Harrison's Reports (1949)

12 to draw its patrons by televising motion pictures, pugilistic fights, and other programs, it offers unfair competition to the theatres, which are compelled to pay a tax. How do you suppose the tavern owners would react if the exhibitors were to set up in their interior lobbies a bar for the sale of alcoholic drinks without paying a license fee for the privilege? A HELPFUL RECOMMENDATION PRESENTED AT THE WRONG TIME The Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) issued this week a memorandum entitled, "A Federal Tax Program to Promote Full Employment," in which it calls upon Congress to repeal certain excise taxes, including the twenty per cent tax on theatre admissions. The CIO's recommendation will be welcomed by many in the motion picture industry, for either elinv ination or reduction of the admissions tax will serve to reduce the prices paid by the picture-patrons at the box-office, and will, consequently, serve to boost at' tendance. But in view of the fact that President Truman, in his record peacetime-budget message delivered to Congress this week, has asked for an increase of approximately six billion dollars in new taxes to meet the needs of his spending program, it is doubtful if Congress, at this time, will want to eliminate any of the existing excise taxes. As a matter of fact, in view of the President's statement that expenditures in the fiscal year of 1951 are likely to be larger than those for 1950, little hope can be felt that the admissions tax will be either eliminated or reduced for at least several years. ALL-INDUSTRY FILM SERIES ENDORSED BY LEADING EXHIBITORS "The Movies and You," the All-Industry Film Series designed to sell the motion picture industry to the American public, has been enthusiastically en' dorsed by a number of leading exhibitors who have seen four of the six short subjects that will be released during 1949 at the rate of one every two months. The first in the Series, "Let's Go to the Movies," traces the industry's history from its beginning less than sixty years ago to the present day, and is designed as a "teaser" for the other shorts in the series. It was produced by RKO, which will distribute it beginning March 1. The second in the series, "This Theatre and You," deals with exhibition, showing the function of the theatre and manager in the life of the community. It was produced and will be distributed by Warner Brothers. The third subject, "Movies are Adventure," produced and to be distributed by Universal, depicts the wide variety of entertainment the movies offer to suit the tastes of a typical family of four. The fourth short, "The Art Director," produced and to be distributed by 20th Centry-Fox, has as its setting a Hollywood studio and deals with the functions of the art director. "The Screen Director" and "Films Go to Market" are the titles of the other two subjects that will be released this year but which have not yet been completed. The running time of each of the subjects is approximately nine minutes. The shorts were produced out of a revolving fund of $75,000 provided by the Motion Picture Association of America, and they are to be distributed on a non-profit basis at standard rental terms. The profits, if any, will go into the revolving fund for the production of additional shorts. Included among the exhibitors who have wholeheartedly recommended the shorts in glowing terms are Hugh W. Bruen, treasurer of the Pacific Coast Conference of Independent Theatre Owners; Trueman T. Rcmbusch, president of Associated Theatre Owners of Indiana; Ben F. Shearer, of the Shearer Theatres, in Seattle; Sam Switow, of Louisville, Ky. ; and Mitchell Wolf son, vice-president of Theatre Owners of America. All are members of the Exhibitors Advisory Committee of the Industry Film Project Committee, which is sponsoring the series. The subjects have been very well produced and each is highly entertaining. Harrison's Reports is confident that they will do a most effective public relations job in selling the industry to the American people, and it urges every exhibitor to give his full support to the program by dating every one of the subjects. AMERICAN BROTHERHOOD WEEK American Brotherhood Week will be observed this year from February 20 to February 27, and once again the motion picture industry has been called upon to lend its invaluable aid in putting across this most worthy movement for the building of a better understanding between Americans of all creeds and races. The National Conference of Christians and Jews, which has sponsored the observance for many years, is counting heavily on the cooperation of all business groups, particularly the exhibitors, to stimulate public thinking to the end that religious intolerance will vanish from the American scene. J. Robert Rubin, as chairman of the Amusements Division, and Ned E. Depinet, as chairman of the Motion Picture Division, have done a marvelous job in organizing the campaign for this year's observance, which promises, as Mr. Depinet predicts, "to be the greatest Brotherhood week demonstration in 15 years." All the exhibitor organizations are giving their full support to the movement, and Ed Lachman and Gael Sullivan, national co-chairmen of the exhibitors' committee, have appointed regional exhibitor chairmen in all the exchanges for both Allied and TOA groups to assist the exhibitors in every possible way. The regional exhibitor chairmen are working hand-inhand with the regional distributor chairmen, appointed by Charles M. Reagan, chairman of the distributors' committee. The news reel units, under the chairmanship of Spyros P. Skouras, will furnish the exhibitors with special news reel stories attached to their regular issues, and Herman Robbins, head of National Screen Service, is contributing 17,437 advertising kits, which his company will deliver to all theatres in the country. Many industry leaders are devoting much time and effort to put this worthy campaign across in a big way, and every exhibitor who believes in the American way of life should support the movement with his wholehearted cooperation.