Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1942)

Motion Picture Daily Thursday, January 8, 19 Warner Brothers Stock Purchases Reported by SEC Washington, Jan. 7. — The Securities and Exchange Commission in its semi-monthly summary of transactions of corporation officials and directors in the stocks of their companies, for November, reports that the three Warner Brothers added materially to their holdings of Warner Bros, common. Albert Warner acquired 14,900 shares for a total of 74,548; Harry M. Warner 6,200 shares to give him 69,060, and Jack L. Warner 17,000 shares to make his total 142,860 shares. In the same stock, Joseph Bernhard, vice-president, acquired 2,500 shares to make his interest 3,000 shares. Para. Debenture Deal The report also showed the disposition of §570,000 face amount of Paramount Pictures 1947 debentures held by Maurice Newton, a director, through Hallgarten & Co. Heavy transactions were reported in Monogram Pictures common stock, with Trem Carr, director, reporting the disposition of 20,169 shares bygift and 2,623 shares by sale, wiping out his holdings in that class, while W. Raj Johnston, president, received 3.274 shares as payment on loan and purchased 1,714 shares, then disposing of 959 shares by gift and 4,000 by sale, leaving him with 24,261 shares at the close of the month. Johnston also reported the acquisition of 3,429 shares through Monogram Pictures of Cincinnati, and subsequently their sale, leaving his holdings unchanged at 3,285 shares so held, and Herman Rifkin, Boston, reported the acquisition of 500 shares to make his total 9,518 shares. Atlas Adds RKO Atlas Corporation continued active in acquiring Radio Keith Orpheum common to make its holdings 836,823 shares, and 1,500 shares of preferred to increase its total to 49,071 shares. Loew's, Inc., acquired another 86 shares of Loew's Boston Theatres common stock to make its holdings 118,774 shares, and Radio Keith Orpheum acquired 30 shares of Keith Albee Orpheum preferred stock to give it a total of 7,506 shares. Preston Davie, director in both Universal Corporation and Universal Pictures, reported the acquiring of 500 common voting trust certificates of the former, to make his interest 4,900, and the sale of 50 shares of the latter's preferred, his entire holdings in that class. Briskin Buys Col. The final transaction reported was the purchase of 200 shares of Columbia Pictures common by Samuel J. Briskin, giving him a total of 2,000 shares. Marking the dissolution of Pathe Film under the plan recently approved by the commission for exchange of securities for Du Pont de Nemours stock, Allen P. Kirby, director, reported the exchange of 2,100 shares of Pathe common held direct, 5,600 shares held through three holding companies and 6,000 shares held through an estate, and Robert M. McKinney, director, reported the exchange of 1 1 shares. Cordon E. Youngman, RKO attor Off the Antenna EDDIE CANTOR on his "Time to Smile" show on NBC-Red last night presented scrolls to Dinah Shore and Harry von Zell betokening their designations in the annual "Champion of Champions" radio poll conducted by Motion Picture Daily on behalf of Fame. Miss Shore was voted Best Female Popular Vocalist. Yon Zell was voted Best Studio Announcer. • • o The planning and Advisory Committee of the* NBC-Red Network, meeting here, has adopted a resolution condemning the use of all four national networks simultaneously except for Presidential addresses, sudden emergencies or for military purposes. "Tying up four networks for one program is in effect attempting to coerce listeners and will fail in its purpose, and will not attract a maximum audience, neither will it spur competitive efforts for program quality," it was declared. "The interests and welfare of the nation can best be served by following the present pattern of independent separate network operation." • • • Program News: Three sponsors enlarged their CBS netvjorks yesterday. Pet Milk has added nine stations for "Experimental Kitchen" for a total of 73 \Celanese Corp. added five for "Great Moments in Music" for a total of 57, and Procter & Gamble added Florida stations for four of its shows, "Woman in White," "Life Can Be Beautiful," "Goldbergs" and "Lone Journey." . . . Anacin Co. will sponsor a variety show with Ray Nelson as master of ceremonies Saturdays 1 :30-2 P.M. over WJZ, starting this zvcek. . . . Chrysler Corp. has cut the Major Bowes "Amateur Hour" from a full hour to 30 minutes, effective tonight. . . . Carter Products has renewed "Inner Sanctum Mystery" over 63 NBC-Blue stations. . . . Bayer Co. has renewed "Album of Familiar Music" over 68 NBC-Red stations. . . . Ward Baking Co. has renewed the 8:45-8:50 A.M. ncivscast over WJZ Monday through Friday. • • • H. V. Kaltenborn, NBC commentator, is organizing a 20-Year Club consisting of veterans who have been in the industry for two decades or more. Kaltenborn started his own radio career in 1922. • • • NBC will contribute more than 100 broadcasts over WEAF and WJZ between Jan. 15 and Jan. 30 to aid the "Mile of Dimes" campaign, Niles Trammell, president, said yesterday. These broadcasts will be in addition to the touring collection booths which the network sends out annually. • • • An NBC executive order announced yesterday that KZRH and KZRC have been cancelled from the network as of Dec. 25. "Cancellation due to war" the order stated tersely. Both carried network slum's by recordings. They are located in Manila. • • • "WHAM wants to be prepared," William Fay, manager of the Rochester, N. Y., station, declared yesterday when he announced that 24-hour operation would start Monday. • • • KGW, Portland, Ore., Red outlet, has notified NBC that it has started night operation with 5,000 watts, while KCRC, Enid, Okla., Blue station, is now operating with 1,000 watts, day and night. • • • A nationwide talent hunt for young violinists is being sponsored jointly by NBC, the Juilliard School of Music and the National Federation of Music Clubs. 'Purchase* $8,800 Is High for Omaha Omaha. Jan. 7. — Louisiana Purchase took $8,800 at the Orpheum. the week's best. The weather was cold and snowy. Estimated receipts for the week ending Dec. 30-31 : "Dumbo" (RKO) "Go West. Young Lady" (Col.) BR ANDETS— (1.200) (30c-44c) 7 days. Gross: $4,400. (Average. $4,000) "Kathleen" (M-G-Ml "Swine It Soldier" (Univ.) OMAHA— (2.000) (30c-44c) 7 days. Gross: W.700. (Average. $6,000) "LouisLara Purchase" (Para.) "SmaP Town Deb" (20th-Fox) ORPHEUM— (3.000) (30c -44c) 7 days. Gross: $8,800. (Average.^ $7,000) "Kfep 'Em Flying" (Univ.) "Marrv the Boss' Dauehter" (2Cth-Fox) PARAMOUNT— (3.000) (30c-44c) 7 days. "Flyinir." 2nd week. Gross: $4,100. (Average. $5,000) ney, reported that he held no KeithAlbee-Orpheum securities when he became an officer of that company on Dec. 5. Matthew Fox, Universal vicenresident, reported ownership of 6,000 Universal Corporation common voting trust certificate warrants last Tune 30. 'Dumbo' Leads in Capital at $13,000 Washington, Jan. 7. — "Dumbo" drew |13,000 at RKO-Keith's in its second week. "Tarzan's Secret Treasure" and a stage show at Loew's Capitol did $17,000. Estimated receipts for the week ending Dec. 30 : "You're in the Army Now" (W. B.) WARNERS' EARLE— (2,200) (28c-3°c55c-66c-77c) 6 days. On stage: Jerry Cooper, Shea & Raymond. Tommy Trent, Helene Faye, Roxvettes. Gross: $11,700. (Average, $12,000) "Blues in the Night" (W. B.) WARNERS' METROPOLITAN— (1,600) (28c-44c) 6 days. Gross: $3,900. (Average, $4,000) "Dumbo" (RKO) RKO KEITH'S — (1,843) (40c-S5c) 7 days. 2nd week. Gross: $13,000. (Average, $8,000) "Two-Faced Woman" (M-G-M) LOEW'S COLUMBIA— (1,250) (28c-44c) 7 days, return engagement. Gross: $6,500. (Average, $3,500) "Tarzan's Secret Treasure" (M-G-M) LOEW'S CAPITOL— (3,434) (28c-39c-55c66c-77c) 7 days. On stage: Harriet Hoctor, Sid Tomack, Reiss Bros., Gautiers Toy Shop, Rockets. Gross: $17,000 (Average. $15,500) "The Corsican Brothers" (U. A.) LOEW'S PALACE— (2.300) (39c-55c) 6 davs. 2nd week. Gross: $13,000. (Average, $11,000) Mutual 1941 Gross Reaches New High Mutual gross billings for 1941 broke all records for the network with a total of $7,300,955, it was reported yesterday. The figure was 53.2 per cent ahead of the $4,767,054 total for 1940, which was the biggest year previously. If the political business billed during 1940 is deducted, 1941 ran 63.2 per cer-V ahead of the previous t~J>; months. The December, 1941, total of $948,498 also set a record for that calendar month, being 64.4 per cent over the same month in 1940. Frequency Change Authorized by FCC Washington, Jan. 7. — The FCC has authorized Station KYOS, Mer ced, Cal., to change its frequenc; from 1,080 to 1,490 kilocycles and in crease its hours of operation from da: to unlimited. The commission also granted powe. increases to six stations, authorizin: WFTL, Ft. Louderdale, Fla., to in crease its power from 250 to 10,00* kilowatts and change frequency fron 1,400 to 710 kilocycles ; WINN, Louis ville.'Ky., to increase night power fron 100 to 250 watts; WHKY, Hickory ja N. C, to increase power from 25<-. s watts to 1,000 watts night, 5,000 watt r. day, and change frequency from l,40i to 1,290 kilocycles; WKWK, Wheel ing, W. Va., to increase power fron 100 to 250 watts ; WSFA, Montgom ery, Ala., to increase power from 50( watts night, 1,000 watts day, to 5,00( watts, and WMBD, Peoria, 111., tc increase night power from 1,000 t( 5,000 watts. Hearings were ordered on the ap plication of Mosby's, Inc., for a nev 1,230-kilocycle, 250-watt station a) Anaconda, Mont., and Donald Flamn for a new 620-kilocycle, 5,000-wat| station at New York. 0 J See No Rise in Tax On Mexico Station^ Mexico City, Jan. 7. — There is tc be no increase in taxes on Mexicai radio stations for some time at leas because the Senate and Congres when they concluded their 1941 ses sion Dec. 31 did not take any actioi on measures calling for raising thes< imposts. It does not seem likely tha any emergency session of the legisla _. ture to be held during the winter wil r' act on these taxes. The Government, President Manue Avila Camacho has announced, is do ing everything to prevent increases ii taxes. Mflj Rule Nazi Film Newsree Albany, Jan. 7. — "Victory in tin West," German film, is a newsreel aw no license is necessary for its ex hibition in New York State, the Ap pellate Division ruled here today, up holding the Commissioner of Educa tion in a suit for injunction brough by Richard R. Rollins. Ascap Shifts Sherwood Baltimore Jan. 7. — Edwin A Sherwood, Ascap district supervisor 'ias been transferred to Cleveland.