Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1921)

1188 Action! -) '' (Qontinued Jrom preceding pa-^ey —^■^-^-^ " -'; 1"liere' are many things to be done-— many minor things. But there is one main thing to be accompHshed without which all other efforts will get nowhere. ; That one thing is the immediate creation of a committee or commission or joint body— call it what you will — which is impowered to and will effectively and entirely represent this big manufacturing industry at Washington now — and hereafter before every State legislature during the flood of attempted legislation which will later on follow the creation of New York's Censorship board. This committee will deal only with taxes, tariffs, censorship and issues which concern the undivided interests of the industry at large. It will employ special men for its special jobs. But above all else it will represent and have the authority to represent this entire industry. We have today no united front ; and in consequence, our weakness is as pitiful as it is inexcusable. W e are fiddling while big fires burn. * * * The obvious way is to recruit this committee from the National Association and the Motion Picture Theatre Owners Association. But that is not so important as the full recognition on the part of all — of these two Associations and of every firm in the business and every individual in the business that the situation is big and serious and that all other considerations have got to give way to it. This committee is needed now. We ask for action; and surely we speak for every exhibitor, distributor and producer in the business. May we ask for an immediate expression from the National Association and the Motion Picture Theatre Owners Association^ Let's Go After It IF the heavy war taxes on theatres and films are not to be removed or reduced, at least they might be put to some practical use. The Amusement Admissions Tax is today one of the Government's chief sources" of 'fevefiue. It stands fifth among the special taxes in this respect, being Motion Picture News exceeded only by taxes on freight, passenger transportation, automobiles, and corporation stock. At present no segregation is made in the returns. • Admissions to picture, legitimate and vaudeville houses, cabarets, sports, etc., etc., are indiscriminately lumped together. The expense of cfollection is very large and, it would seem, a very small additional labor in the field would permit segregated reports to reach the Treasury Department. Such a tax report would give this business an exact barometer upon its market conditions and their trend, about the only one possible and the only one we shall ever have. It does seem as though a slight additional expense should be entered into in order to give this industry the full benefit of so valuable an opportunity. Secretary Hoover realizes the great value to all industries of definite statistics; and a call has already been sent to the papers of all trades to assist in this work. Evidently the Department of Commerce expects to spend money and effort to this end. Here is a case where another Department, that of the Treasury, can, with only additional expense, accomplish what would cost anew a large amount. We believe that a spirited and representative appeal from this industry's leaders and from its Associations would secure the desired result. Perhaps, Secretary Hoover, a great friend to this industry, would lend his help. So also would the legitimate and vaudeville and other amusement interests involved. Guarantees IN the round table discussion on the fate of the " big picture " on the opposite page, Frank Newman of Kansas City, raises an interesting point in the always tempting but politically " delicate " subject " Percentage." Mr. Newman declares it his belief that the exhibitor should have no objection to the development of an equitable system of percentage that, by properly rewarding the producer, will serve to keep the " super " type of attraction in picture houses and out of the legitimate theatre. " But," declares Mr. Newman, " the producer must not ask for guarantees. He must be prepared to take the same gamble I do. He did not guarantee me my investment when I built the million-dollar Newman theatre, he does not guarantee me the tremendous ground rent and large overhead of my playhouse while his picture is playing there." We agree with Mr. Newman that in percentage there is likely to be found a solution for the problem of the big picture in the big picture theatre. And we agree with him equally emphatically, that no mutually equitable and just system of long-run percentage showings is going to be worked out on a basis of bickering and haggling over " guarantees."