Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1948)

DUTCH EXHIBITORS FIGHT TAX RISE by PHILIP DE SCHAAP in Amsterdam The Dutch Minister of the Interior has circularized a letter to all municipalities advising them to raise their entertainment taxes to 45 per cent of the gross the first of the year. The present rate is 20 per cent, which will be maintained for the performances of stage plays. Entertainment taxes in Holland are paid locally. The municipalities are currently collecting 20 per cent taxes on motion picture theatre admissions. The proposal of the Minister is meant as an "invitation" to raise these taxes. If the municipalities do not accept the Minister's proposal, he intends to take severe measures to get them to comply. The Government's desires have raised a storm of protest from exhibitors, who point out that there is now a very noticeable decline in theatre business. Business in Amsterdam in 1947 was off about 25 per cent from 1946 figures. Since little of the additional taxes will be passed on to the theatre-goer, the exhibitor must bear the brunt of these new taxes. The Dutch press has criticized the Government's actions. Several trade meetings have been held to protest the new taxes, on which a definite decision will soon be handed down. V The well-known Dutch salesman, R. Roodfeld, representative of Centra Film in Dordrecht, importers of Republic productions, has celebrated his fortieth anniversary in the trade. AUSTRIA by HUBERTUS ZU LOEWENSTEIN in Vienna Austria's industry must cooperate closely with Germany and with the U. S. to survive, according to the considered opinion of producers and theatre owners in the capital and main provincial towns. The Austrian industry, shattered by the general breakdown of the Greater German economic system, with which it had been linked until 1945, has not yet been able to reorganize fully. Yet its achievements are noteworthy. By the end of 1946, 10 full length pictures had been produced. The total production capacity of the Austrian studios will reach 25 full length pictures in the first half of 1948. About 58 producers are competing for the limited studio space at three main centers. More than 100 producers are, almost literally, waiting at the studio gates. The lack of materials and currency regulations are still hampering production. The Rosenhuegel Atelier, under the Russian film expert, Lew B. Lunin, has been rather generously supplied with raw film and equipment by the Soviets. The British are supplying the Sievering Atelier, Vienna, with some needed material. The French are trying to build up a French-Austrian combine in the Tyrol. To promote American pictures, the Austro-American Society in Vienna is continuously organizing special exhibitions of popular American pictures. The Austrian public prefers American products to British. Soviet production, due to its political propaganda, meets with increasing sales resistance. EIRE by T. J. M. SHEEHY in Dublin At meeting here organized by the Theatre and Cinema Association, exhibitors from all parts of Eire decided to initiate a campaign against the increase in admission taxes due to go into effect January 16. A propaganda drive to acquaint the public with the full implication of the new taxes; a monster petition signed by theatre patrons requesting a revision of the new scales, and the lobbying of Dail deputies of every party were courses agreed upon. Exhibitors are sure that they face a period of very restricted business and probable losses, but Finance Ministry officials are confident that after a short period of readjustment there will be no drop in box office receipts. Pat Farrell, chairman of the meeting, suggested that the best course was to pass the increase in taxes on to the public. The Association would then present the Minister with a monthly list of receipts and hope that these figures would convince the Minister that there will not be the increase in revenue which his aides so confidently predict. ITALY by ARSEO SANTUCCI in Rome Italy and Jugoslavia have signed a general trade agreement which calls for Italy to export to Jugoslavia 14,000,000 lira worth of projectors and other motion picture equipment worth 31,000,000 lira— about $135,000 all together. The agreement includes also, an arrangement for payments between the two countries. A further trade agreement between Italy and France calls for France to export to Italy about $90,000 worth of raw stock. V A recent bill issued by the Government stated that the liquidation of Instituto Nazionale Luce, which was decided upon May 10, 1947, has to be completed by February 29, 1948. Originally, the liquidation was to have been completed by November 10, 1947. Instituto Luce was a Government corpora tion established during the Fascist regime and which had a monopoly on production and distribution of newsreels. V Ubaldo Arata, one of Italy's top rank cameramen, died December 7. He had been working on Edward Small's production of "Cagliostro" in Rome. V Avanti, official daily of the Italian Socialist Party, has printed an article asking the Italian Constituent Assembly to include in the Italian Constitution a statement that the Government will guarantee the freedom of motion picture production. V Lux Film plans to produce a minimum of 11 features during 1948. MEXICO by LUIS BECERRA CELIS in Mexico City Although revised and increased tariffs have gone into effect, doubling the duty on U. S. films from $4 the kilogram to $8 the kilogram, the U. S. Embassy has induced the Mexican Government to reduce that duty increase to a mere 50 cents the kilogram, making the duty now $4.50. The reduction was brought about shortly after the law had gone into effect. V Peliculas Nacionales, the recently organized distribution center of some of Mexico's largest picture producers, has organized a department for the production and distribution of 16mm product. Guillermo Haza is chief of the department. URUGUAY by PAUL BODO in Montevideo Paramount Films of Uruguay and Warner Brothers First National have discharged their staffs preparatory to closing their Montevideo offices. The product of both companies will be handled here by Compania Exhibidora Nacional, Uruguay's second largest circuit. It is understood that the contract covers both companies for the next five years with Paramount and Warners each paying Exhibidora $100,000 annually. V MGM abandoned Spanish-dubbed films here beginning January 1 in favor of superimposed titles. Dubbed pictures, which were highly successful in neighborhood theatres, never did as well at the theatres in the provinces. This was due partly to poor sound equipment and partly because the dubbed voices spoke in every conceivable SpanishAmerican dialect, making the picture incomprehensible to many audiences. V By a joint resolution of all Montevideo exhibitors, distributors and their employees, December 31 has been declared the "Day of the Cinematographers" and from now on all theatres will close the last day of each year. 36 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, JANUARY 10, 1948