Warners

Congressman Pledge
Tax Drive Support
NEW YORK—Fifteen New York congressmen
had pledged unconditional support of
the admissions tax repeal campaign by
Wednesday (8), according to Harry Brandt,
ITOA president. Tliey are Leonard W. Hall,
L. Gary Clemente, Louis B, Heller, Edna F,
Kelly. Eugene J. Keough, John J. Rooney,
Donald L. O'Toole, Abraham J, Multer,
Emanuel Celler, James J. Murphy, Frederic
R. Coudert jr.. Jacob K. Javits, Isidore Dollinger.
Anthony F. Tauriello and Daniel A
Reed.
Five of them went on record at a February
4 meeting with Brooklyn exhibitors after
hearing reports on curtailed theatre operations
and theatre closings. Emanuel Pi-isch,
chairman of the tax committee of the Metropolitan
Motion Picture Theatres Ass'n, said.
Frisch said exhibitors will step up the campaign
by bombarding Congressman Walter A.
Lynch, New York member of the House ways
and means committee, with messages urging
tax repeal, and will also concentrate on Congressman
Joseph L. Pfeifer and James J. Heffernan,
who had not gone on record. Newspapers,
radio stations and other media will
cooperate in the overall campaign.
Further progress on campaign plans was
made at a February 6 meeting of exhibitors
attended by Walter Brecher, Oscar A. Doob,
Eugene Picker. Ernest Emerling, Russell V.
Downing. Harry Goldberg. Leslie Schwartz.
Edward N. Rugoff. Sam Rosen. Edward L.
Fabian, Louis Goldberg, Nat Lapkin, Harold
Fischer, O. R. McMahon. Fred Lakeman.
Harry Mandel, Robert K. Shapiro, Jack Mc-
Inerney. Louis Weber. Vernon Hammer. Peter
Fink. M. O. Strausberg. D. John Phillips,
Harry Brandt, Joshua Goldberg and Morton
Sunshine.
Stockholders Help Asked
In Ticket Tax Campaign
NEW YORK—Stockholders in film companies
are being urged to send letters to
congressmen in support of the campaign for
repeal of the admissions tax. The COMPO
committee has sent out appeals for this
support.
Warner Bros, included a tax message in
its annual statement to stockholders. Loew's,
Inc., and 20th Century-Fox will include letters
when they send out dividend checks.
Eastman Kodak Employes
Get $191,000 for Ideas
ROCHESTER—The Eastman Kodak Co.
paid out $191,000 for suggestions submitted
by company employes in 1949. During the
year the organization adopted 9,711 ideas,
almost a third of those submitted.
This is an alltime record for the suggestion
system which has been in operation
for 51 years. More than $900,000 has been
paid out in that time.
Holiday in Home Offices
NEW YORK—MGM, 20th Century-Fox and
Loew's home offices will be closed on Monday
1 131 in observance of Lincoln's birthday.
Monogram. Warner Bros., Paramount, Columbia,
United Artists and RKO will close down
at 1 p. m., and Eagle Lion will remain open
all day.
Tax Repeal Drive
Gains Momentum:
New York City Projecfionists Waive
Overtime on Tax Trailer Showings
NEW YORK—Projectionists will waive all
overtime payments in connection with the
showing of trailers attacking the admissions
tax. according to Herman Gelber, president
of the lATSE local 306. He made the pledge
at a meeting of representatives of the three
New York exhibitor associations and the distributor
chairman which is planning its part
in the excise tax campaign. Gelber said all
labor organizations, both AFL and CIO. will
cooperate with management in the fight.
At the meting were Sam E. Diamond. New
York distributor chairman; Wilbur Snaper.
president of Allied of New Jersey; D. John
Phillips and Morton Sunshine, executive directors
of MMPTA and ITOA respectively.
The following appointments to the distributors
committee have been made: Nat Cohn
and Saul Trauner, Columbia; Harrison Duddleson.
Eagle Lion; George Waldman. Film
Classics; Jack Bowen. Ralph Pielow and Lou
Allerhand. MGM; Nat Purst, Monogram;
Myron Sattler and Henry Randall. Paramount;
William Murphy and Robert Fannon,
Republic; Lou Gruenberg and Phil Hodes,
RKO; Dave Schmer. Screen Guild; Martin
Moskowitz. 20th Century-Fox; Abe Dickstein,
United Artists; David Levy. Universal-International;
Norman Ayres and Ben Abner,
Warner Bros.; Harold Bennett, National
Screen Service.
Variety Clubs Joining
In Tax Repeal Fight
DALLAS—R. J. "Bob" O'Donnell. international
chief barker of Variety Clubs, is lining
up the full strength of the 35 tents in the
U. S. in the campaign to repeal the theatre
excise tax. A petition will be sent all members
of the house ways and means committee,
O'Donnell has asked that individual tents
cooperate with state and regional exhibitor
organizations in their areas in getting thousands
of additional petitions to Congress.
"The increasing importance and strength
of the Variety Club membership in the motion
picture industry." O'Donnell said, "is rapidly
being recognized by all branched of the industry
as a powerful weapon that can be utilized
for the benefit of the industry in any
effort that is important to our business. As
one of the constituent members of COMPO,
we are lined up solidly behind that organization
to further their aims and purposes.
Tills tax battle simply serves to emphasize
again how important the Variety Clubs
are to the industry. We are confident that
the combined elements of all the organizations
and individual exhibitors working for
the repeal of the excise tax will add up to
enough strength to insure some action being
taken along with the repeal of other excise
taxes."
Newark Theatres Issue
Petitions for Tax Repeal
KTEWARK—While local newspapers have
run very little publicity on the campaign for
the federal amusement tax repeal, all theatres
are participating in the industrywide
drive by distributing forms to be filled out
by patrons and to be used as a petition
against the tax. Proctor's and other houses
plan to incorporate in their theatre ads a
request to fight for repeal. Joseph Gibson,
manager of the Broad, sends out forms by
registered mail to Robert C. Hendrickson and
H. Alexander Smith, senators from New
Jersey. Other theatres mail the forms in
allotments of 300. 400 and 500 to New Jersey
congressmen.
Practically all theatres report an excellent
response in the few days the forms have been
placed in the lobby. Most theatres have run
trailers. Ushers in Warner's houses are wearing
tags on their sleeves, calling attention
to the drive.
Attendance Decline Due
To Tax, Bookers Find
NEW YORK—Repeal of the "punitive" 20
per cent admissions tax would "undoubtedly
result in increased business, increased employment
of personnel, increased taxes on
profits and a healthier economy throughout
the industry," according to a resolution adopted
by the Motion Picture Bookers club of
New York, which called on Congress to give
priority to action on the admissions levy.
The 135 members, who book 950 theatres in
the metropolitan New York and New Jersey
area and represent every distributor in the
area, found "from actual experience" that
the tax is the main reason for a decline in
attendarice, that the industry needs a "shot
in the arm" and that Congress is in a position
to give much needed relief by a repeal
or rollback of the tax.
"Our livelihoods are imperiled by this
onerous tax on admissions." the resolution
said. It told Congress that the tax hits lowincome
groups and "works an inequity in that
it increases as the family increases, regardless
of the family income." Harold Margolis.
president, signed the resolution.
Legitimate Theatre Men
Join Excise Tax Fight
NEW YORK — Actors Equity Ass'n. the
League of New York Theatres and the Committee
of Theatrical Producers have joined
the battle on the federal admissions tax.
Equity is cooperating with lATSE in calling
on theatre audiences to send protests to Congress.
The producer committee, headed by
Robert E. Sherwood. Oscar Hammerstein II,
Leland Hayward, Gilbert Miller. Howard
Lindsay and Herman Shumlin, is studying the
relation of the tax to production. James F.
Reilly, executive director of the league, is
making plans for a theatre campaign with
the Committee for the Reduction of Excise
Taxes, which represents many industries.
'Wall' Opening Feb. 17
PHILADELPHIA—U-I's 'Outside the Wall."
which was shot in part on location here, win
open at the Aldine Theatre February 17
backed by an intensive promotional campaign
handled by Abe Bernstein.
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BOXOFFICE :: February 11, 1950 51