The Independent Film Journal (1954)

Financial Notes Universal Schedules 11 Releases Through January; Nine Tinted Eleven major pictures, nine of them in color of which two also are in CinemaScope, will be released by Universal-International during the five-month period starting Sept. I, it was announced this week by Charles J. Feldman, vicepresident and general sales manager. These pictures rep¬ resent one of the strongest box office lineups ever released by U-I during a simi¬ lar period, Feldman pointed out. Ex¬ tremely diversified in subject matter, they include drama, comedy, adventure, spectacle, romance, music and action. And in virtually every case the casts are headed by names with box office pull, he added. Included in the releases are two produc¬ tions from the J. Arthur Rank Organization which already have received high acclaim in England. Stars featured in the line-up are Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, Rory Calhoun, Piper Schine Concerns Ordered To Show 1939-54 Books; Federal Perusal Expected Buffalo. — The five corporations bearing the Schine name plus Chesapeake Theatres have been directed by Federal Judge John Knight to produce all journals and ledgers, stock certificate books and corporate minute books for government perusal. Records for the period 1939-54 were designated in the order. Judge Knight in the same decision ordered the compliance of Danell Theatres, Elmart Theatres and the Hildemark Corp. with the government for their respective books. Latter three corporations “have had such close con¬ nections or relations with the various Schine companies,” Judge Knight said, “that it is presumably necessary that the petitioner be permitted to examine their records.” It was additionally directed by Judge Knight that the government state more clear¬ ly and concisely in a bill of particulars the financial and operating interest allegedly ac¬ quired by the defendants in the Pontiac The¬ atre, Ogdensburg, and the Capitol, Oswego. Popcorn Association Sets Sales Session Curriculum Chicago. — The curriculum for the “Col¬ lege of Concession Knowledge,” to be held here during the combined TOA-TESMA con¬ vention and exhibition at the Conrad Hilton Hotel Oct. 31-Nov. 4 under sponsorship of the International Popcorn Association, has been announced. More than 31 subjects will be dealt with in seven three-hour sessions during the course of the convention. Topics will comprise “a full year’s education in concession operation,” ac¬ cording to the co-chairmen, Bert Nathan of Theatre Popcorn Vending Corp. and Nathan Buehman of American Theatre Supply Corp. Laurie, David Brian, Sterling Hayden, Gloria Grahame, Rock Hudson, Arlene Dahl, Colleen Miller, Anthony Steel, Jeff Chandler, Jack Balance, Ludmilla Tcherina, Rita Gam, Marjorie Main, Gloria DeHaven, Gene Nel¬ son, Corinne Calvet, Audie Murphy and Mari Blanchard. The release schedule, as set forth by Feld¬ man, is as follows : “Ti-ie Black Shield of Falworth,” Tech¬ nicolor CinemaScope production starring Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, David Farrar, Bar¬ bara Rush and Herbert Marshall. “Dawn At Socorro,” Technicolor western starring Rory Calhoun, Piper Laurie, David Brian and Kathleen Hughes. “Naked Alibi,” melodrama starring Ster¬ ling Hayden and Gloria Grahame. “Bengal Brigade,” Technicolor adventure story starring Rock Hudson, Arlene Dahl and Ursula Thiess. “Four Guns To The Border,” outdoor Technicolor action film starring Rory Cal¬ houn, Colleen Miller and George Nader. More Films Set “West of Zanzibar,” J. Arthur Rank Or¬ ganization Technicolor adventure film starr¬ ing’ Anthony Steel and Sheila Sim. “Sign of the Pagan,” Technicolor Cine¬ maScope story of Attila the Hun which stars Jeff Chandler, Jack Palance, Ludmilla Tcherina and Rita Gam. “Ricochet Romance,” comedy starring Marjorie Main, Chill Wills, Alfonso Bedoya, Pedro Gonzales and Rudy Vallee. “So This Is Paris,” Technicolor musical starring’ Tony Curtis, Gloria DeHaven, Gene Nelson and Corinne Calvet. “Destrv,” Technicolor western drama starring Audie Murphy, Mari Blanchard, Lyle Bettger, Lori Nelson and Thomas Mitchell. “The Seekers,” J. Arthur Rank Organiza¬ tion adventure film in Eastman Color and starring Jack Hawkins and Glynis Johns. A new set of variable anamorphic lenses, the Hilux Val, developed and manufactured by Projection Optics, Inc., is now available to exhibitors following a demonstration last week at the Paramount Theatre, N.Y.C. Re¬ action of exhibitors, equipment dealers and press members gathered for the demonstra¬ tion was favorable toward the lenses, which sell for $750 a pair. Scenes from Warner Bros.’ “Lucky Me” and M-G-M’s “Knights of the Round Table” were used for the showing. The “Lucky Me” shots started at a compressed 1.33 :1 ratio and then gradually enlarged to fill the Cinema¬ Scope screen. Scenes from a Universal car¬ toon were also used and shown in several dif¬ ferent ratios. With the Hilux Val pictures can be projected in all ratios, it was explained. The lens differs from the SuperSeope and Super Panatar lenses in that it is cylindrical in shape. It screws directly on the objective lens without special attachments to the projector face or chassis, according to the company. The variable prisms in the lens are in¬ dividually adjusted by two independently controlled knobs in place of the gear control used on the other variable anamorphic lenses, Tax Collections Drop Admission tax collections as reported by the Internal Revenue Service in Washington took a drop during the fiscal year ended June 30. Figures were $271,952,000 as against $312,831,000 for the previous fiscal ! year of 1953. Comparisons between the two figures cannot be made since quarterly rather than monthly excise tax returns are now being filed and the admission levy rate has been reduced. S-W Nets $1,494,900 Stanley Warner Corp. and subsidiary com¬ panies report for the 39 weeks ending May 29, 1954 a net profit of $1,494,900 after all deductions, equivalent to 64 cents per share of common stock. For the 13 week period, the net profit was $303,500, equivalent to 13 cents per share. Figures include the operating profit of the International Latex Corp., which became . a wholly owned subsidiary on Apr. 30, 1954. National Barns $1 ,884,636 The consolidated net income, after all charges, of National Theatres, Inc., for the 39 weeks ended June 26, 1954 was reported as $1,884,636, equivalent to 68 cents per share, and almost the same as the $1,873,521 of the same period last year. For the 13 weeks ended June 26, the consolidated net was $577,586 or 21 cents per share, which shows an increase from the $414,992 for the cor¬ responding quarter of 1953. Net profit, less taxes on theatre sales were $57,000 for the 39-week period. Wfi Lists Increase Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. and subsidiary companies report for the nine months ending May 29, 1954 a net profit of $2,536,000 after tax provisions, which shows an increase from the $2,129,000 of the same period last year of the old and new companies. The net profit is equivalent to $1.02 per share on the 2,474,337 shares of common stock out¬ standing or reserved for exchange at May 29. Film rentals and sales amounted to $49,506,002. according to Fred Aufhauser, president of the company. This allow's for more precise adjustment, he stated. With the projector aligned for normal projection, the two knobs on the Hilux Val are turned until both sides of the screen are filled. With this system, there is never any necessity to shift the projector in any direc¬ tion, he pointed out. Good light transmission is claimed for the system because of the use ■ of hig’h index, coated glasses. The use of this glass also permits the use of thinner prisms, which in turn further enhances light transmission and reduces weight, according to Aufhauser. Total weight of the unit is 10 pounds. A corrector lens has been placed at the front of the unit, which means that ail the light within the Hilux Val is parallel. Since all the surfaces are flat, the company claims an absence of any spherical aberration, field curvature, astigmatism or coma for the unit. The corrector lens is a lens with the same focal length as the length of the projection throw. This means that a different lens is re¬ quired for different theatres. The company will supply this lens on an individual basis ( Continued on page 22) Exhibitors See Hilux Vul All-Ratio Lenses Demonstrated THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL— August 21. 1954 12