TOTAL

. . Fred
. . Excellent
Youngslown Studies
10 Per Cent Show Tax
I
Continued from preceding pagei
Theatres immediately outside Youngstown
city limits will escape this tax, keeping the
burden on the five larger downtown houses.
Savage doubted that "a minority such as
the few downtown house managers, with no
political influence," would be able to combat
successfully the increased levy.
Jack Hynes, manager of the Paramount,
said that business is "way off" in Pittsburgh
theatres because of the municipally imposed
10 per cent tax there, and he fully expected
"HOW TO
COMSTRUCT
^- AND
EQUIP A
^
DRIVE-IN
THEATRE"
Mi- "
fCd^ write for literature
rORIVE-IN
THEATRE
EQUIPMENT including
ft Motiograph double shutter
projectors
• High intensit/ arc lamps
• Anti-reflection coated lenses
• Motor generator sets
• Rectifiers
• 150.250 and 500 watt sound
reproducing systems
• In-car speakers
Junction boxes
• Projection room accessories
RINGOLD THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO.
106 Michigan St. N. W.
GRAND RAPIDS 2. MICH.
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the same result in Youngstown if the council
passes the 10 per cent levy. "Local theatres
absorbed the present 3 per cent tax,
keeping their prices at a popular level, but it
is impossible to absorb the 10 per cent. The
people will have to pay it."
NORTH SEWICKLEY TWP., PA.—School
board's solicitor has prepared four new tax
measures. Levies will be a 10 per cent
amusement tax, ten cents per ton on coal
strip mining, five cents a ton on all pit
mining and ten cents a ton for removal of
top soil.
JOHNSTOWN, PA. — East Conemaugh
borough school board is considering a fivecent
levy on all amusement admissions, a $25
annual assessment on all juke boxes, pinball
machines, etc., and a one per cent tax on
gross sales.
Al Dezel to Handle Astor
In Cincinnati Territory
CINCINNATI — Albert Dezel Productions,
Inc., has acquired the franchise for the product
of Astor Pictures for its local office,
which operates under the banner of Screen
Guild Productions of Cincinnati, Inc. The
deal was closed by Ed Salzberg for Screen
Guild and Fred Bellin for Astor Pictures.
Gets Building Permit
OWENSBORO, KY.—The city
commission
has approved a building permit for R. C.
Shanks, who plans to build a 400-seat theatre
for Negro patronage at 912 West Eighth
street.
High School Student in Lead
Sue England, a 16-year-old high school
student has been ticketed for the feminine
lead in Monogram's "Kidnapped."
From the BOXOFFICE Files
• • •
(Twenty Years Ago)
QOHEN BROS., owner of the new Hollywood
Theatre and six other Detroit
houses, has bought the Lincoln Square,
operated by the John H. Kunsky interests
the last two years. It is a 2,000-seat house
which has been playing a straight pictiu-e
policy.
i^ * *
Ernest H. Forbes is now Detroit manager
for National Theatre Supply Co. A short
time ago Ernie sold his supply business to
this concern and later joined it as city salesman.
Now he succeeds Ray Colvin as Detroit
manager . Cassin, well-known
Michigan exhibitor and theatre manager, has
gone to Cleveland where he will become assistant
manager at one of the Marcus Loew
theatres,
w * *
Phil Gleichman, former owner of the
Broadway-Strand and Ferry Field theatres,
Detroit, has become financially interested in
the Ohio Amusement Co., which operates a
chain of local houses and will become active
in its management . Pictures
Corp., one of the foremost independent producers,
has opened a Detroit exchange at
518 New Film Bldg., with S. K. Decker as
manager.
Raps Discrimination
In Uniontown Tax
UNIONTOWN, PA.—The school board's
new amusement tax was formally protested
as "discriminatory" by Attorney J. K. Spurgeon,
president of the Penstate Amusement
Co. Compared with a two-mill tax imposed
on retail businesses by the city, and a onemill
tax similarly imposed on wholesale
businesses, the theatres point to the unbelievable
322 mills now faced by theatres on
admission tickets. Here is the breakdown on
theatre taxes establishing the claim:
Federal tax, 20 per cent, or 200 mills; city,
four per cent, or 40 mills: city, one-fifth per
cent, or two mills; school, eight per cent, or
80 mills, for a total of 32.2 per cent, or 322
mills. Penstate, under the 20-mill real estate
tax imposed for school purposes, last year
paid $7,200, being the third largest school
taxpayer in the city. This levy is entirely
separate and apart from the 322 mills now
faced on admission tickets. Also it is in addition
to the two-mill tax of the city on
gross income.
"It's easy to say that we can pass the new
school tax over to the public which patronizes
the theatres. Naturally that is where
the new taxes will go. But high and discriminatory
taxes mean higher admission
prices. This results in fewer patrons. Smaller
audiences mean less revenue. Leses revenue
means a reduction in the normal amount of
gross business on which the theatres are expected
to pay the new taxes to the city. It's
a vicious circle which can be tempered only
by fair and just consideration in the imposition
of new taxes."
Open House at Hygienic
Raises School Funds
WILMINGTON, OHIO—Hygienic
Productions,
producers and distributors of "Mom
and Dad," held open house in their newly
completed 24-room home here Sunday, May 9,
The company advertised that "admission
is free, but it will cost you to get out." The
announcement warned visitors to come prepared
to donate a minimum of 25 cents or
a maximum of one dollar to purchase and
erect for Wilmington high school and Wilmington
college a new electric football scoreboard
at Alumni field. This is just another
move in the civic program of which Hygienic
has been the spearhead ever since its
inception four years ago.
Hygienic Productions, under the leadership
of J. S. Jossey and Kroger Babb, has grown
in those four years from a one-room office
to a 24-room home building and 12 branch
offices. Like the office space, the personnel
has increased from one employe to some 40
fuUtime and 20 parttime local employes and
from seven road employes to over 200.
Boyd Chamberlain Dies
JOHNSTOWN, PA. — Boyd Chamberlain,
18-year-old son of Les Chamberlain, Johnstown
exhibitor, died last weekend in Memorial
hospital. A patient there for several
months early this year, the Dale high school
athlete underwent 35 blood transfusions at
that time in winning a fight over a rare blood
disease. He attended the opening baseball
game of the season at Forbes field, Pittsburgh,
and had been improving in health.
Suffering a relapse, he was readmitted to the
hospital May 5.
80
BOXOFnCE :
: May 22, 1948