Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1948)

CROSS IN 9 MONTHS IS DOWN ONLY 2% Revenue Bureau Reports Tax Collections Total $282,229,000 W ashington Bureau Box office business during the first nine months of this year was less than two and one-half per cent below 1947 business, figures released by the United States Bureau of Internal Revenue indicate. General admission tax collections for February through October, reflecting business for January through September, totaled $282,229,000 this year, compared with $289,218,000 for the same 1947 period. This is a drop of roughly $7,000,000 or about 2.4 per cent. 80 to 85% From Film Houses The general admisison tax totals include collections from legitimate theatres, sports events, and other entertainment as well as motion picture theatres, but do not include cabaret and roof garden taxes or taxes on various overcharges. The Bureau of Internal Revenue claim that collections from motion picture theatres usually account for 80 to 85 per cent of the total general admission tax collections. Concerning the tax revenue for the first nine months of this year Bureau officials said there was no way of telling whether motion picture admissions had dropped more or less than the total. In three months this year — February, May and July — was business better than the corresponding months last year, the collection figures indicate. The increase in these three months, however, was great enough to offset much of the decline in the other six months of the period. October Revenues Down At the same time the Bureau reported that October's general admission tax collections fell below those of the same month last year. October collections, reflecting September business, totaled $32,136,111, compared with $37,743,023 last October. It is the lowest 1948 monthly figure since June. July collections were $33,054,712, August collections were $34,141,294, and September's were $35,933,211. The total admission tax collections, including general admissions, cabaret taxes and taxes on overcharges and leases, were $36,456,036 in October, compared with $43,058,427 for the same month last year. Start Missoula Theatre Work has begun on the new Fox theatre to be built in Missoula, Mont., at a cost of $250,000, Frank Ricketson, Jr., president of Fox Intermountain Theatres, has announced. The house will seat 1,200. PHILADELPHIA LEADS IN LOCAL REVENUE Washington Bureau Philadelphia took in $4,433,000 in local amusement taxes during 1947, the most any city collected from this source, the U. S. Census Bureau has reported. The Bureau's report showed that, in six of the 37 largest cities, amusement taxes accounted for important revenue. Seattle took in $565,000 from admission taxes; Cleveland, $115,000; New Orleans, $479,000; Cincinnati, $52,000, and Columbus, $29,000. The taxes are on sports events, legitimate theatres and other public amusements, including motion picture theatres, but Census Bureau officials say that film theatres "certainly account for the bulk". RKO District Managers To Captain Sales Drive RKO Radio's 11 district managers will be drive captains in their respective territories for the 12th Annual Ned Depinet Drive beginning December 17 and continuing through May 5. The district managers are: Len S. Gruenberg, metropolitan; Gus Schaefer, northeastern ; R. J. Folliard, eastern ; M. E. Lefko, eastern central ; H. H. Greenblatt, midwestern; R. .V. Nolan, prairie; A. L. Kolitz, Rocky Mountain; J. H. Mclntyre, western; Dave Prince, southeastern; Ben Y. Cammack, southwestern, and L. M. Devaney, Canada. Three Army 16mm Prints Recovered by FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation has recovered three 16mm prints of features supplied by major companies to the Army Motion Picture Service. These are Warners' "Yankee Doodle Dandy," Loew's "Young Tom Edison," and Universal's "The Beautiful Cheat." This discovery supplements a find of several months ago of more than 70 16mm prints of 66 features furnished for the armed services. Variety Club Elects The Albany Variety Club has elected the following barkers to its 1948-49 crew: Jack Bullwinkel, Nate Winig, Joseph Saperstein, Edward Ruff, Nate Dickman, Ray Smith, Leo Rosen, Edward Wall, Sylvan Leff, Fred Sliter and Gerry Atkin. Charles A. Smakwitz and Joseph Saperstein were named convention delegates and Neil Hellman and Dr. Sam Kalison alternates. 3 Pennsylvania Towns Consider Tax Measures Three Pennsylvania communities are preparing to impose amusement taxes. The Borough Council at Ephrata has set January 1 for the start of a tax which will affect two theatres. In Lykens the Borough Council has announced that it will enact an ordinance calling for a 10 per cent levy. At Boyertown a similar measure is being considered. In Reading, tax reports for the month of October and the first 10 days of November show that a total of $22,522 was collected in admission taxes of which 80 per cent, or $17,925, was paid by the city's theatres. Since introduction of the tax last March, a total of $152,576 has been collected. The Pennsylvania tax law, which allows municipalities and school districts to tax anything not already taxed by the state, is expected to be the subject of controversy when the state legislature reconvenes in January. Legislators from rural areas are expected to seek outright repeal, while the State Chamber of Commerce and the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association have gone on record for repeal of the measure. Milwaukee Is Preparing Admission Tax Measure Milwaukee's Common Council is drafting a resolution for a five per cent tax on theatre admissions. A hearing was to be held this week. The new tax is expected to become law by the end of the year, but exact details and method of administering the new levy have not been disclosed. Jewish Appeal Luncheon Honors Spyros Skouras Spyros Skouras, president of Twentieth Century-Fox, was honored last Wednesday at a United Jewish Appeal luncheon at the Hotel Astor, New York, for his "worthy record in the field of philanthropic endeavor." S. H. Fabian, chairman of the luncheon, thanked Mr. Skouras for "services well done" while other commendations came from Sam Rinzler, circuit executive, and Dr. Jonah B. Wise, member of the UJA's executive committee. . The amusement division of the UJA's drive has so far collected $1,356,140, compared to $1,080,000 in the preceding year, Mr. Fabian announced at the luncheon. RCA Names Dostal John J. Dostal has been appointed field sales manager of 16mm sound motion picture projectors for the RCA Visual Products group, the company announced last week. Mr. Dostal has been active in the field since 1934, serving for the past two years as branch manager in Hartford for the Sound Scriber Corp. 24 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, DECEMBER 4, 1948