Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1947)

ITALY ADMISSION TAX INCREASED by ARGEO SANTUCCI m Rome A new tax bill has been published in the Italian Official Journal which is seen as an incentive for increased theatre building. The bill does two things : It increases admission taxes, but more importantly it provides that the entire tax shall be turned over to local boroughs. Previously, the tax had been paid directly to the central Government. Under the new law, theatre admission taxes will benefit those areas from which they are collected. Admission taxes have totaled about $15,000,000 annually, up to this time. The bill provides that the 30 per cent tax on admissions of from 20 to 60 lira shall be increased to 35 per cent and that the 30 per cent tax on admissions of more than 60 lira shall be increased to 50 per cent. The greater part of the admissions are 60 lira or more. As the budgets of most of the Italian boroughs are not balanced, the new tax measure could induce the boroughs to support the establishment of new theatres by renting public meeting places to exhibitors. There are 3,000 towns that could use new theatres and an additional 2,000 towns in which there are no theatres. V Antonio Mosco and Constantino Potsios, managers of the Minerva Company, have been cleared of all responsibility for the film fire which recently destroyed Minerva's office building, and have resumed their positions. Approximately $35,000 was paid by Italian and foreign producing and distributing companies to families of the victims of the Minerva blast. V Universal-International will release 21 pictures in Italy during the 1947-48 season. V According to a recent agreement between the two countries, Italy will import from Belgium within the next few months two and a half short tons of raw film stock, and Belgium will import from Italy 35 and 16mm projectors, seven short tons of unexposed films, 35 pictures of more than 1,500 meters length, and 35 pictures of less than 1,500 length. MEXICO by LUIS BECERRA CELIS in Mexico City Disagreement with the drastic retrenchment policy of setting ceiling production costs at less than $100,000 a picture, such a policy having recently been adopted by the producers, has been expressed by Emilio Azcarraga, operator of leading local first run houses. He asserted that stinting ex penses works to the detriment of a picture's quality and stated that $200,000 or more, even as much as $600,000, is not too much to spend for the making of a high quality picture. The producers, however, have said that a $100,000 ceiling is necessary if the Mexican industry is to be saved from ruin. V Studios specifically designed for Hollywood producers who want to work in Mexico are being built at Tiajuana by a group of business men there who are investing $1,000,000 in the undertaking. According to Manual Macias, a member of the group, the new studios will give U. S. producers more freedom from the labor difficulties often troubling the six Mexico City studios. V After a "vacation" from exhibition in Mexico for several months, due, it was explained in exhibitor circles here, to too few first run houses, Paramount has resumed exhibition with "To Each His Own" at Trans Lux's Prado theatre here. The picture is playing at the unusually high admission of $1. The Prado seats only 900. V7 Exhibitors here, smiling indulgently at the announcement of the Municipal Government that theatre attendance has increased 40 per cent since 194?, say that only a bare six per cent of the local population, about 3,000,000, can be counted upon for steady attendance. EGYPT by JACQUES PASCAL in Cairo The cinema here is in very lean days. The bombing of theatres and the political disturbances early in May started the decline and business has not yet picked up. Receipts are at their minimums for theatres other than open-air and even these are not collecting extraordinary receipts. The winter cinemas — those enclosed — have been compelled to suspend their shows and, indeed, in Cairo alone five cinemas showing first run features have closed down for the summer season. The English-speaking films, like all other foreign films, are in a critical period, principally because of foreign currency problems. The present system of exchange was to be ended July 15. In view of the confusion over money matters, and the uncertainty about the future, American and other foreign firms have been keeping aloof from any commitments. V Five new cinemas are being constructed in Lebanon and Syria. One will have a capacity of 2,000; another, 1,800; two others will accommodate 1,200 each, and the fifth, 900. In Lebanon has been completed produc tion on the first Arabic film. It was produced entirely by Lebanese artists, technicians and producers. The film, "Kawakab, Princess of the Desert," was rated as poor, technically. V .In Palestine, prices of seats in first run cinemas in Tel-Aviv have been increased by a new tax imposed by the Tel-Aviv Municipal Government. The increases add 10 mills to the 135 and 240-mill seats. PUERTO RICO by E. SANCHEZ ORTIZ in San Juan The use of building materials without restriction is now permitted for new theatre construction here. All Federal controls on the construction of public places of amusement were eliminated July 1, 1947. Building permits, however, will have to be approved by the Government, but this abolition of restriction forwards plans for the construction of several new theatres and the remodeling of old houses. V A special committee of the Puerto Rican Motion Picture Exhibitors Association held a meeting Tuesday at Arecibo to discuss the formation of a new corporation to undertake for the Association's membership clearance of. contracts with film exchanges. V Legislation to be introduced in the forthcoming special session of the Insular Legislature would reorganize the Sports and Amusements Commission of Puerto Rico, creating a new organization to be known as Parks and Recreation Commission. This group would create a new division for the production of films for educational and recreational purposes with Government funds. CZECHOSLOVAKIA by JOSEPH B. KANTUREK in Prague Having completed a week of special showings of Italian features — July 3 to July 10 at Prague — the industry here is sponsoring a Czechoslovak Film Festival in Marienbad. The Czechs will screen five features and Russia, France, Great Britain and America will each screen two. V New admission prices were decreed July 4 Admissions range from 20 to 56 cents. V Thirteen Czech features are currently in production. Additionally, a Russian picture is being produced at Prague studios and a. feature documentary on reconstruction in the Slavic countries is in process of being assembled. This documentary will contain footage shot in Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Poland and Czechoslovakia. The editing will be done in Prague. The producer is Joris Ivens, the Dutch director of documentaries. The Polish director, Alexander Ford, has completed the shooting of "Border Street" in Prague-Barrandov studios. 48 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JULY 26, 1947