Variety (Mar 1949)

MISCBLLANV Wednesday^ March 2, 1949 Zanuds' $349,946 Tax Refund Tops Show Biz Kickbacb for '48 : . Washington March 1. 4* -Darryl Zanuck, 20th-Fox studio pi'oduction chief, drew the biggest tax refund from Uncle Sam during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1948, according to Bureau of In- ternal Revenue figures released over the weekend. Under Galifor- nia's split-inc. me law, Zanuck got back $174,973 and his wife, Vir- Dalton Trumbo from a lower court ginia, got another $174,973, making \ conviction for criminal- contempt «'total refund of $349,946. , of Congress. Second honors for taking it away Decision Oh appeal Lawson, Trumbo^ In CouVt of Washington, March 1. U. S. Court of Appeals has under advisement appeals: of Hollywood scripters 'John Howard Lawson and : from the Government went to Louis B. Mayer, with $78,003, and Marga- ret Mayer, received another $78,114, or a total of $156,117. William Goetz, of Universal, got a fat $46,087 . refund, his wife, Edith duplicating - the figure to make a total of $92,174. Ringling Bros, circus banged the gong for $285,058, of which $144,- 311 represented a refund on in- come tax and the remainder a re- fund for overpayment of excess . profits tax. No slouch either was the highly prosperous Iios; Angeles Turf Club. The Government re- paid it $565,414 in overpayments of excess profit and Income taxes. The refunds cover taxes illegally ©r erroneously collected.. The U. S. pays 6% interest on this money foK the time the sum is held. Following are other big show biz refunds to : California individ- uals' and corporations. (In every instance the refund is for income taxes unless otherwise stated) which was argued here past Thursday (24), is not likely to be handed down for six weeks to two months. No Jap Acts IforA Siding To U.S., Billy Rose Finds; Tokyo iiuAll-Ont Welcome Tokyo, Feb. 28. Japanese theatricar trade really rolled oiit the cai-i)et last week for Billy Rose and wife, Eleanor Holm, during;' thij. cdtipleJt one-week visit in NippbhV P*irV w0)re kept busy inaldhg ; personal ij?pearances at theatres and sho'wsppts Ih w and Kyoto and were atnazed to find theii^ naines oh miarquees ahd::h^ wfelcome sighs On the stage nearly everywhere they went. Houses the „„ „ ,^ . I Roses .were scheduled to visit GmgerHogeis $23,208; Sound Equ.p-I , ^ to capacity entire day, al- inent Corp. o£ Cal., $28,116, plus an- f; ^ thp Hn<!P<« snmeHmes staved other $3,201 in excess profits ie£und;! "lougn me Koses sometimes siayea Don Lee Broadcasting Co., $17,674 ex- cess profits, plus another $8,936. on in- come taxes; Adrian, Ltd., $37,256 ex- cess profits plus $981 income; Clarence L. Brown, $54,942; Walt Disney Produc- tions, $24,408; Lloyd C, Douglas, $38,- ,666; Hollywood Restaurant Corp., $8,617 plus $13,'724 in excess profits; . Mitchell Leisen. $22,782; Stockton Theatres. Inc. 351et WEEK! .3,590 Performance* : All-time long run record In the legitimate theatre. KEN MURRAY'S "BLACKOUTS OF 1949" El Cupitan Theatre, Holly.woodi Cal; : And now in world-wide release "BILL AND COO" . Ken Murray'*, . Academy Award Film / , no more than a half hour. Rose "told 'Vahiety, however, that he had seen no acts in Japan— or anyv^-liere else since ^eJjcgan | ^.^ , j „ „ his world tour-^that he thought ' <= were worth exhibiting in the U. S. 1st Break For Admish Tax Cut 'Washington, March 1. The first real break for a reduc- tion of the wartime 20% admission tax occurred here today (Tues.), when Representative Joseph W. Martin, Jr., minority House leader, came out against excise taxes. Mar- tin said that at. least five Demo- cratic members of the House Ways & Means committee also favor the tax .slash. Since this body consists of 15 Democrats- and 10 Republi- cans, there is a good chance of the A Privilege for Show Biz Show Buslneaw couldn't want or have a better sponsor than Uncle Sam. The answer is that the rest of the world is forever trying to latch onto Mister Whiskers. So when Washington asks the amusement industry to take an «ncQre-<^meaning the up^ coming Savings Bond Drive—that's a return engagement nobody can top. If ever there was a straight line thrown at the amusement industry to achieve good public relations, this is It. What's more natural than to tout Uncle Sam in your community, in connec- tion with the Bond Drive? It's a tribute to Show Business, of which the industry should be inordinately proud. Everybody in the entertainment industry did a signal job during the war; in fact, there are eonljinulng manifestations thereof with holdover engagements by such agencies as the Veterans Hospital Camp Shows. And with this renewed request for Show Business to crystallize, propagate and help consummate the success of the Bond" Drivci, which tees off May 16 and runs until June 30, this becomes no mere challenge to all showmen. It's more than that—^it's a distinguished privilege. Abel. Despite Commie Hex, U.S. Films Doing Surprising B.O. Behind Iron Curtain Martin wants a return of admis- I sioh taxes to the iO% bite of pre- "I wouldn't give any of them [ war days, Niteiy levy would be set , „, 1 house room,''he said, "In the first Lat 5% instead of t^^ Aiberf %l!39r and" M^rgo'"'Bo^'do i place,.resentment of the, Japanese , Rep„blican leader is for the reduc- Albert. $6,393; Eddie Bracken $6,0651 and Constance N. Bracken $5,423; i Carol Brinkefhoft,' $10,682; Blng Crds-1 'by^ $5,192.and Wiltni W, (Dixie Lee) , Crosby $5,192; Sabu Dastagn-,. S12,041 ,pUts another $642 in,.;,i'efunds via the. New 'Vork City returns; KMTR Radio Corp., $525 plus another $10,785 in ex- cess profits; Elsa Lanchester (Mrs, Charles) Laughton. $11,190; David E. l.oew, $10,990; Metropolitan Theatre Corp. of L. A.. S13,862 employment jlayes; Thomas Mitchell, $12,208. Other California tax refunds : Palo Alto Radio Station, Inc., $2,864 excess profits; Fairmount Theatre of San Franci.sco, $2,992 excess profits; Marshall Naify, $5,602; John G. Agar, Jr., $2,97*. and Shirley Temple Agar, $i2,974; Brian Aherne, $4,819; Sara AU- Sood, $774; Don, Ameche, $589; Lucille Ball Arnaz,: $1,731; Mischa Auer. |t,.<ill; Maria MOnt«z' Aumont, $1,732; MihSilR. Bakaleinikoif, |654; Yvonne Bakaleini- koff, $867; Julia Bakaleinikofl, $770; Benny Baker,, $M24; Vince .and Gene- vieve ;BarnetV $2,016; -Bay Amus. Corp., of Venice, $3,621 plus $4,521 ex- cess profits; Edgar Bergen Interests, f618; Turhan Bey, $3,693; Black and 'White Recording Co,, Inc., h. A., $2,321; Janet Blair, $751; : William is still high enough in the states tion of excise taxes since he be- that ng Nip entertainer would go j lieves they are hurting busines$ over with an American audience., in perfumes, furs and other so- Besides, they never sent any show j called luxurv items, people to the states before the ] it is believed that many Demo- war except a few magicians and crats favor the tax slash in spite some bicycle acts. Today there, of President Truman's program don't appear to be any outstanding; vi-hlch calls generally for a hijte magicians, and as for bicycle acts, in taxes. Whether the U. S. Senate we have about 500 m America i would go for the cut if it passed now, so why bring in another one; the House is a question open to Irom Japan?" \ considerable doubt. Rose said he was most impressed I with the large number of theatres ; in ,Iapan, both film and legit,^and' Burton Lane Bicycling Between Metro and BVay Burton Lane will do the tunes for "Royal Wedding," Metro film- usical, to Allan Jay Lerner's book and lyrics. Pic, which is based on a story about an American vauder who clicked a la Danny Kaye at London's Palladium during the royal wedding preparations, will star Fred Astaire. Ginger Rogers will probably play opposite for the second post-war Astaire-Rogers re- union in pix, the first being the soon due "Barkleys of Broadway." I Metro's ticketing of Lane will I set back the Theatre Guild's legit I musical adaptation of "The Pur- i suit of jHappiness," for which he j will also do the score. Herbert ; and Dorothy Fields are doing the I book and lyrics. A big part for i Pearl Bailey, Negro singer,- has ; been written into the musical. the evident thirst of the Nipponese people for theatrical entertain- ment. He said he thought the possibilitiea of the Japanese the- atre were "staggering." Paris Ranaround ^By Borrah MInevltch Paris, Feb. 26. Model operation: The smooth. ; silk stocking pattern of Ray Mor- , I gan's radio platter (for U. S.) I series, "So This Is Paris,'^ starring Ulcers Not Slowing Wald, ;^h'ose''(Bm r" scri^ited) saucy Polishing 3, Readying 8 . chevaiier win , ,^ ' make your romance glands jumpy. Hollywood, March I. The Versailles (N. Yi) will ijave Mere ulcers are hot slowing up , tO-^se'^ar^st'wire instead of ropes Bloom, $919; Broadway Theatfe of r_,.,„,, v-r-.j Prnriiir<»r iu<!t out of I ^^^^ '^'^^^ Montand gets going— sant. Ana, $3,331 excess profits; Jo.^n ^f' ^ W aid. Producer just out ot ^^^^^ bobbys-oxers Leslie Brodei, $3,742; Steve Bi odie, I Cedars of Lebanon hospital, re-i when they drag in their crooners Corp. $4,301 ex-1 ported back to the Warner Bros. I to learn a thing or three. ' cess profits; Edgar Rice Burroughs 1 ■/-• a V, . . Inc., $1,591; Cagney Productions inc ' Studio yesterday (Monday) and im-1 t^adgeteers can well skip the •5.296 excess profits; Central Casting! mediately started preparing eight I Household Appliance Exhibition— Coi-i)., $5,810; Chaney $2,528; Pat' ■ ^ : »" *' ^ " 1 nnthini? npw Chan»y, . $2,564; Harry and Esther Chasfn, $604; Coast Music Co:, $.'")33 •xceu profltii: J. Cheever Cowdin, f2.704; .Howard Da Silva, $698, arid Jfan» Da-Silva, $698; Raymond A. Dis- ney, W28; , Jimmy Dorsey, $740; Eagle Lion Studios $3,661 employment tax. Fox We.st Coast Theatre Corp., $709; Fox Belmont Theatre Corp., $837 ex- (Continued on page 20) new films,: as well as winding up { three he has had in work—'Tla-I mingo Road," ''Task^ Force" and I "Happy Times." Ulcer attack was the second suf- fered by Wald. He ducked an op- ei«tion by going on an extremely strict diet. Subscription Order Form Enclosed find check for $ Please Send VARIETY for One Year 1/2 To Street City,. CPIense I"'nnt N'ftmt) ■ Zoii«. State. Regular Subscription Rates for One Year—$10.00 Canada and Foreign—$1 Additional URfHETY Inc. 184 West 46tli Street New York 19, N. Y. 1 nothing new. If you're under 16 you can't get in to see the film, "The Scaffold Must Wait"—not account of "facts of life" but "facts of murder." The 20% drop last week in the unofficial franc made a lot of tour- ists rebudget. Vivian Blaine in from a tWO-week U, S. Zone Army tour. Forty but Forte; U. S. semi-has- beens would do well to come over and gander Josephine Baker's new head-to-toe glamor overhaul—her blue sequins dress has a sheer black lace over-skirt which she uses as a veil, scarf, handkerchief, stole or mantilla—and her bandbox hair- do—wow! Tete-a-tete-ers: Maxim's has re- decorated its upstairs private din- ing roonfis. Harry Green weekending from ! London wants his legit ^'Fifty- I Fifty" Paris-presented. Cinema actresses Maria Montez and Arletty feuding, causing plenty of retakes on "Portrait of An As- sassin." John B. Nathan (Par) back from o.o.ing.U.S. oo-la-la'd plenty when he saw the fancy grosses Par rollenl up during his absence. Babette Deval (ex-Mrs. Jacques Deval) has a big enough slice of "Death of a Salesman" to angel all her production plans for the next decade. Ingrid's $175,000 Plus 40'i on RKO-Rossellini Pic to Be Made in Italy Deal by which RKO last wee]( took; . over the Ingrid Bergman- I Roberto Rossellini film to be made in Italy gives the star $175,000 plus 40% of the profits. Rossellini for his services as producer-direc- tor, will receive 35,000,000 lire (?50,000-$60,000) plus 1?% of the net. . . , ' RKO is advancing the entire pro- duction cost, $600,000, of which part will be in dollars and rest in frozen lire. In return for the financing it will receive an ap- proximately 40% participation in profits, plus 7% interest on its money. In., addition, it will get a 25% distribution fee off thfe top. Ilya Lopert, New York foreign j pic Importer and exhibitor, wlio rhad Rossellini under contract and I brought him to this country, is re- j ceiving $55,000 to buy out his in- I terest. This represents $15,000 which he expended in inking the ace Italian director and bringing him to the U. S., plus $40,000 profit. Rossellini is slated to plane out (Continued on page 24) While the Communist propa- ganda machine throughout Europe keeps endlessly pounding Ameri- can'pictures, it has failed to show the slightest sign of success in diminishing audience Interest. In- tense desire in the occupied and Soviet orbit nations to see Holly, wood product has increased, if any^ thing, in recent months and the sensational biz in such cities as Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Sofia, War- saw, Pilsen and CracAvir continues to amaze even Motioqi„Picture Ex- port -Assn. officials. who service them. Pix which have registered only moderately in the U. S.—and have frequently been compared mifa- vorably by critcis with the output of European producers—do just as well, if not better, than the Yank prestige product. Technicolor, mu- sic, a gal in a bathing suit, action, costu mes and all the standard ac- coutrement of the big b.o. pic in the U. S. apparently provide ttie same zing' to European theatre- goers, whether in cosmopolitan cities or;tiie hinterlands,' Lineup Of current product In European capitals gives all tlie evii dence necessary. In Vienna, for in- stance, where Metro's "Bathing Beauty" and 20th-FoX's "Blaclt Swan" are each in tliird weelc, MPEA manager Wolfgang Wolf states in his report to the h.o. "The commotion goes on from tlie first performance to the la.st and several accidents have already oc- curred, including one broken arm, and the smashing of a big plate- (Continued on page 20) r ; i PHILLIPS TO G.M. VHCS, SIMON JOINS EQUITY Lawrence Phillips - was named general manager of the Vetei-ans Hospital Shows at a VHCS meeting held Monday (28). He succeeds Louis M. Simon, who joined Ac- tors Equity Assn. as executive sec- retary yesterday (1). Phillips started with the Friends of the Army and Navy, an organiza- tion which ultimately became the nucleus of USO-Camp Shows. During the war, he supervised the entire CAmp Shows operation. At one time, there were more than 3,000 performers working all war theatres. Now that VHCS is currently op- erating with 10 units servicing I Army ,Navy and Veteran Adminis- i tration hospitals, Phillips will de-1 vote part time to this chore, He will continue his management con- sultant office which he organized several weeks ago after resigning as director , of the DuMont Televi- sion network. Lopert Bearing Down On Italo-Made DP Pic Under Magyar Megger With his interest In the Ingrid Bergman*Roberto Rossellini film bought out, Ilya Lopert, New York importer and exh'ib of foreign pix, turned his attention this week to « deal for another film to be pro- duced in Italy. It will be made by Hungarian director Geza Ratvany* at a camp for displaced women in Sablna. Robert Goelet, Sr., New Yorlt realty operator, is financing the film. Lopert Films, Inc., in which Goelet is a shareholder, will put up some of the coin. Goelet previously financed "Rapture," re- cently completed in Rome, wWe* was produced by his so?>, Bo^l*rt^ Jr., David Peiham and John GftW- "•^Se. . , Ratvanye film is tentatively la- beled "Widows of History" ««« concerns women displaced during the war. Yarn is by Geza Herczeg and Ratvanye. Latter's '•Som*^ where in Europe,'' made Ih P"; tlcipation with the Hungarian i<f^' ernment, is currently a top s"^ ce.w in Paris and other European cities. Burley Under the Stars Burlesque may take to the gie«| outdoors If plans by wrestling P™ moter Bill Johnston go througn- Johnston, son of the late B8'' promoter James J. John.ston. pw" to put on a series of buriej displays in outdoor tlieatres summer resorts. „rilv The scheme would neceMaru be limited to . the extremely " . months. Strippers aren't expet-' to risk pneumonia.