Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1943)

8 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW November 27, 1943 20 Per Cent 'Too Rough' The admission tax of 20 per cent is "too tough" for small town theatres, said President Lea F. Wolcott of Allied-Independent Theatre Owners of Iowa-Nebraska, and he calls upon members of the organization to form a united front to fight for a reduction. Wolcott issued his call to battle against the 20 per cent tax last week-end. hie said that while the reduction by the House Ways and Means C.mm ttee of the Treasury proposal for a 30 per cent tax "helped considerably," the 20 per cent tax still represents a 1U0 per cent increase, and that the "only difference between this 2 cents tax and the 3 cents tax is that former will take a little longer to put you out of business." Two New Film Bulletins To Be Released by WAC The War Activities Committee announced Tuesday the release of two new Film Bulletins and four War Information Films which are scheduled for release from November 25th to January 6th, inclusive. Film Bulletin, M umber 6, entitled "Is Your Trip Necessary" was produced by MGM and will be released November 25th. The film deals with present-day transportation difficulties and the undesirability of traveling except when absolutely necessary. Film Bulletin, Number 7, entitled "Save Waste Paper" was produced by Paramount and shows the importance of salvaging paper. It will be released on December 9th. Both bulletins will be attached to the newsreels of all five newsreel companies. War Information Film, Number 83, produced and distributed by MGM, is entitled "Brothers in Blood" and will be released on December 15th. The film gives the history of the life-saving qualities of blood when transferred from one human being to another. War Information Film, Number 84, "The Price of Rendova," was produced by the Army and will be distributed by MGM beginning December 23rd. Actual battle scenes showing the savagery of the battle being waged by our troops in the South Pacific, make up the film. Number 85 in the War Information Film series, is entitled "No Exceptions" and will be released on December 30th. The film, which was produced and will be distributed by TwenfTeth Century-Fox, shows that to prosecute the war successfully, every one on the home front must participate in its efiforts and sacrifices. War Information Film, Number 86. "Destination, Island X," was produced by the Navy and will be distributed by Paramount beginning January 6th. The film is a record of the training and courage of the Navy Construction Battalion, "The Fighting Seabees," who are the builders as well as the fighters of this war. The running time of all four War Information Films is 10 minutes. RKO Radio Announces Trade Shows for Five Features Five RKO Radio productions will be trade screened during the week of December 5, it was announced last week-end. The pictures are : "Higher and Higher," to be shown December 8 in all exchanges except St. Louis, which will see the picture December 9; "Around the World," December 6 in all exchanges except New York, where the picture was shown last Tuesday ; "The Ghost Ship," December 6 ; "Tarzan's Desert Mystery," December 7 ; "Rookies in Burma," December 7, in all exchanges except St. Louis, where the trade show will be held December 8. 'Curie' Music Hall Xmas Draw The Christmas attraction at Radio City Music Hall this year will be MGM's "Madame Curie," with Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon, it was announced this week by G. S. Eyssell, managing director. The film will have its world premiere at the big theatre on December 16. Both Sides Rest in Crescent Co. Appeal The Department of Justice anti-trust case against Crescent Amusement Co. of Nashville and its affiliates reached a point this week where both sides were standing pat on Supreme Court appeals, preparatory to service on Crescent and its principal defenders, Tony Sudekum and K. C. Stengel some time in December. Robert L. Wright, representing the D of J, had earlier obtained an extension from November 12 to the 19th to file an enlargement of its appeal to the Supreme Court, but the date was allowed to pass with a notice to the Nashville D of J office that no "counter praecipe" — or order for a specified writ — would be demanded. The date of service had been fixed for December 7, on appeal from the defendants, but because of previous extension by the court the records upon which the appeal is based are not required to be in Washington before December 25. Certain of the records in the case were forwarded as early as November 15 to the office of Assistant Attorney General Tom C. Clark. The Crescent case as brought to the Supreme Court is based on an assignment of errors and a plea that the punishment proposed is too severe and that the indicated regulation of film licensing is too indefinite. The defendants ask dismissal of the appeal on the grounds that the petition of the Government is not sufficiently material and on the legal point that Judge Davies had lost jurisdiction in the case when the D of J appeal was filed twice. Taube Says Safety Rules Averted Disastrous Fire Strict adherence to safety practices in the storage and handling of film by the industry in Canada paid a priceless dividend last week when fire struck at the Film Exchange Building in Toronto, it was pointed out by S. B. Taube, executive secretary of the MPTA of Ontario in New York last Friday. Taube, who was in New York to attend the Picture Pioneers dinner, said that all film vaults were intact, despite the explosions which accompanied the fire in the Film Building, and that the death of Herbert Naiman, projectionist for Monogram, was due to shock and heart attack, according to hospital authorities. Naiman had recently received a disability discharge from the Canadian Army. The head of the Ontario exhibitor organization said that the efficient manner of film storage and handling in the exchanges prevented a disaster that might have wiped out the whole city district in which the exchanges are located and caused unpredictable deaths and injury. N. Platte Drops Old Curfew Law for Something Stricter City councilmen at North Platte, Neb., unanimously voted down all existing curfew laws, but only so they might substitute a more stringent ordinance. Councilmen have indicated they favor a law that would heavily penalize parents as vi'ell as children for any violations. Councilmen are backed by members of the ministerial association, the Parent-Teachers' association and the inter-church reserve. To Film 'One Man's Family' "One Man's Family," twelve-year old air show which attracts a listening audience estimated at 24 million people every Sunday, will be transferred to celluloid by United Artists Producer Charles R. Rogers. The picture will go into production early next Spring. FILM TRAVEL-LOG Jerry ll'ald, Warner [>roducer who just completed "Destination Tokyo," arrived Monday from the coast. Hugh Huber, vice president of Hal Roach Studios, has finished a tivo-week visit to New York, and is now back on the coast. H. M. Richey, assistant to MGM General Sales Manager W. F. Rodgers, jumped to Philadelphia Monday to make a speech before the local Motion Picture Forum. Nat Wolf, Cleveland zone manager for W arner Theatres, and Chief Buyer Tony Stern spent last week end in Manhattan. A. W. Smith, Jr., Eastern sales manager at 20th Century-Fox, back in New York after an exchange swing that included Charlotte, Atlanta, Nezi/ Orleans, Memphis, Oklahoma City, and Dallas. Jack H. Skirball from Hollywood to New York. Reason is to confer with Fred Allen, on the radio comedian's contemplated starring picture under Skirball's aegis. Fred is in New York this zueek, preparing for his new radio season which begins December 12. Capt. Hollis Kennahan, formerly of Warners, is on from Camp Roberts, Calif., on leave for ten days, after which he goes to Fort Benning, Ga. Paramount's 'Lady in Dark' To Be Regular-Price Special "Lady in the Dark," Paramount Technicolor production, is to be released as a special, with a number of key city bookings already lined up for the Easter period, it was announced by Neil Agnew, general sales manager. Although the film will be released as a special, selling deals will not make advanced theatre prices mandatory. With premiere openings set for February in New York and Hollywood, Paramount is planning a big campaign in newspapers and magazines. Linage orders call for full pages in eight weekly and monthly magazines and half pages in 20 metropolitan Sunday comic sections and five Sunday rotogravures. Copy is expected to be in four colors. The complete selling campaign will require an expenditure of more than $400,000, according to Robert M. Gillham, advertising and publicity director. WB to Launch '1944 Round-up' "Warners' 1944 Round-Up" has been designated as the name for the 21-week sales drive which Warner Bros, will launch December 19 under direction of General Sales Manager Ben Kalmenson, it was announced Tuesday with the return of Roy Haines, Southern and Western division sales manager, and Norman H. Moray, short subject sales manager, from the last of a series of regional meetings to set up machinery for the campaign. Postpone MGM Sales Meeting Illness of William F. Rodgers, the company's general sales manager, has caused postponement until December 6 of the annual mid-season meeting of MGM district managers and home office sales personnel originally scheduled to start in Chicago on November 29. Rodgers, who returned to New York Tuesday following a visit to the Culver City studios and a number of key cities is recovering from a very heavy cold.