Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1956)

% 80, NO. 17 NEW YORK, U. S. A., WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 1956 TEN CENTS j^deradio Unit OK s im integrate Tax Exemption to 90 Cents \[] Activities 9g£ jff9 09 Take Passes Slightly-Toned-Down King Bill; &1 Unanimous Vote Elates Compo Officials; $l,JtfOMMWn FroUem Now to Get Fuu Senate Action ^Coordinate Buying, mng and Production m film properties acquired by RKO ■ 'actio Pictures for exhibition on lision will be sold under a new policy of operation involving the 32 domestic branches of RKO Radio Pictures, it was announced here yesterday by C. Robert (R o b) Manby, RKO Teleradio vicepresident. Manby, who also reported that the film syndication diSn of RKO Teleradio, formerly ivn as General Teleradio, has had pss business of $4,500,000 annu( Continued on page 6) 2|lobert Manby vlAA Studies Support I German COMPO proposal under which member panies would donate 100,000 for the establishment of a Counof Motion Picture Organizations Germany was discussed here yesay by the board of directors of Motion Picture Export Association merica. The proposal was recomded to the board by continental agers of member companies, ther topics of discussion at yes( Continued on page 7) serve Decision in Suit i 'Bus Stop' Release •ecision was reserved in U. S. DisCourt yesterday by Judge RichH. Levet on a motion by 20th tury-Fox to vacate the temporary riction order issued by a Justice the Supreme Court acting for Ham Inge, author of "Rus Stop," ch seeks to restrain the film com(Continued on page 7) From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, July 24 Americans spent about $1,286,000,000 on admissions to motion picture theatres last year, the Commerce Department reported. This was the second successive year that consumer spending on admissions increased, after a long and steady downturn since the peak in 1946. From a high mark of $1,692,000,000 in 1946, motion picture theatre admission spending fell steadily to a postwar low of $1,227,000,000 in 1953. In 1954, the figure rose to $1,275,000,000 and then last year inched up another $11,000,000. Despite the upturn in box-office gross, however, total recreation spending increased far more and thus the percentage of total recreation spending going to motion picture theatre admissions dropped last year. It amounted to slightly less than 10 per(Continued on page 7) By J. A. OTTEN WASHINGTON, July 24— The Senate Finance Committee, acting today with unprecedented speed, unanimously voted to boost to 90 cents the present 50 cents exemption from the Federal admissions tax. The committee action represented another major victory for the motion picture industry in its lastditch fight to get admissions tax relief before Congress quits. Officials of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations were elated at the result, and for the first time seemed to be showing real hope of Congressional approval of admissions tax relief before adjournment. The committee toned down slightly the House-passed King bill, which would have raised the exemption to $1. It did this in an effort to smooth the way for Senate passage and to remove possibly some of the Treasury Department's opposition. Committee officials said the Fed(Continued on page 2) T0A to Sponsor 'Fair' For Foreign Films Here A six-day "Film Fair" will be held at the Museum of Modern Art just prior to the convention to be held here in September by the Theatre Owners of America, it was disclosed yesterday. Films will be screened Sept. 12, 14 and 17-20 inclusive from outstanding French, English, Italian, Japanese and other foreign products. The "Film Fair" has been scheduled "to assure foreign film producers that there is interest among domestic exhibitors in their product, providing they have box-office value," it was stated. REVIEW: THE BAD SEED WARNER BROS. This Picture is based on the successful and highly controversial New York stage plav of the same name. As a stage plav it was adapted by Maxwell Anderson from a novel bv William March and produced on Broadwav bv The Playwrights Company. In its motion picture production bv Mervvn LeRov, adapted for the screen bv John Lee Mahin, it partakes largelv of the character and feeling of the New York stage plav. All of this is underscored bv the presence in the cast of a number of the principal plavers who performed on the New York stage. As "The Bad Seed" makes its appearance in the motion pictures theatres it is bound to create interest and controversy. How the pros and cons are to balance remains to be seen in the record the picture writes as public reaction is recorded. As the title suggests it is a story in which the idea of heredity plavs a considerable part. The central role is performed with consummate (Continued on page 8) 7 Year Pact For Schneider Columbia Pictures has negotiated a new seven year contract with A. Schneider, first vice-president and treasurer of the piodu ction distribution organization, retroactive until Sept. 15, 1955 and providing for a stock option of 35,000 shares, it was learned yesterday. The new pact runs until Sept. 14, 1962 with Schneider receiving a weekly compensation of $2,750 up to Sept. 14, 1957 and (Continued on page 7) A. Schneider