Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1946)

THIS WEEK IN THE NEWS Tew: Happy THE LUSH condition of the Ohio State treasury is inspiring many Ohio exhibitors with the hope that admission taxes may be eliminated or, at least, reduced. A report by H. D. Defenbacher, State Director of Finance, shows the state income amounting to astronomical figures — with the exchequer containing $151,669,560. Although the figures on the three per cent excise admission tax on grosses were not immediately available it is understood that they show a very high yield. The exhibitors reason that the state is rich enough to lessen the admission tax. But there is another side of the question. Eight Republican candidates for the General Assembly from Franklin County have an eye on that extra money. They have jointly suggested that the state withdraw from certain fields of taxation and authorize cities to levy taxes — including admission taxes. This would net Columbus an estimated $200,000 a year. But only if the admission taxes were not cut. City Saga R. E. CARNEY, 50-year-old real estate magnate and theatre owner who recently purchased the entire community of Arlington, Mo., for $10,000, has announced he will produce, all by himself, a picture based on his town. It will be a mystery thriller entitled "Arlington's Secret." He declined to reveal what the "secret' of the town is, other than to say "the picture will be historical, reaching back into the days when Arlington was a pioneer settlement and a stage coach terminal. "I tried to get a bunch of Hollywood producers interested," Mr. Carney explained, "but they didn't seem to want to get in on it. So I'll go it alone. There's a first time for everything. Anyway, I'm getting a break, because the picture will be made of my town." What Monopoly? A DEFENSE of his immense hold on the English motion picture industry was made Tuesday in London by J. Arthur Rank who told a Radio Industries Club luncheon that his companies did not constitute a monopoly but were vital to the fight against American domination. "Admittedly," said Mr. Rank, "the film group I lead has got a large slice of the British film industry, but we have to face eight big American competitors. You cannot have a monopoly when you have eight big competitors." He said that only a few years ago the JOHNSTON sails as industry ambassador and reporter Page 12 EXHIBITORS study majors' substitute for auction sales method Page 13 GROSSES maintaining high level of the years of the war Page 14 MARSH of Cleveland on the stand of the Herald on dope films Page 19 ON THE MARCH— Red Kann in comment on industry affairs Page 20 SERVICE DEPARTMENTS Hollywood Scene Page 32 In the Newsreels Page 48 Managers' Round Table Page 53 IN PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION Showmen's Reviews Page 3285 Short Subjects Page 3286 Release Chart by Companies Page 3287 SMPE Hollywood meeting called the most outstanding thus far Page 22 FRENCH film industry is reorganized under Government direction Page 24 PARK Avenue theatre is the last word in Reade's operations book Page 29 JULES Brulatour dies in New York after a brief illness Page 36 NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT — Notes about industry people across country Page 40 Picture Grosses Page 61 Short Product at First Runs Page 37 What the Picture Did for Me Pa'ge 50 Advance Synopses Page 3287 Service Data Page 3288 The Release Chart Page 3289 American companies had a virtual monopoly on the screens of the world and then he added : "That is the fight we are up against. We are trying to secure screens in every country of the world for British films." Reporting that his companies had been accused of copying Hollywood product, Mr. Rank insisted, "My producers are advised we are to put over to the world in film the 'British character and way of living, feeling we have something to convey to the world in that way." Sunflowers Trilogy A PRODUCTION plan for the filming of three, possibly four, pictures with the same stars and supporting casts is currently under discussion by Walter Wanger and William Goetz, head of Universal-International. Seems that Mr. Wanger has purchased James Street's novel, "Tap Roots," which has been followed by Mr. Street's "Oh, Promised Land" and "By Valour and Arms" which Mr. Wanger also wants to purchase. These three novels, and a fourth Mr. Street is working on, are inter-related novels telling the story of an American family during and after the Civil War of the South and of the migration of this family to the West. Since all of the characters appear in all of the books Mr. Wanger thinks that all of the cast should appear in all of the films. Then of course they could be played triple feature from four in the afternoon to midnight and, like an O'Neil play, giving the audience a dinner intermission. THE LONG ARM of a publicity man, sensing the affinity between the title "Duel , in the Sun," sunflowers and Kansas, has reached out and tucked a check for $500 in the purse of Mrs. Charles W. Smith of Ellingwood, Kans., who grew sunflowers measuring 12 to 16 inches in diameter with approximately 25 blooms on each plant. Her's was the grand prize in the Wichita Beacon's $1000 "Duel in the Sun" flower contest. The Kansas newspaper distributed over 35,000 packets of seeds for Vanguard which believes that over 6,000,000 people were informed of their prize film during the six-months-long flower contest. Floodlights IN PORTLAND there was an argument between the owners of the Portland Meadows race track and the owners of Amphitheatre, Inc., which recently was amicably settled to the satisfaction of the horses and the theatre patrons. Seems that the glare from the floodlights spilled over into the should-be darkened drive-in theatre. So Amphitheatre started court action for an injunction forcing the race track owners to place hoods over their lights. Hearings on the injunction have now been postponed through a gentlemen's agreement between the two parties which should balance the light so that the theatregoers have not too much and the horses have not too little. 8 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 2, 1946