Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1943)

6 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW October 9, 1943 Industry Girds for Battle on Proposed Tax of 30 Per Cent The 30 per cent admission tax proposed by the Treasury Department as one feature of the new tax plan set before the House Ways and Means Committee this week brought severe repercussions in the film industry, with leaders in distribution and exhibition expressing the belief that such a tax would prove ruinous all along the line, and especially in one-theatre towns. Congress itself was in revolt against the proposed tax bill, with indications that it will be either entirely rewritten or revised within the structure. The fate of the film admission tax, however, could not be conjectured. Consensus of opinion seemed to be that a complete rewriting would clear away the 30 per cent feature for something lower — perhaps a tax of 20 per cent. But if the structure of the Treasury Department measure is retained, film observers agree, there is a good chance that the 30 per cent figure might remain as one item in the face of the larger issues involved with income, corporation, and other taxes. It is expected that film industry pressure in the form of memoranda to Government circles will develop if the bill is not killed immediately. The reaction of individuals to the 30 per cent angle was represented by a statement made by Ed Kuykendall, AlPTOA president, on Tuesday: "The 30 per cent tax, if adopted, will work tremendous hardship on all theatres. As an industry we must offer opposition or we cannot expect consideration. The MPTOA is, and has been, actively opposed to higher admission levies." Dave Palfreyman, of the MPPDA, while attending a Michigan Allied meeting as Warner Theatres representative, commented that he thought such a tax would be ruinous to smaller theatres and might cause those in small towns to close. However, he pointed out that the policy of the industry was not to oppose any tax not levied directly on motion pictures, and that this tax — covering not only theatres, but all amusements and spectator sports — was not an exclusive levy. Actors Equity Association also issued a statement that it had authorized its executives to join in protests against an admission tax. Ray Stumbo of Oregon Dead Ray J. Stumbo, 51, for many years operator of the Hollywood Theatre, Salem, Oregon, chairman of the Salem draft board, and recently also operating the new Swan Island Theatre at the Kaiser yard in Portland, died September 29 at a Portland hospital, following a stroke two weeks earlier. Stone Production in Cinecolor "Sensations of 1944," Andrew Stone's second independr^nt production for United Artists release, will be filmed entirely in Cinecolor. INDEX TO DEPARTMENTS Box-Offire S'^nts 11 Current Product Summary 47 Feature Bo:king Guide 41 Hollywood 39 Newsreel Synopses 26 On the Patriotic Front 12 Program Exchange 14 Regional Newsreel 18 Selling the Picture 15 Shorts Booking Guide 44 Short Subject Reviews 26 Theatre Equipment & Maintenance 27 A Run For The Book The Ritz Theatre in London's West End is making motion picture history by showing "Gone With the Wind" for almost three and one-half years cn a two-a-day policy. The only interruption was a two-month period from May 23, to August 2, in 1940, during which time it was withdrawn by MetroGoldwyn. GWTW opened cn the evening of April 18, 1940, and is still playing to S.R.O. bus.ness even with the admissions upped considerably by war time tax additions. David Newman, chief projectionist for the Ritz, has used nine prints during the run, seven of wh.ch were new, allowing about five months per print. Newman finds the picture more than just a film for it has become a part cf his existence. Ghost Blue Law Ends Memphis Owl Shows Police Chief Seabrook surprised the management of the three Loop theatres in Memphis offering midnight shows by serving notice on them at 10 o'clock last Saturday night that from now on midnight shows are definitely out. The Saturday night show was permitted in Loew's State and Palace theatres, and the Malco, owned by iVI. A. Lightman. Warners' Theatre had discontinued midnight shows after reconditioning for the opening of "This Is the Army" the first part of August. But the other three Loop houses had continued the midnight matinee. The shows have been heavily patronized by service men and high school age youngsters. According to Chief Seabrook, the order was merely an enforcement of an old section of the iMunicipal Code that had not been enforced because of an oversight. The late Saturuay night shows have been held for several months. They were started to accommodate the afternoon shifts in defense plants and the large personnel of the Army and Navy stationed here. Managers of theatres affected said the action was a complete surprise to them, but that they would cooperate. Chicago Admission Prices On Rise in All-Type Houses Chicago theatres all along the line are gradually raising admission prices, some of them having made a second jump. Among first-run theatres, Balaban and itvatz are upping admission prices at the Apollo and Garrick ten cents to eighty-five cents for evening performances, with the opening of "I Dood It." The same scale went in on Friday (Oct. 8) at the United Artists Theatre with the premiere of "Heaven Can Wait." Outside of first-run situations, the LublinerTrinz circuit has raised evening prices at its Clark and Monroe theatres from 33 to 44 cents, meanwhile leaving the already-raised matinee price at 33 cents. Infantile Paralysis Closes Theatres in 2 Colorado Towns Polio has closed the theatres and other places of public gathering in Lamar, Colo., and the nigh school at Canon City, Colo., has been closed because of an attack suffered by a football player who was a victim of polio the morning after he had played a full game of football. Operator Injured in Fire Fire broke out in the film booth of the Roxy Theatre, Perry, Iowa, last week, sweeping through the interior of the house and causing several thousand dollars worth of damage. Richard Sheehan, 17, operator, was burned slightly, but all patrons were able to make their way out of the theatre safely. Bond Premieres Net $301,851,629 Seles With reports virtually complete from WAC Exchange Area Chairmen on the total number of bonds sold by the nation's exhibitors at bond premieres held during the Third War Loan Drive, William F. Rodgers, WAC Chairman for this facet of the campaign and Chairman of the Distributors Division, announced Wednesday that sales figures had reached $301,851,629. This figure is the cumulative total of 1554 Bond Premieres or 354 above the quota originally set by the WAC and is entirely exclusive of all bonds sold by exhibitors at regular theatre programs, "Free Movie Day," and during rallies held for the Hollywood Bond Cavalcade and the War Veterans' Bond Airmada. Exhibitors taking part in the bond-premiere plan have been accorded high praise for their initiative in organizing these "million dollar" shows and for the showmanship which enabled them to turn over the above high figure to the Treasury Dept. St. Louis Post-Dispatch Makes 20 P.C. Cut in Theatre Linage The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, an afternoon newspaper which has the largest circulation of the three daily newspapers in St. Louis, effective on October 1st has reduced by 20 per cent the amount of linage per month to be devoted to motion picture theatre advertisements as compared with the linage used in the same period last year. The independent neighborhood and suburban houses which have been using directory space in the Post-Dispatch will not be affected, unless they decided voluntarily to limit their space to 80 per cent of the space used the past year. The larger theatres have indicated they will take all of the cut. 8 A.M. Openings for Strand The New York Strand has been giving seven performances daily of the Warner musical, "Thank Your Lucky Stars," with doors opening at 8 a.m. during the World Series this week. "Thank Your Lucky Stars" pulled the second highest non-holiday business of the year for the Strand last week-end. Arthur E. Meyer (The Man on the Cover) Manager of the Projection Equipment Division of the recently organized National-SimplexBludworth, Inc., and former sales manager, International Projector Corporation, with which company he first became associated in 1921 as assistant sales manager. SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW Vol. 39, No. 12 October 9, 1943 Title and Trade Mark Registered U. S. Patent Office Published every Fridav by Showmen's Trade Review, Inc., 1501 Broadway, New York 18, N. Y. Telephone BRyant 9-5606. Charles K. "Chick" Lewis. Editor and Publisher; Tom Kennedy, Associate Editor; James A. Cron, General Manager ; Harold Rendall. Equipment Advertising ilManager; West Coast Office, 6777 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 28, California; Telephone Hollywood 2055. Ann Lewis, manager. London Representative, Milton Deane, 185 Fleet St., London E.C. 4; Australian Representative, Gordon V. Curie, 1 Elliott St., Homebush. Sydney, Australia. Subscription rates per year $2.00 in the United States and Canada; Foreign, $5.00. Single copies, ten cents. Subscribers should remit with order. Entered as second class matter February 20, 1940, at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879./ Contents copyrighted 1943 by Showmen's Trade Review Inc. Printed in U.S.A. Address all Communications to : SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 1501 Broadway, New York 18, N. Y.