Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1948)

4 Motion Picture Daily Friday, June 25, 194: French Tax (Continued from page 1) the gun" by several days in light of the agreement secured by Motion Picture Association of America international division director Gerald M. Mayer, now 'in Paris, for a postponement of consideration of the measure until two weeks from June 14. The U. S. industry is expected to place an embargo on further shipments to France if the tax is passed, just as it did last August in the case of Britain. But breaking off relations with France will be regarded as considerably less serious since American companies have not been getting any remittances out of that country. Some $18,000,000 due the Americans is now frozen in France. Under a quota set up by the French Assembly, the U. S. companies were permitted to ship about 125 pictures a year into France, but the MP A A companies did not send that many. The proposed tax would be levied on prints made in France. Since all dubbing prints must be made in that country under French law, all U. S. features shown in France are printed there. Mexican Studios (Continued from page 1) unless they meet its demand for pay hikes of 40 to 60 per cent, and the studios having told the board that it is impossible for them to grant such demands because of poor business. Churubusco, which RKO and its Mexican associate, Productores Asociados Mexicanos, opened on November 1, 1945, has asked the board to allow it to cut wages by 40 per cent. STIC included the Clasa and Tepeyac studios in its strike in order to make a "solid front." Clasa is owned by Clasa Films Mundiales, important producer, and Tepeyac by Theodore Gildred, American film man, and associates. STIC ignored the fifth studio, operated by Jorge Stahl, presumably because that studio is not doing very much. Equipment Export Licenses Extended Washington, June 24. — Licenses for exports of motion picture equipment to Europe and adjacent areas will now be issued on a six-month rather than on a 90-day basis, the Commerce Department has announced here. No licenses are needed for exports of exposed film, and raw stock will continue on a 90-day basis. Stock Transactions (Cont inued from page 1) Unanimity Lacking (Continued from page 1) British circuit, and 20th Century-Fox appears to be content with the playing time allocated to its product over Rank's circuits. Columbia and United Artists, which have not been allocated any time on the Rank circuits, have the least to lose through a new embargo. Therefore, indications are that some milder form of action than an embargo will be the result of Monday's meeting. Either that, or a wait-andsee policy, is anticipated. ings disposed of 2,000 shares, leaving 21,619. Cohn himself has 47,969 shares. A. Montague sold 200 shares, but acquired 195 as a stock dividend, windingup with 8,027 shares, plus warrants for 10,426 more. A. Schneider sold 1,000 shares, but acquired 274 as a stock dividend, leaving his holdings 726 shares less, at 11,253 shares. Donald S. Stralem acquired 24 Columbia shares as a stock dividend to bring his total to 992. Paramount director Duncan G. Harris bought 200 shares, to increase his holdings to 2,600, while Maurice Newston bought 150 shares and promptly gave them away, leaving him with 18,605, plus 18,380 in trust accounts. Harry Brandt of Trans Lux Corp., bought 1,500 shares, increasing his holdings to 88,565 shares. Broadyork, Inc., owns another 1,000, Brandt reported, Harday Operating Co. another 1,400 shares, and Brandt's wife 14,700. Earle G. Hines of General Precision Equipment Corp., sold 500 shares, leaving him 1,500. Film Dividends Off (Continued from page 1) Loew's Boston Theatres omitted its usual May dividend this year. Total for the first five months of 1948 is $15,871,000, compared with $18,438,000 in the same 1947 period. In only one month, February, was the 1948 figure ahead of 1947, totaling $226,000, compared to $217,000 in 1947. The department usually figures that publicly-reported cash dividends account for about 60 per cent of all dividend payments. I OF COURSE I I "TEXAS. BROOKLYN HEAVEN sent from UA Netherlands MPEA (Continued from page 1) ously approved membership in the joint organization. Of MPEA's nine member companies, only Allied Artists and United Artists indicated decision to operate outside of the MPEA in that market. Francis Harmon, MPEA vice-president, presided. SRO To Sell Del Rio Picture in Mexico Selznick Releasing Organization will distribute "Historia De Una Mujer Mala" ("The History of a Bad Woman") in Mexico. Adapted from Oscar Wilde's "Lady Windermere's Fan," the Dolores Del Rio picture was made in Argentina. The distribution deal was made with Miss Del Rio by Manny Reiner, SRO's managing director for Latin America, and Alfredo Holguin, the company's Mexican manager. Specialists analyze Boxoffice Dream find she's tops onlhe Boxoffice Beam I ;irl with her hea in the clouds is the wolf with the gleam in his eye is based on the play that wowed Broadway... No. 2 in with PATRIC KN0WLES VIRGINIA FIELD * „ WALTER ABEL PEGGY WOOD A Mitchell [_[[|SEN Production ^ Produced by P. J. W0LFS0N Directed by MITCHELL LEISEN