The Film Daily (1947)

10 DAILY Tuesday, January 7, 1947 Minneapolis Ticket Tax Proposal Looms Minneapolis — An admissions tax is among eight possible new taxes which will be listed in the forthcoming interim report of the Mayor's Tax and Finance Commission. The admissions tax would be a substitute for the present Federal tax and it is estimated that the city of Minneapolis could derive an annual revenue of $1,500,000 from it. With the seven other new taxes, the citv might get an estimated $12,000,000 in additional revenue. Before the city can tap new sources of revenue, the report will point out, the Minnesota legislature must pass enabling legislation empowering cities to levy the suggested local taxes. It is expected that such a bill will be introduced at the session of the legislature this year, and North Central Allied at its recent convention voted to fight such a measure. Levying of such local taxes also would be made subject to approval, by i-ef erendum, of city voters. May Ask House Equity Inquiry Myers Reported Planning Move by Allied Northampton Decrees Increased License Fees Northampton, Mass. — Increased 1947 license fees for the city's three theaters have been announced by Mayor Edwin L. Olander. In the future, the Calvin will pay $150 a year instead of $60; the Plaza will pay $60 instead of $50, and the Academy — municipally owned and heretofore exempt from license fees — will pay $90 annually. Recently, Mayor Olander upped Sunday license fees for these houses. Pottstown Council Votes 5% Gross Receipts Tax Pottstown, Pa. — In a special meeting, the Borough Council here passed the much discussed ordinance imposing additional taxes on theater admissions and other amusement ventures. The proposed tax on motion picture theaters calls for 5 per cent of gross receipts, payable monthly. Theaters in many other Pennsylvania cities may soon be affected by similar laws if the Pottstown law stands, and legal contest is believed inevitable. Chi. East Theater Sold Chicago — Greenvile Cooper has sold the East Theater to Nick Chirigos and John Steocu. Ohio IT© Queries on 'Obnoxious* Checkers Columbus, O. — Cases in which local checkers have been "obnoxious" or have "acted in a manner detrimental to your business" are being sought from Ohio exhibitors by P. J. Wood, secretary of the Independent Theater Owners of Ohio. Wood wants such cases described in writing, with names and dates. (Continued from Page 1) lied counsel has been quietly investigating this aspect of the case and is contemplating asking the House Committee for such action. Two Points Said Raised The call for a House investigation, it was learned, is predicated on two points: 1. The allegedly lengthy delays in the case agreed to by one of the judges and the alleged "indulgence" of the same judge towards defense counsel's "delaying tactics." 2. Ownership by this same judge and his wife of a theater which has been leased to two of the defendants — Warner Brothers and Paramount. The Government took official cognizance of the delays by filing in 1944 a certificate under the expediting act. By I this move, juris[diction of the case was transferred from the single judge to a Statutory threejudge court. Named to the Statutory Court were Judges Henry W. Goddard, Augustus Noble Hand and John Bright. Judge Goddard had heard the case for five years before the Government filed its expediting certificate. Disclosed by Leases Ownership of a theater by one of ABRAM F. MYERS the judges and his wife came to light, it is understood, when the Department of Justice called for copies of all leases entered into by the defendant companies. Photostatic copies of the leases in question are contained in Government Exhibit 224. These copies show that the theater in question was first leased to Warner brothers in 1933. Warners subsequently subleased the theater to various Paramount interests at a rental beginning at $910 a month. Question of "various and repeated delays" in the case was brought out before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 1940. The Committee then was conducting hearing on a bill calling for theater divorcement and introduced by Matthew Neely, then a Senator from West Virginia. Thurman Arnold, then Assistant Attorney General in charge of the anti trust division, outlined to the Committee the many delays in the case up to that time. One of the judges, it was learned, made brief mention of his theater interest but was not challenged during the trial. Appeal Effect Moot Point What effect the move may have on an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court by the Government appears at least a moot question. If the high court throws the case back to the threejudge Statutory Court, the "impartiality" of one of the judges may be challenged. The Department of Justice declined comment on this aspect of the case except to say that the Government was aware of the question. 300 to Attend Farewell Dinner for H. M. Warren Des Moines, la. — A large number of film executives will attend the farewell banquet to be held at Des Moines tonight for Harry M. Warren, general manager of Central States Theater Corp. who is retiring and moving to Tucson, Ariz. Approximately 300 guests are expected for the party which will include both West Coast and East Coast executives, branch managers, district managers of the film companies and Central States theater managers. The event will also include the awarding of prizes for the recent nine-weeks Warren drive among the Central States managers. Warren will leave for Arizona tomorrow. A. H. Blank, head of Central States and Tri-States, meantime announced that Myron N. Blank, his son, would assume personal direction of Central States and that E. L. Wegener would become general manager. Jerry Greenebaum will succeed Wegener as district manager for the Burlington, la., group of theaters, Treasury Film Only PQA „ Approved Narcotic Pix West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Pursuant to statements published in some newspapers regarding the alleged "deluge" of motion pictures about to be produced dealing with the illegal drug traffic, PCA issued the following statement: "We have no knowledge of any pictures . . . dealing with the illega1 drug traffic, except the picture 'Assigned to Treasury. ' This story concerns the dramatization of the world-wide efforts being made by many countries working together to stamp out the illegal traffic in narcotics." Statement continued with assertions that the picture was prepared with the approval of the U. S Commissioner of Narcotics, and carries the endorsement of the Secretary of Treasury, Chief Justice Fred Vinson, and Henry Morgenthau, Jr. Statement concluded with ". . . morbid dramatizations of the use or effect of narcotic drugs never were and cannot now be aoproved under the provisions of the Motion Picture Production Code." REVIEWS "Ladies' Man" with Eddie Bracken, Cass Daley Paramount 91 Mins DIVERTING COMEDY OFFERING HAS * NUMBER OF NOVELTIES TO SET PLOT OFF. /--r Four or five times in the pr^ •/ *igs of this tale, Cass Daley and Spike Jones and his City Slickers become involved in the shennanigans. They give it considerable comic relief. And that's a good thing, tor The latter bang out their well known "Holiday for Strings" and "Cocktails for Two." Miss Daley is a hilarious session all by herself. Bracken, Virginia Welles and Virginia Field carry the weight of the story They lug it around and deposit it in the iroper niches. Unrequited love stabs Bracken out ir Oklahoma. But the same day an oil wel comes in on his farm. With 50 grand ir his poke he comes to Gotham to have look-see at the sights. He is through witr women. He has his dog, his true friend. . Before he gets around to the sights he meets up with Miss Welles who is holding forth with a street broadcast. Bracker says his piece. Miss Welles, something o a scatterbrain, tells the listening audience — women — that the lucky box top will ge a date with Bracken. She passes him of as a millionaire. Immediately there's a flurry by the fe males. Cass Daley "wins" Bracken. Thi theme develops and so does r'mance be tween Bracken and Miss Welles. Mean while Miss Field is conniving to separatf Oklahoma from his dough. The boy meet %\r\ gimmick is given the whirl. He lose her and then finds her again. In the process misunderstanding turns to revelation. Thei comes retribution. Lastly, Bracken and Mis Welles are seen arm-in-arming it in Cen tral Park. The doings are diverting, generally. Dani :el -Dace's pjpdnftrn is in keening wit! various levels of the story and Will:am D Russell's direction achieves the lightnes indicated. CAST: Eddie Bracken, Cass Daley, Virqinic Welles, Spike Jones and his City Slickers Johnny Coy, Virginia Field, Lewis Russell; Georges Renevant, Roberta Jonav. CREDITS: Producer, Daniel Dare; Director William D. Russell; Screenolay by Edmuni Beloin, Jack Rose, Lewis Mettzer; Based on story by William Bowers, Robinson Holbert Music Direction, Irvin Talbot; Vocal arrange ments, Ken Lane; Music Associate, Trov San ders; Cameraman, Stuart Thomoson; Art Di rection, Hans Dreier, Walter Tyler: Set Dec oration, Sam Comer, Ray Mover; Sound. Dor McKav, Gene Garvin: Film Editor, Everett Doug las: Dances, Billy Daniels. DIRECTION, Effective. PHOTOGRAPHY Good. London Critic Barred From 20th-Fox Preview London (By Cable) — Paul Holt Daily Express critic, was barrec from the press preview of "Meet A Dawn" at Odeon's Leicester Square yesterday, under orders of Ottci Bolle, 20th-Fox managing director! it was learned. Ban reportedly was caused b? Holt's recent criticism of "The Ra zor's Edge." J. Arthur Rank tele phoned Holt to apologize and t< disassociate Odeon from Bolle's ac I tion.