Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1951)

VOL. 70. NO. 64 MOTION PICTURE DAILY NEW YORK, U. S. A., MONDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1951 TEN CENTS U. S. Ticket Tax Take Up $2Vi Millions Confirms Big Boost in August Collections Washington, Sept. 30. — Confirming reports of a sizeable business upturn, Federal admission tax collections in August, reflecting July business, were more than $2,500,000 ahead of collections for August, 1950. This was reported by the Bureau of Internal Revenue today. August was the first 1951 month since February that collections ran ahead of the comparable 1950 month. The bureau reported general admission tax collections in August of 1951, of $34,142,531, compared with $31,606,355 for August, 1950. The total for the current August was more than $5,500,000 above the $28,620,413 collected in July of this year, making the third successive month that collections have increased. Total admission tax collections, including general admissions, roof garden and cabaret taxes, and various taxes on leases and over-charges, amounted to $38,634,669 this August, compared with $35,659,284 in August, 1950. US-UK Pact Goes Into Force Today The new Anglo American film agreement reached last August in London between U. S. industry and British government negotiators becomes effective today, Oct. 1, as scheduled, John G. McCarthy, vicepresident of the Motion Picture Association of America, confirmed here at the weekend. McCarthy received on Friday from Fayette W. Allport, MPAA repre (Continued on page 3) N athanson Is NY Ad Head of Horizon Mort Nathanson has been named Eastern advertising director of Horizon Pictures by company executive Sam Spiegel, it was disclosed here at the weekend by Max Youngstein, vicepresident of United Artists, which is distributing for Spiegel. Nathanson's first assignment will be the preparation and execution of the publicity campaign on "The African Queen." TOA Sets Up Panel To Hear Grievances in Field 9t& WcDietw TODAY— ACT 2: Opening broadsides in the industry's $350,000 nationwide newspaper advertising campaign will begin their appearance across the land today. They will continue for the next few days as regional "Movietime" campaign heads utilize subsequent elective dates for their appearance. In all, ads extolling forthcoming important releases will be published in 1,755 daily newspapers in 1,410 localities, having a readership in excess of 53,000,000 persons. OCT. 8 — ACT 3: "Stars Over America'' Personality Tours will begin in 32 film exchange cities, fanning out to state capitals and principal cities and towns accompanied by special public events. Announce Itinerary for 'Movietime 9 Appearances The identities of 191 Hollywood personalities and the itineraries which they will follow during the week of Oct. 8 to promote the industry's institutional "Movietime U.S.A." campaign, were disclosed here at the weekend by the Council of Motion Picture Organizations. There will be 128 players, 33 writers, 16 directors Seek Stars' Aid for Anti-4Red' Tour Hollywood, Sept. 30. — Irving Brown and Jay Lovestone, representing the American Federation of Labor's International Committee, have asked the Motion Picture Industry Council to lend its aid toward enlisting Hollywood screen personalities for personal appearances in foreign countries where the AFL is opposing (.Continued on page 2) Senate Leaves Tax Bill Unaltered Washington, Sept. 30. — There were no changes made on the Senate floor in the admissions tax provision adopted by the Senate Finance Committee. The Senate passed the tax bill late Friday night leaving the measure as reported out of the Senate Finance Committee. and 14 producers. The tours will for the most part be in and around exchange cities rather than in state capitals, as originally planned. The absence of most governors— who were to be visited publicly— from their cities while attending the governors' conference necessitated the switch to exchange cities. In each exchange area the visitors will follow a program of activities already arranged by the local area committee. These activities will include greetings by dignitaries, appearances before civic organizations and interviews with press and radio. It was emphasized that additional names for the personality tours are coming in daily and that before Oct. 8, when the personalities arrive in their assigned territories, manv more will have joined the cavalcade. The inclusion of writers, directors and producers, the announcement pointed out, is a fulfillment of the original plan to have the industry represented in as many phases as possible by production personnel who could share the spot (Continued on page 2) 1951 5712 To Sit in Six Cities At 60-Day Intervals, Serving 'Little Fellow' The new administration of Theatre Owners of America, headed by Mitchell Wolfson, president, and Charles P. Skouras, board chairman, moved promptly at the weekend to provide organization machinery for hearing and acting upon trade practice complaints originated by their smaller members in the field. A program was adopted under which Wolfson and Skouras, with Herman Levy, TOA counsel, and Gael Sullivan, executive director, will sit as a panel to hear trade practice complaints in one of six regional localities every other month. The cities in which the hearings will be held are Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Chicago and New York. The grass roots exhibitors within the regions surrounding each hearing city will bring their trade practice complaints to the TOA panel when it convenes in their territory. The panel may be augmented by local exhibitor (Continued on page 3) See Bid to En i Stars' Liquor Ads Theatre Owners of America is prepared to ask the Council of Motion Picture Organizations to take steps to eliminate the testimonials of film stars from liquor advertisements, it was indicated here on Friday. If and when TOA calls for such action, it will not mean that the exhibitor organization or its leaders are necessarily unanimous in approving COMPO's action on what some in the (Continued on page 3) Bergman to Work On 'Brotherhood' Maurice Bergman, executive in charge of public relations for Universal Pictures, has been named publicity chairman for the forthcoming "Brotherhood Week" by George Skouras, chairman of the drive for the film industry. Bergman will be assisted in the annual project by top promotional talent in the industry.