Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

RANK ORGANIZING POSITION IN EIRE by T. J. M. SHEEHY in Dublin The first major phase in J. Arthur Rank's plans for acquiring a controlling position as an Eire exhibitor was completed March 31. Metropole and Allied Cinemas and the wholly-owned subsidiary companies, Dublin Kinematograph Theatres, Ltd., the Phibsboro Picture House, Ltd., and the Associated Picture Houses ( which have gone or are going into voluntary liquidation), from this month forward will be centrally controlled and operated under the one company, Odeon ( Ireland ) Ltd. This company, with an authorized share capital of £200,000, issued in 80,000 live shilling shares, offered the Irish public £400,000, four per cent first debenture shares at par. The issue was oversubscribed within a quarter of an hour. Odeon (Ireland) Ltd., apart from its own properties, also owns 470,747 of the issued ordinary share sof Irish Cinemas, Ltd., which has an issued share capital of £400,000, divided into 200,000 cumulative £1 preference shares and 800,000 five shilling shares. Rank's British companies now control five of Dublin's eight first run houses and a large section of the best Dublin suburban houses. Since Dublin represents about 80 per cent of the total Eire box office returns, this gives Mr. Rank a commanding position, which is further strengthened by his two first run houses in Eire's only other large cities, Cork and Limerick. The board of Odeon (Ireland) now consists of Mr. Rank, chairman; Maurice Elliman, vice-chairman ; Louis Elliman, managing director ; John Henry Davis and George Acheson. Both the Mr. Ellimans will continue in their respective capacities until 1952. PUERTO RICO by E. SANCHEZ ORTIZ in San Juan Legislation to eliminate the two cents per lineal foot tax on all films imported into Puerto Rico, when such films constitute second prints of films for exhibition, has been introduced in the Senate of Puerto Rico. Another bill would amend the Internal Revenue Act to reduce from 20 per cent to 15 per cent the tax on all cameras, projectors and parts and accessories, all cinematographic machines and parts, and photographic articles. Two bills have been introduced in the House of Representatives which would eliminate the admission tax on all public shows when they are held for charity or educational purposes. U. S. imports into Puerto Rico during the llth-months period from January through November, 1946. amounted to 4,669,738 line ITALY IMPOSES TAX ON FOREIGN ACCOUNTS Rome Bureau American companies in Italy, fretting under exchange regulations which forbid taking their profits out, now must pay a tax on those blocked accounts and on all their investments in Italy. A bill was approved March 29 by Italy's Cabinet Council enforcing the country's "tax on wealth" — the Imposta Straordinaira Sul Patrimonio. It applies to all foreign companies as well as native. The tax runs from 6 per cent on 3,000,000 lire ($ I 3,000) to 4 1 per cent on a billion of more lire ($4,444,000 or more). Foreign companies will only pay one-third of those percentages. This would mean the American film companies would pay about 6 per cent on $800,000 and about 9 per cent on $2,000,000. Most of the American film companies' money is in bank accounts. Only Twentieth Century-Fox and MGM have purchased buildings in Rome. al feet. The total average import each year is 6,000,000 feet. V Cobain's Theatre Circuit, the largest circuit on the island, inaugurated the new Rialto, a first run, in the heart of San Juan, during the latter part of March after its complete remodeling. AUSTRALIA by CLIFF HOLT in Sydney The U. S. supplied 319 of the 384 features imported by Australia during 1946, according to a report from the Commonwealth Film Censor recently tabled in the House of Representatives. Standard films of all classes imported in 1946 numbered 2,064, of which the U. S. supplied 1,015 (3.801 reels), Great Britain, 506 (1,030 reels), and other countries supplied 543 (966 reels). The total import of sub-standard films at 2,544 was a record. Nine of the U. S. films were rejected by the censors, but two of them passed on appeal. American film imports of all classes increased by 232, but decreased by 1.3 per cent to 49.2 per cent of the total imports. British imports increased by 44, but dropped by 5.3 per cent to 24.5 per cent of the total. Figures released by the Commissioner of Taxation for 1945, although almost two years behind, give an informative statistical picture of the industry's turnover in Australia. During 1945 attendance at cinemas reached the record peak of 151,144,831. This shows that almost half of Australia's population attends a cinema once a week. MEXICO by LUIS BECERRA CELIS in Mexico City President Miguel Aleman has accepted the honorary presidency of the recently or ganized Mexican chapter of the Variety Clubs. President Aleman has approved the chapter's plan for conducting in Mexico a campaign similar to that of the March of Dimes in the U. S. and to bestow upon distinguished visitors to this country the Mexican V ariety Club medal. President Truman will be the first to receive the medal. V Exhibition is to be added to the activities of Gen. Abelardo L. Rodriguez, former president of Mexico, now Governor of Sonora State, and one of this country's biggest businessmen. He is a prominent shareholder in the Credito Cinematografico Mexicano, S.A., the $6,000,000 company organized here to finance the picture industry. He is also completing plans for the building and operation of four theatres in the. Mexican northwest and also owns an interest in EMA, the Mexican newsreel organization. ^ V The Municipal Government's amusements supervision department is insisting that its law forbidding exhibitors to sell tickets when all seats in their theatres are occupied be strictly obeyed. The department is fining violators. PALESTINE by IBRAHIM ZEIN in Jaffa The recent curfews in Palestine and the consequent separation of Tel-Aviv, where the offices of all companies are located, have caused considerable difficulties for exhibitors trying to get prints out of the city. No one can go in or out without certain passes, which are very difficult to obtain. Some such permits have been given to a few agents who are personally carrying their pictures to exhibitors through Jaffa. V Mrs. Nathalie Kalmus of Technicolor recently visited Egypt for business purposes. Studio Misr, where she was invited, hopes to conclude an agreement which would permit it to produce and release pictures in Technicolor. Initial tests will be highly expensive. If the pictures should be made, the first one will be "Fatima," starring the famous Oriental singer, Oum Koulthoum. V A decree from the Lebanese Government's Ministry of Economics has provided for an approximate decrease of 30 per cent in the price of theatre admissions. Lebanese exhibitors have applied for exemption from the "army tax" levelled on admissions. Theatre owners have protested the Government's action in decreasing admissions. 42 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 12, 1947