Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1959)

Motion Picture Daily 5 S.W. Theatres ( Continued from page 1 ) "Hollywood has been making fewer pictures." Stanley Warner, he added, "is in the forefront of discussions to convince the studios that they should embark on an expanded production program. Indications are that Hollywood is planning to yield to the theatre industry proposals and to reverse the 'declining trend of production." i With an increase in the number and quality of releases there should be a further rise in theatre income, he predicted. Some Houses Jettisoned J Fabian also reported to stockholders on the disposal of theatres which are no longer proving profitable. "In the 1959 fiscal year," he said, "16 properties owned in fee were sold; eight theatres formerly under lease are no fimger operated." I While a profit was realized on the sale of some properties overall these dispositions showed a net loss of $814,000 after deducting the savings in federal income taxes arising from such losses. These properties showed operating losses of about $205,000 in 1959, but such losses will, of course, not recur, he pointed out. $9,887,000 Before Taxes The company's consolidated net profit before federal and foreign insome taxes for 1959 was $9,887,000 liter provision of $4,757,000 for depreciation and amortization of properies and $2,104,800 for amortization )f the cost of Cinerama films. Taxes imounted to $2,925,000, and also deleted was $2,150,000 (a non-cash fern) representing that portion of the Itraordinary non operating losses buivalent to the saving in federal inbme taxes which would have been fflyable except for such losses. For the 1958 year the profit before federal and foreign income taxes was |,833,100 after provision of $5,450,|0 for depreciation and amortization f properties and $2,396,200 for pfiortization of the cost of Cinerama tons. REVIEW: Never So Few Canterbury — M-G-M — CinemaScope Losses Under Last Year During the 1959 fiscal year extraorinary non-operating losses amounting > $1,641,100 after income taxes were irged to earned surplus. Last year pes from unusual property disposifcs of $2,303,400 were likewise Barged to earned surplus. Theatre admissions and merchan|se sale sand other income of Stanley Earner and subsidiaries, including its 'holly owned subsidiary, Internationf Latex Corp., for the year ended <ug. 29, 1959, totaled $123,877,700, tuch is an increase of 9 per cent Per similar income of $113,319,000 T the prior year. Fabian pointed out that Stanley garner's financial position is very fang. Cash and government securips, which on Aug. 29, 1959, totaled 18,188,400, exceeded all current liaUities. Current assets amounted to p5,392,500 which was $7,096,300 fore than the sum of current lia'bili A wartime romance is played out by Frank Sinatra as an American Army captain and Gina Lollobrigida as a Hungarian refugee in Calcutta against the background of fighting in the North Burmese jungle in World War II in "Never So Few." The story comes from a novel by Tom T. Chamales which attracted attention a few years ago, and that factor added to the marquee appeal of the stars, and photography in CinemaScope and Metro Color will assure this film of prime playing time. The peculiar nature of the warfare conducted by Kachin guerillas in Burma under the leadership of American and British personnel is effectively depicted in a number of battle scenes in the film. Best of these is an Allied attack on a key Japanese airfield which in the hands of the enemy is holding up completion of the Burma Road. Dynamite is exploded and oil poured all over the place and set afire in a flaring and vivid depiction of the havoc of war. Millard Kaufman has also incorporated into his screen play a controversial situation that developed with the Chinese allies of the British and American soldiers in Burma, as described in the Chamales book. An American camp is raided and Sinatra discovers that his men have been killed not by the enemy but by Chinese with U.S. equipment. He captures a part of the raiders and finds they have a warrant from a Chungking government war lord authorizing them to attack all "invaders." The gear they capture is sold to the Japanese, with whom the regular Chinese army is at war. Insisting on exposing this corruption, even though it means great embarrassment to Chungking, Sinatra orders the Chinese defectors executed. He is then arrested by his own superiors but eventually exonerated and the Chungking government takes action against the bandits. This incident supplies drama and novelty to the war element of "Never So Few." On the other hand the romance, which gets at least half the total footage runs a conventionally rough and rocky road. Miss Lollobrigida at first resists Sinatra (she is being kept by a wealthy man of mystery played by Paul Henreid) and then later decides to give in to the strong attraction they feel for each other. She leaves Henreid, and at the end is reunited with Sinatra. The two co-stars play surprisingly well with each other, with Miss Lollobrigida appearing to greater advantage than she has in some time in an American film. Sinatra gives an earnest and direct performance and various other actors, including Peter Lawford, Steve McQueen, Brian Donlevy, and Dean Jones, interpret the usual G.I. soldier "types."' Richard Johnson is good as the British co-commander with Sinatra in the Burmese fighting. Edmund Grainger produced and John Sturges directed this Canterbury Productions, Inc., film for M-G-M release. Running time, 124 minutes. General classification. Release, in December. Richard Gertner ties, funded debt and all other liabilities of Stanley Warner and its subsidiaries. During the 1959 fiscal year prepayments made against the long term bank loan and other debt payments amounted to $7,114,700. The next installment on the long term bank loan is not due until Nov. 1, 1960. In addition to operating 210 theatres in the United States, Stanley Warner manufactures and sells Latex girdles, bras, Latex gloves, baby pants and swim caps. It is in the pharmaceutical field, its proprietary items being Isocline, Isodettes and Calamatum, and its ethical items being Betadine and Supertah. Synthetic latex is manufactured to fill the needs of the company as well as for sales to outsiders. The company also operates a VHF television station serving the AlbanyTroy-Schenectady market. Fox Ad Policy ( Continued from page 1 ) tising and several large-city newspapers had rejected ads, although none were 20th-Fox's. At the time, Einfeld had disclosed his intentions to industry advertising-publicity executives and urged them to take similar action. Newspapers took cognizance of the move, among them "The Tidings," official publication of die Los Angeles Catholic diocese. The paper lauded Einfeld's announcement that 20th-Fox "would begin immediately to give closer scrutiny to its advertising in view of increasing censorship by newspapers." Asked on Friday about developments since the announcement of the Eric Johnston (Continued from page 1) "off-years" in state legislatures, he said, and the industry thus cannot afford "to relax." Pointing to a growing trend of state legislatures to convene annually, rather than in biennial sessions, Johnston noted that next year four more legislatures Pennsylvania, Nevada, Alaska and Hawaii— will be meeting on an annual basis. In addition, Vermont and several other states will hold special sessions in 1960 and 21 state legislatures will meet in regular sessions. "Above all, we must not delude ourselves that our legislative problems next year will affect only a few segments of our industry. They will affect us all," he said. Says '60 May Be Decisive "Our legislative problems were across-the-board and tough in 1959. They will be no less tough in 1960. For us, this may well be a decisive year." "Many of our states are hungry for needed funds and they are necessarily reaching out for funds," Johnston observed. "All too often we seem to be prime meat." He specified some of the areas where legislative measures, now under consideration, could strike hardest at the film industry. He said they included state wage and hour legislation, new admission taxes, sales and use taxes and onerous property and licensing taxes; daylight saving bills, Sunday closing bills and other curfew measures; and various state censorship measures, among them "adults only" classification bills. Will Fight Censorship "As in the past," Johnston said, "this Association will place its full resources against measures which would damage our industry. We intend to fight every attempt to impose censorship or thought-control on our films." "The legislative problem," Johnston emphasized, "is by no means a parttime or piecemeal challenge. It is not just an exhibitor problem. It is not just a distributor problem. It is a fulltime and all-industry problem. "Our Association will join with every segment in the business in tackling this all-industry problem." Cleveland Unit to Meet CLEVELAND, Dec. 6.-The Cleveland Motion Picture Exhibitors Association will hold its annual business meeting to elect officers for the coming year on Dec. 15. It will be a morning meeting in the association rooms. policy at Fox, Einfeld said it is now fully effective and encompasses "all of our advertising, worldwide." "Twentieth Century-Fox is dedicated to good taste in advertising," he said. "We are happy to examine any suggestions for improvement that are brought to our attention. We are certain that other companies are dointj the same."