The Film Daily (1948)

>.onday, March 8, 1948 . S. Cos. Planning ustralian "H'wood1 (Continued from Page 1) nt in Canberra that Americans are inning a "second Hollywood" in istralia. Representatives of U. S. rip^>bs have informed Prime Miner ifley that they are seriously an g this method of using their •reWap dollar funds in Australia. investigation, it was said, will be a group of American company ex4 itives scheduled to visit Australia an early date to discuss the matpersonally with Chifiey and dertmental officials. Meanwhile, at least three compani are putting frozen funds to work. ,vO recently purchased the Lacey .rcival Laboratories in a move to sim its own processing costs, at the •ne time permitting extra revenue i work for other distributors. G-M is enlarging its present headquarters here, while 20th-Fox is insting some of its funds in its local sreel. Dallas Territory Statistical Summary Seating Number Capacity 1.302 706,682 80 31.162 Seating Number Capacity 791 493,871 591 243,973 Totals 1.382 Seating capacity of theate in operation, according to population groupings* : Population 500.000-250,001 250.000-100.001 100.000 50.001 50.000 25,001 25.000 10.001 10.000 5.001 5.000 2.501 2.500 and under Towns with Theaters 3(a) 46 105 204 605 119 180 204 170 249 333 452 127.794 23,466 59,123 55,819 72.152 99.825 97.929 170.574 151.260 210.383 266.202 338.354 438.179 53 6.108 706.682 809 748 664 Excluding 35 DriTe-In theaters, total capacity 12,010 automobiles Excluding four Drive-In theaters, total capacity 1,400 automobiles A circuit is defined as four or more theaters operated by the same : a I Houston. Dallas, San Antonio: (bi Fort Worth. Duty Parleys in Last Stages Discussion of U. S. Alternative Today (Continued from Page 1 ) ink to Pour Millions to Aussie Production? Sydney (By Air Mail) — J. Arthur nk is reported preparing to pour .'eral millions of pounds into the ^.stralian film industry, with consid ble emphasis to be placed upon induction. Sources usually well in 1 -med say that Rank contemplates I i making of four features a year th an over-all budget of 937,500 ands. ayer Would Ban Extreme \ ewpoints in Film Fare 7ilms should be used to express ■.ry range of opinion, except the :reme left — Communism — or the reme right — fascism or nazism — thur L. Mayer, president of Mori Picture Associates, declared Fri. at a press freedom forum at the w School for Social Research, riayer said he was "not in favor permitting the enemies of the Bill lights to use the freedom accorded m by the Bill of Rights to destroy gi liberties." Referring to antiaiitic films in the hands of the en Property Custodian, Mayer .ed: "Would anyone demand in name of freedom that such picis be released?" admitting the powerful effect of is on children, Mayer queried: >es that mean that in order to tect children we must present y mental pablum? Or shall we to enforce films 'for adults only'? shall we put the responsibility Stere it clearly belongs, that is, on . parents who should supervise the IDd of pictures their children should jjfcoermitted to see?" icago Rejects One of 99 hicago — Police Censor Board reed one film and pinked two for Its only last month. Only three | were made in 99 pictures reved. president, carrying the ball for the American party here for the talks — its other members are James A. Mulvey, representing the SIMPP; Joyce O'Hara and Allen Dulles of the MPAA— lunched with Harold Wilson, president of the Board of Trade, at Parliament House Friday, continuing the talks later at the BOT. 14 KT. FAITH Gains up to one point in motion picture stocks on W all Street were indicative of confidence in industry circles here for a successful conclusion to the tax talks being held in London. Leading the issues were 20thFox and Columbia, both up one point, and following: Paramount and Universal up 34 ; RKO, Warners and Loews up 5/8 and Republic up %. The American party originally had been scheduled to emplane for New York on Saturday, but all cancelled their passages. While the participants in the discussions largely were keeping their own counsel, it was learned on excellent authority that there was no hitch, the delay in finalizing a formula evidently due to the consideration of details. The conversations Friday were said to be restricted to the British proposals, with the American counter offers to be taken up at today's meeting. Until Friday, the parleys had been devoted to study of technical aspects of the problem, largely generalized, and it was asserted, no figures had been mentioned. However, it was "common talk" in and out of the trade here that the present confiscatory duty of 75 per cent might be reduced to 50 per cent, with a further 12 72 per cent of U. S. film earnings here frozen for U.K. use. (The United Press Friday reported British sources as indicating that a compromise formula might call for 50 per cent remittable, 25 per cent frozen and 25 per cent tax. (The AP reported that O'Hara contradicted a London newspaper's report from New York that Sir Stafford Cripps, Chancellor of the Exchequer, had suggested the present 75 per cent tax be cut to 50 per cent, with half the balance to be "frozen" here and the rest to be sent to the United States. ("No such proposal has been made to Mr. Johnston," he said.) There was reason to believe at the week-end that Britain would press for a larger market for U.K. pix in the U. S. This was bolstered by the fact that Sir Stafford Cripps, Chancellor of the Exchequer, in declaring that Britain would not devalue the pound to fight her economic crisis, London (By Cable) — Eric A. Johnston, James A. Mulvey, Allen Dulles and Joyce O'Hara will attend the CEA's annual buffet dance tomorrow night at Grosvenor House at which Harold Wilson, BOT president, will be the honor guest. Johnston may address the assembled British theater operators at that time. declared that the country's only hope of balancing her export-import books and cutting the drain on gold reserves is to sell more abroad. Britain exhausted the $3,750,000,000 U. S. loan last week. No new loan negotiations are known to be underway, although under the Marshall Plan the U.K. is expected to obtain about $1,378,000,000. It was reported at the week-end that Johnston might hold a prefcs conference tomorrow or Wednesday — a development hailed here as a most hopeful sign. Lewis Douglas Expected Back from U. K. Parleys Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Ambassador Lewis Douglas was due here over the weekend from London, perhaps with firsthand information regarding the cur j rent tax negotiations in London. The Ambassador is expected to be here several days for consultations, and R. Horton Henry, pix officer of the State Department's commercial policy division, is hoping to receive | from him a report of what is going on in London. Dallas Exchange Area Has 1,382 Theaters Theaters in Dallas territory total 1,382, of which 1,302 are operating and 80 are dark, according to the 28th in a series of theater directories released by the MPAA. Area's theaters have 737,844 seats, with 706,682 in open houses and 31,162 in the closed situations. Area's four largest cities — Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Fort Worth — have 170 theaters in operation, with a total of 151,260 seats. There are 466 theaters in 401 towns with a population of 2,500 or under accounting for 170,574 seats, or an average of 366 seats per house. Foreign Film Movie Club Has 60,000 Member Goal Announcement of the formation of the Foreign Film Movie Club as a service to those moviegoers who prefer foreign films has been made by Arthur Davis, president of the organization. With an initial membership of 10,000 already pledged. Davis expects to have 60,000 in the fold by midyear. Included in the §2 annual membership fee is a monthly magazine which will acquaint members with the latest developments in the international cinema, thereby serving a promotion and public relations function for the entire foreign film industry. Portable Set Units At General Service West Coast Bur., THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Development of a new type of sets made up of separate portable units at General Service Studios has been announced by James Nasser Productions, Inc. Component parts of sets are arranged, stored, and catalogued for easy and efficient assembling after the general effects have been worked out with models, it was disclosed. Portable units can be used repeatedly without any two completed sets ever looking alike.