Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1947)

OflUS DIGBI Kepublir prcvy llerhfit J. Viitcs iiiknl h hiK-liiiKi deal with Charli's K. I''cl(liiiiiii (iiimii rrmliii'tioiis. First pic is l.vwis !M4IcsIoih''n prixliii't ion o£ John St<'iiih( < k's "Tlic Kvii I'oii.v." Harry H. Tliomas (riglit) I'KC prcsich'iit , coiiKrrutiilatiiih' Kalph H. (larlt (Icll). rccciilly appointed Rfneral sah". manager, anil Harold S. Diinn, new assistant to Clark. Ka>;l«--l,ion prexy Arthur B. Krini left for London Miir. 7 for !« series of conferences with J. Arthni' Kank and the latter's top sales, distribution and production heads. K'.ontiiuifd from I'ain' 13) >Inrra.v Silverstonc, 20th-Fox International president, st^i he <liscussefl the Knrop<*aii situation with trjule prCH'i following liis return alter a month's trill abroad. IS EXHIBS ON WARPATH AGAINST TAXES Taxes on theatre admissions harried exhibitors in every part of the nation and exhibitor organizations girded for a battle to overcome discriminatory local taxation. The only glimmer of optimism in the tax situation was the indication that the Treasury would review the 20 per cent Federal Admissions Tax, along with other emergency taxes, on March U, when hearings on the Treasury appropriation for the next fiscal year come before the House Appropriations Committee. The purpose of the review is to correct any inequities that may be found. The Senate has approved indefinite extension of the wartime excise taxes. Exhibitors in New York state, facing a maximum S^f admissions tax levy, as outlined in Governor Dewey's program which would give cities and counties of over 100,000 population the power to assess motion picture theatres up to 5 per cent, were acrively battling the measure as "discriminatory." With indications that passage of the bill in the State Senate and Assembly was highly probable when it comes to a vote, possibly early this week, theatremen prepared to carry the fight to county and city governments to stave off the proposed levy. Tax "Unfair" Expressing their willingness to carry a "fair share ' of the tax burden, the Metropolitan Motion Picture Theatres Association, questioned the "fairness" of a tax on "niillion.'j oi' patrons in the lower income brackets to whom the movies are the chief and annost only means of necessary, healthful relaxation and recreation, at a higher rate than the wealthy purchasers of mink coats and numerous other purely luxury itemr. would pay" under the Albany proposals. Jesse Stern, president of Unaffiliated Independent Exhibitors, called a city amusement tax "the final nail in the exhibitor's coffin, especially since it comes at a time whon grosses are sharply off from the average of the past few years. Faced with the necessity Oi reducing admission prices. Stern said, exhibitors could not afford to absorb an extr?. admissions tax. N. ,1. Allied FigJitf; On Screens Allied Theatre Owners cf New Jersey will take to their screens the fight against a lull in the State Legislature to permit imposition of sales or luxury taxes, including that on theatre tickets. Prexy Edward Lachman warned members of the Legislature that theatremen will use their screens to "urge every theatregoer in New Jersey to call on his representative in the State Legislature to stop this latest outburst of the big spenders in government." In St. Louis, a five per cent amusement tax was one of four tax measures proposed by the Citizens' Tax Commission. First proposed last spring and blocked through the opposition of theatre interests, the proposal comes before the Mayor with the Commission's comment that after defeat of the former admission measure on the grounds tliat the public could not absorb a five per cent increase, admission prices were increased by an amount exceeding the proposed tax. • • • NO PRINTS — LATE PLAY DATES — COLE Lack of prints is being used as an excuse to push play dates back, according to a "large number" of complaints received by Col. H. A. Cole, president of Allied Theatre Owners of Texas, who, in turn, has written to each of the "Big Five" distributors asking for an explanation. Cole expressed his understanding of the difficult Technicolor situation, but doubted that black and white prints are hard to get. Pointing to the companies' "skyrocketing" profit statements, Cole suggested investing in more prints, pointing out that "quicker play dates would mean better money for the exhibitor and better film rentals for you," thus more than paying for themselves. * * * ZORN BLASTS JOHNSTON OFFICE The Johnston Office has "failed utterly in its main task and purpose., better public relations." according to president Edward G. Zorn, in an address before the Central Illinois meeting of United Theatre Owners of Illinois. Charging that the Johnston Office did not "furnish the leadership in the distribution ranks that would have removed the friction in distributor-exhibitor relations," which has resulted in the anti-trust case, Zorn cited several grievances which have not been cleared up by the Johnston Office and in certain cases, have actually been aggravated, he said. Zorn noted that Confidential Reports was the result of producer-distributors "iguciing the anti-trust case and banding together in a mutually owned checking company with the questionable name." He blasted the MPA's failure to curb publicity that establishes "Hollywood as the Picture Business, and that it consists of nothing but glanour, fabulous riches and loose morals." Attacks Crime Pix, Over-Advertising He further blasted the succession of crime, horror and sex pictures; over-advertising and extravagance in copy which make ads worthless; and the resulting taxes, boycotts, censorship and higher film rentals as the exhibitor's share of Hollywood's "folly, braggadocio and immorality." And, declared Zorn, the Johnston Office has permitted these conditions to develop. Zorn, who owns the Crescent Theatre in Pontiac, also cited the case of a speaker sent by MPA to Pontiac, ostensibly for public relations, who "slanted everything in favor of the producers" and then quoted him as saying "...but the exhibitors are not doing too badly, as they all manage to go to Florida every winter." Zoin concluded with a plea for a strong National Exhibitors Organization which can speak for the exhibitor. (Continued on Page 28) FILM BULLETIN V