Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1943)

8 MOTION PICTURE HERALD August 7 , I 943 THIS WEEK IN THE NEWS Taxes Doubled TAXES paid by the motion picture industry on income and excess profits from 1941 were almost double the sums paid the preceding year, the United States Treasury reported at Washington on Wednesday. The preliminary figures showed income and excess profits collections of $24,545,000 on the 1941 returns of film production, distribution and exhibition corporations. They paid $12,579,000 on 1940 returns. The figures showed also that the number of motion picture corporations with income subject to tax increased from 2,353 in 1940 to 2,561 in 1941. The total number of corporations filing returns decreased from 4,682 to 4,552. The number of inactive companies increased by one, to 202. The Treasury reported that the 2,561 corporations which were "in the black" for tax purposes reported total receipts of $892,320,000 and net income of $94,496,000. The $24,545,000 taxes they paid included $17,678,000 normal income tax, $3,112,000 surtax, $146,000 declared value excess profits tax and $3,609,000 excess profits tax. In 1940 the 2,353 tax paying corporations had total receipts of $810,516,000 and net income of $78,983,000 Deficits for tax purposes were reported by 1,789 companies in 1941 against 2,118 in 1940. Their total receipts were $173,498,000 with a deficit of $9,610,000. Dividends in cash and assets other than their own stock of $44,160,000 were paid in 1941 by the taxpaying companies, against $37,335,000 in 1940 and for the deficit companies $303,000 against $330,000 in 1940. Splitting Seconds STROBOSCOPIC photography, that recent wonder, enabling photographs to be made at speeds of as much as one hundred thousandth of a second, has been further advanced. General Electric engineers announced recently in Schenectady that they were able to make photographs at one-millionth of a second. The light comes from a small mercury lamp. In sustained operation, it lasts only one second — or one million exposures. A lot can happen in that time. All All-Star ALL the industry is asked by Darryl F. Zanuck to assist him in the screen production of Wendell Willkie's "One World" and a projected life of Woodrow Wilson. In Hollywood Monday Mr. Zanuck, newly returned to his executive production post at Twentieth Century-Fox, announced that he had invited all the other studios to aid in the production of these two films by permitting their stars to play historic characters. All the major producing companies, Mr. Zanuck felt sure, would lift their usual restrictions against lending contract players, THEATRE staffs need not take war jobs, WMC rules Page 12 SCRAP or revise Consent Decree, exhibitor leaders say Page 1 3 ON THE MARCH— Red Kann discusses sliding scales, trade policy Page 16 U. S. product to follow victorious invading Allied armies Page 17 THEATRES push newsreels as coverage of war improves Page 25 WAC maps plans with Treasury for new War Loan campaign Page 26 STARS of Tomorrow poll serves as guide for studio casting Page 28 U. S. lawyers start field study of exhibitor decree complaints Page 33 SERVICE DEPARTMENTS Hollywood Scene Page 40 Picture Grosses Page 59 In the Newsreels Page 42 Shorts on Broadway Page 48 Managers' Round Table Page 53 What the Picture Did for Me Page 44 IN PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION Showmen's Reviews Page 1469 Short Subjects Page 1472 Advance Synopses Page 1471 The Release Chart Page 1473 because of the importance of the casting problem involved. Hundreds of living and dead statesmen and other historic leaders will be portrayed in the two pictures. Although both "One World" and the Woodrow Wilson film would carry the trademark of 20th Century-Fox, Mr. Zanuck felt that as dramatized appeals for universal understanding and post-war unity they would be recognized as contributions by the entire industry, the announcement from Mr. Zanuck's publicity staffs said. At midweek there had been no public reply from other companies to this request. Fire Prevention NATIONAL Fire Prevention Week this year will be from October 3rd through October 9th. The Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc., sponsored by the National Board of Fire Underwriters, this week stressed to the theatre owner his importance in educating the public to the increased importance of fire prevention. It said, in part: "The important part that theatre managers have played in helping to promote worthy national and local drives and campaigns has increased the prestige of show business and has won patrons to individual theatres. Another opportunity for showmen will be offered during the campaign." The organization said the country's local fire departments, chambers of commerce, insurance organizations, and civic leaders would cooperate, and urged the theatre man to make contact with them ; and it reminded showmen of a one-minute sound trailer being produced, asking them to adopt as a slogan, "A trailer in every theatre in each community during Fire Prevention Week." New York Riots FOLLOWING the Sunday evening-Monday morning riots in New York's Harlem, theatre business dropped in some instances 80 per cent. The section was under a 10:30 P.M. curfew Monday night, and an 11:30 curfew Tuesday. Matinee receipts held, however, and it was reported damage to house fronts was small in contrast to stores on every main street. Windows were shattered, stocks looted. Damage to stores was estimated at $5,000,000. Owners are expected to sue the city. In addition to the curfew, the city allowed lifting of the dimout, so that theatres were permitted to light their marquees. They also retained full house staffs during the emergency. "Los Hijos de Hitler" "HITLER'S CHILDREN," which grossed a phenomenal $3,500,000 for RKO and its producer Edward Golden in the U. S. is setting Latin American records, too, according to RKO's foreign department. South American managers have been giving the picture heavy exploitation and the public, among whom A. Schicklegruber has few friends, have been packing the theatres. Opening records were set at Lima, Peru, and Caracas, Venezuela. RKO's manager in Peru cabled the picture established an unheard of record, and he had nothing to compare it with. It is currently in release in all countries except Argentina. If censors pass it there the picture will be shown under the more neutral book title, "Education for Death."