The Film Daily (1941)

jj t ^^ PlV ^r/\m RH^^ Hollywood — Thirty-five top-bracketed pictures, supported by a strong lineup of westerns £3 ^^ ■ IX ■ ■©■¥■ l\l>V and short subjects, will comprise RKO's 1941-42 program, George Schaefer, president, announced over the weekend. Schaefer denied reports that Ned Depinet would head RKO production. He said Depinet's arrival on the Coast was solely for the purpose of discussing next season's program NOT REMOVE -WAILY [j 79, NO. 32 NEW YORK, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1941 TEN CENTS ANTI-'5-BL0CK' BILK IN THREEJTATES Domestic B.O. Seen Gaining in First Half of 1941 THE WEEK IN REVIEW "l/" Announces 47 Pix By L. H. MITCHELL " UNIVERSAL: At its early Chicago sales meeting, Universal announced 47 features for the 1941-42 season, naming 18 titles. Included in the line-un will be seven western adventure films. Universal Corp., parent company, had a net profit in 1940 of $2,232,805, according to its financial statement. This is a jump "f 123 per cent over the 1939 net. William A. Scully, sales head, stated that Universal exhibitors' accounts were up 10 per cent. Jack Bannon was nampd aide to F. J. A. McCarthy, Eastern division sales manager, and Gordon C. Craddock to William Heineman, Western sales manager. m 3 :: ARBITRATION: First case under the arbitration provisions of the New York equity suit consent decree was filed by the Walbrook Theater, Baltimore, in reference to clearance. Second was by E. F. Vanderveer. owner of the State Theater, Morris, 111., against Loew's, Inc., alleging the distrib. company refused to license him for secondrun pix. Arbitration Journal of the AAA. in an article on arbitration under the decree, stated that the 15 years' experience of the AAA in arbitration was at the call of the pix industry. * * # M. P. ACADEMY: President Roosevelt has accepted invitation of Walter Wanger, M. P. Academy prexy, to address by radio from Washington the awards banquet on the night of Feb. 27. Academy has finished its listing of nominations for awards and the ballots were sent out on Thursday. On the evening of ihe banquet a broadcast on what pictures can do for the national defense program will be put on the air from the Philharmonic Auditorium, L. A., with speeches by Wanger, Donald Ogden Stewart, Rosalind Russell and Manchester Boddy, L. A. publisher. * * * THIS .AND THAT: Report gained (Continued on Page 9) Good Increase in Profits" Forecast by Standard Trade and Securities New Survey "A good increase in profits from operations in this country" is forecast for the film industry during the first half of the current year by Standard Trade and Securities' current motion picture survey. The survey just released says: "The effect of increasing domestic theater attendance, larger film rentals, and operating adjustments made in the past year is expeced (Continued on Page 3) $500,000 Tax Saving Looms Via Ohio Bill Columbus — Theater owners of Ohio will save approximately $500,000 annually if a bill hoppered by Rep. Tohn'T. DeRighter of Cleveland to reduce state admissions tax from 3 per cent to 2 per cent passes and is signed by the Governor. Pete J. Wood, secretary of the ITO (Continued on Page 8) Five Banks to Purchase Paramount Debentures Listing of $2,492,800 additional 3% per cent convertible debentures of Paramount Pictures was authorized Friday by the New York Stock Exchange. Debentures are due in (Continued on Page 3) "Little 3" To Argue For Dismissal Today Federal Judge Henry W. Goddard will hear an application of the "Little Three" today to dismiss the Government's complaint in the New York equity suit. The attorneys for the "Little Three" alternatively will ask the court to strike out all allegations in the complaint which refer in any manner to the five companies, signatories of the consent decree. The "Little Three" contend that the complaint is insufficient because these three companies alone could not create a monopoly. N. H. Theater Files Arbitration Demand Boston — New England's first arbitration case to be filed under the New York consent decree went upon the records Friday of the local board, with Paulstan, Inc., of which Benjamin Gold is general manager, as plaintiffs against Paramount et (Continued on Page 4) Advisory Arbitration Unit For New Jersey Allied A committee of five to act in an advisory capacity in the preparation of arbitration cases has been appointed by Allied Theaters of New Jersey. The committee will assist (Continued on Page 7) Amusement Tax for Australia ? War-Time Measure Would Hit 1,500 Theaters RKO Thru Severe Pix Crisis, No Borrowing — Schaefer West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Despite loss of certain foreign markets, George J. Schaefer, president of RKO Radio, declared his organization has weathered one of severest crises in the industry's history without borrowing from banks and that it is (Continued on Page 7) Sydney (By Mail)— With a theater tax already in effect in all Australian states except Queensland, imposition of a war-time Federal amusement levy looms as a new b.o. worry for Australia's 1,500 film theaters. Average admission prices at firstrun theaters (evenings) are from 1 shilling 6 pence to 5 shillings; at other theaters, from 1 shillingto 2^ shillings 6 pence. No officiar "fig^ (Continued on Paae 3) Will Be Hoppered in Minn. Next Week for N.W. Allied; Dakota Introductions Next By GEORGE E. GUISE FILM DAILY Staff Correspondent Minneapolis — Legislative Committee of Allied Theater Owners of the Northwest, following an all-afternoon session with E. L. Peaslee, president, announced Friday night its bill to contravene blocks-of-five provision of the New York consent decree will be introduced in the Minnesota Legislature within a week, with subsequent introduction in North and South Dakota planned. Decision of the committee to spon (Continued on Page 4) Camels Interested In Sponsored Game! Possibility of an invasion of the theater field by the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. through a sponsored game was foreseen Friday when a demonstration of a new game was given in the Chanin Building Theater with Camel Cigarette material (Continued on Page 7) BMI Bids for Indie Exhib. Aid in "War" With Ascap Radio networks, through BMI, are seeking to line up indie exhib. support in the present "war" with Ascap. Strategy is disclosed through a (Continued on Page 7) Metro Planning FM Station at Studio Wrst Coast Bur., THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Metro-GoldwynMayer Studios, Inc., has applied to the FCC for authority to operate an FM station at Culver City. Operation would be on 45.5 megacycles, covering 7,060 square miles, with an estimated population of 2,468,178. Metro is the first studio to apply forjan^f M pf rjnit^ +7 M HZ T3 — 3T5 1 s r ci ci im c 1 W