Harrison's Reports (1950)

Entered as second-ciass matter January 4, VJ21, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879. Harrison's Reports Yearly Subscription Rates: 1270 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS Published Weekly by United States $15.00 (Formerly Sixth Avenue) Harrison s Reports, Inc., U. S. Insular Possessions. 16.50 M v l, on M v Publisher Canada 16.50 Wew York ZO' P. S. HARRISON, Editor Mexico, Cuba, Spain 16.50 A Motion Picture Reviewing Service Great Britain 17.50 Devoted Chiefly to the Interests of the Exhibitors Established July 1 1919 Australia, New Zealand, India. Europe, Asia .... 17.50 Us Editoria, Policy . No Problem Too Big for Its Editorial Circle 7-4622 35c a Copy Columns, if It is to Benefit the Exhibitor. A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 1950 No. 3 ALL-INCLUSIVE DRIVE AGAINST ADMISSIONS TAX FORMULATED Meeting in Washington, D. C, on Tuesday of this week, the Council of Motion Picture Organization's Committee on Taxation and Legislation, headed by Abram F. Myers, formulated plans for a nation' wide campaign to enlist the aid of the public in the battle for repeal of the Federal admissions tax. Included in the strategy mapped out by the Committee are the use of trailers and lobby posters; the circulation of petitions to Congressmen, signed by the public; and the enlistment of support from newspapers and radio broadcasters to disseminate the motion picture industry's views on the burdensome nature of the tax. The Committee approved also plans for the distribution of a press book to every exhibitor in the country, in which will be outlined the techniques that should be followed to win public support, not only for the present fight against the tax, but also for any future campaigns against local or state tax impositions. The press book should be in the mails within a week or ten days. Letters of instruction have already been mailed to all exchange managers in the different distribution centers, outlining what procedures they should follow to help defeat the tax. Meanwhile, on the legislative front, the Senate on Wednesday rejected by a vote of 43 to 32 a proposal to cut excise taxes, including the admission tax. This defeat, however, is no cause for discouragement, for the proposal was in the form of an amendment to the disputed oleo margarine bill, and the rejection was brought about by an unusual parliamentary situation. Actually, the proposal to cut excise taxes is favored by a majority of the Senators, with those who voted against the amendment to the oleo bill preferring that a vote on the excise tax cut stand on its own merits. The COMPO Committee is doing a fine job for the industry in this tax battle. The admission tax affects the business of every exhibitor, and it should not be necessary to urge any of you to get behind the campaign to the fullest extent. STEVE BROIDY'S PLEA FOR GREATER EXHIBITOR SUPPORT Speaking to the trade press in Hollywood last week, Steve Broidy, president of Monogram and Allied Artists, asked the reporters to convey to the exhibitors a plea for greater support for "B" pictures. Mr. Broidy, who enjoys the confidence of the trade paper writers because of his straightforwardness, wants to continue improving his "B" product by spending more money for it, but he wants the exhibitors to know that neither his company nor any other company can increase its budget on that type of picture unless the exhibitors pay to the distributor a price based, not on class, but on quality. Most exhibitors, he complained, adjust their rentals for the supporting features by how much they paid for the top features, many of which are "anemic'" and depend on good supporting features for their success. Monogram has the good will of the exhibitors, and they will, no doubt, heed Steve Broidy 's plea for greater support. At the Allied convention in Minneapolis last October, Maury Goldstein, Monogram's general sales manager, was received by the exhibitor leaders, particularly by Jack Kirsch, the Allied leader from Chicago, with sympathy and was promised support. One way by which the exhibitors can render substantial aid to Monogram as well as to any other of the lesser producing-distributing companies is, where possible, to give extended playing time to their good pictures, even if it is not required under the contract terms. In this manner the exhibitor is not hurt, and the distributor is helped. The exhibitor, in his dealings with companies like Monogram, must always bear in mind that the independent producer is necessary for the well being of the business. If this type of producer should become extinct, the number of pictures available to the exhibitor annually would drop considerably, and film rentals would shoot skyhigh. OVERCOMING COMPETITION FROM TELEVISION Other than a greater number of meritorious pictures, the one thing that can help an exhibitor to overcome competition from television is to make his theatre as comfortable for picture patrons as is the home for television. This, of course, may require extensive alterations, with sanification of the air in the theatre, repainting and decorating, making the front attractive both by paint and light, and modernization of rest rooms, points that must not be overlooked. One of the most important comfort-giving innovations, however, is the staggering of the seats. Nowadays, the arrangements of the seats in the theatre conforms preponderate^ to the old system whereby one seat is behind the other seat. If an exhibitor wants to know what an effort the (Continued on bac\ page)