The Moving Picture Weekly (1918-1919)

The Moving Picture Weekly A MAGAZINE FOR MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITORS Published Weekly by the MOVING PICTURE WEEKLY PUB~CO 1600 BROADWAY,^ NEW YORK CITY ' Paul Gulick, Editor joe Brandt Bils Mar (Copyright 1919, Universal Film Mfg. Co. All Riphts ReservpA\ ' Vol. 7 FEBRUARY 15, 1919. No. 26 EDITORIAL QN page thirty-five of this issue will be found an exhaustive account of the new Star Series Booking Plan, under which the Universal Special Attractions will be released from March 10 on. This is a distinct departure from any booking plan used by the Universal, and it has been safeguarded in every way in order to make it equitable to the exhibitor and the exchange alike. It has manifest advantages for both which no other booking plan contains. And the series will comprise five of the most popular stars in the public eye — Mae Murray, Monroe Salisbury, Priscilla Dean, Harry Carey and Mary MacLaren. 'J'HE tax situation throughout the country is just beginning to be understood by the rank and file of exhibitors. Every mail brings to every big releasing company by the score, and to the National Association of the Motion Picture Industry by the hundred, requests from exhibitors to know what they can do to help in their locality. There are several ways in which this can be done. By appeal to your Congressman, if you have any acquaintance with him, is one way. Write a personal letter to your Senator and Representative, anyway. But the best thing to do is the same thing the managers of the legitimate houses did. They won their fight against an additional ten per cent admission tax and the dangerous provision was withdrawn because of the millions of names of those who protested against it. You can do the same. Have a speaker tell the audience at every showing in your house that your theatre is threatened \vith an iniquitous discriminatory tax of five per cent on bookings, which is equivalent to more than the present tax on admissions, and that it will of necessity be passed on, in addition to the ten per cent tax, to the theatre PETrrioN To Conference Committee Protesting Proposed Tax. patron. Then ask them to -sign the petition on this page. Have copies of this one stmck off and passed around the house. Then send the slips to the Conference Committee of the United States Senate Committee and the Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives. And do it quick. F^om Theatre * * * ^^te poR some time the Moving Picture To the Honorable Conference Com Exchanges of the country and the mi'ttoo nf TT«;4-«j at. t. o exhibitors as well have been laboring mittee of the United States Sen ,jnder a general misunderstanding in ate Committee and the Ways and regard to shipment of paper. The InMeans Committee of the House terstate Commerce Commission ruling, of Representatives: "thaX advertising or other matter J . , . must not be attached to the outside We, the undersigned motion pic container of a film shipment," has ture patrons, strongly protest against been generally understood to mean the imposition of a five per cent tax t^^* posters or advertising matter on film rentals. The motion picture fP.^^ ll^PP^ln''"? P^^^^t.^ 1. J X , ^1 • . , taming film. All of the exchanges, has proved itself to be the principal therefore, shipped them separately, school of patriotism of the American and they were shipped back to the expublic. It is likewise the chief means changes separately by the exhibitor, of entertainment and education of all ^, Th^ Transportation Committee of , n K • 1 i. ii the National Association of the Motion classes of the American people, to the picture Industrv has ascertained that extent that it has not only become an this was not the intent of the measessential but a necessary part of the ure at all. The ruling was merely lives of the people. meant to prevent the tying on of rolls of paper or other matter which would If the proposed tax is enacted it will prove unwieldy and which would nat necessarily mean a substantial in urally be likely to become detached crease in admission prices of all mo shipment. If posters are packed .. . . 4.1, J. J .v neatlv mside the container there is tion picture theatres, and the conse objection to them. In the future quent deprivation of millions of peo they ^\-ill be shipped this way to the pie of entertainment and education so exhibitor, and when sending back necessary in these times of world fil"i to the exchanges, posters, folded wide unrest There i. no more jus ''^^S'&'i^n^ IZSt^I'^,'^. tification for placing a tax on film tainer's capacity. rentals than upon the plays, scenerj' Here is the Adams Express Com and properties of theatrical produc pany's bulletin in regard to this mat tions. The tax means that the mil ^^T.'. a. i. r j. i. , ^, .. Agents must refuse to accept ship hons who are patrons of the motion ments of moving picture films with picture theatre are compelled to sus advertising or other matter attached tain a burden not imposed upon the to the outside container. Shippers comparatively few who attend the le desiring to include advertising or ... . -x, . other matter with their shipments of gitimate theatre. moving picture films should be in Names. Addresses. foi-med that it will be necessary to place same inside the outside box con • taining the films."