Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1938)

46 MOTION PICTURE HERALD January 8, 1938 AAANY NEW YORK STATE BILLS AFFECT INDUSTRY And in Chicago Theatres Will Pay $68,000 More Than Last Year in Fees Possibility of important tax and other legislation affecting the industry in New York by the State Legislature during 1938 and an agreement reached in Chicago between theatremen and the City Council regarding the increase in theatre license fees were the more important developments of the week in the field of legislation. Elsewhere the Ohio Senate was considering a relief measure, passed by the House, which includes allocating of the admissions tax; a campaign was started in Ohio by a woman's group to prohibit attendance by children at theatres during school hours, and there were Sunday "blue law" developments in Sylacauga, Ala., and Bridgeport, Conn. Convened on Wednesday in Albany, the New York State Legislature will pass on many bills affecting producer, distributors and exhibitors with the greatest stress on four important bits of legislation ranking in this order : (1) Re-introduction of the Moran bill of 1937, adding a new section to the Tax Law, imposing a tax of I mill per foot on every original motion picture film or copy thereof. (2) Backed by the State Federation of Labor, a measure requiring a "full crew" of motion picture operators to be in the projection room at all times is certain to be introduced on the floor of the Assembly and Senate. (3) Strong pressure is expected to be exerted in the passage of the perenially introduced bill prohibiting sale of seats in theatres when none are available. (4) Possible amendment of Section 1 8-B of the General City Law, requiring a matron for each 35 children in theatres, instead of one for the entire theatre. After weeks of conferences and discussions Chicago theatremen and the City Council reached an agreement regarding the increase in theatre licensee fees, and a new ordinance was passed by the council at their last 1937 meeting. $68,000 Increase in Fees An increase of $68,000 will be paid to the city by the theatres as a result of the new agreement. The amount that has been paid to the city in license fees for theatres the last few years totaled around $120,000. With the increase the total will be near the $190,000 mark. At present the rates for theatres runs from $225 a year to $1,250 depending upon the admission price and number of seats. The new ordinance increases these fees on the following basis: Theatres charging up to 25 cents, an increase of 25 per cent; theatres charging up to 40 cents, an increase of 60 per cent, and theatres charging more than 60 cents, an increase of 100 per cent. The final settlement of the theatre license fee question ends a long drawn out battle which started last summer when the city demanded a 3 per cent tax on all theatre grosses instead of the regular license fees. This tax plan was finally dropped even after the city had amended their demands and asked for 1 per cent on all grosses. For the past few weeks the theatremen and the councilmen have been working the plan out on an increased fee basis that started with the councilmen asking for fees that would bring an additional $150,000 in revenue. The demands by the city are accredited to a need of an additional $3,000,000 to make up for a deficit in the city budget. Most of this deficit will be made up through the licensing of race track betting, an ordinance allowing brokers to handle bets legally having just been adopted. Relief Measures in Ohio The Ohio Senate is considering measures passed for relief by the Ohio house, including a bill re-enacting the utility excise tax and allocating the admissions, beverage, malt and wort taxes for relief for a two-year period. The measure would raise approximately $5,500,000 a year, to be distributed to counties on the basis of popaultion and tax duplicates. The measures passed the House 96 to 27. The Franklin County League of Women Voters, Ohio, is waging a campaign to prohibit children from attending theatres during school hours when their classes are is session. An appeal for assistance to curb delinquency has been made to P. J. Wood, secretary of the Ohio Independent Theatre Owners. Prompted by the indecision of officials of Sylacauga, Ala., over whether to allow Sunday films, Editor Charles H. Greer of the Sylacauga News sent queries to editors in open Sunday towns, asking the people's sentiment. Replies published showed a consensus overwhelmingly favorable, with 29 editors reporting that theatre operators were being careful not to conflict with church functions. The Bridgeport, Conn., Board of Aldermen approved Sunday vaudeville. CUTTING ROOM (Continued from page 44) "New Faces of 1937" ; Ann Miller who was outstanding in that picture, Victor Moore and Helen Broderick who have been teamed in five earlier films; Buster West and Melissa Mason, featured dancers in the stage play "White Horse Inn," William Brisbane, Richard Lane, Marilyn Vernon and Jane Froman who will be seen in a specialty number. Other items that may provide hints as to this production's showmanship potentialities are that the seven song numbers were composed by Herb Magidson and Allie Wrubel and that Ben Stoloff, the director, is credited with such films as "Fight for Your Lady," "Super Sleuth," "Sea Devils," "Palooka" and "Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round." Release date : April 14, 1938. Test Pilot (MGM) Romance and Thrills When a company elects to feature two names, Clark Gable and Myrna Loy, whom the nation's exhibitors voted among the biggest money making stars of 1937 and adds another, Spencer Tracy, whose rank in popular esteem has been greatly advanced during the past several months, the showmanship job on the picture in which they are to be featured is cut to pattern. As the title identifies the character, "Test Pilot" is the first aviation picture that MGM has attempted in about two years. Gable is the test pilot who gambles his life and tests his skill in testing the airworthiness of any newly designed plane. Tracy is his rough neck mechanic who sacrifices his life in somewhat the same heroic manner he did in "Captains Courageous." Miss Loy is Gable's only love other than flying. He had to come to realize that love the hard way. In addition to the two best money making stars and the one honor winner, "Test Pilot" will also offer Lionel Barrymore, soon to be seen in MGM's British made film, "A Yank at Oxford" and who, incidentally was in the studio's last aviation production, "Night Flight" ; Ted Pearson, who is maldng his third screen appearance, Arthur Aylesworth, Claudia Coleman, Priscilla Lawson and Virginia Grey. While it may be expected that much entertainment and, needless to say, a relative amount of potential showmanship will accrue to the picture's romance and melodramatic phases, the thrill action sequences will also show Gable and Tracy operating every kind of plane from crackerbox crates to the latest sky flying fortresses both in the process of testing and competing in the famous Thompson air races. The picture is being directed by Victor Fleming who topped off a long list of top flight attractions, including "Renegades," "The White Sister" and "Reckless" as well as "Treasure Island" with "Captains Courageous." Release date : In March 1938. The Joy of Loving (RKO-Radio) Comedy Romance Gene Towne and Graham Baker have turned out many screenplays which had both entertainment and commercial value. "Ali Baba Goes to Town" and "Stand-In" are the most recent example. The effort this time is based on a story by Dorothy and Herbert Fields, whose respective writing credits include contributions to "Swing Time," "The King Steps Out" and "I Dream Too Much," "Love Before Breakfast" and "Luckiest Girl in the World." The story is comedy romance which has considerable farce character interluded with music. It concerns the stormy romance of a famous actress, who is not only debt harassed, but also carries the millstone of one of the craziest families which ever existed in the realms of screen imagination and a carefree young vagabond who has no intention of living up or down to the restrictions his aristocratic family has placed upon him. Basically it is ludicrous comedy being done in the style of the present vogue, previously exemplified by the picture's star, Irene Dunne, in "Theodora Goes Wild" and "The Awful Truth." Opposite Miss Dunne will be seen Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., presently in "The Prisoner of Zenda" and with Ginger Rogers in "Having a Wonderful Time" which is to be seen shortly. The supporting cast includes as the batty members of Miss Dunne's family Guy Kibbe, Alice Brady, Lucille Ball and Frank Milan; Jean Dixon, Phyllis Kennedy, the five year old Steiner twins, Dorothy and Estelle, Eric Blore and Frank M. Thomas. Direction is in charge of Tay Garnett, "Slave Ship," "Love Is News" and "Stand In," while picturesque dance novelty routines were supervised by Seymour Felix. Release date: In February 1938. Paramount News now being serviced to the South and Central American Republics, is being edited each week with a Portuguese off screen voice for the version going to Brazil and a Spanish commentator's voice for all of the other territories. The Spanish speaking Republic receive one issue of the newsreel each week, while Brazil receives two issues a week.