Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1947)

3 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, January 29, 1947 ATA Fight (Continued from page 1) future policies and operation, is expected to come up at the group's second annual convention, to be held in April at either Chicago or San Francisco, with a final decision on the date and place to be determined this week. A meeting of the board of directors may be held before April. Advocates of ATA's entry in the field of "policing" film content and exploitation point out that often, in the public mind, the motion picture industry is most closely identified with "the theatre down the street" and that widespread newspaper criticism of certain pictures does the exhibitor much harm in his community. This also is true, they declare, of charges of Communism in Hollywood; therefore, that too may come up at the convention. Hands-off Policy Other decisions to be reached at the April gathering will concern ATA's "hands-off" policy with regard to trade practices and its advocacy of one annual audience collection for charities aided by the industry. The trade-practice ban is not expected to be lifted unless the Supreme Court should grant the Department of Justice's appeal for divorcement of production and exhibition. As for the charities, ATA is expected to continue its so-far-unsuccessful efforts to get the March of Dimes, Red Cross and other groups together on a single collection. Should that fail, the as* sociation probably will cooperate during the coming fiscal year in boosting various drives, as it has done during the past year, but again will steer clear of all collections. Taxation is another subject expected to be prominent before the convention, with ATA probably continuing to press for a unified approach of all exhibition to federal, state and municipal taxing authorities. The question of cooperation with the government film program likewise is considered certain to come up. Alliance Possible ATA officials do not rule out the possibility that an alliance with one or more other national exhibitor organizations may be suggested at the /\pril gathering. They point out that the association has been cooperating closely with MPTOA, the Confederacy of Southern Associations and national Allied with respect to the charity drives and some other activities. At present, approximately 6,500 houses are in the ATA fold. Of the affiliated circuits, Warners never has joined but National Theatres belongs and many of the Paramount partners are in. The RKO and Loew interests withdrew from the association during this year ; but their financial support, pledged when ATA was formed, will continue at "least until April, it is understood. Officials of the exhibitor group have not yet heard from any of the major companies regarding their participation during the year ahead. S. H. Fabian, ATA president, may consent to head the association for another year if he is asked to do so, it is understood, but there is a desire among the group's executives to re Film Taxation (Continued froni\ page 1) ger at last week's convention of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of St. Louis, Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois, Lee went to Charlotte, where he appeared last night, as banquet toastmaster at the convention of the Theatre Owners of North and Southern Carolina, presenting the subject there as well. He will also attend the Washington meeting of the Virginia Motion Picture i heater Assoication, Feb. 2-3. Recalling that the first 10 per cent of the present tax was enacted during World War I, ostensibly as a temporary measure, but never was regaled, Lee says the luxury classification for motion picture admissions is again being taken for ^granted in the matter of the second 10 per cent, which was added during World War II. He considers it important that aieatre interests proceed to get on record as challenging the justice of the luxury designation, making clear that an admission ticket, if not pyramided with special tax levies, is within the means of every wage earner seeking inexpensive recreation. The theatre has proven in many ways that it should be justly classed as a noneseential, Lee points out. He finds that exhibitors, by and large, have been giving much thought and some action to the tax problem jut fears that many may have failed to recognize the trend toward taking this source of public revenue for granted. Noting present indications that the Federal admission tax is about to be continued among other wartime excise levies, Lee feels that now is the time to become active in protesting the luxury dsignation. Regardless of this year's Congressional iction, exhibitors and their customers ihould be on record for the future consideration of Federal, state and iunicipal taxing authorities, he declares. 'Dope' Films (Continued fronts page 1) Meyer said, "that only one such picture will be made. If this is true, why don't they prove it by restoring the Production Code to its original form?" (Columbia has announced production of "Assigned to Treasury," which deals with the traffic in dope. — Ed.) "Unless the women of the country register their opposition with Mr. Johnston," Mrs. Meyer continued, "we can expect the moving pictures to become the allies instead of the rivals of the narcotic trade." Drop Scophony Motion Scophony, Ltd., yesterday withdrew a motion in U. S. District Court here for dismissal of Cross claims brought against it by Scophony Corp. of America and Arthur Levy, president of the American company, in connection with the Government's Scophony anti-trust suit. Scophony, Ltd., previously had been dismissed as a defendant in the suit. lieve him of some of the auxiliary duties, such as drive committee work, which has almost automatically gone along with the presidency. They point out that these activities have made the position far more burdensome than was originally anticipated. MP A Annual Meet (Continued from page 1) pected -to discuss foreign trade barriers in detail. A progress report on legislative measures which affect the industry may also be covered in the report. Also, the educational film activities of the Association will be reviewed by Johnston. He first recommended the _MPA educational film program in his message to the board last year. Johnston is planning to outline Association plans to conduct an industrywide census. This program has aleady started but has not reached its peak. Plans include a theatre and production census and a study of the foreign market. The importance of industry selfregulation will also be stressed by Johnston, who used this as a keynote in his report last year. The MPA der is also planning to touch on the importance of freedom of the screen. He is expected to recommend several programs to the board, including the census, industry harmony, md more educational film activities. ' Carolina Owners (Continued froni\ page 1 ) passed by the convention were the condemnation of aisle collections for charity organizations and the Association's conviction of the unfairness of distributors in demanding first-run terms for the re-issue of the better films of the past. Directors who were elected are: Harold Armistead of Easley, S. C ■ George Carpenter of Caldese ; H R Berry of Hartsville, S. C; H. E. Buchanan of Hendersonville, R Glenn Davis of Louisberg, N. C. ; H H. Everett of Charlotte ; J. B Harvey of Clover, S. C; H. D. Heart of Charlotte; H. Fincey of Charlotte; T. A. Little of Charlotte; George W Parr of Lancaster, S. C. ; Ed Haley of Raleigh; Roy Rowe of Birgaw and A. F. Sams of Salisbury. Mack Jackson, president of the Confederacy of Southern Associations and president of the Southeastern Theatre Owners Association, addressed the closing session on problems of exhibitors. Schwalberg Sets Four (Continued from page 1) distribution schedule. With premiere dates in the Interstate Circuit theatres, which began Jan. 21 in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio and Houston, garnering record grosses, the national release date for "It's a Joke. Son!" has been established as Jan. 25. "Bedelia," which will have dual premieres today in Harrisburg and Reading, Pa., is listed for national release on Feb. 1. "The Adventuress" has been scheduled for March 17, and "Lost Honeymoon" has been set for March 29. Eagle-Lion's initial Broadway engagement will be "Bedelia," to follow the current "Wake Up and Dream" into the Victoria Theatre. AFL Will Act (Continued from page 1) Green urging immediate action on the resolution "in order to insure labor peace and further to help us keep the studios under the AFL banner." 'End Criticism' (Continued from page 1) concluded an agreement with Jack Warner anticipating the expenditure i of $4,000,000 for a project to modernize ABPC's Ellstreet studios and 1 to produce films there suitable for the j American market, the initial program calling for six "international" fea \ tures within the next 24 months. UK Growth Healthy Warner, who is on a tour and^Sa vey of England and the Contil^r, from Hollywood, told the gathering that, "We at Warner Brothers have watched with interest the post-war development of the British industry. | We feel that the growth which has i .aken place in the United Kingdom is a very healthy thing. There is ! plenty of room for all of the good pictures which America and England can produce. "We would both do well not to criticize each other's films too na'r j rowly. We should look for the many things we have in common rather than ingle out the differences between us," Warner advised. "Associated British Picture Corporation will produce a series of six ' pictures at their Elstree Studios, which are now being reconstructed "The six productions will be similar in quality to those now produced by Warners in California," said the WB production vice-president, adding: "Warner personnel will be in charge of production of the films, but they will be produced by ABPC "The films will be shown throughout the Warner theatre circuit in America and other theatres in the U. S. and Canada which our distribution organization services ; in addition they will be distributed by Warners throughout the world. ABPC's share in the returns will be payable in dollars to the corporation here in London," Warner added. Regular Program "These pictures will not be distributed as additional pictures in the United Kingdom, but will constitute a part of Warners' regular program. As an example, where we release 18 nroductions yearly, we will release 15 plus the three made by ABC. "Once this program is in successful operation, Warners will withdraw from production in the United Kingdom, but we will continue to extend aid to ABC in its future production activities. "References to ABC (the circuit) being an American-dominated company are ridiculous," Warner declared. While Warners own part of the shares in this company, these shares were purchased at a time when ABC needed aid badly. For those who may not know it, the time of our original interest in ABC was in 1940 when many others had the same opportunity to come to the aid of ABC. The stock purchases have always been approved by the British government." Five Meet Today (Continued from page 1) a statement of jurisdiction for the upper court which would include citation of^ errors which the appellants will claim to be involved in the New York court's findings, conclusions and the decree decision.