The Film Daily (1948)

12 DAILY Monday, May 24, 1948 RKO '47 Net Profit Down To $5,085,847 (Continued from Page 1) profit of $12,187,804.98 for 1946. Earnings per share declined from a record $3.17 to $1.30. Consolidated income for 1947 rose from $120,125,634 to $123,109,047. President N. Peter Rathvon, in a letter to stockholders accompanying the statement, attributed the decrease in production-distribution earnings to the rising cost spiral in the face of a moderate decline in domestic income, pointing out that gross income had not yet been affected to any appreciable amount by loss of foreign revenue resulting from dollar famine abroad. Although the foreign factor will manifest itself in the current year's earnings, Rathvon's drastic economies in distribution and administrative charges have tended to offset loss of income. As a result of this, so far in the current year, operations of the picture company have shown a small profit. Despite the decline in box office receipts and theater earnings, combined net of the theater operating subsidiaries rose during 1947 because of a capital gain of approximately $1,600,000 realized upon the sale of theaters in Albany, Schenectady and Troy, N. Y. Sale was entered into in order to comply with provisions of the anti-trust decree which banned participating arrangements of the specific nature of the above theaters. Theater operations in 1948, Rathvon declared, are continuing at a very profitable rate but at a somewhat lower level than in the corresponding period of last year. Also included in the year's profits was a capital gain of approximately $3,150,000 on the sale of RKO-Pathe Newsreel. RKO's general financial position showed an improvement at the end of the year, Rathvon said, with total working capital as of the report at $53,000,000. Jock Lawrence Now JARO Executive Vice-President (Continued from Page 1) eral staff overseas during the war, serving as Chief PRO for Lord Mountbatten of Burma's Commandos throughout 1942 and Chief PRO for U. S. Army's ETO under General Dwight Eisenhower, during the 1944 Continental invasion. STORKS Cincinnati — A daughter, Margaret Ann, was born to the wife of Don Hall of the M-G-M shipping department. Memphis — A daughter, named Rachel, was born to Mr. and Mrs. R. P. Dawson. Father is branch manager of Universal Pictures. >REVIEUIS» "The Gallant Legion" with William Elliott, Adrian Booth, Joseph Schildkraut, Bruce Cabot Republic 88 Mins. WELL PLOTTED WESTERN FARE HAS TOP PRODUCTION, ACTING AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS TO DELIVER HIGH SATISFACTION. An exceptionally well plotted original story by Gerald Geraghty was translated into screenplay terms by Gerald Adams and John K. Butler to evolve as this western production which should deliver up full satisfaction. Yarn has plenty of drive and action. Players are all top grade in their roles and this includes such western worthies as Jack Holt, Andy Devine, Grant Withers. For the feminine interest there is Adrian Booth who is the right romantic interest and Adele Mara, saloon singer, lover to an outlaw who meets death via the Texas Rangers which is what the film is ail about in the first place. Miss Mara has a pair of songs which spice the plot at proper intervals. Goodly portion of the proceedings which, when they are not riding all over Texas, deal with family and relative strife. Miss Booth is niece to Schildkraut who is in cahoots with Withers and Cabot in an effort to partition Western Texas. Hal Landon, killed by the Rangers, is brother to Elliott, who joins up. Holt, Ranger captain, is father to James Brown, killed by Cabot in an ambush. The dastardly plans by Schildkraut-CabotWithers are foiled in good time and the Commanche Nation never does go on the warpath because Elliott singlehandedly knocks out a Gatling gun that Cabot swiped from the Army and permits the Rangers to close in and annihilate the evil element.. Associate producer-director Joe Kane shows his veteran know how and fine hand for the genre at every turn of the many events. Film has fine outdoor photography, striking locales to assist in those departments. CAST: William Elliott, Adrian Booth, Joseph Schildkraut, Bruce Cabot, Andy Devine, Jack Holt, Grant Withers, Adele Mara, James Brown, Hal Landon, Tex Terry, Lester Sharpe, Hal Taliaferro, Russell Hicks, Herbert Rawlinson, Marshall Reed, Steve Drake, Harry Woods. CREDITS: Associate producer director, Joe Kane; Screenplay, S. Gerald Adams, John K. Butler; Original story, Gerald Geraghty; Photography, Jack Marta; Art, James Sullivan; Musical director, Morton Scott; Editor, Richard L. Van Enger; Sound, Victor B. Appel; Sets, John McCarthy, Jr., George Milo. DIRECTION, Fine. PHOTOGRAPHY, Very Good. Wirth Named President Of Warner Service Corp. (Continued from Page 1) Wirth has been with the Warner home office real estate department since 1930. He was promoted to the Philadelphia post four years ago. Other officers of Warner Service are Harold Rodner, vice-president; Robert W. Perkins, secretary, and Samuel Carlisle, treasurer. Shoot E-L Pic in Hawaii Honolulu, H. I. (By Cable)— "Million Dollar Weekend," first film production of the newly-formed Masque Prods, headed by producer Matty Kemp and Gene Raymond, will go before the cameras here today. Eagle Lion will release. AA Sales Policies Subject Of Coast Weekend Meets (Continued from Page 1) Babe Ruth Story," and King Bros.' "The Dude Goes West." Consideration to roadshowing the Ruth story was scheduled for the meeting, Broidy said, following a proposal advanced by sales and franchise representatives. Advertising budgets also were on the agenda, with a representative of Buchanan & Co. invited to participate. Eastern representatives at the meetings included Maurice Goldstein, general sales manager; Edward Morey, vice-president, and Norton V. Ritchey, head of foreign distribution. Participating as studio reps, were Scott R. Dunlap, executive-assistant to Broidy; George W. Burrows, executive vice-president and treasurer, and Harold Mirisch, vicepresident. Clearance Adjustment is Asked in Flint, Mich. Detroit — Second demand for arbitration of a clearance dispute since the U. S. Supreme Court decision of May 3 was filed here prior to the weekend by the Grand Center Recreation Co., operating the Center Theater, Grand Blanc, Michigan. Naming all of the five major distributors— Loew's, Paramount, RKO, Warners and 20th-Fox — complainant maintained that "excessive and unreasonable clearance" is granted to the Regent, Strand, Michigan, Delia, Roxie, Rialto, Nortown and Burton theaters of Flint, Michigan. Center is forced to wait from 75-120 days following availability to above houses, complainant maintains. Abolishment of clearance in the named situations is requested on the grounds that houses named are not in competition with the Center. Complainant also asks that clearance within the competitive area be fixed at seven days after the first-run Capitol and Palace theaters in Flint. Court to Mull Kimbark's Request to Bar B & K Duals (Continued from Page 1) hearing on case at the earliest vacancy on his calendar, which would bring it into the Fall session. Kimbark is suing B & K and major film companies for $500,000 antitrust damages, which also will come up this Fall. RKO Pleads Wrong Affiliate Barred by Chicago Decree Chicago — Judge Michael Igoe took under advisement the RKO plea to dismiss it from his Jackson Park theater ruling. RKO attorney Myles Seeley told the court that parent RKO company, who was included in decree, was not operating physical assets of the company, they are operated by another company, not mentioned in decree. lawson, Dalton Fined $1,000, Year in Jail (Continued from Page 1) of whom first, refused to grant retrial. Appeal to the U. S. Court of Appeals will drag along to the Fall, with a Supreme Court test to fr^-w. Although the full-year sen( v' 3s are the stiffest yet handed ouo lor non-compliance with committee desires of a like nature, for Trumbo it was only half what could have been pronounced. He was found guilty on two counts of contempt by the jury, and could have been sentenced on two counts. For Lawson, charged on only one count, it was a maximum sentence. Pine said he had considered defense arguments during the trial. In imposing sentence he said Trumbo had "openly and flagrantly defied the. legislative branch of our Government." Although the offense merited the "extreme limit of the law," he said he preferred to consider the twoS charges as part of the same incident. Curran did not permit argument', on the retrial motion, and rushed the proceedings through as quickly as he could. Both Trumbo and Lawson broke their silence just before beingsentenced. Neither had testified at all during their trials. Both said they have been blacklisted by the industry but that they have no regret for what they have done. Lawson spoke of the American tradition, holding that his conduct was in ac-' cord with that tradition. "My faith is a simple matter," he said. "I believe that the Bill of Rights means exactly what it says and that the First Amendment to the Constitu tion extends its protection even to persons whose views do not coin cide with the opinions of certain Congressmen." • Seattle Hotel Man Buys Out JensenVon Herberg Seattle — William Erdis, local hotel operator, has purchased the Jensen and Von Herberg theater holdings for a price estimated by observers as in excess of $2,000,000. Deal was made through the purchase by Erdis of the stock of Pioneer Securities Co., parent company of the Jensen and Von Herberg interests. Involved in the purchase are the Liberty, Venetian, Bagdad, and Roxy Theaters, Seattle; Roxy, Ballard; Roxy, Enumclaw; Grand, Great Falls, Mont., and Rainier, Renton, Wash. "Largo" Premiere in Miami Warners will premiere "Key Largo" July 15 at the Paramount and Beach Theaters, Miami, Fla. , SICK LIST j TED TOD has recuperated from a back, injury and has resumed as SRO exploitation rep. in Chicago.