Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1947)

(0 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, February 1, 1947 NATIONAL NEWSREEL Attacks Worry Exhibitors (Continued from Page 9) in some sections of New York State as well as in certain localities in Texas. When asked by Showmen's Trade Review for an opinion on the increased amount of film criticism, Robert Coyne, executive director of the American Theatres Association, said : "The increasing criticism of the screen on various grounds which has made itself increasingly noted during this month, is dangerous not only in that it threatens what should be a free medium with added restrictions, but in that most of these attacks, when they really reach tremendous proportions, do so only because of misinformation on the part of the public. "Something should be done to correct this misinformation at once. The point is that the attacks,, which generally start on a specified picture, soon widen to include the entire industry. Obviously as far as criticism of the motion picture industry is concerned, one swallow does make a summer and one picture which displeases a group, whether with reason or without, soon starts an attack which is aimed at all pictures. Not True Elsewhere "This is not so in other fields of endeavor. Book publishers, for example, are not branded as an industry because of a few salacious, improper, indecent, or even badly written books devoid of ideas. On the contrary the book publishing field is high in public esteem. "Nor does the public permit a few yellow journals to smear its faith in the entire press. "What seems to be facing the industry today is the need to give the public enough information to let them be honestly aware that if one picture falls short, that does not mean the entire industry is at fault; that if one producer falls short of good taste, that does not mean that he does it with industry blessing. It is a monumental task, but in view of the alarming increase of criticism which is finding its way into the press, it must be done." Jesse Stern, president of the Conference of Independent Exhibitors Association believes that this criticism was "just one more nail being driven in the coffin of the industry." He had ho suggestion how to meet it excepting a program of education, which he believed was a function of the Motion Picture Association. "I think Mr. Johnston and his crew should get on the job," he declared. "This criticism is very bad. It's going to have a tendency to keep people away from the theatre." He remarked that he had been in favor of the 30 Per Cent Tax Bill Minneapolis exhibitors face a total amusement tax of 30 per cent if Representative George A. French of that city gets his way. French revealed that he is preparing a bill to present to the Minnesota legislature which would enable cities to tax entertainment 10 per cent regardless of whether Congress maintains the present 20 per cent federal levy. The bill provides that the receipts collected from the proposed tax would go into the general fund of the city adopting it. code change and favored a picture dealing with narcotics because, "I think pictures that are realistic arc the best pictures." "But," he added, "with this storm of criticism we have to take care. 1 don't think the producers can afford to go ahead in the face of public criticism and I urge some sort of system whereby the industry could pass on the pictures that are to be produced. I understand that that is the purpose of the production code and Mr. Breen's work. But they may be lagging on the job." CSufo Cooperation Fred Wehrenberg, president of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America did not consider the present situation as "nearly as alarming as it seems or had been 10 years ago." The MPTOA president suggested: "Closer cooperation with women's clubs, boards of religious organizations, etc., by all leaders to correct misinformation. "We realize," he said, "that, all things tend to make these groups think the screen is leaning toward immorality." Subjects such as "the use of dope," Wehrenberg believed, "must be handled by the producers in a very delicate manner so as not to offend, and with the basic principles in mind that pictures are entertainment and teach a moral." In connection with the use of his contemplated Motion Picture Forum as a means of combatting misinformation about films, Wehrenberg said : "I do not think that the forum as proposed by the MPTOA with cooperation of the entire industry could be used as a very corrective influence." Complaints Grow In his annual report to Allied, General Counsel Abram Myers said exhibitors cannot ignore the "rising tide" of criticism against Hollywood. "As the anvil chorus grows in volume," he commented, "it is certain to affect theatre attendance. A straw in the wind is the increasing number of fault-finding letters published in the daily papers that theatre patrons feel the criticism is not entirely unfounded." Maryland Proposes Tax If 20% Levy Is Reduced Maryland's legislature this week had before it a tax bill which might tax amusement admissions additionally if accepted. Predicated on the assumption that the federal tax would be reduced, the bill calls for a tax which would be returned by the state to the local governments from which it is collected, less 10' per cent which the state tax collector would keep for collecting costs. New Haven Cautious on Tax New Haven faced a possible tax on amusement admissions this week as a suggested way of raising additional revenues. The committee making the suggestion, however, added that if new funds were needed, it would be advisable to proceed cautiously in adding taxes. Hevive jolson Film Cashing in on the popularity of "The Jolson Story" which is playing currently in downtown Columbus, a neighborhood house has booked an early Jolson picture, originally released as "Hallelujah I'm a Bum," in for good business. The same picture, under title of "The Heart cf New York" has been also booked in New Jersey situations. SMPE Widens Activities To Include Television The Society of Motion Picture Engineers has widened its activities to cover television, President Loren S. Ryder declared in New York this week, adding that he expected to see television used in limited form in certain theatres before the expiration of 1947. Ryder foresees the main use of television as a means of rapid transmission of special events to key centers where they would be recorded on film and rushed to theatres for projection in the regular manner of a newsreel. He also announced that the Society would represent the motion picture industry at the Federal Communications Commission hearings in Washington Feb. 4 in an effort to procure frequency allocations for theatre television and for experiments in that field. "Theatre television," Ryder declared, "is the most complex and the most difficult of the modern scientific arts. It may therefore be slower in accomplishment. The plea of the motion picture engineers is that science be given a chance and the time to develop theatre television as an instrument of entertainment and that the .FCC retain frequency bands for this service." While foreseeing the eventual use of television whereby special events would be broadcast directly into theatres on screens adapted to both motion pictures and televising, Ryder was inclined to believe that television's immediate and primary use to the theatre would be in getting the events there faster. According to him the event would be televised to key centers, and projected on film from the tube image. The film would then be developed, edited and sent to theatres. Ryder believes this would make for tighter presentation of events than the direct television broadcast. The SMPE president declared that there was today a large screen for television, which, while it did not meet the engineering standards of perfect image, was commercially satisfactory. He blamed lack of proper publicity on new electronic developments for leaving the public and the industry in the dark on the latest television developments. Heads Butterfield Holding Co. Lawrence E. Gordon, one-time secretary of the Butterfield circuit and a trustee for the estate of the late W. S. Butterfield, was named president of the Bijou Enterprise Company, holding company for the Butterfield operations, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Edward C. Beatty. William A. Ruble was named vice-president, Clive M. Cox, secretary, and George S. Berger, company auditor, treasurer.