Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

Tax Refund THE operation of candy and gum counters in theatre lobbies does not make such houses subject to the Mississippi state chainstore tax, the state's Supreme Court ruled this week. In doing so the tribunal reversed a Hinds Count} Circuit Court decision in the case of Richards-Lightman Theatres Corporation vs. A. H. Stone, chairman of the State Tax Commission. The lower court had denied the corporation's right to get back a chainstore tax of about $2,000 including penalties. In overruling this decision the Mississippi Supreme Court held that the corporation could recover the mone}' because it does not avail itself of the advantages of mass buying as practiced by ordinary chainstores. Young ROBERT R. YOUNG, C. & O. Railway chairman and head of Pathe Industries, who proposes to improve American railroading before he starts on films, this week gave the nation's financial rajahs more to mull, as he formed a "Federation for Railway Progress". This outfit, which bucks the oldline Association of American Railroads, described by Mr. Young as a "broken down lobby", apparently will be open not only to those financially interested in railroading but also to the general public — suggestions for service improvement are welcomed. Mr. Young took his group of railroads out of the AMR recently. They and his holding company, Alleghany Corporation, will be the Federation's charter members. An advisory committee headed by Edward R. Stettinius, Jr., former Secretary of State, and including Admiral William F. Halsey, former Representative Claire Booth Luce, former Wisconsin Governor Phillip La Follette, former New Jersey Governor Charles Edison, and publisher M. Lincoln Schuster, will guide the Federation without pay. Mr. Young is in the motion picture industry by way of PRC and Eagle-Lion. The Show Goes Through London Bureau FROM the looks of things these past icebound English days, you would have thought Sidney L. Bernstein's mobile cinemas were operated not by British theatremen but by American postmen doggedly muttering their "nor snow, nor rain" motto. Although faced with near-Arctic conditions — ice-covered roads, 10-foot snow drifts, canceled bus and postal services — Century Mobile Cinemas have not once failed to give their scheduled 16mm shows in the stormbound villages of Britain's Home Counties. These units, operated by Mr. Bernstein's Granada Theatres, are each in charge of a manager-operator-driver who has fought his way through storm and blizzard to more than 30 villages, and there given the customary two shows daily. Villagers everywhere have turned out as a gesture to the men who were determined to observe the old rule : "The show must go on." All the manager-operators employed by Granada are ex-servicemen. Viva Peron Washington Bureau PRESIDENT PERON of Argentina has expressed his opposition to a proposed bill which would have cut the import of American films into that country by 80 per cent, according to George Cant} of the U. S. State Department's film section. President Peron said he favored expansion of the Argentine domestic industry, but that, at the same time, he did not believe it would be wise to restrict present imports. Mr. Canty supplied some of the reasons for this attitude when he pointed out that Argentine depends on the United States for its rawstock and equipment. QUIGLEY AWARDS JUDGING MONDAY More than 100 industry executives who comprise the Quigley Awards Committee of Judges will appraise the work of 22 finalists competing for the annual Quigley showmanship titles Monday, March 3 in the North Ballroom of the Hotel Astor, New York. The two selected by the judges as the outstanding showmen for 1946 will receive Silver and Bronze plaques. The 22 candidates comprising the top winners in the quarterly competitions during 1946 represent the largest number of individual entries ever presented to the judges' committee. In addition to theatre men from the United States and Canada, the judges will view campaigns submitted by theatre men in South America, England, New Zealand, Belgium and Cuba. Following the appraisal of the campaigns, the judges will be the guests of Martin Quigley. Principal speaker at the luncheon will be Sol A. Schwartz, vicepresident in charge of theatres for RKO Service Corporation. PEOPLE John Davis, managing director of the J. Arthur Rank Organization, and joint managing director of Odeon Theatres, Ltd., has been appointed to the board of directors of Gaumont British Pictures and General Film Distributors in London. Charles A. Smakwitz, retiring chief barker of the Albany, N. Y., Variety Club, will be guest of honor at a testimonial dinner Saturday at the DeWitt Clinton Hotel in Albany. Richard W. Altschuler, president and sales manager of Republic Pictures International, sailed for Europe Wednesday to establish five new offices abroad. Fred Wehrenberg, president of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America, was guest of honor at a testimonial dinner in St. Louis last week given by directors and employees of the Jefferson-Gravois Bank in celebration of his 25th anniversary as a director. Edward T. Cheyfitz, assistant to Eric A. Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association, spoke to the Tuesday session of the American Management Association midwinter personnel conference at Chicago. Charles Boasberg, newly appointed division manager for RKO, will be the guest of honor at a testimonial luncheon tendered him by theatre owners of the New York exchange area at the Hotel Astor March 27. Harold J. Mirisch has resigned as film buyer for RKO Theatres. No announcement has been made either of his future plans, or his successor. James Stewart, actor, received an honorary degree from Princeton University last Saturday at Princeton, N. J. George Waldmax. formerly with Warner Brothers, has been appointed Metropolitan New York district manager of Film Classics, with headquarters at the company's New York exchange. Albert L. Kolitz, formerly RKO Radio branch manager at Cleveland, has been promoted to Rocky Mountain district manager, effective March 3, succeeding Lex S. Gruexberg, who last week was promoted to Metropolitan New York district manager. Maurice Chevalier, French actor, was scheduled to leave England Friday aboard the Queen Elisabeth for New York. He recently completed RKO-Pathe Cinema's "Golden Silence" in Paris. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, published every Saturday by Quigley Publishing Company, Rockefeller Center, New York City 20. Telephone Clrcie 7-3 iOO; Cable address "Quigpubco, New York." Martin Ouigley, President; Red Kann, Vice-President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Iheo. J. Sullivan, Treasurer; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; Terry Ramsaye, Editor; Martin Quigley, Jr., Associate Editor; James D. Ivers, News Editor.; Charles S. Aaronson, Production Editor; Ray Gallagher, Advertising . Manager; David Harris, Circulation Director; Bureaus: Hollywood, Williom R. Weaver, editor, Postal Union Life Building; Chicago, 624 South Michigan Avenue; Washington, Jim H. Brady, 215 Atlantic Blag., 930 F Street, N.W.; London, Hope Williams Burnup, manager, Peter Burnup, editor, 4 Golden Square, W. I; Montreal, Stan Cornthwaite, 265 Vitre St., West; Toronto, W. M. Gladish, 242 Millwood Road; Paris, Maurice Bessy, 2 Avenue Matignon; Dublin, T. J. M. Sheehy, 36 Upper Ormond Quay; Rome, Argeo Santucci, 10 Via Versilia; Lisbon, Joao De Moraes Palmeiro, Avenida Conde Valbom 116; Brussels, Louis Quievreux, 121 Rue Beeckman; Amsterdam, Philip de Schaap, 82 Jekerstraat; Copenhagen, Kris Winther, Bogehoi 25; Stockholm, Gos+a Erkell, 15 Brantingsgaten; Basel, Carlo Fedier, Brunnmaftstr. 21; Prague, Joseph B. Kanturek, U. Grebovsky No. I; Sydney, Cliff Holt, Box 2608 — G.P.O., Derwent House; Johannesburg, R. N. Barrett, 10, Bly+h Road, Talboton; Mexico City, Luis Becerra Celis, Dr. Carmona y Valle 6; Havana, Charles B. Garrett, Refugio 168; Buenos Aires, Natalio Bruski, J. E. Uriburi 126; San Juan, Puerto Rico, Reuben D. Sanchez, San Sebastian Street No. 3; Montevideo, Paul Bodo, P.O. Box 664. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations. Other Quigley Publications: Better Theatres, published every fourth week as a section of Motion Picture Herald, Motion Picture Daily, International Motion Picture Almanac and Fame. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, MARCH I, 1947 9