Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

Midwest Group Urged to Fight Tax Legislation Legislation, taxation and general exhibitor problems were discussed at the eight regional meetings of the Kansas-Missouri Theatre Association held March 10 through 27. Five of the meetings were held in Kansas and three in western Missouri. Homer Strowig, association president, presided. Prime subject discussed was that of legislation involving taxation. It was also urged at all of the meetings that exhibitors take a greater interest in civic and community affairs in combating unfair and discriminatory legislation. In the general discussions of legislative problems it was brought out that no laws are pending before the Kansas legislature which will affect theatres. However, there are several before the Missouri legislature. One Missouri measure under consideration is the soldier bonus bill which would get part of its revenue from a five per cent tax on admissions. Another would require a uniformed fireman to be on duty in every Missouri theatre of less than 1,000 seats. At the regional meetings in Missouri exhibitors were made familiar with these measures and were provided with arguments to refute proposals now being considered and ways of combating discriminatory taxes generally. The meetings also attacked the use of local checkers ; the prevalence of murder and mystery pictures which are causing parents to keep children away from theatres, and trade practices. Warner Theatres Cancel All Universal Releases All Universal product, including current and scheduled releases, has been cancelled out of all Warner theatres, it has been disclosed in New York by John J. O'Connor, vice-president of Universal-International. Mr. O'Connor attributed the action by Warners to a dispute revolving around Universale signing of former Warner writerdirector Robert Buckner upon the expiration of his contract wtih Warner Brothers. St. Louis Abandons Permit System for Stagehands The system of issuing permit cards in order to put men to work as union stagehands has been discontinued in St. Louis on orders of the international union. The system was once exploited by John P. Nick, former head of the Theatrical Brotherhood, Local No. 6, who issued cards to his associates whose presence at union headquarters had the effect of intimidating his opponents. Frank Stickling, international representative, ordered the system stopped last week and admitted 33 men holding permit cards as full-fledged members of the union. AS MISSOURI AND KANSAS SHOWMEN met in Neosho, Mo., March 27: the scene at the convention of the KansasMissouri Theatre Association. In the picture, from Missouri, are Charles Brooks, W. Bradfield, C. W. Shilkett, Howard Larsen, Mr. and Mrs. John Travis, Mr. and Mrs. L. E. Larsen, Elmer E. Bills, W. G. Milwaen, Gene Reid, J. Glen Caldwell, Mrs. John W. Thomas, Mr. and Mrs. Glen L. Hall, Jack Stephenson, Charles Meeker, R. E. Keltner, J. Bye Coverston, J. A. Becker, Douglas Henson, C. E. Cook, C. R. McDonald, Jim Nutz, Harley Fryer, Hugh Gardner. From Kansas, Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Pugh, R. R. Biechele, Ralph Larned, J. D. King and Homer Strowig. Form New Allied Unit At Denver Meeting Following a two-day meeting of more than 60 exhibitors from seven Rocky Mountain area states at Denver, the Allied Rocky Mountain Independent Theatres was organized last week. The meeting, which was in the form of an open forum, first heard several Allied leaders, including Sidney Samuelson, general manager of Allied of Eastern Pennsylvania ; Col. A. H. Cole, president, Allied of Texas and regional vice-president, and Trueman T. Rembusch, president, Allied of Indiana. Temporary officers elected at the meeting are : John Wolfberg, Denver, president, and Joe Ashby, treasurer. Board members are : Fred Lind, Colorado ; Carl Garretson and Ralph Means, New Mexico; Tom Knight and Lloyd Kerby, Wyoming, and Robert Sjahn, Nebraska. The meeting discussed distributor practices. Gold Named Head of Group Aiming to Fight Taxes George Gold of Newark has been elected head of the Federation of New Jersey Theatres, a new organization of theatre associations, circuits and other exhibitor groups, formed to fight sales tax legislation. Among the group's immediate objectives is a bill which would authorize municipalities to levy admission taxes. Plans are afoot to launch a campaign to acquaint theatre patrons and the general public with the need for combating sales tax legislation. The Federation was first urged by Allied of New Jersey and is backed by Atlantic Theatres, Fabian, Loew's, Hunt Theatres, the independent Theatre Owners Association, Paramount, RKO, Reade Theatres, Warners, and others. Mrs. Parker, Hostess The 35th anniversary of the Camp Fire Girls Organization was the occasion for a special celebration last Saturday when Mrs. J. J. Parker, president of Parker Theatres, played host to the Portland Council of Camp Fire Girls at a party at the circuit's Broadway theatre in Portland, Ore. Ascap Fee Rise Plan Opposed Following the announcement that the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers was studying plans for an upward adjustment in theatre fees, exhibitors and representatives of exhibitor groups have suggested that ASCAP draw its motion picture performing rights revenue from film producers. This was revealed by John G. Paine, ASCAP general manager, at the organization's annual meeting at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New York last Thursday. Lester Santley, chairman of the executive committee, reiterated Mr. Paine's previously published remarks that the present rate structure was inaugurated in the midst of the depression era, 1933, and has yet to be altered. ASCAP's gross income for the past year came to $9,000,000, up about $600,000 from 1945, Deems Taylor, president, reported, and said the organization now has a membership of 2,151 writers and publishers. In Seattle exhibitors mapped plans to fight efforts by ASCAP to collect license fees on film music. Following a declaratory judgment by Judge Wright in the state court in Olympia last month, in a proceeding initiated by ASCAP, the organization has begun to set up machinery for a check of unlicensed theatres and other amusement places which play music controlled by ASCAP members. Bergman Announces Changes Several changes have been announced on the publicity staff of Maurice A. Bergman, Universal-International eastern advertising and publicity director. Jeff Livingston, formerly with the J. Arthur Rank Organization, has joined the general publicity staff with special assignments in syndicates and news wire services, replacing Ralph Ober, who is a field exploiteer. David Susskind of the general publicity staff has resigned to join Century Artists, Ltd. 30 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 5, 1947