Motion Picture Herald (1954)

A STAR-STUBBED Tux Revenue *STAR9 PREMIERE Controversy In New York Fiscal officers of the City of New York are confident that the revenue from the city’s five per cent amusement tax from motion picture theatres will approximate the $5,500,000 a year estimated in June by Budget Director Abraham D. Beame. In a report issued this week, they based their confidence on the fact that the motion picture theatre revenue for July and August totaled $779,358 paid in, plus an additional $124,811 which is held by the theatres pending outcome of litigation over the tax law’s “break-figure” clause. The total tax liability of $904,169 for the two months would, if projected for all of 1954-55, indicate a 12-month yield of at least $5,425,014, say the city officials. In direct opposition to the motion picture industry statisticians, the city officials assume that July and August are “low yield” months and that returns for other months will be substantially higher. Industry officials earlier described July and August as particularly high yield months and predicted that the total 1954-55 tax yield would not be much more than $3,000,000. The city also was reported to be confident this week that the State Supreme Court will reverse a lower court ruling that collection of the “breakage” amounts are illegal. It also was reported reliably that the commission appointed by Governor Dewey to look into the city tax law had estimated that the annual revenue from motion picture theatres would be approximately $4,000,000. The report of the commission, which was appointed last June, has not been released yet. St. Louis Managers Win "Price of Liberty" Contest Ten branch managers in St. Louis art receiving their prizes for helping make their exchange area the one obtaining the most theatre bookings for the Department of Defense featurette on women’s enlistments, “The Price of Liberty.” The men are Thomas Bailey, MGM, chairman ; Maurice Schweitzer, Allied Artists; Clarence D. Hill Columbia ; Henry Haas, Paramount ; Ray V. Nolan, RKO ; Raymond McCaffertv, Republic; Gordon F. Halloran, 20th-Fox; D. J. Edele, UA; Harry Hynes, Universal; and Letster Bona, Warners. The prizes are leather portfolios, imprinted with recipient names, and containing citations from Defense and COMPO officials, and a panel of 50 U.S. commemorative stamps issued September 1 1 honoring women in the armed services. Each panel is autographed by Postmaster General Arthur Summerfield. The industry’s short subjects sales managers’ committee, which supported the contest, announced this week that by August 31, the featurette had played in 11,457 theatres. THEY tied up Broadway Monday night. The men of Warners who brought "A Star Is Born" to New York are shown above. In lobby conversation are Benjamin Kalmens on, vicepresident in charge of distribution; Mo rt Blumenstock, vice-president in charge of advertising, and Major Albert Warner, vicepresident. At the right: Martin Block, master of ceremonies for talent telecasts from the Victoria theatre; Judy Garland, the star; and Sidney Luff, her husband, who produced the picture. with Miss Garland for the remaining 40 minutes of the broadcast. In the afternoon the Luncheon at Sardi’s radio program presented a tribute to Miss Garland on Station WOR. Co-starring with Miss Garland in the Transcona Enterprises Production in CinemaScope and color by Technicolor is James Mason. George Cukor directed the picture and Sidney Luft produced. Mort Blumenstock, Warner Brothers vicepresident in charge of advertising and publicity, arrived in New York last weekend from Hollywood for the premiere. He returned immediately thereafter with a stopoff in Chicago to check final arrangements with the Balaban and Katz staff for the picture’s midwest premiere at the Chicago theatre, which was to be held Friday, October 15. Miss Garland and Mr. Luft also departed for Chicago to attend the opening there. Capacity audiences at both houses brought together one of the greatest single aggregations of stars and notables in the history of New York premieres. The red carpets literally were rolled out for the New York premieres. Red carpeting the width of each theatre covered the sidewalks from the lobbies to the curbstones. WITH pomp and glitter, Warner Brothers’ “A Star Is Born” had its formal New York two-theatre premiere Monday night at the Paramount and Victoria theatres. It was a kleig-lighted, sidewalkjammed opening. WABC-TV, with four mobile television cameras stationed in front of each theatre, began the premiere activities with a special on-the-spot half-hour telecast, highlighted by the appearance of Judy Garland, who traveled from Hollywood to be present. George Jessel and Martin Block were masters of ceremonies, with the former presiding at the Paramount while the latter held forth at the Victoria. In addition to the TV cameras the great aggregation of stars and notables was photographed by Warner Pathe newsreel cameras and they were interviewed on coastto-coast NBC radio and the Armed Forces Radio. Adding to the spectacular lighting display were thousands of brightly-colored stars which fell from the sky for the occasion. Arrangements were made to divert the flow of downtown vehicular traffic past the two houses. Broadcasts Feature Music From 8 to 9 P.M. NBC broadcast an hour-long salute to Miss Garland. The program emanated directly from the scene of the premiere. Tex and Jinx McCrary interviewed celebrities arriving during the first 20 minutes. A full orchestra and chorus and several well-known soloists presented a special program of songs generally associated 18 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, OCTOBER 16, 1954