Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1954)

Monday, July 19, 1954 Motion Picture Daily 3 N. Y. C. Tax Scene Rank-CEA (Continued from page 1) C.E.A. president, rejected this proposal and, in consequence, a reduced Eady rate will become operative Aug. 1, failing some last-minute development. Nevertheless, C.E.A. intimated that its officers, are ready to sit down with government officials at any time to discuss the matter, but still want the reduced rates. The B.F.P.A. already has reported the matter to the Board of Trade and requested government action which, if taken, would virtually mean imposition of a statutory rather than a voluntary Eady levy. On resigning from C.E.A., Rank's theatres announced that they proposed to continue to make Eady payments at the old levy rate, regardless of C.E.A.'s position. It is momentarily uncertain what action A.B.C. will take in view of Warter's having urged the meeting to continue the old rate. The defection of Rank's theatres will seriously affect C.E.A.'s finances by loss of dues payments. The Rank Organization withdrew from C.E.A. once before, in November, 1951, but returned to the fold the following month. NTS Speaker (Continued front page 1) magnet shifting and simplifies replacement. The housing also accommodates a perforated, anodized aluminum speaker screen, a volume control with recessed control knob and an extruded acrylic handle. The housing, which is finished in a silver hammertone enamel baked on over a zinc chromate base, has a two-step window bracket for positioning in a car as well as on the speaker post coupling unit. The blue finish of the speaker screen matches the transparent blue of the extruded acrylic handle. The handle, an oval tube made by Anchor Plastics Co., provides space inside for a phosphorescent theatre name or slogan card which glows in the dark. A "Koiled Kord" or straight neoprene covered cable makes the connection from the post unit to the speaker. 'Seventeen* Magazine Highlights 9 Films The August issue of "Seventeen," which will be on the newsstands within a few weeks, has devoted considerable space to films currently playing on Broadway here and pictures to be released shortly. Special stories are used on Warner Brothers' "A Star Is Born" and David O. Selznick's "Gone With The Wind." A double page spread, including a picture layout, has been used for "Ulysses," starring Kirk Douglas. Other films which are reviewed are "Living It Up," "The Student Prince," "Victory At Sea," "Magnificent Obsession," "The Unconquered" and "Her Twelve Men." Named Station Manager ALBANY, N. Y., July 18.— Leo Rosen, formerly with the Fabian Theatres circuit here, has been named manager of the Schine circuit's television station, WPTR, succeeding Gus Lampe, who resigned that post to become managing director of the Cross County Hospital, Yonkers, N.Y. Indoor-Drive-in Project in Idaho MOSCOW, Ida., July 18.— Plans are under way here for a 544-seat indoor theatre to be built on the same site as the Auto Drive-in theatre, so that film entertainment can be provided in bad weather. The new enclosed theatre is expected to be completed during October or shortly afterwards. Loew's Theatre Changes CLEVELAND, July 18. — Frank Alurphy, Loew's theatre division manager here has announced the following managerial changes : Sam Shubouf lias transferred from Loew's Akron to the Loew's Jersey City ; Harry Kloyz has moved from Loew's Canton to succeed Shubouf in Akron and in turn is succeeded by Eugene Moulaison of Syracuse. (Continued /i week, said this system of collection "is a definite possibility." But, he explained, it would first have to be reviewed by City Comptroller Lawrence Gerosa before a final decision could be made. If enacted, the token or stamp system could be an alternative to the major fraction or bracket system now used in the law. The latter was under fire in Supreme Court last week as attorneys for five Queens theatres called it a violation of the state "enabling act" which empowers the city to impose the levy. The "enabling act," passed in 1947, allows an amusement tax "of up to five per cent.'' Attorneys for the theatres calling for a temporary injunction restraining collection of the tax, said the city law taxes more than the permitted five per cent, in some instances. If the substitute collection method is rom page 1) enforced, it would avoid any overstepping of the state law and the five per cent limit. The current city tax law contains a provision allowing for adoption of the token system. If enacted, however, such a system would create added hardships for local exhibitors, according to Thomas Bress, Loew's Theatres attorney. In addition to existing taxes on film rentals, real estate and licenses, among others, a token system would add the inconveniences of additional bookkeeping and handling. Bress said the current statute must first be amended so as to strike out the major fraction provision. Only then could the token system be installed, he said. In Supreme Court last week Buchsbaum pointed out that the current collection method is included in a separate section of the tax law that could be dropped without affecting the rest of the law. He stressed that the "enabling act" said nothing about a major fraction provision. Buchsbaum emphasized "it has been the custom" to employ the major fraction method in all forms of business and banking. Referring to another city statute under attack by the suing theatres, Bress said that the law providing for licensing of theatres, if obeyed, places theatres in the position of "Scylla and Charybdis," or "between the devil and the deep blue sea." He was referring to a section of the city Administrative Code which places a restriction on collecting amounts exceeding the fixed admission price plus a Federal tax. If theatres collect an additional city tax, owners and employees are subject to penalty of committing a misdemeanor, according to the code. A spokesman for Edward C. Raf ^ tery, attorney for the plaintiffs, said at the weekend that he doubted the city would switch to a token system of collection. Such a method would be "uneconomical for the city," he said. The money involved in bookkeeping, printuig and issuing the tokens or stamps, would negate any amount collected by the tax under the system, he asserted. It would be easier for the city to alter the amount of the tax to a lower percentage, the attorney said. Meanwhile both sides in the dispute waited for a decision from Justice Pette. Neither would guess at a target date although Buchsbaum said it "may be tomorrow or six months from now." Makelim (Continued from page 1) Theatre Owners Association tomorrow. Makelim was in New York to conclude the agreement with William Gell of Monarch Films of London, whereby Monarch will release the Makelim program in the United Kingdom, as well as a co-production deal between Gell and Makelim for a threepicture slate to be produced in England. 'Window' Bows Aug. 4 Eighty-three business, civic and social leaders will sponsor the world premiere of Paramount's "Rear Window," which will reopen the Rivoli Theatre on Broadway, August 4. Asides & Interludes — by Al Steen r~\ UR friend Irving Lesser phoned the other day and said he had a ^ copy of the Jan. 29, 1910, issue of the "Moving Picture World," which he said he'd be glad to lend us. Forgetting for the moment that the "World" in later years was married to Martin Quigley's "Exhibitors Herald" and became the "Exhibitors Herald World" and eventually "Motion Picture Herald," we dashed to Irving's office and picked up that almost prehistoric industry trade paper. Later we learned that we have a whole set of those old issues in bound volumes right here in this office. Oh well, it was nice to get away from the desk for a while. * * * Anyway^ as long as we have this loose copy before tts, let's take a look. A cover ad revealed that the motiograph projector in 1910 had a price tag oj $150 and up. Not a word about anamorphic lenses. * * * A full page ad by the New York Motion Picture Co. was very outspoken about its independent product and its competitors in language like this: "We got 'em on the run since we started releasing four reels a week. Nothing but headliners. Every licensed exhibitor is beating it for an Independent Exchange to get Independent Service. Do not be a sucker all your life and listen to a lot of Bull that the Licensed Exchanges are trying to hand you that the Independent service is no good. Let us say right here that we have them lashed to the mast." * * * One of the big news stories of the issue told of how the Biograph Company had just acquired a new studio site in the Bronx, but that in the meantime a whole troupe of Biograph players was being sent to California, headed by Lawrence Griffith. He later became known as D. W. The headline was : "Biograph Company Migrates to the Land of Sunshine and Flowers." What, no smog? * * * A letter to the editor from a Wisconsin exhibitor complained about being "soaked" $39 a week for pictures by a licensed exchange. And that the films ivere in a state of puirefaction. At $39 a week for film rentals, a lot of exhibitors today might say, "Give us more pmtrefaction." * * * A lecturer with motion pictures was able to fill the New York Theatre to capacity that week and the "World" remarked that the event "justifies our arguments for an exclusive and model picture show house on upper Broadway." * * ^ The way distributors used to advertise their pictures to the exhibitors was a work of art. Here is one by Biograph for an opus titled "The Honor of His Family," a Civil War yarn that ran 988 feet: "To the Virginian family, pride and honor meant everything and when old Col. Pickett bids his son George adieu on the young man's departure for the front, his injunction was, 'My boy, emulate the brave deeds of those who have gone before you. Be fearless, brave and fight, fight.' George was the last of the haughty military family, and there was not a prouder man in the South than the old Colonel as he bid him goodbye. George, however, was not of the same metal and when the first skirmish occurred he ran away in fear. What a shock to the Colonel ! His son was a coward. The boy enters the home and the father resorts to desperate means that the honor of the family may remain unsullied. Taking the body to the field of battle, he makes it appear that he died, sword in hand, with face toward the enemy." The synopsis doesn't say how Junior kicked off in the first place. Maybe the old man merely said, "Drop dead."