The Film Daily (1940)

Tuesday, December 17, 1940 "3fe Ohio ITO to Ask Tax on Bingo Gaines (Continued from Page 1) improved business conditions in Ohio, and observes that the trouble is not so much the quality of pix as it is competition. Of the latter, Wood says, h"one of the worst is the Bingo •'rackets indulged in by various groups and all of which are operated 'scotfree' of all state and Federal taxes." Wood says that whereas Ohio admission tax collections for the 11 months ended Nov. 30 increased 6 per cent to $1,573,959, the Ohio sales tax total jumped 12.3 per cent to $44,247,295.16. Wood declares that churches in Cincinnati in 1939 collected over $2,000,000 via Bingo, and that this figure will be exceeded this year. He continues: "If this industry is to be burdened with Federal and state taxes, we can see no reason for exempting the above groups and, in order that we may be fortified when we go before our State Legislature and the Federal Congress, we must have some authentic figures on which to base our computation of the amount of money that the Federal and state governments are losing by not taxing these Bingo games which, in many instances, are not only 'big business' but rackets." Judge Campbell Will Hear Stadium Dismissal Motion (Continued from Page 1) «|i is reported here that either side can call for action on three days' notice. Case filed by Frank Ford, operator of the Stadium in Evanston, is "I' based on alleged clearance difficulties. Hollywood Stars to Attend Chi. Mayor's Xmas Show Chicago — Among important Hollywood film stars expected here at Mayor Kelly's Christmas show at the Stadium on Thursday are Errol 'Flynn, Joan Crawford, Charles Ruggles, George Raft and Johnny Weissmuller. Organizers of the affair predict an attendance of 25,000. THE FILM DAILY to David Butler Arthur Hoerl Ceorge Barraud Charles Seibel T ▼ T • • • NOT only is there a Santa Claus but lots of 'em and that fact comes home vividly every year 'bout this time as you gaze out on domestic filmland's wide horizons and watch our industry's industrious Santas modestly at work planning and subsequently bringing sunshine and warmth into hearts of young and old. . . . It is a bright badge of honor which our film legions earn annually for the humanitarian work they do in the production, distribution and exhibition of joy at Yuletide T T T • • • IT would literally require a volume to list all the nation's locales wherein our organizations, circuits and indie ex hibs put their individual and co-operative shoulders to the wheel to make the holidays cheerful We can pick at random from the packs of dispatches on our desk-top and the chances are that the item will tell a story of good-will toward men Out in Cincy, for example, Harry "Pop" Wessel and RKO Joe Goetz will be Variety Club hosts to 1,800 underprivileged children at the Orpheum Theater this coming Saturday with candy, fruit, toys, and a flesh show combined with a film program for a Christmas treat T T T • • • On next Saturday, too, local theaters in Staunton, Va., will give their annual charity shows and admish will be via some article of food or wearing apparel which will be distributed to the needy by local charitable organizations Just this past week-end, the Capitol, Colonial and Loew's Theaters in Richmond, Va., held special matinees showing pix for the children and the admish in this instance was in exchange for toys to be distributed to the poor children by the Christmas Mother Fund Down in Hialeah, Fla., a slightly-used toy is the price of admission at the. Hialeah Theater and all toys collected will be turned over to the fire department there which will see to it that the neediest youngsters get them T T ▼ • • • THE Oklahoma City Variety Club and the Motion Picture Operators' Union launch today and continue through Christmas Eve a series of 13 parties for shut-ins including orphans and cripples Portable projectors will be taken to institutions for pix and a "picnic" In Minneapolis, film theater operators have opened their lobbies to the Salvation Army lassies to help raise funds needed to supply 1,000 Christmas food baskets for needy families Out in Cleveland, M. B. Horwitz, chairman of the Variety Club's Christmas-Chanuka children's party next Monday announces plans have been completed to entertain 500 unrer -privileged youngsters selected equally by the Jewish Social Service and the Division of Relief of Cleveland There'll be a full-course turkey dinner and each kid will receive our modern version of sugar-plums plus a toy and a knitted wool scarf Then in Springfield, Mass., the Enterprise Dept. Store is this year's sponsor of the Christmas Kiddies' Show given at Loew's Poli. T ▼ ▼ • • • SETTING a precedent for small town theaters in Alabama the Lee Theater in Opelika held a matinee for Negro children — the price of admish being candy fruit or nuts and the confectioneries were sent to the Negro school for distribution to the underprivileged As we write these few of many, many items we recall what a world-renowned statesman once rote on the fly-leaf of a book for your correspondent: "Humanity is one and knows neither East nor West" He said it with words But our hat is off to our celluloid Santas of filmdom They say it with DEEDS Trouble Under Decree, KuykendailWarnsOTO (Continued from Page 1) here yesterday. "This is the first time the Government has entered the theater business since its organization 25 years ago. The decree would never have existed if the distributors had granted the 10point program of the MPTOA," he said. Morris Loewenstein, operator of the Majestic Theater, Oklahoma City, was re-elected president for another year at the afternoon session. Other officers re-elected by acclamation were Max Brock of Lawton, vice-president; Leonard White of Weatherford, secretarytreasurer. New directors elected were: Louis Grove, Oklahoma City, representing the Oklahoma City district; Lou Chatham, Griffith Theaters, Tulsa; Ed Holt, Colgate; Ed Crews, Waurika; Glenn Thompson, Healdton; Crawford Speaman, Edmond; Gerald Stettmund, Chandler; Homer Jones, Alva., and Verbe Ccnley, Perryton, Tex., representing the Texas district. A director was elected from the Oklahoma City district listed as the new general manager of Standard Theaters, Corp., who has not been named since resignation of Walter B. Shuttee, announced this week here. At the morning session H. M. Richey, M-G-M representative, addressed the group and F. H. Hembry of Dallas, regional representative of Ascap, outlined briefly the history of that organization. Grainger Off for Coast To Spend the Holidays James R. Grainger, Republic's president, left the home office last evening for the Coast where he will spend the Christmas holiday with his family, stopping en route in Chicago, Des Moines, Omaha and San Francisco. On his return trip East, Grainger will make stop-overs in Dallas, New Orleans, St. Louis and Indianapolis. Mrs. Grainger accompanied her husband as far as Chicago, and will meet him in Hollywood. Grainger expects to return to the home office on Jan. 11. WEDDING BELLS Clarksville, Tenn. — Announcement that Helen Wood, radio and screen actress, will be married Jan. 1 to Dr. Alfred George Huenergardt, Beverly Hills, Cal., was made here by Miss Wood's father, Ed T. Wood. Richmond, Va. — Ben Somma, manager, Henrico Theater, was married tc Ann Brauer Fletcher here. They are honeymooning in New York.