The Film Daily (1948)

20th-Fox 39 Wk. Net Will Be Equal to '47 (Continued from Page 1) $2,970,761 from the first 13 weeks of 1947. Although earnings for the initial quarter were $1.00 per share of common stock as against $2.07 last year, Skouras said that the second quarter would show $1.25 per share compared to $.84 in 1947 and predicted at the same time that earnings for the third quarter would almost double the $.74 earned last year so that profits for the 39 week period would be about the same. An analysis of the first quarter's figures reveals that domestic income was ahead of 1947 but that receipts from abroad and from theaters were substantially down. Theater receipts showed a decline of $3,300,000, Skouras said; but at the same time the company succeeded in reducing expenditures by $2,800,000. The company's economy program has been in several directions, Skouras declared, the most significant of which was in the production of feature films. Eighteen features released by Fox during 1947 were made at an average cost of $2,300,000, he said, while the 24-25 scheduled for release this year will average about $1,900,000 each. "We have reached a point where features now in production are being made at an average cost of $1,600,000 each," he said, "which represents a reduction in cost of practically onethird over the figures of recent years." An annual saving of $750,000 has been achieved by modification of the company's pension plan, it was revealed. Plan has been extended from 30 to 40 years and the top payment has been reduced from $50,000 to $40,000. Other factors in the forecasted improvement of profits, Skouras said, were increased public interest in "intimate" stories which could be made at reduced costs without sacrificing quality, the improved labor situation and the ability to shoot a feature in 52 days as compared to the 72-day figure which was common in 1946. Answering a stockholder's query regarding British production and revenues, the Fox president anticipated that the company would receive about 20-30 per cent of its 1947 take out of the $17,000,000 which is remittable under the recently negotiated agreement. In addition, Fox will offset the restriction on frozen STORKS There's a new daughter, named Peggy Dee, in the family of De Witt Celsor, assistant manager, New York Paramount. "Neighborly Service" San Antonio, Tex. — Bob May, manager for the Interstate Circuit's Highland Park Theater, received a telephone call from Kansas City 11:30 p.m. one recent evening. Caller explained he was a regular patron of the theater. He wanted to ask a little favor. His house was less than a block from the theater. He had no telephone. He wished to speak with his wife. Would one of the theater's ushers please summon her to the phone? May granted the request, observing, "what is a community theater for, anyway, if it cannot perform a little neighborly service?" Skouras Sees Films "Piped" Into Homes (Continued from Page 1) tainment," Skouras declared, "and we will keep on being manufacturers no matter what the channels of distribution are." Skouras foresaw a distribution system similar to that of Muzak whereby programs are piped over wires at a set charge. He was of the opinion that video would not affect the motion picture adversely but that tele programs in theaters would augment boxoffice receipts. He told stockholders of 20thFox's experiments with RCA in the direction of large screen video and also of the company's plans to acquire the maximum five stations allowed by the present FCC regulations. funds by producing pictures in England. In this connection, Skouras pointed out that emphasis upon the U. S. market would play a paramount role in British production, with stories prepared and written in this country and a "package" of American producer, director and star personalities to form the nucleus of features made abroad. Skouras Renamed Prexy By 20th-Fox's Directors Spyros P. Skouras was re-elected president of 20th-Fox yestterday at a meeting of the board of directors which followed their election by the stockholders. Also elected to serve as officers for the next year were the following': William C. Michel, executive vice-president; Darryl F. Zanuck, vice-president in charge of production ; Murray Silverstone, vice-president; Joseph H. Moskowitz, vicepresident; Donald A. Henderson, treasurer and secretary; Wilfred J. Eadie, comptroller and assistant treasurer; Francis T. Kelly, assistant treasurer; Fred L. Metzler, assistant treasurer; Read B. Simonson, assistant treasurer; C. Elwood McCartney, assistant comptroller; J. Harold Lang', assistant secretary; Norman B. Steinberg', assistant secretary; George F. Wasson, Jr., assistant secretary; William Werner, assistant secretary. Board members elected by the stockholders to serve until 1949 included L. Sherman Adams, Robert L. Clarkson, John R. Dillon, Wilfred J. Eadie. Daniel O. Hastings. Donald A. Henderson, Robert Lehman, William C. Michel, William P. Phillips, Seton Porter, Murray Silverstone, Spyros P. Skouras and Darryl F. Zanuck. DAILY Wednesday, May 19, 1942 REVIEWS "Melody Time" with (visually) Roy Rogers, Trigger, Luana Patten, Bobby Driscoll, Ethel Smith, Bob Nolan, Sons of the Pioneers, and (aurally) The Andrew Sisters, Freddy Martin, Fred Waring, Buddy Clark, Frances Langford, Dennis Day. RKO-Disney 75 Mins. MORE HAPPY DAYS FOR EXHIBITOR AND AUDIENCE; THIS IS HI-GRADE DISNEY SKEDDED FOR TOP BIZ; HAS USUAL SUPERB HANDLING IN EVERY DIVISION. You can call out all the old laudatory adjectives and round up a new collection for Walt Disney's latest contribution to the gayety of the nation. Again he has delivered up freshly, whimsically and delightfully an entertainment that is certain to please every audience strata and send them away happy and much the better for having seen his latest offering. With the exception of Roy Rogers, Trigger, Ethel Smith, Luana Patten and Bobby Driscoll, the other names listed above, beneath the title, are on the sound track but identifiable. This is a seven part show. Each part is separate and brushed onto the screen in some of Natalie Kalmus' best tints. The Technicolor art work by the Disney staff easily maintains top place in the handling of the medium. "Once Upon A Wintertime'' opens the show. It is a tender, yet comically done boy and girl story which gets the audience in the right frame of mind, concluding with some excitement when the boy rescues the girl from going over the falls. Seems they were ice-skating, had a falling out. A pair of similarly romantic rabbits parallel their animated human counterparts. "Bumble Boogie" depicts the hectic plight of a bee assailed by Jack Fina's piano rendition of "The Flight of the Bumble Bee" with Freddy Martin's orchestra blasting out a hot jazz instrumental accompaniment. There's much ingenuity in the handling of this sequence which permits wide latitude in animation. "Little Toot" is about a baby tugboat. Given to cutting figure eights in the busy harbor, he causes a liner to run berserk and wind up high and dry in the city streets. Arrested, he is towed out to the 12 mile limit. A storm comes along. "Little Toot" proves himself a hero by saving a liner in distress. The Andrews Sisters do handsomely by "Little Toot." "Trees," after the Joyce Kilmer poemsong with new handling in color and form, is still a good thing. "Blame It On the Samba" features Donald Duck, and Jose Carioca cavorting in Aracuan's cafe after he rouses them from their blues state. They frolic with Ethel Smith, give her a hotfoot, at length set off a giant firecracker for whizbang concluding pandemonium. "Johnny Appleseed" is one of the Disney gems that will be long remembered by everyone. CREDITS: Production supervisor, Ben Sliarpsteen; Cartoon directors, Clyde Geronomimi, Wilfrid Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Jack Kinney; Story, Winston Hibler, Harry Reeves, Ken Anderson, Erdman Penner, Homer Brightman, Ted Sears, Joe Rinaldi, Art Scott, Bob Moore, Bill Cottrell, Jesse Marsh; Folklore consultant, Carl Carmer; Animation directors, Eric Larson, Ward Kimball, Milt Kahl, Ollie Johnston, John Lounsbery, Les Clark; Musical direction, Eliot Daniel, Ken Darby; Special arrangements, Vic Schoen, Al Sack; Photography, Winton Hoch; Editors, Donald Halliday, Thomas Scott. DIRECTION, Tops. PHOTOGRAPHY, Fine. I Film-Equip. Exports Increased in Value Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Inflation was seen ir money values, while export of motior pix films and equipment during tin first quarter of this year kept nacf in quantity with the 1947 total* y e liminary figures released todV . <■" oy the Department of Commerce reveal Total raw stock shipment was somewhat lower — 110,494,000 linear feet compared with 130,274,333 last year according to pix consultant Nathar D. Golden. Features accounted for 74,093,42 linear feet the first quarter of this1 year, compared with 77,540,641 feel last year. Value of exported cameras, projectors, sound equipment, arc lampsijx and screens is given as $3,791,923 compared with $3,357,792 for thef first quarter of last year. Significantly raw stock shipment.4^ in the first quarter of this yeaiwere valued at $1,893,631, compared with only $1,879,244 for the same period of last year — the latter fig-f ure representing an additional 2C ji| million feet. Golden reported a total* ^ of 69,645,512 feet of 35 mm. positive this year, valued at $900,395, with 35' » mm. negative mounting to 17,832, * 240, valued at $549,772. Corresponding figures for 1947 were 97,725,593 PI feet of positive valued at $1,032,522. and 14,963,797 feet of negative valued at $449,716. A total valuation of $2,139,836 was! placed upon the exposed feature film" shipped out — slightly higher than the 1947 valuation of $1,965,125 for about three and one half million feet less. Maas Leaves Saturday to Survey European Markets (Continued from Page 1) tria and Germany. He also contem plates visits to Rumania and Bui-.".! garia, contingent on visa clearances. Maas will first stop off in Paris ^e for general discussions with conti-i nental managers. In Prague Maas will confer with Czech Monopoly officials to work out a distribution agreement for 1948-49. An agree-! ment will be sought by Maas witfy Yugoslavia, which with the USSR,! is a territory on the original MPEA^ list not open to U. S. films. Renewal agreements are also pending in Poland and Bulgaria. i '-: UJEDDinC BELLS Boumberger-Lamm West Coast Bureau of THE FILM 'DAILY Hollywood — Irving Lamm, man-1 ager of the Ramona and Holly Theaters, will be married July 25 to Peppi Boumberger. Gold-Sharff Chicago— Sally Gold of the M-G-M 1 1 booking department, was married to>! ! Ii Lou Sharff. It