Variety (October 1918)

BUY BONDS 53 NEW YORK FILM MEN TO HELP CONGRESS OBTAIN TAX DATA State Exhibitors in Enthusiastic Convention At Albany Pass Some. Necessary Resolutions —Endorse Ambulance Pur- chase, Bond Drive and Suffrage Co-operation— Much Propaganda Aid Assumed—Suggest New Booking Plan. The convention of picture theatre owners of the state of New York at the Hotel Ten Eyck, Albany, Sept. 26, was represented by delegates controll- ing 1,600 houses. The delegates at- tending the conference feel that a number of constructive measures have been started. The State League now includes most of the best known exhibitors, who are bound together in a compact body which is devoid of internal politics. A resolution was unanimously car- ried for the purchase of an ambulance by the Motion Picture Exhibitors League of America of the State of New York to be sent abroad' in the name of the organization. The Fourth Liberty Loan was en- dorsed and plans discussed for an in- tensive campaign of bond selling. A complete list of the amount of bonds sold by and through the theatres of the state will be compiled and the Treasury Department of the United States will be apprised of the aggre- gate amount sold through that me- dium. One of the most'important questions discussed was the Sunday opening. It is the general belief that the efficient work and aid of the exhibitors in sup- port of Government propaganda will do much to clarify the Sunday open- ing situation in the state. The loss of revenue to the Government due to cer- tain sections of the state keeping theatres closed was forcibly presented by President-Sydney S. Cohen, who believes that all political candidates are showing a tendency to remedy these conditions and to give the people in every municipality what those people decide they want It was stated that 70 per cent, of the Picture patrons are women and con- erences will be held with the leaders of the Women's Suffrage Party in or- der that a closer co-operation can be effected for their benefit. The Suffrage Party, on their part, will come to Al- bany wheh called upon to aid in the passage of any Sunday opening bills. One of the most important resolu- tions passed by the convention is as follows: Whereas, at a recent committee hearing of the Finance Committee of Congress on the proposed taxation to be imposed on the motion picture in- dustry, either through lack of informa- tion or gross misrepresentation, the many abuses of the present tax and the proposed tax have not been clearly presented, showing that the entire burden of taxation has fallen on the motion picture exhibitor; therefore be it Resolved, that in order to.assist the Finance Committee of Congress, to justly apportion the contemplated taxeVto -bVTaised-from oar industry, - the president of the State of New York Exhibitors' League is requested to immediately secure data and statis- tics, and to confer with the presidents of other state exhibitor organizations, in order to present a joint brief show- ing the unjust conditions under which the motion picture exhibitor is now laboring, and that further, a copy of the said brief be given to all our rep- representatives in Congress. Hearty endorsement was given the Government picture, "America's An- swer," but many exhibitors expressed the opinion the Division of Films could secure better results if these pic- tures were released to all exhibitors on a percentage arrangement. The present plan of distribution is to aver- age the receipts for 30 days and charge one-third of the average gross takings plus 25 per cent. Exhibitors object to this on the ground it would give dis- tributors an exact line on the takings of every house, which would be an ad- vantage to them in regulating the cost of service. They . suggest a booking plan of from 30 to 40 per cent, of the gross, which can readily be computed by the admission tax returns. MAXWELL BETTER. Joe Maxwell, who underwent a seri- ous abdominal operation at the Poly- clinic Hospital some weeks ago, has so far recovered as to be able to be moved to the Friars Club, where he is now installed, though still attended by his physician and trained nurses. As soon as he is fit, he will start cutting the 40,000 feet of negative he took of the Hayden Talbot film feat- ure, "The Married Virgin," to 5,000 feet. It is to be released through General Film. When once more on his fe_et Max- well will start the production of "Have One With Me," a prohibition propa- ganda film feature. PROSPERITY! Lewis J. Selznick is moving the ex- ecutive offices of Select Pictures from the. Godfrey building to a sumptuous suite on Fifth avenue near 40th street.. The floor, he occupies in the Godfrey building will be utilized for his New York exchange. > Suit for Salary. The Film Developing Corporation, Harry Houdini president, is named as defendant in a suit which Arnold De Biere, through his attorneys, Henry J. & Frederick E. Goldsmith, preferred against him last week. Do Biere's statement alleges that on or about April 12, 1918, he was engaged by the corporation as general manager with a salary of $75 per week. He worked from that time to Aug. 2, receiving no payment. He claims $1,200 as salary due. A second cause for action, he alleges, is that he loaned the defendant cor- poration $1,465.86 extending over a period from Feb. 23, 1918, to May 11, which it promised to pay on demand. His suit total is for $2,665.86. .Harry Houdini, as president of the defendant corporation, puts in a gen- eral denial and demands a judgment dismissing the complaint with costs. Not Filming "White Heather." The report that Maurice Tourneur would make a film production of "The White Heather" is incorrect. The Tourneur producing company started negotiations for the picture rights to the old Drury Lane melodrama only to find they had been disposed of else- where. LOVE'S LABOR DRAWS ABUSE. The^'Iabor of love' 'performed by the committee organized for the distribu- tion of the films made for the Fourth Liberty Loan has brought down upon its head various kinds of protests and abuse. Exhibitors are complaining and a number of those making the pic- tures are dissatisfied. Most of the exhibitors are making demands to run the Chaplin, Pickford and Fairbanks pictures for a whole week, advancing the argument a daily change varies the length of their pro- grams and necessitates the constant preparation of musical accompaniment. W. W. Hodkinson wrote to Wash- ington claiming he had not been asked to make any propaganda films. It was referred to the committee, which has a record of having communicated with every concern in the business as far back as last June requesting co-opera- tion. The daily change of propaganda pic- tures was arranged by Washington to give all exhibitors an equal break on their exhibition and an appropriation of $55,000 was'made t.o pay for the prints. . Washington, D. C, Oct. 2. The Liberty Loan films will be shown Friday night in the Capitol rotunda for the senators and their wives and senate employees. LOEWS WASHINGTON OPENING. Washington, D. C, Oct 2. It looks now as though Loew's new theatre here will open next Monday. It is to play pictures exclusively. The house seats about 2,600 and will have a scale up to 25 cents in the orchestra. While there was some surprise when Marcus Loew decided upon* a straight picture policy rather than a combina- tion one of vaudeville and film, the reason appears to be that with the present congestion of visitors here, Mr. Loew settled upon pictures through being able to give from five to seven shows daily with 'film, where- as and at the same admission scale, he could not give over three perform- ances a day with a vaudeville mixture. Mack Remaining With Goldwyn. A report is current that Willard Mack has severed his connection with Goldwyn. At the offices of the concern it was stated there was no foundation for the rumor. Mack, they said, was .temporarily producing a couple of legitimate pro- ductions, but still devoting a portion of his time to the Goldwyn activities. When the plays are launched he is due to return to the studio. "VIGILANTES" SOLD. ... Chicago, Oct. 2. After the showing of the Bear State Film Co.'s feature, "The Vigilantes" at the Playhouse, it was reported to have been sold to the Unity Photoplay Co. Jesse Lasky Leaving for New York. Los Angeles, Oct. 2. Jesse Lasky leaves here today for New York and is due to arrive there Monday. - ,•>;; Triangle Presents BELLE BENNETT as the beautiful -woman, whose keen intellect is the mas- ter-mind that successfully conquers the vicious Ger- man plot that flourishes in the name of charity, with J. Barney Sherry and Jack Richardson in "Reckoning Day" Play for Profits and War Sayings Stamps Scheduled for early release TRIANGLE DISTRIBUTING CORPORATION 1457 Broadway, New York Iv\S ... "rseup •.'V m