Motography (Jan-Jun 1918)

928 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. XIX, No. 20. U. S. Issues Order On Admission Signs Requires Price of Ticket and War Tax to Be Set Down Separately Instead of Together THE Internal Revenue office in Chicago has given out the following statement: "The War Revenue Act of October 3, 1917, tax on admissions, provides that a tax of 1 cent on each 10 cents or fraction thereof of the amount paid to any place, including admission by season ticket of subscription, be paid by the person paying for such admission. "Pursuant to this section, regulations have been promulgated by the administrative department (see Regulations No. 43) requiring every person charging taxable admission to keep conspicuously displayed at their place of business a sign accurately stating the prices charged for admission, the tax due on each admission and the total of the admission and tax. "Where entertainment enterprises, finding it impracticable to handle pennies, or for other reasons, have advanced their prices 5 or 10 cents, including the tax in the advance, conspicuous signs, in addition to the sign required by Article II, must announce. The charge for a (denomination) ticket includes the tax of 1 cent for each ten cents or fraction thereof of the amount paid for admission. "Frequent complaints have been received at this office that certain places where admission is charged are violating the law and regulations by displaying a sign, combining the admission and war tax, as for instance, 'Admission 15 cents including war tax.' This is in violation of the regulations and notice is hereby given to all displaying such signs to remove the same at once and display the required signs. "Severe penalties are provided for failure to comply with the law and regulations and a noncompliance with this request will be reported to the proper authorities for the necessary action.'' New Move to Unseat Maj. Funkhouser Aid. Maypole Introduces Ordinance in Chicago Council That Would End One-Man Censorship CREATION of a board of eleven censors and repeal of the present ordinance which gives Second Police Deputy M. L. C. Funkhouser his one-man power are provided in an ordinance introduced in the Chicago Council this week by Aid. George Maypole. While the ordinance would shear Deputy Funkhouser of any voice in motion picture matters it makes no recommendation for removal of the censors now in the employ of the city. Aid. Maypole describes the ordinance as making possible "sane censorship" of all films and he said that it provides just what pictures may or may not be projected. "The ordinance provides that before any permit is issued for exhibition of a picture, the applicant must make his request in writing and the films in question shall be deposited with the board for inspection," he said. "The board shall then determine whether the films or any section of them come within the prohibitory provisions of the ordinance. If a majority of the members decide that any part of a film is a violation of the definitely established rules they shall so state in writing, specifying the objections, and the chief of police shall refuse a permit. "Taking the ordinance as a whole it makes it possible to supply sane censorship. One section of the ordinance pro vides specifically that no permit shall be granted for any film that is immoral or obscene, riotous, disorderly or contains unlawful scenes." Provision is made for appeal by an exhibitor to a court of competent jurisdiction from the decision of the censorship board. Moore Again Supports Star Tom Moore will again be seen as leading man in Madge Kennedy's fifth Goldwyn production, "The Fair Pretender," by Florence C. Bolles. Prominent in the support of the prepossessing Goldwyn star are several other screen players of repute. Moore's performances since becoming a' Goldwyn fixture have been a feature of several productions, particularly "The Danger Game," the previous Madge Kennedy picture. Robert Walker, well-known for his juvenile characterizations, has an important role in "The Fair Pretender." Walker was prominently identified with a number of successful Broadway musical comedies before taking up motion picture work. Among the notable screen productions in which he has appeared are "The Gates of Eden," "A Wife by Proxy," "Mortal Sin," "God's Law and Man's," "The Girl Without a Soul," and "Blue Jeans." Paul Doucet, who was capital in support of Miss Kennedy in "The Danger Game," is entrusted with another important role. Ad Gets Many Pretty Girls, But Few Homely Men WANTED— 100 beautiful girls and 50 homely men as extras for motion picture. Selexart. Four scenes in "Blue Blood," the Selexart drama distributed by Goldwyn, owe their splendor and thrills to that advertisement. In response to it four hundred beauties applied to Director Eliot Howe at the Hollywood studios. According to the director, no man has ever found himself in . such a delicate position — that of informing 300 of the applicants that their beauty was eclipsed by the hundred he chose. As may be presumed, there were not fifty men in or around Hollywood who thought themselves sufficiently homely to apply. As a result the director had to begin work with only twenty-seven. The incidents requiring a bevy of beautiful girls as well as a horde of ugly men depict orgies in the career of Spencer Wellington, scion of an honored family, who, though afflicted with an incurable hereditary mental disease, lays his plans to marry a wealthy girl to rehabilitate his debt-ridden estate. The scenes reveal him in his true light — a depraved wretch among others of his ilk, making merry with pretty women in dens made ior reveiry Oi that kind. The beautiful girls are seen supping wine, laughing and chatting merrily with drunken men to whom they would net have given a second thought on any other occasion. Several of the girls are shown in an exhibition of dancing while the men around them show their approval by throwing coins at their feet. The party breaks up in a fight. The girls are seen fleeing in terror with the drunken men close at their heels. Beach Talks of New Picture "Evening frocks and dinner jackets have their place on the plains of the great Southwest just as in every other section of the country," remarked Rex Beach, the author, in discussing an interesting scene in his newest picture, "Heart of the Sunset," distributed by Goldwyn. The scene, which comes as a visual relief from some intensely thrilling incidents, is an elaborate dinner in a ranch house owned by a successful rancher. Seated about the table are men and women who would grace a similar event in the banquet halls of cities. "This scene," continues Mr, Beach, "should go a long way in disillusioning thousands who hold to the opinion that ranch folk know nothing of the social side of life. The fact is, I've seen more sumptuously furnished homes on ranches than I have in many of the large cities."