Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1946)

Industry Moves To Fight Ticket Tax in Richmond Theatre owners and managers and other amusement industry leaders in Richmond have organized to combat a proposed 10 per cent tax on all amusements. Through the use of film trailers, newspaper advertisements, lobby displays complete with pen, ink, stationery and stamps, and door-to-door distribution of post cards with printed condemnation of the proposed tax, amusement executives have alerted the public who, in turn, have cooperated by mailing to city officials more than 50,000 letters and post cards opposing the tax. Radio Aids Campaign For two weeks each of the city's four radio stations have been engaged in informing the public of the effect of an additional 10 per cent amusement tax which, when added to the 20 per cent Federal admission tax, would make a total of 30 per cent. Most of the air time is being contributed by the radio stations, while the combined amusement interests are paying for the remaining portion. In addition, the amusement interests have employed the services of David J. Mays, Virginia attorney. At a public meeting of the City Council's Ordinances and Licenses Committees, December 16, Mr. Mays cited two specific instances where the amusement tax had proved unsuccessful. In San Bernardino, Cal., Mr. Mays pointed out, a similar tax has been ruled unconstitutional, while in Norfolk, Va., an amusement tax which had been estimated to bring $500,000 annually has fallen far short of its goal due to a 25 to 40 per cent drop in the amusement business and the cancellation of many concerts, roadshows and sporting events. Petersburg Passes Tax Despite protests by the theatre owners and operators and members of labor unions, an ordinance levying a 10 per cent tax on admissions to all forms of amusements was passed last week by the Petersburg, Va., City Council. The tax becomes effective January 1, and will raise all city admissions about four cents. Other amusement tax programs in Falls Church and Lynchburg, Va., are also under consideration by city officials. Meanwhile, in Reading, Pa., the threat of an additional tax against theatres was removed last week when city authorities announced they had dropped the theatre tax plan for the time being. Instead, Mayor J. Henry Stump suggested that the citizens get a special space on the ballot next November to determine whether they are willing to pay an additional one mill tax to support the city's recreation program. In Chicago, Alderman James B. Bowler has urged the elimination of proposed local amusement taxes in the state, and instead has suggested that municipalities suffering from financial setbacks receive assistance from the state. LATE REVIEW Mr. District Attorney Columbia — Superior Melodrama The current vogue for beautiful heroines with a bent for homicide shows no signs of abating. Certainly Marguerite Chapman is one of the loveliest of .the lot, and her motives for multiple murder are as believable as is her skill in executing her fell designs. Before the dazzled eyes of Adolphe Menjou, cast in the title role, and Dennis O'Keefe, as his love-blinded assistant, she weaves a tangled web of craft and corruption which ends in her own death. Prior to the start of Ian McLellan's screenplay, the young lady has been acquitted of the murder of an admirer whom she has been blackmailing. Thereafter she meets and marries a crooked entrepreneur; and devotes her time to furthering his criminal activities. When his lawyer turns squeamish, she pushes the old fellow off her penthouse porch. Subsequently, her husband, having acquired a cool two million dollars, she slugs him — fatally — with a jade statueette. She covers up her tracks by killing the only witness to her crime. Footloose and fancy free, she suggests to O'Keefe, who has captured her romantic imagination, that now they can get married and live happily ever after. The scales have fallen from his eyes by this time, and not only does he turn her down, but explains that he intends to turn her in as well. She then attempts to push him, too, off the penthouse porch, miscalculates, and hurtles to her doom. And a good thing, too, for obviously no jury would have convicted a young lady with the face and figure that Heaven has bestowed upon Miss Chapman. Samuel Bischoff was the producer ; Robert B. Sinclair the director. Ben Markson did the adaptation of Sidney Marshall's original story. Seen at the studio. Reviewer's Rating : Good. — Thalia Bell. Release date, not set. Running time, 81 min. PCA No. 11960. General audience classification. Steve Dennis O'Keefe Craig Adolphe Menjou Marcia Marguerite Chapman Michael O'Shea, George Coulouris, Jeff Donnell, Steven Geray, Ralph Morgan, John Kellogg, Charles Trowbridge, Frank Reicher FBI Arrests Seaman Selling 16mm "St. Louis" Film The Federal Bureau of Investigation last Wednesday, in Westminster, Cal., arrested Theodore Alven Gilman, a merchant seaman, for selling an MGM 16mm Technicolor film entitled "Meet Me in St. Louis." A further search revealed additional prints of feature pictures stored away at a boarding house. Gilman was arraigned before U. S. Commissioner A. M. Bradley at Santa Ana, Cal., on December 19, and remanded to Orange County jail in lieu of $500 bond. Two File Damage Suits Two damage suits, totaling $176,334, were filed in Sacramento, Cal., Superior Court this week as a result of the crashing of the marquee of the Hippodrome theatre in Sacramento September 14. Parents of a woman who was crushed to death by the falling marquee asked damages of $100,500. A man who claims to have suffered a skull fracture, broken collarbone and permanent brain injury in the same accident filed for $75,844 in damages. Defendants are : Empress Theatre Company of Sacramento; West Coast Theatres, Inc., of Northern California ; Fox West Coast Theatres Corp. ; The Campbell Construction Company; the Physicians Building Corporation, and several individuals. First German Film in Work in British Zone by HUBERTUS ZU LOEWENSTEIN in Berlin The first German picture to be produced in the British zone of occupation is now in work. It is called "Zugvoegel" ("Migrating Birds") and is directed by Rolf Meyer for release by "Studio 45." There are no stars in this picture. The "migrating birds" are the young people of today ; therefore unknowns are being used. The difficulties German pictures encounter are the same everywhere. Mr. Meyer had to start out with 20 nails and he never got any more. Each one had to be treated as a little irreplaceable treasure, carefully saved and used again. V An International Film Club has just been founded in Berlin. Its opening was attended by Erich Pommer, U. S. head of German production, German actors and producers, and officers representing the four occupying powers. V A' Swiss organization founded a year ago for "the reestablishment of the German actors' guild" has published its first annual report showing that 13,500 pounds of food, clothes and other items have been distributed among German stage and screen actors in the American, British and French zones. MPEA To Distribute U. S. Pictures in Austria The Motion Picture Export Association will handle the distribution of American product in Austria starting January 1, 1947, according to an air-maiied report from Irving Maas, MPEA vice-president and general manager. Up to now distribution responsibilities rested with the information services branch of the military government. Under the new arrangement Wolfgang Wolf, who has been serving as acting films officer for the Austrian information services branch, will become MPEA manager for Austria. He will work under the supervision of Louis Kanturek, continental supervisor, whose headquarters are in Prague. Alex Morvay, formerly with Universal in Austria, will assist Mr. Wolf as sale manager. Details of the distribution control transfer as well as arrangements for the setting up of MPEA offices in Vienna were worked out during the recent visit of the MPEA head to Vienna. Universal Sets Dividend The board of directors of Universal Pictures has declared a quarterly dividend of 50 cents a share on the common stock, payable January 31, 1947, to stockholders of record January 15. 26 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, DECEMBER 28, 1946