Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1925)

2644 Seider Report Pleases Jersey Important Activities Consummated Are Heard at Meeting of Exhibitors JOSEPH M. SEIDER, president of the Motion Picture Owners of New Jersey made an inspiring report to the board of directors of that body at a meeting held at the Alexander Hamilton Hotel in Paterson November 19th. He reported much progress in negotiations with the Hays office which he hoped would materialize into protection for the independent exhibitor from what he termed "oppressive encroachments." which he termed one of the direct causes for over-seating and impoverishment of box offices. Seider's definition of the menace to theatre interests, which he declared hidden in clauses of the proposed amendments to the copyright law prompted the directors to realize the immediate need of individual communication with their respective legislators before the Eederal law makers leave their homes for Washington. The directors were jubilant over the report on power rates, which indicate the THE motion picture industry will be well represented with an interesting and informative exhibit at the Sesqui-Centennial in Philadelphia next year, if plans of Louis E. Mastbaum, President of the Stanley Company of America, and others prominent in the industry are carried out. Mastbaum has visioned to the Centennial directors a wonderful presentation that tentatively may be given the title of "In Hollywood." There will be a suggestion of the California studios and at the same time the exhibit will be concerned with giving accurate and comprehensive ideas of the entire industry's activities. This will include the THREE new district sales directors and an equal number of territorial managers were named this week by E. J. Smith, general sales manager of Associated Exhibitors. The most prominent of these is Dan B. Lederman, veteran of the Universal staff, who has been named district director covering the following Associated offices : Minneapolis, Omaha, Des Moines, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Denver and Winnipeg. Lester Theuerkauf, formerly general manager of the Universal West coast theatres has been appointed director covering the far west offices in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Butte, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco and Vancouver. Lew Thompson, well known to theatre managers around the Middle West, has been named director of the district covering: the offices in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Detroit. bringing to a successful close of one of the hardest fights ever conducted by a state organization. Greatly reduced power rates were reported by Seider and others. Vigorous opposition was recorded at the meeting against the action of Famous Players-Lasky in arranging non-theatrical showings for "The Ten Commandments,"' particularly in Southern New Jersey. National President R. F. Woodhull amplified Seider's observations about the Hays M.P.T.O.A. negotiations, in that he urged all members of the Xew Jersey organization to be always fair and upright in their dealings with distributors. Among those in attendance at the meeting were Peter Adams, Louis Rosenthal, Joseph Bernstein, Leon Rosenblatt, William Keegan, Pete Woodhull, Joseph Seider, Sam Bullock, Sidney Samuelson, Benjamin Schindler, Leo Kuskowitz, W. C. Hunt, A. Roth, Jacob Fox, Jacob Unger and E. Thornton Kelly. exhibition of films as well as their actual creation. Every attribute of the studio will be on hand and visitors to the exhibition will have the experience of seeing directors, actors and cameramen at work. Stages such as are in actual use in leading studios will be erected and there will be every facility to make pictures, no matter of what type. The various film companies will have opportunity from time to time to prepare pictures on indoor stages or in the open. It is suggested by Mr. Mastbaum that an incidental feature would be lectures by noted men and women in the picture field on subjects pertaining to the cinema in its every aspect. J. S. Mednikow, also formerly of the Universal organization is the new Chicago manager. He has had wide experience in many branches of the industry. A. Blofson is Smith's appointee to the Philadelphia office, and Raleigh T. Good has been named to succeed Phelps Sasseen as manager of the Charlotte branch. Good started in the film business seven years ago with the old Mutual and since then has seen service with Fox, F. B. 0. and Universal. New Paramount Director for Story Department Miss Maude Kirk Miller has been appointed by Jesse L. Lasky as manager of the story department of Paramount. She has already assumed her new duties. Miss Miller for several years has served in the editorial department of the company. Motion Picture News Decision Reversed on Excess Profits Tax A decision affecting invested capital, as computed for the purposes of the excess profits tax, which may vitally affect theatrical corporations which were subject to that tax following the war, has been rendered by the United States Board of Tax Appeals. In ruling on this question the board reversed the stand of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue that subsequent deficiency assessments should be reflected in the invested capital for the year to which they referred, and held that a deficiency assessed following the year to which the tax applied should be treated by the taxpayer as a current expense and should have no effect upon the invested capital. The importance of this ruling lies in the fact that in assessing the e cess profits tax a taxpayer was allowed an exemption of ten per cent of the invested capital, and anything which reduced that capital correspondingly reduced the exemption, resulting in an increase in tax. A theatre, for instance, with an invested capital of $1,000,000 and earning $100,000, would pay no excess profits tax for the years during which that tax was levied; if a subsequent assessment, however, reduced the invested capital to $900,000 for that year, the exemption would be but $90,000 and the taxpayer would be liable to tax on the remaining $10,000. Missouri Town Stirred by Sunday Enforcement The people of Montgomery City, Mo., are greatly stirred up because the fanatics and reformists of that community have been insisting that Prosecuting Attorney Glover E. Dowell enforce the Blue Laws. He has intimated that he will do so in the very near future. The county has very rigid Sunday closing regulations and if Dowell goes through with his threat it will mean that even Sunday newspapers cannot be delivered in the county except through the ma'ls, while gasoline filling stations will be permitted to sell only to doctors and ministers of the Gospel. Dan B. Lederman, district sale director for Associated Exhibitors. Plan Exhibit In Philadelphia Motion Picture Industry Will Be Well Represented at Sesqui-Centennial New Associated Appointments Smith Names Three District Directors and Three Territorial Managers