Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1940)

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16 Motion Picture Daily Monday, March 4, 1940 RCA's Gross Shows Boost of lOi Million RCA earned a consolidated net profit of $8,082,811 during 1939, an increase of $670,739 over the preceding year, the annual report to stockholders revealed over the weekend. Consolidated gross income was $110,494,398, an increase of $10,526,288. All subsidiaries, including NBC, RCA Manufacturing, RCA Communications, Radiomarine Corp. of America, and RCA Institutes, operated on a profitable basis for the year, the report said, but gave no breakdown of figures. The profit was equivalent to earnings of 35 cents per share on outstanding common stock, after payment of all preferred dividends. Manufacturing provided 50.7 per cent of RCA's gross income, broadcasting 36.9 per cent, communications 7.9 per cent, and all other sources, 4.5 per cent. Total current assets amounted to $44,358,951 at the end of 1939, compared with $41,931,924 for 1938. Liabilities were $18,612,686 as compared with $13,259,860. The report called attention to two new television developments which are now technically ready for public service. The radio relay system for a television network is the first and large screen television is the other. Speaking of the latter, the report states : "The other new television development is the improved projection of a large screen television image, of a size and clarity suitable for theatre presentation. Large screen television will permit the showing of current events and other programs to large audiences. The relay system described offers a practical means for distributing television programs to theatres, whether in a single locality or in the several cities of a television network." RCA Report Reveals RKO Stock Holdings RCA holdings in RKO, after exchange of its old securities for the new ones provided under the reorganization plan, were disclosed by the annual report to RCA stockholders over the weekend. RCA holds 44,757 shares of preferred stock, 316,328 shares of common, and 555,254 option warrants each of which permits the purchase of one share of common at $15 within the next 10 years or one-half share at $10 within the next five years. Await Master Word In Chicago Action Chicago, March 3. — Attorneys for the Government and the defendants in the suit filed here against Balaban & Katz and the major companies for alleged violation of a consent decree, have not heard from Master in Chancery Edgar Eldredge if any oral arguments will be heard on the case. Seymour Simon, special assistant to the Attorney General and active in the prosecution of the suit, has resigned. He will go into private practice with Gordon L. Bazelon, Chicago attorney. Radio Brevities FREQUENCY modulation stations will make a determined bid to wrest some of the air channels alloted to television for their own uses when the F.C.C. hearings start later this month. Sentiment among broadcasters experimenting with FM is that FM is much further advanced than the video art and is entitled to more space on the air lanes. Approximately 100 stations have already applied for FM licenses and the number is rising daily. Major Ed-^ win H. Armstrong, holder of many basic FM patents, believes that there will be about 300 applicants within the next few months. A demonstration Thursday night linked Alpine, N. J., with Paxton, Mass., without the use of telephone wires. As soon as the snows melt on Mt. Washington, N. H., W1XER will be able to complete its transmitter and there will be facilities open for a complete FM network servicing the area from New Jersey to Canada. Set manufacturers report that they are several months behind in deliveries on FM sets. Stromberg-Carlson, for example, is planning to run newspaper ads advising the public of the delay and asking for patience. NBC Billings Soar Gross billings at NBC continued their upward trend during February with a 10.2 per cent rise over the same month last year. Billings totalled $4,132,084 for both the Red and Blue networks. Total gross revemie for the first two months of this year was $8,537,292, an increase of 9.7 per cent over $7,782,595 for the same period last year. The Blue network billings rose sharply to $905,101 for an increase of 17 per cent over February, 1939, while the Red grossed $3,226,983, an increase of 8.5 per cent over the same month laist year. Tompkins in Broadcast Music Post Merritt E. Tompkins was appointed general manager of Broadcast Music, Inc., over the weekend. Tompkins is president of Associated Music Publishers, and was formerly vice-president and general manager of G. Schirmer, Inc. Tompkins declared that BMI would deal not only with individual writers but also with publishing houses, transcription companies and associations in Europe and South America. Arrangers will be employed on both full and part time basis. Personalities in the News Fred Weber, Mutual' s general manager, flew to Florida on Friday for a one week vacation. . . . Lenox R. Lohr, NBC president, will speak at the Advertising Club of New York dinner on March 27 and at a luncheon meeting of the Advertising Club of Baltimore on April 3. . . "Lum and Abner" will broadcast today, Wednesday and Friday from New York, returning to Hollywood on March 11. . . . Arthur Hale's news broadcasts over WOR on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays will be sponsored by Look Magazine. . . . Martha Deane will be heard Mondays through Fridays at 11:15 A. M. over WOR instead of 3 P. M. starting today. . . . Dick Powell, who resumes film work Sunday in Paramount's "I Want a Divorce," will also resume radio work on Thursday as emcee of "Good News of 1940." Dramatize Roosevelt's Term CBS salute to WJSV, Washington, tomorrow evening at 9:30 will feature a dramatization of the first 100 days of President Roosevelt's first term. Seek "Wind" on Lux Show A deal to have the Academy Award winners appear March 11 on the "Lux Radio Theatre" with a dramatization of "Gone With the Wind" was being pushed over the weekend by the J. Walter Thompson agency. Under the proposal, the Academy would receive $20,000 from the agency with the performers donating their services. Attempt to Settle F. & M. Suit Fails Sr. Louis, March 3. — An attempt to reach a settlement in the suit of Fanchon & Marco, Inc., and two of its subsidiaries to regain $42,200 alleged to have been paid in legal fees to John S. Leahy and two associates, was unsuccessful. At the resumption of the trial, accountants of the film company were called as witnesses and financial records were introduced. Boston Gives Big $47,000 To 'Passage' Boston, March 3. — "Northwest Passage" was the big attraction, grossing $28,000 at Loew's Orpheum and $19,000 at Loew's State. "The Big Guy" (Univ.) KEITH BOSTON— (3,200) (25c-40c-55cT-.j 7 das. Phil Spitalny band. Gross: $20,500. (Average, $8,500) "Swiss Family Robinson" (RKO) "Reno" (RKO) KEITH MEMORIAL — (2,907) (25c-35c40c -55c) 8 days. Gross: $23,000. (Average, $14,500) "Brother Rat and a Baby" (W.B.) "Parole Fixer" (Para.) PARAMOUNT — (1,797) (25c-35c-40c-55c) 7 days. Gross: $11,500. (Average, $7,000) "Brother Rat and a Baby" (W.B.) "Parole Fixer" (Para.) FENWAY — (1,332) (25c -3 5c -40c -55c) 7 days. Gross: $9,000. (Average, $4,500) "Judge Hardy and Son" (M-G-M) "British Intelligence" (W.B.) METROPOLITAN — (4,367) (25c-35c-40c55c) 7 days. Gross: $22,500. (Average, $14,500) "Balalaika" (M-G-M) "Earl of Chicago" (M-G-M) SCOLLAY— (2,500) (25c-35c-40c-5Oc) 7 days. Gross: $4,500. (Average, $4,000) "Northwest Passage" (M-G-M) "The Lone Wolf Strikes" (Col.) LOEW'S STATE— (3,000) (25c-35c-40c-55c) 7 days. Gross: $19,000. (Average, $11,000) "Northwest Passage" (M-G-M) "The Lone Wolf Strikes" (Col.) LOEW'S ORPHEUM— (2,900) (25c-35c-40c55c) 7 days. Gross: $28,000. (Average, $14,500) Helen Hayes' Father Dies Pearson, Md., March 3. — Frank V. Brown, father of Helen Hayes, died at his home here Friday. MY SINCERE THANKS TO EVERYONE HATTIE McDANIEL BEST PERFORMANCE SUPPORTING ACTRESS "GONE WITH THE WIND"