Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1945)

8 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, March 7, 1945 N. Y. Building Code 95% Set On New Houses (Continued from page 1) ments for projection booths in new theatres including provisions for special-effect machines and stereopticon equipment has also been set. It was emphasized that requirements set by the committee are minimum ones and should not be confused with the standards according to the size of a theatre. Minimum requirements for projection booths in new theatres do not provide space for the installation of equipment which presumably will be needed to make projection of television programs onto screens possible, it was explained. Upon completion 01 consideration of the code provisions on new theatres, the committee will then turn to consideration of provisions for existing theatres. Progress is reported on the latter, but several more meetings will be required before the committee completes that job. The next meeting will be held March 16. Full Enforcement Enforcement of the code, when adopted, "will probably be with the full force of law," it was explained. The Department's plan for strict enforcement is embodied in a bill introduced last week in the State Legislature by Senator William Condon of Westchester and Assemblyman Frederick A. Washburn of Columbia, as reported in Motion Picture Daily on March 1. The Labor Department's advisory committee includes film members Henry Anderson, Paramount; Martin J. Tracey, Century Circuit ; Theodore June, alternate for Harry Moskowitz, of Loew's, and Glen H. Humphrey, of IATSE projectionists Local No. 337. Goldenson Heading South for Meeting Leonard H. Goldenson, Paramount vice-president in charge of theatre operations, has left New York for Jacksonville where he will meet Leon Netter, theatre department executive in charge of Southern theatres, and Frank Rogers, president of Florida State Theatres, for conferences and a visit to theatres in the circuit. Following his Florida visit, Goldenson will go to Cuba for conferences with R. Ramos Cobian, Paramount theatre partner in Havana and Camaguey. Taylor Will Head Para, Coast Office Alfred R. Taylor, for the past two years manager of the Paramount Indianapolis exchange, has been promoted to Los Angeles manager. Chester J. Bell, formerly L. A. manager, is on vacation, and announcement of his new assignment wiM be made upon his return. Taylor will be succeeded in Indianapolis by G. Richard Frank, who has been special representative in that exchange. Argentine Stops Spanish Films Buenos Aires, March 6. — The Argentine Government has ordered the holdup of all Spanish spoken films of foreign origin, pending the issuance of an official decree restricting their exhibition. The action is the result of pressure by Argentine producers, who aim to eliminate competition. Dual-TaxExemption Listed by Treasury Washington, March 6. — New regulations designed to accommodate the income tax laws to the "DoubleTaxation Convention," ratified by the Senate in January, and proclaimed by President Roosevelt on Jan. 5 were issued by the Internal Revenue Bureau here today. The regulations exempt from withholding and income taxes in this country all royalties derived here by a national of France as consideration for the right to use copyrights (films), patents, trade marks, etc., provided the French resident, corporation or other entity organized under the laws of France does not have a permanent establishment within the United States. TBA Designates an Engineering Group Formation of an engineering committee by Television Broadcasters Association, was announced by F. J. Bingley, committee chairman. Bingley is chief television engineer of Philco Radio and Television. Serving on the engineering; committee will be W. J. Purcell, General Electric ; Dr. T. T. Goldsmith, Jr., Du Mont Laboratories ; David B. Smith, Philco ; O. B. Hanson and Robert Shelby, National Broadcasting ; George Lewis, Federal Telephone and Radio ; E. A. Hayes, Hughes Productions ; Harry Lubcke, Don Lee Broadcasting System, and H. L. Blatterman, Earle C. Anthony, Inc. Italians Draft Law To Revive Films The Italian Government has announced that it is formulating a law which will serve to rehabilitate the Italian film industry and aid in reemploying some 100,000 persons, according to press dispatches yesterday from Rome. The law will facilitate the use of property and materials partially saved from Nazi and Fascist pillaging. Italian actors, technicians and other film workers are now mostly unemployed. Renew McGee and Molly Fibber McGee and Molly, voted radio's best comedy team in the recent Motion Picture Daily-Fame radio poll, and who recently appeared in RKO's "Heavenly Days" have had their air-show contract renewed for another 52 weeks over a full NBC network, effective April 3. The pair have been sponsored by S. C. Johnson & Son on NBC since 1935. Kirsch Asks Better Distributor Deals (Continued from page 1) situation is not reflected in neighborhoods, yet the independent exhibitor has fixed expenses he must meet regardless of receipts. If we are to give the distributors our preferred playing time, we must have more attractive deals to assure us a profit, or we cannot survive." Following a check among members, Kirsch revealed that the combination of the midnight curfew and brownout edicts resulted in earlier trade in neighborhood houses, with little business coming in after eight p. m. Advanced admission pictures for neighborhood houses are not encouraged by Allied here, Kirsch said. Seventh Term Kirsch was re-elected president for a seventh term. Others re-elected include : Van Nomikos, vice-president ; Richard B. Salkin, secretary; Harry Nepo, sergeant-at-arms. All directors, with the exception of John Semidatos, who was succeeded by John Mitchell, were re-elected. They are: Arthur Davidson, Ben Banowitz, Bill Charuhas, Edward Trinz, S. Roberts, Charles Nelson, Jack Rose, Ludwig Sussman, Ben Bertelstein, Joseph Stern, Verne Langdon, Benjamin Lasker, Abe Goldstein and Lou H. Harrison. 20th to Make Film On Allies' Confab Twentieth Century-Fox Newsreel is making a feature for the OWI and the Coordinator's Office of the InterAmerican Conference now taking place in Mexico City. Film will be distributed in all of South America by the OWL The picture, a documentary of the conferences, is in Spanish and Portuguese. It is being directed by Tony Muto, assisted by Al Brick. Paul Heise is handling sound, and Eduardo Fernandez is cameraman. Saudek Rejoins Blue Robert Saudek, returning to the Blue Network after a leave of absence for overseas duty with the Office of War Information, has been appointed manager of the network's sales service department, according to an announcement by Charles E. Rynd, vice-president and co-ordinator of operations. Saudek, prior to his OWI assignment, was Eastern sales manager of the Blue. Kosiner Reception Harry Kosiner, Eastern representative for Edward Small, will be host to representatives of the trade press and others at a dinner and reception at Toots Shor's tomorrow evening. A 'sneak preview' of "Brewster's Millions," new Small-United Artists release will be held at a local theatre following the dinner. E. K's Seaman Retires Rochester, N. Y., March 6— Harry T. Seaman, head of the chemical sales division of Eastman Kodak, has retired after 45 years with the company. He was recently feted at dinner by 200 associates. Consolidated Nets $561,719 (Continued from page 1) $9,732,029, leaving an operating profit of $1,405,094, against $8,109,202 and an operating net of $1,256,136 in 1943, Yates reported. At the end of 1944 Consolidated had current assets of $9,588,507, ^ against current liabilities of $1,660,/ 078, and total assets of $12,979,070. The 1944 net was equivalent to $1.40^ per share on the 400,000 shares of CFI preferred stock outstanding, against earnings of $1.44^4 per share in 1943, both after all charges and Federal taxes, added Yates in his annual report to stockholders. Income Rises Sharply The company's president pointed out that, "Income from distribution of Republic Pictures for the year ending Oct. 27, 1944, was $14,555,925, which is substantially in excess of such income for the preceding fiscal year. In connection with net earnings for 1944, in the sum of $569,409, there should be noted deduction of $875,000 for Federal income and excess profit taxes, and advertising and publicity expenses of $1,319,623," he said. "Due to financing of increased inventories and expansion of studio and distribution facilities, the loan indebtedness of Republic Pictures to Consolidated increased from $3,728,535 as of Oct. 31, 1943, to $5,206,640 as of Oct. 27, 1944." Taxes Increase Yates added that in comparing Consolidated Film Industries' net earnings of 1944 with 1943, "it should be noted that provision for Federal taxes and renegotiation of war contracts is $943,000 for 1944, compared with $585,000 for 1943, an increase of $358,000. Renegotiation of war contracts for 1943 has not yet been clQsed, but it is contemplated that it will result in a refund by the corporation and its subsidiary, Consolidated Molded Products Corp. of approximately $300,000 before adjustment for taxes. Renegotiation for 1944 has not yet commenced." Consolidated's stockholders today also will receive a copy of the SetayRepublic annual statement, which discloses a $1,444,409 net profit for the year ended Oct. 27, 1944, realized on a $14,555,925 gross income from film rentals and royalties. Pollock Heads Biow Film Department (Continued from page 1) headquarters at the company's Hollywood office, much of his time will also be spent in New York on final campaign conferences and promotion plans. Before his United Artists association, Pollock was advertising manager for Universal, a post he held for six vears. His earlier experience in thel industry includes some ten years ofj field work as advance man and theatre circuit publicist with Publix, RKO, and other circuits, He entered show business in Chicago after several years as a newspaper reporter and feature writer on Metropolitan dailies.