The Film Daily (1945)

I "lesday, September 4, 1945 Ws? flllegal" Demands lar End of Strike (Continued from Page 1) the Mexican market than to ■illegal" demands of the union, i> revealed Friday, confirming < Her predictions in The Film if V. -tributors held that the only of the proposed union pact con of violation of laws. National they argued, require decisions arts to be observed, but the ; declares that if any court de lon is adverse to workers it should : apply. Illegal demands, disti'ibs. uded, make impossible a legal able understanding with the -rs' association. iin while producers and distrib of Mexican films informed 'resident that the union is "at oint of finishing the industry," mg that "our economic reserves xhausted, investors withdrawn 1 edit vanished." ■ up said the industry "can no I guarantee production of Mex1 n tilms" and accused the union of •cing total stoppage at every stu), with consequent harm to em)yes and artists. Move was deibed as a "most monstrous attack a source of national wealth." Negotiations between American Dresentatives and the union have en suspended on the grounds of less and the Presidential basis ■;tlement promised by Francisco ujillo Gurria, Minister of Labor, s failed to materialize. Mexican producers, distributors d actors are preparing to migrate South America, as spokesmen for e industry revealed that Argentina, latemala and other countries are 'ering inducements if the dispute mains unsettled. Strike has been termed by some a Sovietized distribution-exhibibn plan, under which the union pes to enforce its aims before ineasing prices when exhibitors are ;akened financially. An offer to oid theater shutdowns by exhibitg films in possession of the union s been made. As exhibitors are being drawn into e fight, 90 per cent face closing :cause of the inability to get new ■ograms, some of which have been icbanged for 15 days. It is estiated that audiences have already lien off 25 per cent as the strike n'eads. Exhibitors are also being reatened with a 35 per cent wage crease demand by candy butchers. ^ERD BIRTHDflV GREETinGS TO: September 4 Pete Smith Canada Keeps Renial Control Truman Lauds War Dominion Admission Price Scales Stay Frozen (Continued from Page 1) wartime controls that would encourage an upward trend in the price structure or permit wages to bound upwards. They proclaim fear of chaotic conditions, panicky buying and inflationary developments. At the same time, the Government has declined to start the deflation movement by reducing or removing wartime taxes and, in fact, Canadians are looking to a heavy-tax future because of the various social-security measures to which the country is being committed. The Cabinet Ministers have avoided all reference to the Federal amusement tax of 20 per cent on theater grosses which was introduced solely as a war measure. Job Freezing to End ■Job freezing and occupational priorities are to be wiped off Sept. 16 but the unfreezing of wages has been refused so that "freedom of pay" continues to be merely a memory. (The film business continues to be classed as non-essential). Scores of wartime controls on manufacturing and the production of civilian goods have been lifted but very few of these changes are beneficial to the theaters. Minister Howe lifted the restrictions on the installation of machinery and equipment in industrial plants for reconversion to peacetime production but theater owners, among others, must still secure a permit from the Administrator of Construction for any addition to structure or equipment the cost of which exceeds $500 for materials, labor and cost of installation. The freeze on refrigerating gas has been lifted and theaters can now bring cooling systems back to proper working condition. There has been no indication of the lifting of Federal control of film rental contracts and booking schedules for the 194546 year are being checked by the Prices Board. No move is being made to unfreeze admission-price scales and theater admissions are the same everywhere as they were in 1941, despite increased operation costs. The theaters have got by, however, thanks to heavier patronage. There is no theater construction and proposed circuit expansion to provide employment for the thousands who are being laid off from munition plants is not taking place. Sites have been bought and plans drawn for many new theaters but no start can be made under the Government's restrictive policy. Warning has been given that no construction can be undertaken except for cheap homes and industrial plant alterations essential to reconversion for peacetime production. Even in that field the situation is chaotic, however. The belief has developed that theatre companies will be lucky if they can start on new theatres before the end of 1946. Despite repeated promises from the Cabinet Ministers that the Government was ready for the war-topeace transition period with a view to the maintenance of full employment, the powers-that-be were caught unprepared by the sudden termination of the Japanese war. There were countless pre-election promises prior to last June of postelection moves to benefit every man, woman and child. Some of those promises have been forgotten or ignored, or cannot be put into effect. There are mounting protests from organized labor regarding the nonfulfillment of Government pledges and, in a sense, the battle is on. Pessimistic predictions fill the air but the Government continues with an optimistic attitude. Factory layoffs, population migration, unsatisfactory housing conditions and other factors are beginning to tell at the boxoffice of some theaters. Meanwhile the Government persists in its warning of inflation danger. In a genral word, there is no relief from taxation for theater proprietors, no opportunity to launch post-war theater projects and no peacetime benefits for exhibitors or film distributors. 20th-Fox K. C. Meet Ends; Frisco Conference Next Kansas City — The fifth of the series of six 20th-Fox sales meetings was held in this city over the week-end. The sessions were conducted by Tom Connors, the company's distribution chief, who was accompanied here from Des Moines by William C. Gehring, Central and Canadian sales manager, and Morris Caplan, branch co-ordinator. Among others present at the meeting were District Manager W. E. Scott and George W. Fuller (Kansas City), G. T. Landis (Indianapolis) and B. B. Reingold (St. Louis), branch managers. Help of the Industry (Continued from Page 1) operate with the commercial industry. Exit OWI, Enter IIIS Interpretation of the directive issued by President Truman Friday for the absorption of the OWI and Office of Intei'-American Affairs by the State Department brought opinions from officials of both agencies here that domestic activities would be elimniated by Jan. 1, 1946, and that an Assistant Secretary of State would be appointed this week by James F. Byrnes to take charge of both groups. Preservation of the OWI and OIAA functions abroad after the end of the year was also considered a likely project. The combined units will operate for the balance of the year as the Interim International Information Service. UA Pic Heads Vienna's First AU-U. S. Film Bill Funeral Rites Today I For James Cummings James Cummings, 51, Long IslandBrooklyn booker at Universal's New York exchange, will be laid at rest this morning in Calvary Cemetery, Queens. Services will be at the Dowdall Funeral Home, 25-02 Newtown Ave., Astoria. Cummings, who was with Universal since 1915, died of a heart attack on Thursday while he was vacationing in Atlantic City. Surviving are Mrs. Cummings and two children. The first ail-American film program shown in Austria since V-E Day was held in Vienna's American zone at the Colisseum Aug. 24, it was reported in a cable received here by Louis Lober, chief of the overseas motion picture branch of the Interim International Information Service, formerly known as the OWI. The program consisted of UA's "It Happened Tomorrow," shovsm with German subtitles; Allied newsreel; and the OWI documentary, "Pipeline." Judging by the first day's receipts the cable added that the program would run for five weeks. There are at present 94 theaters in Vienna's American zone, but not all are operating. The theaters in this zone were least damaged by Allied bombings, only 10 having been badly hit. Out of Vienna's 208 theaters, 50 are inoperable because of bomb damage. Schmidt to Columbia As Harry Cohn's Aide (Continued from Page 1) sultant following his release from active duty in the Navy on Sept. 17. He will take up his duties at the studio after a brief stay at the home office. Identified with the industry for 20 years, Schmidt started in the business as a theater manager in Indianapolis. Then he became advertising and publicity dii-ector of the Publix-Michigan theater circuit in Detroit, later joining Loew's as a theater advertising executive and finally moving to Metro as publicity manager. For the past year he has been assigned to the Office of the Secretary of the Navy as Deputy-Director of Navy Photographic Services ' under Capt. Gene Markey, USNR.