The Independent Film Journal (1954)

Report 3-D Films Without And 3-D TV With Glasses Gotham Theatres Joining Tax Suit New York City exhibitors are likely to re¬ sort to legal action if city comptroller Law¬ rence Gerosa does not permit them to join as party plaintiffs in the current suit pending against the city’s five percent admission tax. The suit was brought by five Queens thea¬ tres. With first collection of the tax slated for Sept. 20, covering July and August col¬ lections, it is believed that only those theatres involved in the suit can benefit from Judge Pette’s ruling that the breakage is illegal provided that it is upheld. Prior to the final ruling, all other theatres not involved would have to pay total tax collected. Exhibitors charging from 30 to 39 cents, 50 to 59 cents, 70 to 79 cents, etc., would then have to pay the extra penny. A special National Allied committee began mulling the results of a series of meetings the exhibitor representatives concluded late this week with sales heads of the major distribution corporations. Sessions, each between a separate sales head and the committee, were devoted to questions revolving around the print and product shortages, rentals and percentage terms. Meetings were held one at a time to avoid any suspicion of collusion. Direct word to the press regarding the outcome of the meetings was withheld pend¬ ing discussion of the results at a two-day National Allied board meeting, scheduled to get underway at the Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va., on Aug. 23. It is expected that Allied will comment at that time. Participating as members of the special Allied committee were Ben Marcus, National Allied president; Abram F. Myers, general counsel; Wilbur Snaper, Nathan A. Yamins and Jack Kirsch. If the results prove unfruitful for the exhibitors, Allied has threatened action to secure government intervention. Such a poli¬ cy has been recommended by a number of Allied regional units in resolutions passed on the heels of a strong statement from Myers. Myers had said that he did not know how long Allied would continue to oppose government regulation for the film industry if certain trade abuses were not corrected. As abuses Myers listed distributor infidelity after promising to adjust certain contract prices; their refusal to raise rental terms ceilings to allow for upped grosses resulting COMPO Tax Policy Meet COMPO’s board of directors and execu¬ tive committee will meet this fall to decide whether to seek total elimination of the Federal 20 percent admission tax at the next session of Congress. Those who argue for pushing for complete elimination point out that Congress has already voted such a measure once. Despite a current lull in industry interest in 3-D, two new inventions announced this week should revive talk about the possibili¬ ties of three-dimensional films. An exclusive “Film Daily” dispatch by technical writer Merlin Lewis reports the demonstration of a 3-D system that requires no glasses, while a report from a television firm claims to have discovered a 3-D video system with glasses. The Lewis story describes a demonstration in Dayton, Ohio, of Tri-Dim, a system which projects two images on a screen at the same time which the viewer sees as one 3-D image. Inventor Stu Sheldon, who has been con¬ nected with the theatre business for 34 years, claims that theatres could equip for the new from tax revision, and their insistence on boosting minimum percentage terms which, Myers said, are “already too high for most exhibitors.” An additional complaint lodged by the Allied general counsel was that distributors are including in the top price ranks product which formerly would have been placed in the lower brackets. Another major complaint against distri¬ bution, and one that also figured in the discussions with the sales heads, was the reduction of prints allocated to exchanges, a complaint originally put forward by Marcus. Boasberg Joins Schwartz; Branson Heads RKO Sales BRANSON BOASBERG Charles Boasberg, RKO’s general sales manager, has resigned his position effective Oct. 30 to take a profit-sharing post with American Production & Distribution Corp., headed by Fred J. Schwartz, president of Century Circuit. AP & DC recently com¬ pleted production of “Long John Silver,” to be released by 20th-Fox. The announcement was made by J. R. Grainger, president of RKO, who added that effective Aug. 23, Walter Branson, who has held a series of executive positions for 24 years, will become world-wide sales manager of the company. Grainger stated that a do¬ mestic and foreign sales manager will short¬ ly be selected from within the company’s ranks to serve under Branson. system at less than $1,800. Writing enthusiastically of the demonstra¬ tion, the “Film Daily” reporter stated the belief that the system could easily be used with other wide-screen systems, including CinemaScope. He added that there “is no doubt whatever that Tri-Dim can make good pictures better.” The system works on a series of prisms, which bend light from two lenses, resulting in normal depth vision, without strain, ac¬ cording to Lewis. He noted that it could be used with all types of cameras now in use in Hollywood and is feasible for theatre use. A 3-D system for television, which would show the video film in 3-D for those wear¬ ing special glasses and in 2-D for those not wearing the glasses, is claimed by 3-D Tele¬ vision Corp., which plans to inaugurate its system with the video show “Angeles Audi¬ tions” in the fall. No attachment is needed for the TV set, the company claims. The company is making arrangements for the national distribution of the special glasses, which will retail for 50 cents per pair. They will be similar in appearance to sunglasses, and clip-ons will be available for those people who wear regular glasses. A series of 39 half-hour shows will be filmed in the medium for “Angeles Auditions.” NT Explodes At TNT 50-50 TV Fight Terms Hollywood. — Because of an increase in the terms asked by Theatre Network Tele¬ vision, Inc-., for its upcoming closed-circuit heavyweight championship bout, National Theatres has cancelled its order for 16 large theatre-TY screens from General Precision Equipment, it was learned this week. TNT is reportedly asking for 50 percent of the gross for the telecast. Theatres thus far signed total 23. While National Theatres claims that' under such terms exhibitors would lose money, TNT is said to be basing its demand for the higher terms on the excellent results of the original bout in June. At that time TNT gave a guarantee of 10 cents against $1.40 per seat, or 50 cents against $1.30. Loew’s Divorcement Takes Effect At End Of Month Barring any unforeseen hitch, Loew’s, Inc., will effect divorcement of theatres from production-distribution by the Aug. 31 dead¬ line agreed on between the company and the Justice Department. At that time, the com¬ pany will most likely disclose a listing of officers and directors for each of the firms that will come into being in the wake of the divorcement. Nicholas M. Schenck, currently president of Loew’s, Inc., is scheduled to head the film concern, he said. It is expected that Joseph R. Vogel, currently vice-president and gen¬ eral manager of the corporation’s theatre division, will become president of the theatre concern. It was meanwhile announced that J. Robert Rubin, vice-president, will resign at the end of the month after 30 years of service. Allied Reps In Separate Parleys With Sales Chiefs On Complaints THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL— August 21 1954 7