Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1947)

BLUE RIBBON AWARD— Ben Shlyen, publisher of BOXOFFICE, presents the February Blue Ribbon Award for “Song of the South” to S. Barret McCormick, advertising and publicity director for RKO, and William Levy, international sales head for Walt Disney Productions. State Tax Commission Readies Levy Drafts Albany— Mayor Corning announced Friday that Albany will not avail itself of the power to levy special taxes until the city finds out what it will cost to finance teachers’ salaries under raises authorized by the legislature. “The teachers law is complicated,” he said, “and I haven’t seen a clear interpretation yet. I understand the state department is preparing a statement.” ALBANY — The state tax commission, acting under authority written into the Burney bill recently passed by the legislature and signed by Governor Dewey, is preparing model ordinances and regulations for counties and cities of more than 100,000 population which may levy any or all of a series of emergency taxes. An official of the commission said several drafts have been made and are under study. Information on their contents probably will be made within two or three weeks. None of the special imposts — all permissive — can be effective before July 1. On and after that date, counties may vote: a sales tax not exceeding 2 per cent, with certain exceptions (newspapers and periodicals are one) ; a levy of not more than 3 per cent on food and drinks in restaurants, hotels, etc., costing $1 and up; a tax not exceeding 5 per cent on admission to amusements; a tax of 25 per cent on retail liquor licenses; a tax of $5 on pleasure cars and $10 on commercial vehicles; a $10 tax on each vending machine. THERE ARE SIX OVER 100,000 Cities of 100,000 population — there are six, exclusive of New York — are authorized to vote two taxes after July. The first is 1/10 of 1 per cent on gross receipts for the privilege of engaging in a business, trade or profession; the second is 5 per cent on hotel rooms renting for more than $2 daily. Such cities also may adopt any of the taxes which counties are authorized to but do not choose to levy. A county, after January 1, must give a city 90 days notice, before the beginning of its next fiscal year, if the county decides to impose a tax which the city may be considering or has levied. Cities usually start their fiscal years on January 1 or April 1, the commission official said. Some cities, he added, have charters which provide that a notice of taxes must be advertised for two or three weeks prior to their effective date. It is possible, but how probable the commission officer could not say, that all details could be cleared for a city to levy taxes which counties passed up, by July 1. The county body to be approached is the board of supervisors. The municipal medium is likely to be the common council. Experience will tell whether the counties can and will make quick decisions; also, how much weight the viewpoint of large cities will have on county determinations. EVEN DIVISION IN ERIE At the time the legislature considered the Burney measure— strongly advocated by Governor Dewey as a means of enabling counties to meet increased education costs and large cities to take care of general expenses, education included, many county boards of supervisors were reported to be strongly opposed to the authorization for emergency taxes. This was particularly true in rural counties. In Erie county, the most populous upstate, the board of supervisors is evenly divided: 17 from the city and 17 from outside it. Rochester’s influence might be decisive in Monroe county, while in Onondaga county the non-Syracuse group is believed to have control. The city of Albany is the largest and most important unit in Albany county. Utica, located in Oneida county, and Yonkers, in Westchester county, are the other upstate cities with a minimum of 100,000 population. Schenectady has been included in some news accounts on the Burney bill. However, the 1940 census showed its population as only 87,000, and a 1945 estimate by the state health department put the figure at $88,000. The 100,000 calculation is based upon the wartime growth of the Electric city. It may have diminished in population since VJ-Day. The fact Yonkers authorities, before introduction of the Burney bill, had Senator William F. Condon and Assemblyman Malcolm Wilson put in a measure allowing it to levy a 5 per cent entertainment tax is taken to mean that city might vote such an impost. As a matter of practical politics, some counties and large cities may divide, privately, to stake out taxing areas for each. There is no precedent upon which to make predictions. They Gave Ducats Away. Back in the Old Days Albany — Paul Wallen, veteran manager of the Leland and son of Clarence Wallen, one of the late F. F. Proctor’s partners in the Proctor circuit, says the most unusual incident in his memory was the time Proctor’s Fifth Avenue gave away free tickets to persuade people to see a film, “I was only a kid,” he explains, “but I can remember the management going into the street and giving tickets to passersby. At the time, I believe the house had a straight film policy. It was before ‘Intolerance’ had been produced by D. W. Griffith.” Wallen recently visited the Grand during the run of “The Jolson Story” to check on a reference in the film to Proctor’s 23rd Street Theatre in New York. “The picture is authentic, all right,” he said. “Jolson was then at the Winter Garden and I was at the Fifth Avenue as assistant manager.” Later, Wallen worked as assistant to Lou Golding at the Palace (it had a roof garden, as well as a downstairs auditorium), in Newark. N.Y. 'Duel' Run Sei First Week of May NEW YORK— “Duel in the Sun” is scheduled to open at the Capitol Theatre the first week of May. Loew’s operates the Capitol on a lease from Messmore Kendall. The house has 5,486 seats, making it the third largest theatre in the city— after the Radio City Music Hall and the Roxy. “Duel” probably will follow “Smash-Up,” the U-I release which will open April 10. David O. Selznick has been looking for a Broadway theatre for his production since it became apparent last winter that he would not be able to get the Astor Theatre. Selznick’s joint three-year lease for the Astor with Samuel Goldwyn will expire April 15. Goldwyn put “The Best Years of Our Lives” into the Astor last November and it may remain there until the summer. 'Citizen Saint' to Open In Washington April 12 NEW YORK— “Citizen Saint,” the first feature film made at the new RKO Pathe Studio here, will open at Constitution Hall, Washington, D. C., April 12, according to Clyde Elliott, producer. Carla Dare, the 22-year-old USO “find,” who plays the title role, will be present as will Harold Young, director; Harold Orlob, who wrote the scenario and some of the original music, and members of the Catholic hierarchy, U.S. government leaders and members of the foreign diplomatic corps. Elliott, who has been commuting by air between Washington and his Chicago office, will open the picture in New York soon after April 12 and expects to roadshow “Citizen Saint” in key cities, coast-to-coast, at advanced prices. 'Yearling' at Festival NEW YORK — MGM has entered an English print of “The Yearling” in the World Film Festival to be held this year in Brussels from June 1 to June 30. Entry of American films has been approved by the MPA. BOXOFFICE : : April 5, 1947 47