Box office digest annual (1945)
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Financial Statements
1937 Profit or Loss
1. Loew’s Inc. (MGM) . $14,426,062.00
2. 20th Century-Fox . 8,617,114.00
3. Paramount* . 6,045,103.00
4. Warner Brothers* . 5,876,133.00
5. RKO* . 1,821,166.00
6. Columbia . 1,317,371.00
7. Gaumont British . 976,065.00
8. Republic . 605,755.00
9. Universal . . . — 1,084,999.90
10. Grand National . — 636,202.00
11. Monogram . . — 239,076.00
Profit of above . $37,724,642.00
1938 Profit or Loss
1. Loew’s, Inc. (MGM) . $9,862,400.00
2. 20th Century-Fox . 7,252,466.00
3. Paramount Pictures . 4,105,676.00
4. Gaumont British . 1,273,357.00
5. Republic . 616,696.00
6. Warner Brothers .... . 347,927.00
7. Columbia Pictures . 183,393.00
8. RKO . 173,578.00
9. Universal Pictures . . — 591,178.00
10. Monogram . — 180,817.00
11. Grand National (Receiver, hip) . Off the Curb
Profit of above . $23,043,498.00
1939
Profit or Loss
1.
Loew’s Inc. (MGGM) .
. $9,841,531.00
2.
20th Century-Fox .
. 4,146,814.00
3.
Paramount Pictures .
3,870,000.00
4.
Warner Brothers .
. 2,279,232.00
5.
LJniversal Pictures .
1,455,962.00
6.
Columbia Pictures .
183,032.00
7.
Monogram .
41,641.00
8.
RKO
. —186,495.00
9.
Republic . no
statement issued
10.
Gaumont British .
(not producing)
11.
Grand National (in receivership) ...
. Off the Curb
Profit of above (except Republic).
$21,631,717.00
1940
Profit or Loss
1.
Loew’s, Inc. (MGM) .
$8,908,470.00
2.
Paramount Pictures .
6,304,064.00
3.
Warners-lst National .
. 2,747,473.00
4.
Universal .
2,390,772.00
5.
20th Century-Fox .
. 2,282,663.00
6.
Columbia .
512,186.00
7.
Republic .
167,303.00
8.
Monogram .
—179,656.00
9.
RKO-Radio .
—988,191.00
Profit of above .
$22,145,084.00
1941
Profit or Loss
1.
Loew’s, Inc. (MGM) .
. $10,792,593.00
2.
Paramount Pictures .
9,295,000.00
3.
Warners-lst National .
6,502,056.00
4.
20th Century-Fox . . .
. 4,921,926.00
5.
Universal . . .
. 2,645,941.00
6.
Columbia . . . .
. 1,013,750.00
7.
RKO-Radio .
. 538,693.00
8.
Republic .
. Nfi statement issued
9.
Monogram . . .
92,302.00
Profit of above .
$35,802,261.00
1942
Profit or Loss
1.
Paramount Pictures . . .
..$14,631,650.00
2.
Loew’s, Inc. (MGM) . . .
12,132,606.00
4.
Warner Brothers .
8,554,513.00
5.
Universal Pictures .
2,968,231.00
6.
Columbia Pictures .
2,922,008.00
7.
RKO-Radio .
736,240.00
8.
Consolidated (Owners of Republic)..
504,352.00
9.
Monogram .
157,104.00
10.
PRC . No
statement issued
Profit of above (except UA and PRC)
$53,216,488.00
1944
Profit or Loss
1.
Paramount Pictures .
$16,488,106.00
2.
Loew’s, Inc. (MGM) .
14,517,255.00
3.
20th Century-Fox .
. . 12,480,491.00
4.
Warner Brothers .
6,953,402.00
5.
RKO-Radio .
5,547,490.00
6.
Universal Pictures .
3,412,701.00
7.
Columbia Pictures .
1,952,917.00
8.
Republic Pictures .
. 569,409.00
9.
Monogram .
. 177,822.00
10.
PRC .
. No statement issued
11.
United Artists .
. No statement issued
Profit of above (except UA
and PRC) $62,099,593.00
1943
Profit or Loss
1.
Paramount Pictures .
$16,077,000.00
2.
Loew’s, Inc. (MGM) .
. 13,791,472.00
3.
20th Century-Fox .
. 12,900,000.00
4.
Warner Brothers .
8,238,483.00
5.
RKO-Radio .
. 6,965,000.00
6.
Universal Pictures .
3,759,968.00
7.
Columbia Pictures .
1,800,000.00
8.
Consolidated (Owners of Republic).... 580,000.00
9.
Monogram .
. 99,144.00
10.
United Artists .
. No statement issued
11.
PRC .
. No statement issued
Profit of above (except UA and PRC) $64,211,067.00
EDITOR’S NOTE: The financial statements published above are for the fiscal year from January 1st to December 31st if such
reports were published: if not, they are for the nearest similar period. The Box OFFICE Digest figures and statistics were compiled by NORMAN WEBB. The financial statements were furnished through the courtesy of E. F. HUTTON AND COMPANY, members of the New York Stock Exchange.
Studios Have Second Best Net Profit in 1944
The combined earnings of the major producing-distributing com¬ panies for the past year ran slightly above the $62,000,000 mark, which, incidentally, is about $2,000,000 less profit than all the studios made the previous year. Due to the fact that theatre admis¬ sions are the highest they have ever been and the attendance is the heaviest in theatrical history, the gross business of all picture com¬ panies hit a new high the past year; but due to such high corporation tax on account of the war, the net earnings were only $62,000,000, whereas in peacetime the earnings probably would have been closer
to $90,000,000.
Of course, another very important factor is the very high negative costs on all types of pictures. The low program budget pictures of some of the independents that previously ran from $40,000 to $60,
000 are now running closer to $100,000 to produce. Some of the socalled super-pictures or road-show attractions that in the past ran $1,000,000 to produce are now running a good half million over that figure, and in the past year there were quite a few productions that cost from 2,000,000 to 3,000,000.
Furthermore, most of the major producing companies financial reports also mention the fact that their distribution costs were much higher with a slight increase in theatre operations. This situation is only natural under war time conditions and taxes will continue to be high until the defeat of Japan. The picture companies expect a big increase in foreign market returns shortly, and that mav increase the net earnings. Still another important factor is that the studio* have almost a $50,000,000 backlog of unreleased pictures.