The Film Daily (1943)

RKO's Net Profit for 1942 DO NO' Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought Ri -HjeNWi&MtS* B elo w) -1FDAILY' The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Twenty-Four Years Old 83, NO. 96 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 1943 TEN CENTS DIVESTMENT KEYNOTES CRESCENTJ)ECREE Harry Warner Lashes Opposition to War Pix WB Prexy Attributes Propaganda Campaign To "Appeaser" Element Lashing out at what he described as an apologist and isolationist group that is waging a propaganda campaign against war films which are doing a great service in the United Nations cause, Harry M. Warn e r, addressing a meeting of WB home office execs, yesterday, declared that "w e would hate to be known as the company that made the most successful m u sical film of this great war for freedom." Meeting culmii series of conferences in Maj. Albert Warner, Jack (Continued on Page 6) H. M. WARNER nated which PRC Forming Its Own Producing Company West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Producers Releasing Corp. will make its own pictures starting in July and is forming a company for this purpose, stated Leon Fromkess. The plan marks an important step in PRC's journey (Continued on Page 3) Three Features in 20th-Fox Tenth Unit National release dates for three pictures that will comprise Block 10 of the 1942-43 20th CenturyFox release schedule, were announced yesterday by Tom J. Connors. "The Ox-Bow Incident" will be released May 21; "Jitterbugs," June 11 and "Coney Island," June 18. No pics are scheduled for release May 28 or Jiwje 4. RKO'S NET UP Year's Profit Rises to $736,240 After Income Tax Provisions Consolidated net profit of RKO Corp. for the year ended Dec. 31, 1942, was $736,240 after provision for F e d e r a 1 income taxes, as compared with a net of $538,692 on the same basis for the preceding year. It w a s pointed out in the note to stockholders b y N. Peter Rathvon, president, that during 1942 profits of the theater subsidiaries continued the sharp increase which started in the latter part of 1941, but these profits, as in the previous year, were partially offset by (Continued on Page 3) N. PETER RATHVON Gov. Tugwell Vetoes P.R. Anti-Block-Booking Bill Governor Rexford Tugwell of Puerto Rico has vetoed the so-called anti-block-booking bill which would have made it necessary for the Minister of Agriculture and Commerce to award priorities in booking among exhibitors. It is understood that the veto was predicated upon unfavor (Continucd on Page 2) Government Wins Sweeping Victory in Davies Order; Defendants Expected to Move Quickly for New Trial; Court Refuses Defense Pleas for Limitation of Costs By P. R. RUSSELL FILM DAILY Staff Correspondent Nashville, — "Unconditional surrender" aptly describes the chief intent of the decree handed down in the Crescent case by Federal Judge Elmer D. Davies and made public yesterday as he enjoined Crescent Amusement Co. and six other exhibitor corporations for alleged violations of the Sherman anti-trust law. George H. Armistead, Jr., chief counsel for Crescent, has indicated that the "fight has just begun" and there will be action by defendants, probably a motion for a new trial, within the 10-day period allowed. The decree, which brings to a (Continued on Page 8) New 5Year Termer Inked by Hal Home Hal Home yesterday inked an additional five-year contract as director of advertising, publicity and exploitation for 20th Century Fox, it was announced by Spyros Skouras, president of t h e company, and Tom J. Connors, vice-president in charge of worldwide distribution. jPresent contract will carry to May, 1949, and therefore is in effect a six-year contract, superseding the old two-year agreement which HAL horne has a year to go. A veteran. and prominent figure in (Continued on Page 8) Stone to Make $12,000,000 Worth of UA Pix in 6 Years Hollywood — A deal has been closed whereby Andrew L. Stone will make (Continued on Page 6) Rooney In British Hardy Pix Welles to Star in, Direct Tolstoy's "War Milner and Trimble Named Universal Branch Chiefs Sam Milner, Universal branch manager in Denver, has been appointed manager in Seattle by William Scully, general sales manager. King Trimble, San Francisco sales(Continued on Page 8) // London (By Cable) — Andy Hardy and Doctor Kildare subjects will be made in England by Sir Alexander Korda, it was announced here yesterday. Mickey Rooney and the entire cast of the Hardy pictures will be brought over from the United States, Korda said, adding that all (Continued on Page 2) 20lh-Fox Re-elects Skouras, Willkie Spyros P. Skouras was re-elected president of 20th-Fox yesterday at the annual reorganizational meeting of the company's board of directors, which was held immediately following the yearly stockholders' meet (Continucd on Paged) Honor to Warners For Service in "Action" A high and unique honor is to be conferred on Warner Brothers, — award of the Victory Flag of the U. S. Maritime Service, counterpart of the Navy "E", for its production, "Action in the North Atlantic." It is the first time this flag has been bestowed on a film company. Presentation will be made to Jack L. Warner, executive producer, by Capt. Edward Macauley, deputy administrator of the War Shipping Administration, on the stage of the New York Strand, where picture opens this coming Friday night. Ceremony will be on the eve of National Maritime Day. Some 400 seamen and their band from the training base at Sheepshead Bay, will parade to the theater. After the Strand engagement, the flag will be sent to WB's Coast studio.