Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1950)

BULLETIN \ olume 18, Number 6 Marcfli 13, I9.r)C JVetvs esini Opinion COMPO APPROVAL COMPLETE BUT WITH PLENTY CONDITIONS "With reservations" seemed to be the keyword as ratification of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations was completed. The last two of the ten representative groups composing the allindustry organization, Theatre Owners of America and the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers, placed their stamp of approval on the COMPO setup, but each made it clear that certain conditions must be met for their continuation as members. SIMPP, last of the component units to ratify, did so "with the specific understanding that SIMPP in no way obligates itself for financial support or outlay, and that the matter of voluntary contributions be and remain purely a matter between independent producers, their distributors and COMPO, without the involvement of SIMPP therein". The TOA ratification was much more conditional. No less than five points were made in the process: — Participation for one year only. — Moderate budget. — Exhibitor autonomy to be inviolate, with COMPO to act only in an advisory capacity. — Operations to be carried on with as much "free" services from within the industry as possible. — No program or policy to be carried out without unanimous consent of all constituent members, as prescribed in the COMPO plan of organization. TOA's approval, aside from the budgetary restrictions, was much the same as Allied s, which also voted a one-year trial period and emphasized no restriction on individual autonomy. ALLIED LEADERS COOL TO NEW ONE-GSOUP PITCH The perennial proposition that all exhibitors merge into one national organization, again cropped up at the 20th Century-Fox showmanship meeting in Chicago last week. The proposal, made by Harry Brandt, New York exhibitor, was received coolly by Allied leaders present at the confab. While evincing a willingness to cooperate with the distributors and TOA in any programs in which the interests of independent exhibitors, the large circuits and the film companies run parallel, Allied spokesmen still persist in the view that there are some areas of industry operations in which the independents must retain freedom of action. There was great enthusiasm among the Allied delegates in Chicago for 20th Century-Fox's leadership in revising aggressive showmanship. U-I'S BLUMBERG A Most Ambitious List HALF DOZEN ADDED TO U-l SCHEDULE FOR 49-50 SEASON A 20 per cent increase over the original schedule of Universal-International studio-produced films was the good word from president Nate J. Blumberg last week. U-I will turn out 36 "high budget" features during the current fiscal year ending in October, six more than the 30 first planned. The hiked number was revealed by the U-I president after a series of conferences with production chiefs Leo Spitz and William Goetz. "Each of the six pictures to be added to the program will be selected with the same care given and the same special attention that we are devoting to our previously announced films," Blumberg said. "The program, as it stands, will give our company the most ambitious list of pictures that we have ever undertaken." Three of the 36 are completed and five are before the cameras, with the balance to be filmed during the next eight months, Blumberg revealed. THANK CONGRESSMEN VIA 'SCREEN CREDITS' MYERS The House Ways and Means Committee got busy last week formulating the new tax bill which will decide whether the industry is to continue to b3 burdened by a 20% Federal admissions levy. As hearings closed on March 3rd, the outlook appeared much brighter, at least for reduction of the levy, than the gloomy prospect which followed President Truman's tax message several weeks before. The improvement was due to the in dustry's tremendous effort, spearheaded by COMPO's taxation and legislation committee under Abram F. Myers, to eliminate the obnoxious levy, the mountains of mail that came from industryites and moviegoers urging repeal and the testimony before the committee by Myers and Gael Sullivan which presented the industry s arguments with telling force. Names On Screen As the hearings drew to a close, Myers issued a bulletin urging notes of thanks be sent to all Congressmen who had signified their intention to vote against the tax. He suggested also that theatre screens carry the names of these legislators, noting that "some Congressmen who have indicated that they propose to support repeal of the admission tax indicate they would not be averse to 'screen credit' for their attitude". The COMPO committee chairman also pointed out the recent assurances given by Treasury Secretary John Snyder to Loew's Carter Barron in a private interview. Emerging from the discussions, Barron revealed that Snyder had authorized him to say that the Treasury's attitude toward admissions tax relief was not "frozen" and the Secretary had so testified before the House Ways and Means Committee. Snyder cited his statement in which he declared: "If it is clearly shown that someone has failed to come forward and show us a very distressing situation, we would be glad to consider it". Treasury Not "Opposed" Myers urged exhibitors writing their Congressmen to emphasize the Treasury's attitude. He asked that petitioners point out that "the Secretary's failure to include the admission tax among those recommended for repeal does not mean the Treasury is opposed to repsal of that tax. In other words, the Treasury is not playing favorites; it is concerned only that the Government's revenue be not impaired." That continuation of the admissions tax might do just that was the point made by a Michigan theatre circuit owner. E. R. Holtz, head of the Grand Riviera Theatre Co. in Detroit, packed a set of statistics to Washington which he had compiled to show his Congressmen, which, he said, showed a loss to the Treasury of "at least $125,000,000" in income taxes because of the Federal admissions tax. Holtz based his figures on financial reports of three of his Detroit theatres, all of which suffered drops in attendance over the past few years, due in great measure, he feels to the admissions tax. (Continued on Pane 13) REVIEWS in This Issue The Reformer and the Redhead 14 Under My Skin 14 Woman on Pier 13 14 Perfect Strangers 15 Barricade 15 Please Believe Me 15 Three Came Home 16 The Outriders 16 Mother Didn't Tell Me 16