Fox Film Posts $5.6-Million Profit in Third Quarter

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. chalked up a $5.6-million net profit in its fiscal third quarter ended May 31, compared to a $55.9-million net loss in the same quarter last year. That brought to $19.6 million the net profit for the first nine months, compared to a loss of $80 million for the same period last year.

Fox attributed its third-quarter showing to the successful foreign theatrical release of “Commando” and “The Jewel of the Nile,” as well as to revenue from worldwide television syndication of its motion pictures and TV programming.

Barry Diller, chairman and chief executive for the new owner of the company, Rupert Murdoch, said the continued success of each company division throughout the current fiscal year has contributed to the swing of $100 million of operating income from last year’s performance.

Also, costs relating to operating revenue decreased “significantly” in both the current quarter and the nine-month period, the firm said.