Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

Yates Optimistic To Stockholders Republic is headed for the biggest year in its history, Herbert J. Yates, president, told stockholders at the company's annual meeting Tuesdav at the home office in New York. To support his optimism Mr. Yates pointed to such forthcoming productions as the big-budget Technicolor picture "I've Always Loved You," produced and directed by Frank Borzage; "That's My Man," Mr. Borzage's second for Republic ; "End of the Rainbow," starring Nelson Eddy and Ilona Massey, and the Roy Rogers outdoor musicals in Trucolor. Mr. Yates presided at the meeting, at which five members of the board were elected. Walter L. Titus, Jr., and Arthur J. Miller were reelected, while Samuel Becker, Harry M. Goetz and Harry C. Mills were confirmed as directors. At the board meeting the current officers were reelected: Mr. Yates, president; James R. Grainger, executive vice-president; Mr. Titus, Edward L. Walton, John J. O'Connell, Mr. Miller, vice-presidents; John Petrauska, Jr., treasurer; Richard S. Rodgers, Robert V. Newman, Nathan K. Loder, assistant treasurers ; Joseph E. McMahon, secretary, and Albert E. Schiller, Ira M. Johnson and Mr. Newman, assistant secretaries. A LOT OF SHOWMANSHIP U-l, GFD Conduct Sales Conference in London Universal-International and General Film Distributors, which distributes U-I product in Great Britain and Ireland, met last week for sales conferences at the Dorchester Hotel, in London. E. T. Carr, co-managing director of GFD, presided, while Joseph H. Seidelman, president of Universal-International, was the principal speaker. Present at the conference were GFD's co-managing director John Woolf and Al Daff, vice-president of U-I, the executives and managers of GFD branches from all over the United Kingdom; Harold Sugarman, foreign manager of Universal's 16mm division, and Fortunat Baronat, U-I director for publicity. Warners' 13-Week Sales Drive Begins April 27 Warner Brothers will hold a 13 -week sales drive April 27 to July 26 to celebrate the end of the 20th year of talking pictures, it has been announced by Ben Kalmenson, vice-president and general sales manager. A series of regional meetings will be conducted by division sales managers. The Canadian exchanges will participate. MGM Gets Capra Picture Frank Capra will both produce and direct Liberty Films Production's screen adaptation of the play, "State of the Union." Under the terms of an agreement completed last weekend the film will be made for MGM at its studio, and will star Spencer Tracy. ONE Hundred and Eight Years of motion picture showmanship, in the theatre and in selling film, are represented in the picture above, of three wise but not weary executives of Screen Guild Productions of Georgia and Film Classics of Atlanta. Reading from left to right, the men are Walter T. Hickey, the "veteran", who began as a Minnesota exhibitor, back in 1905, switched shortly to selling, joined Film Classics in 1944, and has recently piled a record of $350,000 worth of contracts for the Atlanta territory alone; John W. Mangham, the "youngster", now president of the two companies, a man who began in the early 20's, and who has merely 27 years of experience, and Joe Fieldman, who goes back to 1908, who has been with Universal, MGM and other majors, and who now is Florida and south Georgia zone manager. Considering the hours put in by a motion picture man, perhaps the experience record should read 216 years, Mr. Mangham believes. The working day in our business isn't eight hours; it's usually 12 to 20 hours a day and sometimes more, he says. Universal First Quarter Profit Is $756,543 Consolidated net profit for Universal Pictures Company for 13 weeks ended Febru, ary 1 is reported at $756,543, after all charges including Federal taxes based on income. For the same period last year, the company earned $934,506. February Ticket Tax $34,243,592 Washington Bureau The Bureau of Internal Revenue reported this week that February tax collections from all amusements totaled $34,243,592. compared with $31,466,372 during the same month last year. February collections showed a decrease from the previous month when $37,054,760 was collected, compared with $33,741,349 in January, 1946. Treasury receipts for a particular month usually reflect business at the box office for the previous month. Philco Nets $3,107,480 Philco Corporation reported last week net income for the year 1946 of $3,107,408, or $2.13 per common share. Earnings in 1945 totaled $2,377,239, or $1.73 per share. Jackson Park in Fight on Majors Chicago Bureau Filing a reply brief with the United States Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago Monday, the Jackson Park theatre accused the distributors, Balaban & Katz and the Warner circuit of trying to postpone an adverse decision by submitting an innocuous decree of their own. Thomas C. McConnell, Jackson Park attorney, in his brief said: "The defendants, having lost their case on the merits, have sought to weaken and make innocuous the relief to be afforded by various proposals of their own which, if entered, will serve as escape > clauses from any effective enforcement of the injunction and will compel the plaintiffs to re-litigate the cause in order to enforce the decree." Mr. McConnell further contended that Judge Michael L, Igoe's District Court had properly rejected the proposal of the defendants and "we submit that this United States Circuit Court of Appeal cannot do otherwise without in effect nullifying the plaintiff's proven and established rights." The defendants have until April 11 in which to file final rebuttal briefs. It is expected that the Circuit Court of Appeals will hear the Jackson Park case this month. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 5, 1947 23