end of March. He also holds 100 six per cent convertible preferred. The report on Universal Corp. shows Preston Davis holding 111,283 common vtc. warrants through the Standard Capital Corp., while he dropped 200 shares of the stock he held personally, retaining 4,200. He holds 26,500 shares of this stock through the Standard Capital Corp. The SEC also reports Daniel M. Sheaffer of Philadelphia, who holds none of the stock personally, as owner through Universal Corp. of 231,327 shares of dollar common in Universal Pictures. Universal Corp. added 200 shares of this stock to its holdings in November and December of last year. Sheaffer is also listed, through Universal Corp. as holder of 20,000 shares of seven per cent convertible second preferred in Universal Pictures. Loew's, Inc.. is reported to have sold 68 shares of $25 par common in Loew's Boston Theaters. Inc., holding 119,628. Howard Dietz bought five shares of common no par value in Loew's, Inc. during March, now holding 10. Revised reports on Columbia Pictures showed Harry Cohn swelling his holdings of common no par value from 75,349 shares in January. 1942, to 95,834 by the end of the year. Cohn also holds 100 shares of $2.75 convertible preferred. Walter Siemers, a director of the TransLux Corp., dropped 500 shares of dollar par common in that corporation, retaining 1,500 at the end of March. 20lh-Fox 13-Week Net at $1,751,739 (Continued from Page 1) aters Corp. of $756,000. No dividends were received from National Theaters Corp. during the first quarter of either year. Because of the lifting of currency restrictions, no reserve against foreign assets has been made in the first quarter of 1943. A reserve of $1,100,000 was provided in the first quarter of 1942. The corporation has estimated excess profits taxes in the net amount of $2,385,000 on earnings for the first quarter of 1943 on the basis of pro-rating its estimated excess profits credits. There were no excess profits taxes in the first quarter of 1942. The profit for the first quarter of 1943 equals 81c per share of common stock after the usual preferred dividend. Hopper Going to Mexico To Survey Film Production (Continued from Page 1) other interested Government agencies. Hopper's particular interest, of course, will be in the needs of Mexican producers for raw stock and various other materials needed for film production, and the efficiency with which these materials are being used. CIAA has been taking an active interest in Mexican production problems for several months now, and Francis Alstock, director of the CIAA motion picture section, has been in Mexico City twice recently. It is believed that CIAA is anxious to aid the Mexican industry in any way possible in order to enable it to build up its prestige and outrun the Argentine producers in the race for the Spanish-language market in South America. "Boy From Stalingrad" May 20 Columbia will send out "The Boy from Stalingrad" May 20. TO THE COLORS! * COMMISSIONED * SIDNEY BOWDEN, general manager, Wilder Circuit, Norfolk, Va., commissioned a lieutenant (j.g.), USN. * ARMY * ALLAN SHEVIN, production department, National Screen Service home office. DON TANNER, student assistant manager, Loew's Ohio, Columbus. JACK GARBER, B & K publicity department, Chicago. V/ALTR THOMPSON, manager. Park Theater, Richmond. CORDON CULLEY, relief manager, Neighborhood Theaters, Richmond. CHARLES DENMEAD, manager, York Theater, West Point, Va. * americanTfield service * JAMES W. MICHAELS, son of Dewey Michaels, operator, Mercury, Palace and Keith's Theaters, Buffalo.