Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1941)

DO NOT « MOTION PICTURE DAI LY NEW YORK, U.S.A., MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 1941 Alert, InteWigei awTy to the^ cjtion Picture Industry JVOL. 49. NO. 13 Warner Net Is $1,276,316 For Quarter Compares With $642,129 For 1939 Period Warners and subsidiary companies report net profit of $1,276,316, after all charges, for the 13 weeks ending Nov. 30, 1940, the first quarter of the company's fiscal year. This compares with net profit of $642,129 for the corresponding 1939 quarter. The profit is equal to $12.81 per share on the 99,617 shares of preferred stock outstanding, and 31 cents per share on 3,701,090 shares of common stock outstanding. Income for the period amounted to $24,934,488, and operating costs $21,462,516. Amortization and depreciation of properties amounted to $1,123, (Continucd on page 6) Mexican Considers Producing in Texas San Antonio, Tex., Jan. 19. — J. U. Calderon, head of Aztec Distributing Co., Mexican distributor, has conferred here with Mayor Maury Maverick on the possibility of producing Mexican films in this city. Calderon was introduced to the Mayor by prominent local citizens and Mayor Maverick pointed out to the Mexican film executive the advantages of San Antonio as a site for production. Calderon conferred also with a number of leading San Antonio citizens and visited a number of local sites. Mexican production has been facing increasing difficulties during the past several years, handicapped chiefly by labor problems, the lack of Government aid, and insufficient working capital. Jenkins' Decree Talk Schedule Set Felix A. Jenkins, 20th Century-Fox general counsel, next weekend will leave the Coast, where he is conferring with company executives, for a series of consent decree discussions at the company's branches. Jenkins has prepared a handbook on the decree, designed for the sales force. He plans to visit all branches in the United States and Canada. Tentative (Continued on page 6) Judging List Large For Quigley Awards A record number of executives are expected to participate in the judging for the Quigley Grand Awards, sponsored by the Managers' Round Table of Motion Picture Herald, to be held at the Hotel Astor on Jan. 28. Following the judging in this seventh annual exploitation competition, Martin Quigley will be host at a luncheon for the judging committee and guests. Industry leaders will speak at the luncheon. 4Time' Release Set Despite Wheeler The March of Time will release its latest issue, "Uncle Sam — The NonBelligerent," in the form in which it was completed, despite a demand for deletions made by Senator Burton K. Wheeler, March of Time announced over the weekend. Resuming his attacks against alleged war propaganda on the screen, Wheeler telegraphed Louis de Rochemont, editor of the March of Time, demanding that his picture and statements be deleted from the reel. Wheeler, who saw the film late last week, charged de Rochemont with bad faith, explaining that he had understood his statements would be used equally with those of President Roosevelt or his supporters, "and not just one sentence." In his reply to Senator Wheeler, de (Continued on page 6) Five international short wave stations operated by NBC, General Electric and Westinghouse will be hooked up into a single network today for the broadcast of President Roosevelt's inaugural address. The agreement was effected Friday by John F. Royal, NBC vice-president in charge of international relations. NBC's rebroadcasting agreements with stations in Central and South America assure that at least 50 stations between Havana and Buenos Aires will pick up the program and rebroadcast it either in Spanish or Portuguese, Royal said. Each of the five stations will concentrate on a special audience. The Westinghouse station in Boston with (Continued on page 8) Nazis Reorganize Trade in Holland; Dominate Market By PHILIP DE SCHAAP Amsterdam, Jan. 19. — The Dutch film trade has been virtually reorganized since the Nazi occupation, with a number of changes in the Dutch Bioscoop Bond, trade organization, changes in theatre management, and the like. German interests dominate. All American product, which up to May 10 last accounted for more than 60 per cent of the product in Holland, and all French and English films have been prohibited by the Nazi authorities. This includes newsreels. Only Columbia, represented by Loet C. Barnstijns Filmdistributie, and RKO have been permitted to release short subjects, but RKO films are fast disappearing from the market. Ufa and Tobis, the German companies, now dominate this market. They are the only companies releasing new product. Several independents offer old German films, and Profilti, Dutch newsreel company, supplies some short product and newsreels. Shipment of films has been seriously restricted by the lack of gas and oil. Ufa and Tobis have taken over many of the country's leading theatres, and gained control over considerable circuit operation, from the Dutch owners. Theatre business is far below average, chiefly because few people venture from their homes at night. Double bills are no longer permitted. The prohibition on American, English and French product has resulted in the closing of about 27 offices. Agencies Exempted In Labor Measure Albany, Jan. 19. — Theatrical employment agencies and theatrical and radio booking offices are specifically exempted from provisions of a bill introduced in the legislature on Friday by Assemblyman Ralph Schwartz which amends labor and business laws to regulate fee-charging employment agencies. Details of proposed legislation to tax chain stores are being worked out for early introduction. Former measures of the kind have included theatre circuits but these may be exempted in the forthcoming legislation, it is understood. Impartial TEN CENTS BMI Courting Exhibitors in Ascap Battle Kuykendall Voices His Support of Radio Broadcast Music, Inc., is courting exhibitor support in its campaign against Ascap, it was learned over the weekend. Ed Kuykendall, M.P. T.O.A. president, while asserting that the national exhibitor organization had not "been invited to participate in the radio-Ascap fight," added that "we naturally wish radio well in its efforts to defeat a monopoly." It was learned that BMI has endeavored to obtain some expression from Kuykendall concerning exhibitors' views on the broadcasters' "war" with Ascap, particularly since an M.P .T.O.A. bulletin several weeks ago which said that while exhibitors are not directly involved in the fight it may have results which will affect them. In addition, the National Association of Broadcasters has prepared reprints of a letter, sent to Newsweek by A. B. Harris of the Echo Theatre, Encampment, Wyo., attacking Ascap's music tax on theatres, and is mailing (Continued on page 8) RKO Starts 'Smith' Previews in Buffalo First preview of RKO's "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" was at the Century in Buffalo Friday night, with local exhibitors and newspapermen as guests. The film was screened in addition to the regular show. Similar previews have been set for all exchange cities beginning today and ending Jan. 28. RKO district and branch managers will be hosts at the screenings. Gus Schaefer, Northeastern district manager ; Elmer Lux, branch manager ; Terry Turner, head of the field exploitation staff, and Harry Reiners and George Degnon, field representatives, attended the Buffalo showing. Reviewed Today Reviews of "High Sierra," "Trail of the Silver Spurs" and "Night of the Mayas" will be found on Page 7. Short Subject Reviews are on Page 6. Shorts Wave Hookup Set For Inaugural Address V