The Exhibitor (1966)

I Warner Bros. Net Income Rises; Eight Films Currently Shooting NEW YORK — \Varner Bros. Pictures, Inc., reports for the six months ended Feb. 26 con¬ solidated net income of $3,369,000, represent¬ ing 69 cents per share on the 4,877,552 shares of common stock outstanding at that date. The consolidated net income for the corres¬ ponding period last year amounted to $2,683,000, which represented 55 cents per share on the shares outstanding at Feb. 21, 1965. Film rental income from theatrical exhibi¬ tion amounted to $32,022,000, and from television exhibition $19,430,000; record, music, and other income, $15,372,000; divi¬ dends from foreign subsidiaries not con¬ solidated, $168,000; and profit from sales of capital assets, $3,000, for the six months ended Feb. 26, as compared with $26,318,000, $10,699,000, $10,835,000, $15,000, and $487,000, respectively, for the six months ended Feb. 27, 1965. Net current assets at Feb. 26 were $45,348,000, and debt due after one year was $7,289,000, compared wth $45,517,000 and $8,961,000, respectively, at Nov. 27, 1965. Warner Bros, had eight major motion pic¬ tures in production around the world as “A Covenant With Death” went before the cam¬ eras on location in New Mexico. All are being filmed in color. In addition to “A Covenant With Death,” two other films are on location elsewhere in the United States, “Any Wednesday” in New York and “Hotel” in New Orleans. There are three productions in Europe: “Kaleidoscope,” “Legacy of a Spy,” and “Day of the Champ¬ ion.” Now being completed at the Warner Studios in Burbank, Calif., are “An American Dream” and “Not With My Wife, You Don’t!” U’s Wortman To London LONDON — Jay Kanter, MCA vice-presi¬ dent who heads up Universal Pictures Limited, announced that Marshall Wortman, associate director of industrial relations at Universal City Studios for the past six years, will be transferred to London to take over the manage¬ ment of business affairs. Wortman, who had been here for the past month acquainting himself with his new duties, will return in June to take up his current assignment in line with the company’s expand¬ ing production program. Before joining Universal City Studios, Wort¬ man was director of business affairs for Cali¬ fornia National Productions, a subsidiary of the National Broadcasting Company, and studio manager for Samuel Goldwyn. Raphet On Europe Tour NEW YORK — David Raphel, vice-presi¬ dent, 20th-Century-Fox International, left last week for Europe, where he and Julian Berman, continental manager, will conduct a four-week tour of 20th-Fox’s European branch sales of¬ fices. They will discuss sales policies on the forthcoming season’s line-up of product with branch sales executives, and meet with import¬ ant exhibitors in each territory. In addition, they joined Jonas Rosenfield, Jr., 20th-Fox vice-president and director of advertising, publicity, and exploitation, and Emile Buyse, director of advertising and pub¬ licity for Europe, at the Cannes Film Festival, where 20th-Fox’s “Modesty Blaise” was screened in competition. University, Exhibits Clash Over Campus Screenings SEATTLE — Local theatre owners and the University of Washington clashed at a legislative hearing on the showing of movies on campus. Spokesmen for the Theatre Owners and Operators of Washington told the legisla¬ tive Council’s suh-committee on commerce, industry, trades, and professions that taxsupported institutions should not engage in competition with private enterprise. University of Washington representatives defended the campus screenings, which are limited to students and faculty and are sponsored hy the Associated Students. The controversy has led to student picketing of a U-District theatre after a distributor can¬ celed three films scheduled for showing at the University. AIT Promotes Donnelly NEW YORK — Ralph E. Donnelly has been appointed vice-president in charge of film buying and booking of Associated Independent Theatres. The announceI ment was made by Con¬ rad Baker, president, in behalf of the board of directors. Donnelly, 34, formerly general manager of A.I.T. (which operates 23 theatres on Long Is¬ land, New York City, Westchester, and New Jersey), has been with the firm since its founding in 1953. He has handled all phases of its operation from the management level, including personnel, new construction and booking. \ Donnelly New Trends Chiefs Tour NEW YORK — Edward Anthony Myerberg, president of New Trends Associates, Inc., and Leo F. Samuels, general sales manager for the company, are on a three weeks, 10 city tour of the United States to set up their new series of children’s matinee films. First stop was to be San Francisco, and other cities on the route include Los Angeles, Dallas, New Orleans, Miami, Atlanta, and elsewhere. In addition to visiting exhibitors in these cities, they will also visit public and parochial school heads. David Selznick’s “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” Paul Gallico’s “Small Miracle,” “Black Beauty,” “Long John Silver’s Return to Treasure Island,” and David Selznick’s “Little Lord Fauntleroy” are some of the pictures they are selling. Black Ink For Cinerama LOS ANGELES — Cinerama, Inc., reported its operating results for the 13 weeks ended April 2. Gross income was $1,150,324; net profit for the 13 weeks was $145,495; and net profit per share was five cents. Allied's Cohen To Attend Annual Will Rogers Meet BUFFALO — Sidney J. Cohen, president, { Motion Picture Theatre Owners of New York, Inc., will attend the annual meeting of the i Will Rogers Hospital and O’Donnell Research 1. Laboratories, starting Thursday, June 9, at i Whiteface Inn on Lake Placid. Cohen is a 1 member of the board of directors. The dedication ceremonies of the Abe Montague Memorial Library and Study Center at the Will Rogers Hospital, Saranac Lake, will be held Friday, June 10 at 10:30 a.m. There will be a welcoming cocktail party at 1 Whiteface Inn at 6:30 on June 9, with dinner at 7:30. The annual board of directors meet¬ ing will be held Saturday morning, June 11, 'j at Whiteface Inn. ' Following the ceremonies at the Study I Center, there will be a short tour of the en¬ tire plant and operation of the hospital and laboratories. The annual luncheon will be 1 held at noon at the hospital, and that same » evening, the entire group will be entertained by Fred Schwartz at Holiday Harbor, an entertainment center. ; Cohen has sent a brochure to members of New York Allied on the New York and New Jersey combined convention, Monday through Thursday, Aug. 8-11, at the Concord on Kiamesha Lake in the Catskills and urges all members to send in their reservations at once as a capacity attendance is expected. Reservations should be sent to Concord Hotel, Kiamesha Lake, N. Y., convention office. The brochure gives rates and accom¬ modations. Biggest Sign Sells ''Bible'' NEW YORK — Work has begun to convert the largest sign area on Times Square into a mammoth advertising display for the New York roadshow engagement of Dino De Laurentiis’ production of “The Bible.” Mea¬ suring 61 feet tall and covering the entire block between 45th and 46th streets on the west side of Broadway, the sign contains approximately 16,200 square feet of display area. The display will depict the six major se¬ quences of the 20th Century-Fox release: the Creation, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and the Ark, the Tower of Babel, and the story of Abraham. In addition to presenting the cast and credits, the sign also will invite mail orders and theatre party inquiries. The huge display area previously has been used to advertise three 20th-Fox reserved-seat attractions simultaneously: “The Sound of Music,” “Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines,” and “The Agony and the Ecstasy,” as well as to announce the coming of “The Bible.” Each week, an estimated 13,000,000 people view the sign. “The Bible” will have its world premiere Sept. 28 at Loew’s State. Hecht Joins SIP HOLLYWOOD — The Society of Indepen¬ dent Producers has added the 25th member since its formation 18 months ago. Harold Hecht, one of Hollywood’s leading indepen¬ dent producers, has joined the Society, it was announced by Eugene Arnstein, executive vicepresident of S.I.P. Hecht is currently preparing “The Way West,” which stars Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum, Richard Widmark, and Lola Al¬ bright for United Artists release. 10 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR May 18, 1966