The Moving picture world (January 1924-February 1924)

270 MOVING PICTURE WORLD January 26, 1924 "LET NOT MAN PUT ASUNDER," A VITAGRAPH PICTURE Pauline Frederick and Lou Tellegen in J. Stuart Blackton's picturization of Basil King's story Urges Tax Repeal (Continued from preceding page) for the closing of the houses. The witness amplified his previous assertion to indicate that there were other causes. Representative Bacharach wanted to know if there weren't some new theatres that were being built, that may have been the cause of some of the houses shutting down. Mr. Denniston said that the new construction was largely in downtown centres of the large cities. Representative Treadway (Rep.), of Massachusetts, entered into the discussion by asking the witness if he had any statistics of attendance — whether he had any evidences that the tax has reduced attendance. Chairman Green of the Ways and Means Committee, suggested that the witness look at the government's figures on admission taxes, which showed that there was possibly an increase rather than a decrease in attendence. Apparently Mr. Denniston had not given this particular matter much thought, for he simply replied that he knew that the amount of the government's tax is in a great many cases much more than the exhibitor has left out of the money he takes in at the ticket office, and that they would be glad to have as their profits what they had to turn in to Uncle Sam. Charles C. Pettijohn, who was sitting on the sidelines, came to the rescue of the witness, informing the congressmen that the increased theatre admission returns to the government were due to levies made upon admissions to prize fights, where the seats are $25 to $35, and theatres in New York that charge $3.30, and the prices asked for admissions to the operas. He later presented statistics to show that 7,901 theatres, or 56.44 per cent of those in the United States, charge an admission of from 10 cents to 24 cents; 5,642, or 40.30 per cent, charge 25 cents to 49 cents; 430, or 3.07 per cent, charge 50 cents to 99 cents, and only 27 theatres, or .19 per cent, charge $1 or more. Mr. Denniston stated that the exhibitors would not ask for the repeal of the seating capacity tax, because they felt that it was not discriminatory, when the Government imposed similar taxes on other places of amusement. He cited, as an example, billiard and pool tables. However, he explained that the motion picture industry is one of the most taxed of them all, for it has to pay a capital stock tax, an income tax, state corporation tax, internal revenue license (seating capacity tax), state and county taxes, city license taxes, sign license fee and fire inspection fees, among other things. Then they have the music tax, which they must pay to the publishers of copyrighted music. Some of the members of the committee endeavored to confuse the witness by asking him the average prices of admission to the theatres "patronized by the poor and middle classes of the people." He replied that the rate was 10 cents to 20 cents, and his attention was called to the fact that there is no tax on the 10-cent admission. He then added that this low price was charged largely only by the "grind" houses in the downtown sections of the large cities, those catering to transient trade, people who go to such houses to rest, rather than to see the picture. . The committee men sought assurances that in the event the tax is reduced or taken off, the action of Congress will be reflected in the prices of admission to the people. It was indicated that Chairman Green would favor perhaps the repeal of the tax on admissions of 30 cents and less, while Representative Bacharach, of New Jersey, and Representative Young, of North Dakota, might favor repeal of the tax on admissions of 50 cents and under. In discussing admissions and cost of doing business, Chairman Green asked the witness whether the cost of pictures to the exhibitor had not gone up considerably, and been responsible in part for the closing down ot some of the houses. He answered that they have advanced from year to year, until the last one or two years, and he did not think the price of films had advanced the last year or two. An effort was made to discuss the salaries of stars but evaded by the witness. Normand Film to East "Extra Girl" Opening in New York After Big Western Success Mabel Normand in "The Extra Girl," the big Mack Sennett feature, opens an indefinite run Sunday, January 20th, at the Central theatre, New York. "The Extra Girl" has just scored another success in Los Angeles where, despite the fact that it already had had a memorable run at the Mission Theatre, it smashed records in two other houses in which it has been playing simultaneously. From H. W. McKinney, of the Regent Theatre, J. S. Woody, General Manager of Associated Exhibitors, received the following telegram early this week : "Conclusive proof that Miss Normand's admirers are not going to desert her is shown by her breaking all house records both Friday and Saturday with her picture." J. H. Taylor, of the Lincoln Theatre, also in Los Angeles, sent Mr. Woody this telegram the same day: "Just finished playing 'The Extra Girl' three days, with a decided increase of business each day." The Normand feature has just closed an engagement at the Walnut Theatre, Louisville, Ky., where as in every other city in which it has appeared, it packed the house at every performance. A King Tut Lobby Used in Los Angeles for "The Dancer of the Nile" The Clune Broadway Theatre, Los Angeles, featured an Egyptian lobby display as an attraction for Wo. P. S. Earle's romance of the days of King Tut, "The Dancer of the Nile." Producer Earle loaned L. E. Lund, manager of the theatre, tapestries and properties used in the production. The tapestries, on which were hieroglyphics and drawings of Egyptian characters, covered the side walls of the lobby and served as backgrounds for three sheet cutouts of Carmel Myers as the dancer. A centerpiece represented a pyramid in which were set colored stills with sand spread around the base to heighten the effect. Harps, chairs, litters, spears and religious and characteristic symbols on poles tilled every available space. On top of the box office the figure of a woman in Egyptian costume reposed, banked on each side with vases filled with lotus flowers. Incense was burned in several of the smaller vases and perfumed the air throughout the entrance. All lobby lights were red and added their quota of attractiveness to the dazzling display. The walls of the inner lobby ware also decorated with properties characteristic of the time of King Tut, while even inside the theatre the Egyptian effect was carried out on the draperies by the addition of tapes-, tries with chairs, vases, etc., spotted in a number of conspicuous places. It was one of the most characteristic lobby displays ever constructed in Los Angeles. "Maytime" in Albany One of the first exhibitions of the new Preferred Picture, "Maytime," was given last week in Albany. Oscar Perrin, manager of the Leland, where the picture was shown, sends the following report of the engagement : " 'Maytime' was a big success, playing to capacity business at every performance."