Boxoffice (Sep 29, 1951)

MYERS POINTS TO WEAK INDUSTRY CAMPAIGN Little Hope for Tax Aid In This Year's Bill By AL GOLDSMITH, Washington Bureau, BOXOFFICcE WASHINGTON—Abram F. Myers, Allied general counsel and chairman of the Council of Motion Picture Organization’s tax committee, sees little hope for getting better film industry treatment this year in the new tax bill than that granted by the senate finance committee. On the other hand, in a bulletin to Allied members, he pointed out that there is considerable danger of losing the gains over the house bill. The bulletin, dated September 24, said that the bill which came out of the senate finance committee is “much more sympathetic” to film industry problems than was the house bill and, “if as seems likely the senate passes the section in the form reported by the finance committee the danger to be apprehended is that the conference committee may strike out the senate amendments.” He explained, “the only conflict will be over the senate amendments and these are predominately in our favor.” FEW LETTERS TO SENATORS Myers said that the compaign to gain more equitable tax treatment for films was handicapped by lack of letters to senators and congressmen such as the millions of petitions Signed by theatregoers for repeal of admission taxes in 1950. He said that “letters have been written to exhibitor leaders in the States from which the probable conferees hail in the hope that they will ask the conferees to stand firm for the senate version.” He knew of only 1,291 letters and telegrams sent to legislators and was told by a committee clerk that pressure for wide exemptions from admissions taxes for charitable and other groups outnumbered film industry letters in opposition to these exemptions by 100 to 1. Analyzing the senate finance committee bill’s superiority to the house bill from the viewpoint of the film industry, Myers stressed the more careful definition of the groups entitled to admissions tax exemption as a greater protection against promiscuous evasion of the tax. NO EXEMPTION ON FILMS Most important was the fact that the senate committee definitely bars exemption from tax for film exhibitions, no matter who Sponsors the showing. The house bill had gone so far as to exempt from tax cooperatively owned film theatres. Only athletic games or exhibitions of which proceeds go exclusively to elementary or secondary schools are exempt under the senate committee bill. Wrestling matches, prize fights, or boxing, sparring or other pugilistic matches or exhibitions must stand the tax, no matter who the sponsors are, And the same holds true for carnivals, rodeos or circuses in which any professional performer or operator participates for compensation. Myers said, “there is reason to belleve that many churches, schools and colleges 26 Film Advisory Group Named by State Dept. WASHINGTON—Many film industry Ieaders were announced as serving on the State department’s newly formed film industry advisory committee, which held its first meeting here on Sunday (23). The meeting was almost entirely taken up with acquainting committee members with the department’s information program, how it fits into the overall American foreign policy, and the specific nature of the International Motion Picture Division. Those on the committee are: Chairman Mark A. May, director of Yale University Institute of Human Relations; Gordon Biggar, Industrial Audio-Visual ‘Ass’n president; Frank Capra for Motion Picture Industry Council; Ned E. Depinet, Council of Motion Picture Organizations president; Y. Frank Freeman, Ass’n of Motion Picture Producers board chairman; Gunther R. Lessing Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers broad chairman; John G. McCarthy, Motion Picture Ass’n of America vice-president; Joseph J. McPherson, representing National Education Ass’n; Peter J. Mooney, Non-theatrical Film Producers; Edmund Reek, Movietonews vice-president; Ralph W. Seetle, Joint Committee on Educational Television; Donald K. White, National Audio-Visual As’n; Walter A. Wittich, Wisconsin University Bureau of Visual Instruction director. were ambitious to turn their auditoriums into movie theatres,” and expressed his satisfaction with the senate finance committee's provision that they must charge admissions tax if they do. Myers was pleased with the senate committee’s inclusion of Sec. 401, which repeals the provision requiring that when a person is admitted free or at a reduced rate, the exhibitor shall nevertheless collect from such person an admission tax which is equivalent to the tax which would apply to one paying the established admission price for the same or similar accommodations. He said that, in view of the fact that the house bill already contained Sec. 401, “it seems quite certain that we are finally going to get rid of this ridiculous provision.” Although Myers felt the best that could now be expected would be retention of the senate amendments by the senate-house conferences, he was more hopeful for the future and promised recommendations to COMPO at a later date which would envisage a campaign to get rid of the admissions tax. He said that the reinstatement of the special exemptions, even with some senate watering-down, “emphasizes the discrimination against the movies,” Dave Palfreyman Dies; Formerly With MPAA ANGOLA, IND.—David P-lfreyman, for 20 years director of exhibitor relations for the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America and is successor the Mo| tion Picture Ass’n of America, died suddenly Sunday (23) f while seated in a chair | of his living room. He was 57 years old. Fu| neral services were held here Wednesday | (26). Palfreyman is survived by his wife Margaret. David Palfreyman “Dave,” as he was known, was a native of Angola, where he returned in October 1949 to operate two theatres. He entered the film business in 1924 as secretary and manager of the Detroit Film Board of Trade. In 1929 he went to New York to start the theatre service department of the old MPPDA and became head of the department. While with the Detroit Film Board Palfreyman organized a voluntary uniform zoning and clearance plan for Michigan and a Central Shipping bureau for film shipments. He also formed the Film Board Credit committee and published the first annual directory of theatres and promoted the New Film Exchange building in Detroit. In 1945 he was director of the MPAA title registration bureau in addition to heading the trade relations department. 20th-Fox to Release 11 In Final 1951 Quarter NEW YORK — Eleven pictures, including three November releases in Technicolor, have been set for the final three months of 1951 by Al Lichtman, 20th Century-Fox director of distribution. The pictures will embrace every type of entertainment for the Movietime U.S.A. campaign, Lichtman said. The October releases are: “No Highway in the Sky,” “The Desert Fox,” “Love Nest” and “Journey Into Light,” all previously tradeshown and some of them playing first run engagements. The November slate will include: “Anne of the Indies,” in. Technicolor, starring Jean Peters, Louis Jourdan and Debra Paget; “Golden Girl,” in Technicolor, starring Mitzi Gaynor, Dale Robertson, Dennis Day and James Barton; “Kangaroo,” filmed in Australia in Technicolor, starring Maureen O'Hara and Peter Lawford with Finlay Currie, and “Let’s Make It Legal,” starring Claudette Colbert, Macdonald Carey and Zachary Scott. The December lineup is: “The Bridge,” Starring Hugo Haas and Beverly Michaels: “Fixed Bayonets,” starring Richard Basehart and Michael O’Shea, and “Elopement,” star ring Clifton Webb, William Lundigan and Reginald Gardiner. “David and Bathsheba” will continue its pre-release engagement during the balance of 1951. BOXOFFICE :: September 29, 1951