Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1953)

4 Motion Picture Daily Friday, July 31, 1953 Para. H.O. Workers Reject A $3 Hike Paramount home office em- ployes, through Local No. li- es, have rejected the company's offer of a $3 a week increase on a two-year contract. The union contended that the proposal was inadequate and will continue negotiations for a substantially larger boost in the pay scale. Raibourn (Continued from page 1) of violent inflation of all other in- comes, including newspaper, and par- ticularly all costs and expenses, which has taken place since 1946. ' "Theatres had admissions slightly over one and one-half billion dollars in 1946 and slightly under the one billion dollar rate in the first half of 1953. The general level of costs and expenses for all industry, based on the cost of living index of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, rose from 140 to 190 in the same period. The motion-pic- ture industry kept its head above water in spite of this, but I do not know how long it can continue. "Figures Readily Available" "These figures, readily available, were ignored by the editorial, which ascribed the bill to "crudest political" pressures. I believe you will wish to correct the unfairness of this approach." Paul Raibourn. New York, July 29, 1953. Novel, TV Series (Continued from page 1) rights to "The Singer, Not the Song," by Audrey Erskine Leslie, which is one of the top sellers in England. The picture will be produced in England as Schaefer's own project, although he expects to name an executive pro- ducer. No starting date has been set and no screenplay has been written as yet. The Patrice Munsel subjects, each to run 27 minutes, will be produced in Italy by Robert Schuler, her husband. Schaefer will import the TV musicals for distribution to U. S. TV stations. Correction Motion Picture Daily yesterday incorrectly reported that Joseph L. Seely had been elected treasurer of Loew's International. Seely was elected assistant treasurer. Henry F. Krecke is treasurer of Loew's Inter- national. Review STOCK FOOTAGE From Firecrackers for the Fourth to Eggs for Easter to Turkeys for Thanksgiving . . . it s easy to order any Holiday scene Irom 15.0UO completely cross-indexed subjects, bend tor Catalogue B. "My Heart Goes Crazy" (International-United Artists) PRODUCED in England in 1946, this picture is just reaching American shores via United Artists. It has some top Hollywood talent in producer- director Wesley Ruggles and song writers Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen. Starring are beautiful Greta Gynt and the British vaudeville star, Sid Field, making his film debut. The screenplay by Elliot Paul and Sigfried Herzig is about as lightweight as a story can be and still remain a narrative. Field, a provincial comedian brought to London to do a West End show by Miss Gynt, acts as understudy to the show's star until his (Field's) daughter tricks the star into missing a performance, thereby giving Field his big chance. Most of the footage is taken up by production numbers within the show, all very costly and colorful, but rather slow to American eyes and ears, with the 1946 vintage particularly evident in the costumes. The Burke-Van Heusen score is pleasant although unexciting, as are the performances which reflect the lack of material provided by the writers. Assisting the stars are Petula Clark, as Field's young daughter, and Kay Kendall, as a pretty show girl who loves him. Besides directing and producing, Ruggles also provided the original story. It is an International Film Corp. porduction. Others in the cast are Sonnie Hale, Claude Hulbert, Mary Clare, Tessie O'Shea, Jerry Desmonde, Beryl Davis, "Scotty" McHarg, W. G. Fay, Reginald Purdell, Alfie Dean, Charles Paton, Pamela Carroll, Marion Saun- ders, Lucas Hovinga and Jack Parnell. Running time, 70 minutes. General audience classification. July release. F & M to Pass Half of Tax (Conthvued- from page 1) NBC Fi -«--«-«-- 105 E. 106 St., New York lie its admission price policy should the 20 per cent Federal admissions tax be eliminated, F. & M. St. Louis Amusement Co.'s action is likely to set a pattern for other circuits whose size and circumstances are compar- able, trade observers believe. In announcing its contemplated price reduction policy, Arthur issued the following statement: "As is well known by most of the public, the motion picture business has been experiencing an extreme decline in theatre attendance. Many theatres have closed their doors and many more were facing that possibility be- cause their gross receipts were less than their rising expenses. It was in view of this urgent necessity for relief from a tax that took 20 per cent of the gross admissions that the Con- gress passed so overwhelmingly the bill to repeal the admissions tax. "The theatre business in this area has been greatly depressed, but the admissions tax repeal will have re- moved a burden, and will make it possible for the theatre business to continue to operate. Fanchon & Marco, St. Louis Amusement Co. feels that the public's sharing of the saving resulting from the tax repeal will enable its patrons to continue to enjoy the best in motion pictures at admission prices that the great ma- jority of the public can properly afford. In this way, more quickly will the theatre business be assured of a return to a sound economic con- dition. "Fanchon & Marco, St. Louis Amusement Co. has long be- lieved in the principle that the success of the motion picture theatre business is assured by furnishing the best in motion picture entertainment at admis- sion prices its patrons can afford to pay. The increase in attendance that will be occa- sioned by the passing on of half the saving resulting from this tax repeal will, it is believed, offset that part of the tax sav- ing that is passed on. "The repeal of this burdensome tax and the sharing of the saving between the theatres and the public will, in the long run, benefit the public, the mo- tion picture business and the Govern- ment. The public will be benefited by lower admission prices, the motion picture business by greater attendance and the Government through the re- ceipt of more income taxes by reason of increased business. It was with this thought in mind that Fanchon and Marco, St. Louis Amusement Co. determined to share a tax saving that was needed so urgently and given so quickly by a Congress fully aware of the circumstances now facing the mo- tion picture theatre business." GE Asks FCC Okay Of NTSC Standards WASHINGTON, July 30.—In a petition filed yesterday, General Elec- tric requested the Federal Communi- cations Commission to adopt the color television standards of the National Television System Committee, stating that it is convinced that the work of the NTSC has resulted in "scientific development of the highest standards within reach of the industry's ex- perts." General Electric has offered to con- duct a demonstration at Electronics Park, Syracuse, or to cooperate with any demonstration arranged in New York. The company also offered to Stephens on Coast Has A New 'Mike' HOLLYWOOD, July 30. — Tru Sonic Wireless Microphone has been put into volume production by the Ste- phens Manufacturing Corp. after three years- of research and experimentation. The microphone is said to weigh less than four ounces. Chief uses of the wireless micro- phone will be in motion pictures, radio, television, nightclubs, vaudeville and similar forms of entertainment. Have You Thanked Tax Solons Yet? The Council of Motion Picture Organizations reiterates its ur- gent request to all members of the industry to send messages of thanks to Congressmen who aided materially in advancing the Mason admissions tax ex- emption bill to its ultimate passage by Congress. In addition to sending mes- sages of thanks to Senators and Representatives of each indi- vidual's home state, COMPO urges that similar messages be sent to the following: Rep. Noah M. Mason, Rep. Daniel Reed, Rep. Joseph W. Martin, Jr., Rep. Charles A. Halleck, Rep. Leo E. Allen, Sen. Eugene D. Millikin and Sen. William F. Knowland. Eisenhower (Continued from page 1) COMPO tax committee; Robert W. Coyne, COMPO executive secretary, and Robert Livingstone, Lincoln, Neb., exhibitor. Cole said the industry spokesmen talked for about 20 minutes, outlining to the President the plight of the in- dustry, why it needs relief immedi- ately, why prices could not be cut in most cases, and how the industry ar- rives at the belief that the tax repeal actually means more money for the Treasury. Then the President spoke for about five minutes, Cole said. Among other things, according to Cole, the Presi- dent indicated he had been embar- rassed by the industry's success in getting its bill through Congress, since the President had announced earlier that all excise revision should wait for next year. Now other indus- tries are angry, the President told the exhibitor leaders. Support from New Source The industry got other valuable aid today when Senator Schoeppel (R., Kans.), chairman of a Senate small business subcommittee studving the in- dustry, wrote the President urging approval of the Mason Bill. Schoeppel said his group had j ust made an exten- sive investigation, and concluded that while exhibitors have many problems, "the 20 per cent tax is a burden af- fecting this major -industry's ability to survive.".. While he was conscious of the need for "balancing the budget," Schoeppel said, "it does- not make either good economic or political sense to achieve this objective at the expense of an industry that affords employment to manv thousands." The Washington Star editorially at- tacked the Mason Bill, declaring that "it is difficult to see how the Presi- dent can accept this bill without con- tradicting both the Treasury Depart- ment's revenue estimates and his own past expression of current tax policy." send one or more of its .color televi- sion sets to the FCC laboratory at Laurel, Aid., for a demonstration. Columbus Theatre Sold Columbus, Ga., jui y 30.—The Georgia Theatre here has been sold to Martin Theatres, also of Colum- bus. Purchase price for the Publix- Lucas house is said to have been $582,500.