The Film Daily (1941)

M Is I3 l*U IJ ID I S T ST r L Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Twenty-Two Years Old VOL. 79, NO. 6 NEW YORK, THURSDAY. JANUARY 9, 1941 TEN CENTS FORECAST $74,200,000 ADMISSION TAXES Statutory Relief From 5 -Blocks, N.W. Allied Plan , floves Will Be Mapped at Unit's Convention, Called [ "or Minneapolis Jan. 21-22 By GEORGE E. GUISE FILM DAILY Staff Correspondent Minneapolis — Moves to secure en;tment of legislation which will exnpt Minnesota from block-of-five ) i-ovisions of the recent New York msent decree will be mapped by irillied Theater Owners of the Northwest, Inc., when the organization : ages its 1941 convention at Nicolv. t Hotel here Jan. 21-22. I Dates for the session were set by ifie association's Board of Governors (Continued on Page 7) oach Suing Metro; ays Pads Violated Charging violation of a series of istribution contracts over a period iijf 13 years, Hal Roach Studios, tic, yesterday filed suit in the Fedral Court against Loew's and M-M Distributing Corp. demanding 1,263,993 damages. The complaint, (Continued on Page 4) Arnold, Radio Execs. Meet; ail to Reach Agreement Paul Felix Warburg Succeeds P. M. Haight On Arbitration System's Budget Committee P. M. Haight, one of the three members of the budget committee for the industry's arbitration system, has resigned because of ill health and his place has been filled by Paul Felix Warburg. Haight, an executive of the International General Electric Co., will retain his post on the administrative committee. American Arbitration Association will move into its new headquarters in Radio City on Feb. 1, the administrative committee announced yesterday. Goldwyn Will Head RKO Selling Shorts Greek Film Drive ashington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Neville Miller, NAB resident and several other repesentatives of the radio industry let with Thurman W. Arnold, head (Continued on Page 5) Jach Benny Signed By Para., 20th-Fox West Coast Bur., THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Jack Benny yesterday signed long-term, straight starring contracts with Paramount and 20thcentury Fox, continuing his long association with Paramount and beginning a new affiliation with 20th-Fox. New setup is effective immediately and arrangements for the operation of the contracts will be worked out harmoniously between the two studios. Harold S. Vanderbilt, honorary national chairman of the Greek War Relief Association, yesterday announced the appointment o f Samuel Goldwyn as national chairman of the Motion Picture Producers Division of the relief drive. At the same time Vanderbilt a nnounced that $786,667 had been expended out of the first million sent to (Continued on Page 5) For 1941-42 Season SAMUEL GOLDWYN Bewley Re-introduces Bill Carrying 5% Admish Tax Albany, N. Y. — William Bewley, Lockport, Republican, yesterday reintroduced in the Senate his sales (Continued on Page 5) Companies which will be governed by the consent decree are expected to launch their short subject sellingseason far in advance of the feature sales campaigns. It is understood that pre-convention selling of features will not be possible under the new order and that this period will be devoted to pushing short subjects. Reports from the field indicate that RKO salesmen have been instructed to start immediately on the 1941-42 shorts lineup. It ^reported that the RKO scheduleVias (Continued on Page 5) F.D.R. Expects 1942 Fiscal Year to Bring Government Increase of $5,300,000 A 'Land of Liberty's" First $50,000 for Nazis' Victims The first $50,000 derived from the release of the feature picture "Land of Liberty" will go to the aid of British air raid victims. As the result of this announcement by the MPPDA yesterday, British relief organizations throughout the U. S. are making plans to assist in ticket (Continued on Page 5) Admish Taxes Up $2,417,114 Total Collections for 1940 $21,887,916 PCA Sued for $1,500,000 Over Pix License Refusal West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Criterion Pictures Corp. has filed suit in United States j District Court asking triple damages (Continued on Page 5) Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington— A gain of $2,417,114.15 in admissions taxes collected during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1940 over the 1939 fiscal year was reported to Congress yesterday by the Internal Revenue Bureau in it annual report. The 1940 fiscal year collection was (Continued on Page 7) By MILTON F. LUNCH Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — The Presidential budget message calling for $17,485,528,049 sent to Congress yesterday estimates that admissions taxes collected during the fiscal year of 1942 will amount to $74,200,000, compared to an estimated collection of $68,900,000 for the fiscal year of 1941. The estimated increase — while substantial— is not large enough to indicate that higher admission taxes are contemplated. An appropriation of $1,575,000 for enforcement of the anti-trust laws (Continued on Page 5) Will Seek to Kill Ohio Newsreel Tax By CECIL SANSBURY FILM DAILY Staff Correspondent Columbus, O. — Unless sudden unexpected pressure comes from certain high pressure lobbyists, now fighting taxes in their own interests, the possibilities of an increase in (Continued on Page 7) B'way Demonstration Will Open Polio Drive Opening gun in the motion picture drive for funds for the National Infantile Paralysis Foundation will be held next Wednesday in a huge (Continued on Page 7) 78.5 % of U. S. Public Ready to See GWTW Polls conducted by newspaper survey departments for Metro in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Columbus, Pittsburgh and Washington indicate a potential 78.5 per cent U. S. audience for GWTW during its approaching regular release period. And this in spite of the $23,500,000 domestic gross reported for the roadshow release.