Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1947)

10 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, January 4, 1947 NATIONAL NEWSREEL Para. Distribution Setup Changed for Single-Selling Paramount this week realigned its distribution setup temporarily in what was thought a move to get closer contact with the territory in view of the single-selling expected under the forthcoming federal statutory court decree. Under the experimental revision, operation of two of the company's four divisions — the mideastern and the western — are transferred to the field at once with Mid-Eastern Sales Manager Earle Sweigert headquartering in Philadelphia and Western Sales Manager George Smith taking up his office in Los Angeles. Both offices were in New York. The mid-eastern division will consist of the Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Washington territories, while the western division will embrace San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Salt Lake, Omaha, Kansas City, St. Louis and Des Moines. The eastern and southern division, managed by Hugh Owen and the central division under James Donohue will retain New York headquarters. In announcing these changes, Distribution Vice-President Charles M. Reagan said the western division would be realigned into two instead of three districts with Hugh Braly, formerly of the Denver, Salt Lake, Omaha district, replacing Del Goodman, reassigned in the west coast district, and retaining supervision of Denver and Salt Lake. Ralph Libeau's district will take over the Omaha branch in addition to that of Kansas City, St. Louis and Des Moines. Paramount Will Release 8 Films in Next 3 Months Paramount Distribution Vice-President Charles Reagan this week announced a release schedule of eight pictures in the period from Jan. 10 through the end of April, 1947. The eight, with their release dates are : "Cross My Heart," with John Berry, Betty Hutton, Sonny Tufts, Jan. 10 ; "The Perfect Marriage," with Loretta Young and David Niven, Jan. 24. "Ladies' Man," with Eddie Bracken, Cass Daley and Virginia Welles, Feb. 7 ; "California" (Technicolor,) with Ray Milland, Barbara Stanwyck and Barry Fitzgerald, Feb. 21. Kenneth Macgowan's "Easy Come, Easy Go," with Sonny Tufts, Diana Lynn and Barry Fitzgerald, March 7 ; "Suddenly It's Spring," with Paulette Goddard and Fred MacMurray, March 21. Hope Enterprise's "My Favorite Brunette," with Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour, April 4; "The" Imperfect Lady," with Ray Milland and Teresa Wright, April 25. In addition, "Two Years Before the Mast" and "Blue Skies" were nationally released during the latter part of 1946. 8 Ready to Cooperate on Screen-time Committee Approximately eight of the 12 organizations which were asked to form a special committee to work with the federal government and humanitarian agencies to procure screen time for their films, have accepted the invitation to join, it was reported in New York. Bicycling Legitimate-Style In order to meet the demand for 125 New Year's Eve showings of "The Time, The Place and the Girl," which Warner Bros, considers a record-breaking New Year's Eve booking, the company had to authorize bicycling of prints from one house to another in many localities. Report Newsreels Asking For Higher Film Rentals Newsreels were reported throughout various exchanges this week as entering the New Year with a request for higher film rentals based on an average increase of 15 per cent on raw stock. The increase is a new one and marks a change of policy for an approximate 25 per cent increase which was made at various points several weeks ago when most of the companies sought a general increase on both the news films and shorts. Exhibitor resistance to any raise was said to have caused a reduction in the proposed increase. Newsreels kept their price static during the war despite the facts that both coverage cost and stock costs have been steadily mounting. In some quarters it was reported that a newsreel pool might be contemplated as one way of cutting overhead. Warner Brothers Report $19,424,000 Net for Year Warner Bros., and subsidiaries showed a net profit of $19,424,000 for the year ending Aug. 31, 1946, stockholders were advised this week. This is equivalent to $1.33 a share under the recently adopted two-for-one stock split. Payments on the funded debt during that period amounted to $16,242,000, reducing the total of funded and other long-term debts to $28,010,000 as of Aug. 31. Inventories showed a rise of $3,916,000 over the previous year reaching $47,104,000. In a message to stockholders President Harry M. Warner said that receipts arising from film rentals in the United States continued to show increases, as did those in the foreign field, though those in England had taken a drop during recent months. He also reported that the company's theatre attendance had remained static but its revenues had increased. Rathvon Claims RK0 Leads In Pictures Made Abroad (See The News Spotlight) RKO President N. Peter Rathvon this week claimed leadership for his company in the field of foreign production and indicated clearly that a step toward increasing that production would be taken during 1947. The company to date has six productions made outside of the United States that are either completed or in final stages of completion. They are "The Pearl" and "The Fugitives" which were made in Mexico; "So Well Remembered," made in England in association with J. Arthur Rank; "The White Tower," exteriors possibly scheduled for France; "The Golden Silence" made in Paris and "Berlin Express," which is being shot in Paris with plans to take exteriors in the United States, occupied sections of Germany. Mexican production is in the new Churubusco studios; English production at Denham and French production in the Joinville studios outside of Paris. Col. Jack Votion is representing RKO production abroad. Chadwick Again Elected President of the IMPPA I. E. Chadwick will again head the Independent Motion Picture Producers Association during 1947, according to an announcement issued this week by that organization from Hollywood. Elected with Chadwick are Vice, Presidents Steve Broidy, Harry H. Thomas and Johnny Jones and Secretary-Treasurer Edward Finney. Directors are : Fred Steele, Belmont Gottlieb, Karl Hittleman, A. W. Hackel, Sam Katzman, William Stephens. Selection of Ray Young as chairman of the nominating committee wa» unanimous. Two January Openings of 'Well-Digger's Daughter' January openings of "The Well-Digger's Daughter," French-language film with English subtitles produced by Marcel Pagno and distributed in the United States by Siritsky International Pictures, were announced for the Clay Theatre, San Francisco, and the Exeter Theatre, Boston. The picture, which is in its 15th week at the New York Avenue, had late December openings at Pittsburgh's Art Cinema, Baltimore's Little Theatre and Providence's Avon. May Form Foundation in D. C. Possibility that the Motion Picture Foundation would be incorporated in the District of Columbia to emphasize the national character of its activities, was seen in New York this week as the temporary sub-committee of the steering committee continued its meetings. The sub-committee, consisting of Harry Brandt of Brandt Theatres, Si Fabian of Fabian Theatres, and Leonard Goldenson, Paramount Theatres vice-president, has been meeting with industry lawyers to draw up the necessary papers for the formal incorporation of the Foundation. The sub-committee was appointed by the steering committee, which is headed by Chairman Barney Balaban, and consists of the coordinating committee and the chairmen of the committees on scope, finance, organization, promotion and public relations, and which was created in New Orleans during December shortly after the meeting to organize the Foundation got under way.