Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

Snaper Demands Speed In Selling Up Arbitration Plan Charges of stalling on arbitration, coupled with warning that a fresh rash of lawsuits is about to break out unless the distributors set up the arbitration talks, were hurled by National Allied president Wilbur Snaper in New York last week. Allied's arbitration proposals have been in the distributors' hands some six weeks. The TOA plans were submitted shortly thereafter. Snaper feels that the companies have had ample time to study the proposals and arrange a meeting with exhibitor representatives to discuss the setting up of an arbitration system. The delay has inflamed exhibitors with complaints, many of whom have held off instituting court action in view of the arbitration prospects. But their patience is being sorely tried, Snaper claimed. High among the gripes, the Allied head said, was the "pre-release" policy where a film is shown in selected first-runs at a higher admission, taken out of circulation ALLIED'S SNAPER Quit Stalling or Else . . . then replayed in the first-runs at regular admissions. The result is that the film is milked virtually dry by the bigger houses, leaving the smaller subsequent-runs with only "crumbs," Snaper charged. 1951 Tax Receipts Shows B.O. Off Only 3% From '50 On the basis of general admission tax receipt figures for 1951, recently released by the Internal Revenue Bureau, box-office receipts for last year were down only slightly over 3 per cent from 1950. In the latter half of 1951, July and September showed increases over the corresponding months in 1950, while August and November were approximately on par. Only October and December were substantially below. Total tax collections on all general admissions for 1951 was $340,632,153; for 1950, $360,677,149. It is approximated that movie theatres represent 75 per cent of these totals. MARCH 24, 1 952 BULLETIN JVEWS unit OJPIJVIOJV Bogart, 'American In Paris' Surprise In Academy Awards There were some startling surprises when the Academy Awards were announced last Thursday (March 20) night. Hardly anyone outside of Hollywood expected Humphrey Bogart to receive top spot for his role in "African Queen," and "An American in Paris" was accorded only an outside chance for picture-of-the-year honors in advance predictions. The Metro musical waltzed off with seven other awards. Choice of Vivian Leigh as best actress, for "Streetcar Named Desire," followed expections, however. "Streetcar" also came in for two other acting awards, Kim Hunter and Karl Maiden, for supporting roles, marking the first time in Academy history that a film has won more than two awards in the acting division. The "oscar" for direction went to George Stevens for "A Place In the Sun", also accorded plaques for screenplay, score, photography, costume design and editing. Reissues Too Restricted, N. J. Allied Head Charges Reissues, for many theatres the transfusion needed to keep them alive, are being deliberately restricted. This charge was levelled at distributors by Wilbur Snaper, president of Allied Theatre Owners of New Jersey, and recently elected National Allied president, at a meeting of the regional unit in Newark. In the New Jersey territory, Snaper said, it is virtually impossible to book a film more than two years old, aside from those the distributors make available occasionally on a regular release. "Exhibitors can no longer book good releases" in his territory, Snaper charged. The older films with star names that draw in various theatres are unobtainable, he said, despite the fact that they could prove lucrative to both the theatreman and to the distributor. The entire meeting recorded a strong protest against the reissue situation. COMPO Backs Tax Battle Despite Treasury's Coolness The Treasury Department's "low priority" rating for elimination of the Federal Admissions tax spurred the industry into renewed vinor toward an "educational campaign" directed at Congress and the Treasury. Arthur I.. Mayer, executive vice-president of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations, announced the all-industry organization's determination to press the battle to eliminate the levy following the Treasury's Tax Study report on "Fedcral-Statc-Local Coordination." "We who are close to the business are convinced that this type of taxation is inequitable for two reasons: It bears most heavily on that part of the public least able to pay, and it threatens the well-being of our industry," Mayer declared. "Not only do we hope to convince Congress of this fact, but we hope to make representations to the U. S. Treasury as well. We have found Treasury officials open-minded and we know them to be constantly evaluating taxes in the light of 4 t COMPO'S MAYER 'We Hope to Convince . . . their effect on the economy — not only the national economy but of the economy of the industries involved and the population sectors immediately affected. The Congress naturally is the agency that can grant relief. No effort will be spared, however, to make an ally of Treasury Department, whose recommendations properly have great weight with 'he Congress." Copies of the Treasury's study are being forwarded to the COMPO Tax Committee, Mayer declared. Meanwhile, Theatre Owners of America started a "pre-release" campaign against the admissions tax with the appointment by president Mitchell Wolfson of a special 30nian tax committee "for the purpose of cooperating and co-ordinating our efforts with the Compo Committee on Taxation." Each of the members of the TOA tax committee "has had a thoroughgoing experience in handling tax matters at the Federal, State (Continued on Page 24)