Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1955)

Motion Picture Daily Tuesday, March 29, 1955 Anta Album Ushers In First Broadway Closed Circuit Show Allied on Round Table Contributions totaling $135,000 for last night's "ANTA album" theatre telecast was reported here yesterday by the headquarters of CARE, on the basis of incomplete pre-opening reports from the field. The event, marking the first theatre telecast of a Broadway show, was telecast from New York's Adelphi Theatre to 32 theatres in the same number of cities. Joe Heidt, special TV consultant to CARE, the organization which teamed up with ANTA to present the benefit show, explained that many CARE committees, which handled the ticket sale, have neglected to keep CARE headquarters informed of latest ticket sales. Heidt also pointed out that the $135,000 pre-curtain time estimate will not include last night's box-office ticket sale throughout the country. Expects Half-Capacity Contributions, he went on, does not indicate attendance, explaining that many people contributed much more than the cost of tickets. The CARE spokesman acknowledged, however, that he does not expect theatres to be filled more than 50 per cent of capacity. The break-even point for the telecast would be $200,000, covering the cost of talent, the fourwall deals made with theatres, advertising, DuMont TV facilities and other costs, the CARE official went on to estimate. He contended, however, that the pioneer effort had won many new friends for CARE and ANTA. Reception last night at the RKO Fordham Theatre in the Bronx of the CARE benefit performance of the 1955 ANTA Album was satisfactory, giving about 1,000 patrons in the 2,100seat house a good TV picture of the proceedings. However, at times the picture became cloudy. This was noticeable particularly in the long stage shots. Unless later reports, which are expected to be filed tomorrow or the next day, show a marked rise in receipts, financially, the event did not go off as well as expected. Initially, it was estimated that contributions would amount to $400,000 or more, with ANTA and CARE dividing the receipts. Prices of tickets were scaled from $2 to $100, according to CARE headquarters, with local committees setting the pricing pattern. Last night's telecast was slated to headline the appearance of such Broadway stars as Lena Home, Ezio Pinza, Martha Wright, Menasha Skulnik, Ruth Draper and Victor Moore. The event, staged by ANTA, began at 10:30 P.M. (EDT). (Continued from page 1 J (the effective date of the tax bill) film prices increased; C][ That, in consequence, the film companies' net earnings have increased bv leaps and bounds, while d| The exhibitors continue to be no better off than they were before the bill was passed." Myers' bulletin then presents quarterly financial reports of Paramount, Warners, Lhuversal, Columbia, 20th Century-Fox and Loew's, from April 1, 1954, to the latest available quarterly report, purporting to show that in each case company earnings began to rise with the repeal or reduction of the Federal admission tax, and continued on the upgrade thereafter. Absorption in Some Cases "It would, of course, be inaccurate to attribute all increases in net earnings to confiscation of tax benefits," the Myers bulletin states. ] "In some cases the film companies have more than absorbed the tax. A number of factors have contributed to the companies' present prosperity, such as improved films and the revival of the foreign market; but the big item is exploitation of the starved domestic market. "The bare fact that the companies' profits are soaring while the exhibitors are barely holding their own and in many cases are losing ground, tells us all we need to know about what happened to the tax benefits," the bulletin states. Explaining Allied's abandonment of hope in an industry round table conference being held, Myers notes the several protracted delays since such a forum was first proposed last fall and reports that an interview between "an Allied leader" and Al Lichtman, director of distribution for 20th Century-Fox, who first proposed the round table, "developed nothing beyond the now i familiar alibi that the round table ISSP °r? ^3 ^SPECIAL'S 23 323 TRAILERS FILMACK We Can Please You. Send Us Your Next Order. cannot be held until the arbitration issue is settled." "Arbitration," Myers observes, "has been kicked around for four years, and since the film companies will not agree to arbitrate film rentals or selling policies, it is impossible to see how this issue can have any bearing on the round table proposal. "All the exhibitors have sought is the opportunity to place their case before the responsible heads of the film companies, in hopes that each such official, with respect to his own company, would voluntarily abate or abandon policies which threaten the whole industry." The bulletin rejects in those terms suggestions "that for the film company presidents to hear from prominent leaders the exhibitors' views concerning current pricing policies and practices might expose them to prosecution under the anti-trust laws." "Cynicism begets cynicism," the Allied bulletin says, "and the manner in which exhibitor overtures looking to a peaceful settlement of this controversy have been rejected, engenders the thought that this idea of a top-level conference may have been advanced merely to induce exhibitors to postpone their plans for remedial action, while the film companies continue to wax fat on their present destructive policies." Silent on E.D.C. Allied's board of directors at its meeting in St. Louis last month authorized Allied's Emergency Defense Committee to proceed with earlier prepared plans to seek introduction in Congress of a bill to regulate film prices and terms. The present bulletin says nothing further about the E.D.C. activity but it is surmised that a meeting of the committee will be held in the very near future, perhaps this week, to plan the next step. Appoint Bloom 20th N. Y. Variety Club Mgr. in New Haven Chairmen Named The appointment of Shepard Bloom to the position of branch manager of 20th Century-Fox's New Haven exchange was announced by the company. Bloom, who assumed his new duties yesterday, was sales manager of the company's Philadelphia office prior to his elevation to the New Haven post. He succeeds Herman Hirschhorn, who passed away last week. The transfer of William Graham, presently office manager and city salesman in Buffalo, to the position of office manager in the Boston exchange effective yesterday, also was disclosed by the company. Crescent Plans 'Center' CLEVELAND, Tenn., March 24. — Crescent Amusement Co., Nashville, has contracted for the construction of a $300,000 shopping center here which will house two variety stores and a drugstore. A section of building, not yet assigned, may later be developed as a theatre, but the whole project at present is an investment. William J. German, chief barker of the Variety Club of New York, Tent No. 35, yesterday announced the appointment of four committee chairmen for the coming year. Jack Rosenfeld has been named chairman of the welfare committee ; Max Wolff, membership committee ; William Westphal, finance committee ; and Albert G. Gorson, community relations committee. German has urged all members to attend today's luncheon meeting at Toots Shor's. Buddy Hackett will be the guest of honor. Harold J. Klein is chairman of today's luncheon meeting and Martin Levine is luncheon coordinator for the year. New K. C. Firm KANSAS CITY, March 28.— The S & S Operating Co., a new firm with E. S. Sutter and Alex Shniderman as associates, has established offices here. The company will operate an 800-car drive-in now under construction on a 40-acre tract on Highway 50 at a point not far from Kansas City. 114 Theatres (Continued from page 1) cording to many leading exhibition leaders, the revenue from the collection of the five per cent admission tax, including the controversial "major fraction," would be between $3,500,000 and $4,000,000 yearly. In early January, a spokesman for the City Tax Collection's office stated that the amusement tax revenue from all sources in the city had totaled $3,711,949 for the five month period ended on Dec. 31, revealing that the returns were short of expectations. The 114 theatres' admission tax figure of $452,050, which included the breakage amount of $75,965, or 16.6 per cent of the levy, were termed by an exhibition spokesman as "representative of the slack business felt throughout the city during the December, January and February period." These theatres, located on Broadway and in suburban areas, are part of the Loew's, Century, Skouras and Brandt circuits. Loew's Breakage $38,000 The Loew's Theatres Circuit with 44 theatres reported a total tax on admissions during the third tax quarter totaling an approximate $245,000. The breakage figure of $38,000 was 15.1 per cent of the total tax collected. Loew's forwarded $207,000 to the city. The 21 Century theatres forwarded an approximate $50,900 to the city as their third tax payment and retained a tax breakage of $11,100 for the 90day period, which was 17.9 per cent of the total tax. The 21 Skouras theatres forwarded an approximate $42,600 for the third tax payment retaining $10,200 as their breakage. Computed against the total tax, the breakage was 19.3 per cent. The combined Harry and William Brandt theatres of 28 houses throughout the five boroughs reported a total tax on admissions during the third quarter totaling $92,250 and retained $16,665 as breakage, 18.0 per cent of the amusement impost. Myers in Oklahoma (Continued from page 1) 135 persons were registered today. Myers asked the group to support the national toll TV committee's fight in what he termed one of industry's most dangerous problems. He said he had hopes that the Council of Motion Picture Organizations might help, but that film companies had prevented this, and now it is up to the exhibitors to turn the tide. "It's no longer a one-sided fight with committee splendidly organized," he said. "The burden is currently on the theatres, but other businesses have a stake in the matter and will eventually join in the fight," and added that the fight should be supported financially, as it is as vital as COMPO's tax repeal campaign. Hitchcock Adds to Para. Schedule HOLLYWOOD, March 28.— Paramount and producer-director Alfred Hitchcock have signed a new contract under which Hitchcock will make two more pictures for the studio than the number called for in the present contract. It was also agreed with James Stewart that he will star in both of these additional productions. The two added pictures will be made over the next few years.