Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1939)

68 MOTION PICTURE HERALD April 15, 1939 7 RESTRICTIVE BILLS UP IN PENNSYLVANIA Measures Range from Limiting of Program Length to Requiring Lighted Clocks in Theatres This week's assortment of legislative proposals involving motion pictures is as varied as those presented since the legislatures started to meet for this session last January, ranging all the way from limitations on the length of programs to compelling exhibitors to have lighted clocks. Seven Bills in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania was the center of most legislative activity. Seven bills to restrict the motion picture industry came in just before the deadline for the submission of new measures in the lower house this session. Maurice Duplessis, Premier of Quebec, has withdrawn the power to tax chain stores, while Premier Hepburn of Ontario has sponsored an increase in the gasoline tax, putting at rest all thought of a revival of the amusement tax. The Missouri anti-ASCAP bill has been reintroduced, and the Iowa Senate has passed and sent to the House a compromise chain store tax bill, after excluding an amendment which would have included theatres in the bill. In Pennsylvania, six bills were introduced by Republicans and two by Democrats. Assemblyman Alvin Hocke, Republican, presented a measure for theatre divorcement which would impose a penalty of a $10,000 fine or imprisonment of not more than one year, or both, upon distributors or producers who also own or control, in whole or in part, motion picture theatres. A bill presented by Robert Boyd, Republican, would require an asbestos or a steel curtain and a main control lighting switchboard in every theatre. Thomas Allen and Thomas Van Belle, Democrats, jointly introduced a bill prohibiting increased admissions on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays. Mr. Boyd also presented two more measures, providing that there must be as many projectionists in a booth as there are projection machines, and that inspectors of projection machines must have at least 10 years experience as projectionists. E. J. Balliet, Republican, sponsored a bill requiring the 'annual payment of an operators fee of $500, and an annual fee of $200 for each automatic vending machine in a theatre. E. Kent Kane, Republican, offered a bill calling for a tax of one cent on each 25 cent theatre ticket. In addition, enactment of amusement tax legislation is believed to be a possibility in Pennsjdvania as a result of the court decision invalidating the foreign state franchise tax. Quebec's Premier Duplessis, in a recent statement, declared that neither municipalities nor the provinces had the right to impose levies which restrict trade. The declaration paralleled recent legislative action and court decisions in the United States. Ontario Exhibitors Relieved With the Ontario legislature having put into immediate effect an increase in the gasoline tax as a means of obtaining more revenue, indications are that exhibitors of the Province will go through another year without an amusement tax. Premier M. F. Hepburn sponsored the gasoline measure. The anti-ASC.A.P bill sponsored by the Kansas-Missouri Theatres Association, which recently was discarded by the Missouri legislature's revision committee, has again been in troduced by Representatives Turner and Hamlin, who introduced the original bill, like the original, the present bill is based on the Washington law, and in effect prevents the fixing of prices on copyrighted music or other copyrighted work by two or more separate copyright holders. This is a revision session of the legislature, and only bills which meet the "revision" specification are being given serious consideration. The two representatives include in the bill the statement that it is a revision measure because it deals with a change of existing statutes, those dealing with monopoly. In addition to passing the compromise chain store tax bill, which does not include theatres, the Iowa Senate has passed a measure allowing the showing of prize fight films. Having been passed by the House, the bill will become law with the Governor's signature. Clocks in Theatres The judiciary committee of the Milwaukee common council has recommended passage of a bill providing for an illuminated clock in the auditorium of each of the city's theatres. The Evanston council has passed a law taxing all truckers entering that city from Chicago for commercial purposes, which will make film carriers take out licenses in order to deliver films. In three states recent action has been taken on the question of Sunday showings. The Maine Senate has passed a bill legalizing the showings ; with the House already having passed the measure. The Sunday showing of films in Wilmington is close to realization with the passage of a bill legalizing this procedure by the Delaware House. The Senate has already passed the bill, which now awaits action by Governor Richard McMullen. The bill provides for Sunday .films after two p.m. if a referendum in Wilmington approves. An ordinance proposed in Lincoln, Nebraska, which would limit movie programs to 135 minutes, has received an adverse ruling by City Attorney Miles, who claimed the City Council was not empowered to act on it. Five theatres had favored and three had opposed the ordinance. RKO Invites Fair Visitors An invitation to exhibitors in the United States and Canada who plan to visit the New World's Fair to make their headquarters at the company home office was contained in a letter sent this w-eek to every RKO Radio account. Signed by Ned E. Depinet, vice-president in charge of distribution, the letter said that an Exhibitor's Information and Lounge Room on the seventh floor of the RKO Building in Rockefeller Center is being designed and that H. M. Richey, director of exhibitor relations for the company, will be on hand to greet exhibitors. It is planned to have visiting stars appear at the headquarters at stated hours during the day, and RKO executives will also meet the exhibitors there. Other features include a bulletin service on industry activities and the distribution of souvenirs, guide books on the Fair, etc. All preparations are being handled by Mr. Richey. Scottish Film The Federation of Scottish Film Societies, which was founded about four years ago, has inaugurated Film Forum, a monthly publication whose aim will be to elucidate the objects and ideals of the film society movement and to provide a service of news of the activities of the Scottish societies and of developments in the cinema likely to interest film society members. Published in Edinburgh the Film Forum editorial board is composed of Norman Wilson, H. Forsyth Hardy, D. Paterson Walker and J. A. Paton Walker. The first issue appeared in March. A regular feature of the publication is the review section, compiled by Mr. Hardy, film critic of The Scotsman, which will deal with the outstanding films of the month appearing in the commercial cinemas. Critical and biographical notes on producers, directors, actors and technicians will also appear from time to time to acquaint readers with the achievements of the men who make the films. In the first issue under the heading "They Make the Movies" there appears a biography of John Grierson, British documentary film producer who was born in Scotland and graduated from Glasgow University. Mr. Grierson is credited in the biography with being largely responsible for the development of the British documentary film movement. After the World War Mr. Grierson obtained a Rockefeller research fellowship in sociab psychology and spent three years in America. It was through his interest in social psychology he entered films. Joining the Empire Marketing Board, he studied with Walter Crichton, the scope of the cinema as a propaganda medium, sold the idea to the Board and persuaded them to let him make "Drifters," a documentary film, which "virtually created the British documentary movement." Outline Film Aid To New York Fund Plans for the motion picture industry's aid to the Greater New York Fund were outlined at a meeting held Monday in the offices of J. Robert Rubin, chairman of the Motion Picture Division. The drive starts Monday and runs to May 30th. Attending the meeting were Harold Rodner, Warner Brothers ;Ned Depinet, RKO ; Arthur Israel, Paramount ; Norris Wilcox, United Artists ; Harry Brandt, Independent Theatres Owners Association ; Ben Moss, and William Orr, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Colvin Brown, Quigley Publications. Mr. Rubin said that last year the industry contributed $65,000 to the Fund and that this year its quota would be $100,000. The Fund has a goal of $10,000,000, he said. In addition to a general committee composed of 20 or more industry leaders a special committee of exhibitors will be organized. Both committees will meet at a luncheon next Wednesday at the Hotel Astor, to discuss plans for the enrollment of every exhibitor in the metropolitan area.