Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

vpect Early End f Curfew Rule; yrnes Resigns irly silencing of the curfew bells was indii in developments this week headlined by resignation of James F. Byrnes in WashMi as director of War Mobilization and mvertion. In what proved to be his farewell age as the appointed head of the agency, Byrnes said last Friday that victory in >pe would see the ending of the curfew and dimout and relaxation of the limitations i the heating of theatres and other buildSubsequently, his letter of resignation pre•d an early end to the war against Germany, ever popular, the imposition of the midt closing hour created strong opposition in • York and other large cities. Mayor F. H. uardia told theatres and night clubs to re the order and stay open an hour later. Army and Navy replied with a midnight sw of their own for soldiers and sailors. Byrnes closing was observed. Toledo, Ohio, however, Jack O'Connell of Loop theatre defied the agency orders. He inued to operate his theatre, located near plants, until 5 A.M. The War Manpower mission asked distributors to stop serving to the exhibitor for post-midnight shows. O'Connell retorted that closing his theatre er would not aid the war effort, pointing that his ticket taker had no legs and that asher was 75 years old. He filed an appeal week with the state WMC director from closing order of the Toledo area director. IC Plans Reprisal •hn L. Craig, state WMC inspector at Co)us, however, announced that he was not planning to invoke a zero employment ng against Mr. O'Connell, but that he Id also send in a WMC recruiting force to uade the theatre's employees to go into war k. Wednesday, the International Alliance of atrical Stage Employees withdrew the proionist from the booth. John B. Fitzgerald, rnational representative of the union in eland, said that the executive board took action because "they wanted to be good :ens and obey the mandates of the War ipower Commission." Mr. O'Connell termed withdrawal a breach of the union's working ;ement. Ir. Craig stated that he was awaiting word n other distributors in response to his rest that they refuse to serve product for postnight shows. He said that Warner Bros., 0, MGM and 20th-Fox had agreed. ?s Agencies Continuing lost of the war agencies would have to be tinued after the end of the war in Europe, luse Japan still was to be defeated, Mr. nes warned. One of the first steps in relaxa 1, he predicted, would be the gradual easing he L and M orders of the War Production ird, the first to go being applied to commodi which would be in better position as the pe of the war narrows. n this respect, the report was seen in Washton as indicating a possibility that the conover film raw stock would be lifted soon, a w given some support by the inquiries of nle.y Adams, director of the Consumers Dur; Goods Division, as to the industry's views revocation of such controls. This would put producers and distributors on a catch-asch-can basis in the procurement of film reining after military, official and lend-lease uirements had been met. STATE SALES AND RENTAL TAX BILLS ARE KILLED The threat of a sales tax in one state and a rental levy in another passed this week as the legislative bodies moved toward the end of deliberations. A bill which would impose a 10 per cent tax on gross receipts of Texas theatres was believed bottled up in Austin when it was referred to a subcommittee after a brief hearing. There was little chance, theatremen said, that it would receive action soon. The hearing was adjourned after only one witness. Killing a bill which would have forced theatres to bracket sales tax collections in a manner that would increase admission prices, the Oklahoma legislature turned its attention to a proposal to raise the general sales tax from two to three per cent. There was no organized industry opposition to the measure. When the Iowa legislature adjourns next Tuesday, the chances are that the sole remaining industry tax measure will expire with the session. The bill asks a two per cent sales tax on film rentals. It was never reported out of committee, and no action was indicated on it in time for passage. The House already had killed a bill proposing drastic changes in theatre building regulations. The General Legislation Committee of the Minnesota House took up a measure introduced by Rep. E. J. Chilgren calling for the divorcement of exhibition from distribution and production control. The bill carried the approval of a subcommittee. Although North Central Allied has changed its stand and will support the bill, Bennie Berger, presidentelect, said Tuesday there was no chance of its passage. A subcommittee reported it favorably when no one appeared for or against the measure. A representation of exhibitors opposed the two-men-in-a-booth bill at a hearing in Hartford last week before the Connecticut Judiciary Committee. Opposition was registered by Herman M. Levy, New Haven; Irving C. Jacocks, Jr., Branford, and Joseph Reed, Washington Depot, for the exhibitors. The bill was supported by union interests. James Shannon, Bridgeport, and Louis Finemark, New Haven, appeared for the American Federation of Labor. John Kelly appeared in behalf of the Motion Picture Machine Operators Local 273, an AFL affiliate. A bill to regulate and license all coin vending machines in the state was introduced in the Missouri legislature by Sen. William Quinn of Maywood. The measure would require a $10 fee for a state license and up to $10 for a county license for all machines geared for 5 cents or less. The tax would be $25 for the state and $25 for the county for all other machines. The county courts, however, would be left free to decide the amount of county taxes and would have the right to deny any license. Theatre machines would be included. Nationwide Easter Grosses Strong Theatre receipts this Easter generally rose substantially above figures registered during the 1944 Easter holiday week period, reports to distributor home offices and circuit headquarters indicated at midweek. Stronger product, good weather and improved spending power were considered the prime contributing factors. Restrictions on travel imposed by transportation overloads and by gasoline scarcity augmented the usual heavy patronage for the period. New York City reports indicated an exceptionally heavy play for the Broadway first runs. The Radio City Music Hall, for instance, established a new record as it clocked 92,138 customers in a four-day period. A long list of new arrivals and strong holdovers helped. Of the eight new films, "Practically Yours" at the Paramount and "The Affairs of Susan" at the Rivoli were doing outstanding business. The feature, "Without Love," and the traditional Easter show at the Music Hall grossed $80,000 for the first four days of a second week, heading for a high $135,000 for the seven days. That would give the house its second best week, next to the top of $140,500 recorded last New Year's week with "National Velvet." The stage show, "Glory of Easter," produced by Leonidoff, was being presented for the thirteenth consecutive year. Music Hall officials said it had drawn an attendance of 3,500,000 persons. "Practically Yours," and a stage band headed by Benny Goodman and his orchestra, grossed $65,000 the first five days at the Paramount, indicating a week's income of about $85,000. In its first week at the Rivoli, "The Affairs of Susan" was expected to bring in a gross of about $50,000. Exceptionally heavy business was being recorded at the Roxy for "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," with more than $80,000 expected in its fifth week. The second film in the theatre's 18-year history to set that pace, the attraction was to go into a sixth week. "Wilson" was the other long term tenant. Admission Ceiling Plea Is Denied The request of Chester A. Bowles, head of the Office of Price Administration, for a ceiling on motion picture theatre admissions was denied in Washington last week by a special Senate banking and currency sub-committee. The request of Mr. Bowles for an 18-month extension of OPA also was denied, the committee granting it one more year of life. Motion pictures and other forms of communication were exempted in the passage of the original Emergency Price Control Act which fathered the OPA, and Mr. Bowles asked for authority to extend OPA supervision to the industry. The decision was to be brought to the attention of the full Senate Banking Committee later. Inasmuch, however, as Senator Robert F. Wagner, chairman of the full committee, also headed the sub-committee, it was considered unlikely that the final action would alter the decision. The sub-committee is preparing a report to submit later to the full membership. TION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 7, 1945 13