Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1952)

F'atnnus Year Operations Show Gain TORONTO : Despite an increase in operating profit in 1951, Famous Players Canadian Corporation’s net profit for the year decreased to $3,032,018 from $3,529,514 in 1950, principally as a result of increased taxes, John J. Fitzgibbons, president and managing director, announced here last week. Operating profit last year amounted to $5,393,575, compared with $4,876,359 in 1950. Total dividends per share in 1951 were $1.75, against $2.03 the previous year. In the company’s 32nd annual report, Mr. Fitzgibbons said the increase in the amount set aside for taxes was due to the growth in taxable income, as well as the fact that in 1951 “we felt the full extent of both the five per cent increase in the Federal tax rate . . . and the twenty per cent Federal surtax for defense.” “The constant increase in taxes of all kinds,” he said, “is a matter of great concern to your directors and management, not only for the effect it has on your company . . . but for the effect ... it must have on our economy as a whole.” During 1951, Famous Players and associated companies opened new theatres in four situations and acquired, by lease and otherwise, two more in Newfoundland. In addition, six theatres were completely remodeled. Four more drive-ins were either built or acquired, giving the company an interest in a total of 23 open-air theatres throughout the Dominion. Discussing television, Mr. Fitzgibbons said that in line with the pioneering of theatre TV done by Paramount, Famous Players had Installed similar equipment at the Imperial in Toronto and has an application to build and operate a television station. That application now awaits the decision of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on private station policy. The executive expressed confidence in the continuation of good business in 1952, basing his remarks on the evidence of Canada’s increasing population and expanding economy, as well as on the general improvement of the ([uality of motion pictures. Two Trailer Types +o Be Used for "Encore" Two trailers, one for “art” houses only and another for “regular” theatres, have been prepared by Paramount for the picture “Encore,” Oscar Morgan, in charge of sales on the picture has announced. “We have learned from our experience in releasing ‘Trio’ that pictures appealing alike to the general audience, which patronizes the ordinary first run and neighborhood theatres, and the specialized audience, which attends ‘art’ theatres, require a dual selling approach,” Mr. Morgan said. “Encore” combines three W. Somerset Maugham stories. IN NEWSREELS MOVIETONE NEWS, No. 33— Raging floods in Midwest. President Truman signs Japanese peace treaty. Eisenhower on farewell tour of Europe. Jane Froman home with husband. Boat swept over waterfall. Korean Reds blasted. Baseball, diving. MOVIETONE NEWS, Noi. 3H— Flood crest ^ sweeps down Missouri River. First films of Navy Air Force polar flights. Convicts riot in Michigan. Aga Khan well again. Italian tank men in rough ride. Eisenhower mourns SHAPE aide. Kentucky Derby hopefuls. Joe Di Maggio. NEWS OF THE DAY, No. 267— Midwest flood disaster. U. S. warships blast Korean Reds. New tanks in Korea. Tito warns Allies. Metal P. T. boats. Zoo spring fever. Baseball season opens. Bull-fighting. NEWS OF THE DAY, No. 268— Queen Juliana honored at M&M studio. Jet travel here. Underwater television. Prison revolts. Trumans move into “new" White House. Derby preview. PARAMOUNT NEWS', No. 70— Belgrade demonstration over Trieste. Cave-in at Woodstock. Ont. New Jersey votes for Eisenhower in primaries. Floods. PARAMOUNT NEWS, No. 71-^Jet liner makes flight history. Visit to remodeled White House. Victory over floods. Road race. Horse race. TELENEWS DIGEST, No. I6B— Floods. Korean Reds blasted. Marshal Tito. Eisenhower wins. Deep-sea monster on display. Italian fashions. Baseball season opens. TELENEWS DIGEST, No. 17A— Omaha bests flood crest. Dinner for Averill Harriman. U. S. studies Arctic weather. Gen. Van Fleet honored. German fashions. Aqua ballet. UNIVERSAL NEWS, No. 553— Midwest floods. Red tanks for scrap. Spring at zoo. New music note. UNIVERSAL NEWS, No. 554 — Prison riots. California air crash. Floods. President Truman and AMVETS. Mother of the World. Motorcycle hill climb. Horse race. WARNER PATHE NEWS, No. 72— Midwest floods. Eisenhower beats Taft in New Jersey. Hsenhower starts last NATO tour. Canadian cave-in. Warships cut Red supply line in Korea. Stanley Cup hockey finals. Basketball. WARNER PATHE NEWS, No. 78 -Prison riots. Remodeled White House. Air Force, Navy chart Arctic weather. Ballet for sailors on carrier deck. Motorcycle madness. Horse race. C. H. Barron, 75, Veteran Kansas Exhibitor, Dies Charles H. Barron, 75, formerly of Pratt, Kan., and a pioneer midwest theatre owner, died of a heart attack April 15 at his home in North Hollywood, Cal. Starting with the Majestic theatre at Ponca City, Oklahoma, in 1912, Mr. Barron gradually built his interests to include theatres throughout Kansas. He was well known as a showman and while operating in Wichita was responsible for the repeal of the old Sunday “blue laws.” Mr. Barron moved to California in 1944 following the sale of a portion of his Kansas theatre holdings to the Commonwealth Amusement Company of Kansas City. At the time of his death he retained partnership interests in the Anthony and Star-Vue theatres of Anthony, Kan. Thomas Cummiskey Thomas Cummiskey, 56, sports editor of Movietone News, died April 18 of a heart attack at Yankee Stadium in New York. A former newspaperman, at one time sports editor of the New York Daily Mirror, Mr. Cummiskey is said to have been the first sports editor of sound newsreels in the motion picture industry. Herman Timberg Herman Timburg, 60, well known theatrical figure who had written motion picture scripts for several Hollywood studios and special material for film, stage and radio stars, died in Memorial Hospital in New York April 16 after a long illness. dark Clicks As COMPO A wnhassador DALLAS : A successful series of speaking engagements before civic clubs in Clovis, Portalis, Roswell, Carlsbad and Deming, N. M., has been completed by Duke Clark, speaker for the Texas COMPO Speakers’ Bureau. It is hoped that Mr. Clark’s talks will set a pattern for exhibitors in New Mexico to follow in creating a speakers’ bureau of their own. Said Col. H. A. Cole, co-chairman of Texas COMPO: “Duke has done such a great service for us here in Texas that we felt that we should share him with our neighbours in the southwest.” R. I. Payne, vicepresident and general manager of Theatre Enterprises, which has houses in the cities visited by Mr. Clark, said “this was one of the greatest things that has happened for our theatres in these towns.” Mr. Clark’s first stop was in Clovis where he and Mrs. Clark became the guests of E. R. Hardwick who arranged a Lions Club noon speaking engagement. Attendance was 100 per cent. “They gave him their undivided attention, which is unusual for a Lion’s Club,” Mr. Hardwick said. “The newspaper was good enough to give us front coverage on the story announcing the talk. We believe that our business men received information that will be beneficial to us in the future from a goodwill point of view.” Mr. and Mrs. Clark drove to Portalis for an evening PTA meeting. Clifford Keim had made careful plans there and arranged a reception for the visiting couple. Roswell was the next stop. Boyd E. Scott had planned a meeting of 125 civic leaders at the Yucca theatre there and Mr. Clark’s talk was followed by a screening of “Close to My Heart.” Bill Bartlett arranged a joint meeting of the Lions, Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs for Mr. Clark at the Crawford Hotel in Carlsbad and Mr. Clark also spoke before members of the Chamber of Commerce later in the day. The last engagement was at the El Rancho theatre in Deming where Alvah Haley had promoted a large attendance for the talk and special screening. Audio-Visual Unit Meets A two-day eastern film conference sponsored by the National Audio-Visnal Associaion for 16mm business leaders was to have taken place at the New Yorker Hotel, New York, April 25 and 26. Harold Baumstone, president of Almanac Eihns, is chairman of the proceedings. Gustavus M. Hollstein Gustavus M. Hollstein, 88, owner of the 81st Street theatre in New York and associate of RKO Theatres since 1919, died in New York April 16. With his brother A. Hollstein, Mr. Hollstein built the 81st Street house in 1913. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 26. 1952 41