Variety (Mar 1948)

tTecIncsday, Mffrch 81, 1948 nCTITRES If Pix Salaries Up $11,071,333 Continued from page J turlng the basement corner with a L^ad nut of $4,510,800, a shade above the 1946 marker of $4,373,- 256. It paid over $20,000 to 94 of its personnel. In second spot again is aOth'Fox which met a $15,631,141 budget for the year to 255 ofticer.'s .•ltd employees (based on the 1946 proxy)- It represents a hike from the $13,376,220 paid in its previous year. Paramount, on the basis of its '46 proxy, has now climbed tp show position with a $12,608,152 bill to meet annually. It hands that sum to 229 Paramountecs. Its previous nut was $9,930,738. Warner Bros., formerly in third, is down to fourth with $11,965,480 paid to 209.on its payrolls. That's an increase from its '46 bill of $11,394,944. Up at fifth spot is Universal with that company's pay load now total- ing $8,430,899 handed 143 officers and personnel, against $6,430,032 paid out in fiscal '46. U displaced ° JtKO, which is paying $7,416,152 ,on the basis of its '46 proxy to 151 of its personnel. RKO, in the year previous, paid $5,208,098. Studio Chiefs Top Traditional to the industry, stu- dio chiefs again received the top salaries of any executive branch, surpassing even the company proxies in their annual stipends. Top straight salary, weiit to Louis B. Mayer, Metro's production head, in another industry tradition. la order of sii^e of pay, they're listed •' US' follows: •,l.t.'B. Mayer (M-G) $500,000 ii. Darryl F. Zanuok (20th). 260,000 3. William Goetz (V-I) 254,000 4. Dore Sohary (RKO).... 250,000 5. Henry Ginsbergr (Par).. 219,500 6. Harry Cohn (Col)...... 197(600 •J.Jack Warner (WB) 182,150 Schary, in addition to his basic pay, takes home a small percentage of RKO's net for the year. (Tohn, formerly in iifth spot, slid to sixth as a fesult of a cut in his pay from the 1946 figure of $226,900. Presidents' Payroll Againsi this production handout, company proxies were paid as fol- lows: . in charge of budgets, Paul Rai- boum, Par's exec, talces $30,000, and John M. Whitaker, RKO, $24,000. , , Five companies list the salaries of their general counsel. Their pay is as follows; 1. J. Robert Rubin (M-G). , $215,642 2. Charles D. Frutzman (U) 111,006 3. Robert VI. Perkins (WB) 87,300 4. Austin C. Keough (Par). 85,000 5. G. K. .Youngman (RKO). 37,186 Most of the companies operate without board chairmen or with nominal designees in that spot. Only two chairmen rate high on salary rolls and both play an ac- tive part in the management. They're J. Cheever Cowdin, U's gavel-wielder, who's paid $188,785 annually and Adolph Zukor (Par), paid $136,400. Floyd B. Odium, BKO's chairman, while head of At- las Corp. which controls the film company, receives only $240 yearly for hi.s RKO position. N.W. Variety's $300,000 Set for Minn. Hospital Minneapolis, March 30. Northwest Variety club turned over $300,000 to Minnesota U and this plus Federal funds will permit the construction of a heart hospital, first of its kind on a campus. Architect plans have been com- pleted and work will start early this summer, former chief barker Art Anderson told members at a dinner to' honor five former chief barkers. Club also is pledged to contribute' a minimum of. $2^,000^ annually to the hospital. . Honored ex-barkers were Eddie Ruben, W. H. Workman, Ben Blotcky, Maitland Frosch and John Branton. Previously two other former chief barkers^Bill Elson (now chief barker again) and Anderson were so honored. Chi Circuit BIdg. Continued from page 9 ass the works for the south and south- west areas'. Only one of four is scheduled for opening this spring. V50-Seater in Ohio Toledo. . New 750-seater, costing about $200,000, will be built in Pauld- ing, O., by Arthur Weaver and Jack O'Connell. Will replace old Grand destroyed by fire in 1946: ■ Contract let for: new theatre ig Celinaj O., for Chakeres-Dwyer chain. . 73 Top Pix ^ Continued from page 9 Sm drive of the Theatre Owners of America and the eastern publicity committee of the" majors to tout coming big pix, all majors are slating a number of top product for release during April-June. UA, finally getting under way af- ter* drifting in the first quarter, has "Arch of Triumph" and "Time of Your Life" set. RKO> top choices are '.'Miracle of the Bells" and "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House." • Par's bigvones are "Hazard" and 'The Big Clock." WB is counting on "To The Victor" and "April Showers" while 20th has "Iron Curtain," "Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!" and "Green Grass of Wyo- ming." U's top releases will be 'AH My Sons"' and "Another Part of the Forest" and Columbia has 'Coroner Creek" and "Lady from Shanghai" set to go. Metro's big ones are "State of the Union," "Pirate" and "Homecoming." 1. Spyros Skouras (20th).. $255,922 2. Nich. M. Schenck (M-G) 224,767 3. Harry Cohn (Col) 197,600 4. Nate J. .Blumbcrgr (V)... 188,785 5. Harry M. Warner (WB), 182,100 6. Barney Balaban (Par)... 159,000 ,7. N. Peter Rathvon (RKO) 104,540 The distribution end of the biz, as usual, came nowhere near pro- duction in the magnitude of salary payments. Sales toppers took roughly 50% of what was doled to production veepees. One unusual aspect is that the two smallest companies listed, Columbia and Universal, paid the highest stipends to their sales heads. A. Montague, Columbia's sales topper, aided by « terrific pay boost of $49,^ . zoomed in one year from.seventli spot to first. They're listed as* fol- ■■iOWS!' ■ 1. A. Montagnie (Col)....., $130,000 2. WIUiam Scully (U) 126,606 3. Wm. F. RodKers (M-G). 114,714 4. Benj. Kalmenson (WB). 112,700 B. Ned E. Depinet (RKO).. 105,010 e.CIias. M. Reagan (Par). 81,482 Safary of Andy Smith, Jr., 20th- Fox distribution head, hasn't been publicized as yet. Rodgers can re- ceive an additional $79,000, based on company sales, Under his em- ployment pact. Exhibitor Nq< t Earner - Highest paid figure in the indus- try, Charles P. Skouras, National Theatre head, falls in the exhibi- tion bracket. Otherwise, the ex- hibition end draws the lowest pay- checks of all. Five theatre toppers pulled down the following salaries l..Chas. P. Skouras (20th) $980,000 2. Joseph R, Vogel (M-G) . 156,428 «• Harry M. Kalmine (WB)'112,700 H. Goldensbn (Par) . 85.000 O.M. H. Kingsbergr (RKO) 71,260 Info on foreign dept. chiefs is particularly thin since most are not officers of their parent companies Arthur M. Loew, M-G topper, prob- ably takes top pay. Only two listed are Joseph H. Seidelman (U), who gets $111,006, and Murray Silver- stone (20th), $97,583. Ad-pub heads are led by How ard Dietz, M-G) veepee, who now takes $104,285 after a boost from *ol,785 last year. Other known Jti^ries are Nate Spingold (Col), |83,200 ($74,450 in '46); Mort Blumettstock (WB),- $69,200 ($62,- ;sa0 m '46). Ad-pub departments M Paramount and RKO are now oeing run temporarily by veepees U Tele-CBS SB Continued .trom page 3 asi complete television department and is currently engaged in turn- ing-out. pix made specifically for video purposes. It's planning complete departmentalization in the field with special divisions for newsreels, shorts and features. Company's toppers are even mull- ing the possibility of creating a special department for live talent with it performing the agent's role for television broadcasters. Meanwhile, outfit is now carry- ing on negotiations with the nets for sale of Rank's projected Olym-. pics films. Britisher has exclu- sive rights to the summer games in England and has turned over U. S. distribution rights to UWF. Understood, number of sponsors have already put in bids for reels of the Olympics and that a deal will be tclosed shortly. If UWF closes viith CBS for the newsreels, it'll be the second major film company making a pact of this sort. First of its kind was made by 20th-Fox recently when it licensed Its reels to Camels as sponsor and NBC as network. Both Warner Bros, and Paramount are also in the market tor similar deals.'". ■■ Houston. Construction completed on Cas- cada theatre, 17 miles from here. A. W. Kleb will run house, which cost $25,000. The Tower reopened here after remodeling that cost $50,000, First of six Drive-Ins opened at Beaumont last week by East Texas Theatres. Construction of a similar .layout in Lufkin is expected to start soon with others to be built in Marshall, Longview, Kilgore and ' Nacog- doches. The site for the Lufkin house has already been selected according to Sam Tanner, district manager. Julius Gordon is head of the East Texas Theatres Circuit. 600-Seat Mpls. Nabe Minneapolis. With approval from U. S. hous- ing expediter, Volk Bros.,, indie circuit owners, starts work soon on a new 600-seat neighborhood theatre to replace ano&ec house about a mile away. Droy Theatre Control on Bldg. Washington, Federal controls on theatre con- struction end tomorrow (31) at mid- night. Rent control extension bill, which'the House and Senate finally approved, dropped the McCarthy amendment which would have ex- tended the limitations on -amuse- ment eonstructton an - additional year.'''' . FC Adds 65 To Sales Staff As Distrib Expand Midway Ih its expansion program launched at end of last year. Film Classics has built up its distribtt* tion force with the addition of about 65 salesmen and sales execs in the last three months. Move was cued by Joseph Bernhard, FO prexy, and B. G. Krauze, veepea over sales, to coincide with com* pany's switch to handling new product as well as reissues. , On its own corner of the recently completed Nassour studios in Hol- lywood, FC has blueprinted 14 pix for this year with over half in Cinecolor. Also will lumdle sever- al indie-produced films through its distribution setup which is beinf extended - overseas; Kranze haS completed his organization toppers . with appointment of division man- agers for all major territories, in- cluding Jake Lutzer, southwest; Max Roth, midwest,. and Georg* - Waldman, Y. metropolitan dis- trict. Sam Wheeler Is in charge of sales and production on tta* Coast. Al Zlmbalist, ad'.publicity chief, has named Sid Gross as his-as- sistant. FC recently took larger homeoffice quarters in Faramowife. building, .JNT. Y. Organize Charlotte Co. to Make Westeriui Charlotte, N. q., March 80.; Western Adventure Productions has .been organized in Charlotte to produce westerns. John Mangham of Atlanta is president. Other of- ficers include Francis White, Char- lotte, secretary and treasurer; Joy Houck and E. V. Landachie, New Orleans, vice-president. Rond Or- mond of Hollywood will' be ia charge of production. Screen Guild will release. ar^ lax Gilkl "Lux SoaR care leaves skin softer, smoother," ia/« /ov«f/ IRENE DUNNg Here's a proved complsxion care! In recent Lus Toilet Soap tests hy skin specialists, actually three out of four dotnplexions became lovelier in a short time. "I work tiie fragrant lather well in," says Irene Dunned "As I rinse and then pat witii a soft towel to dry, skin takes on fresh new beauty." Don't let-neglect cheat you of romances Hi* sereen stars tip! %it» of RKO Raciio Pictures' REMEMBER MAMA''