Boxoffice-November.24.1951

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Lefter to Springfield City Council
Protests Suggested Ticket Tax
SPRINGFIELD—The Springfield Theatre
Owners Ass'n last week issued strong opposition
to a proposal by local lawmakers that
a 3 per cent amusement tax be levied to tide
the city over its financial crisis.
A letter signed by George Kerasotes, chairman
of the theatre association, said that the
proposed levy, if put into effect, would be
"discriminatory and unfair" in singling out
one form of business to pay the tax.
It pointed out that local theatre owners four
years ago voluntarily agreed to increase their
license fee from a flat $100 to 50 cents a seat.
The letter said that the claim that the amusement
tax would produce revenue of $80,000
from the ten theatres in Springfield is a
"gross error." The theatremen estimated the
figure would be around $25,000 and offered
their books to support the claim.
Excerpts from the letter, sent to the city
council, included:
"The Springfield theatres, according to statistics
offered by the Chamber of Commerce,
do less than 1 per cent of the gross retail
business in this community. We are property
taxpayers the same as the other merchants of
Springfield. We also pay a high city license
which many merchants of this city are not
required to pay. We would not object to a
IS
IT ACTION YOU WANT?
Possibly more theatres ore sold through our
offices in the areas in which we operate than
most other mediums combined. No listing
fee— Multiple service.
HARRY BUCK
405 Pence Building,
MinneapoliE 2, Minn.
R. M. COPELAND
1719 Wyandotte
Suite 205
Kansas City, Mo.
HARRY SAVEREIDE
509 Securities Bldg.
Des Moines 9, Iowa
HARRY BUCK and
ALEXANDER VALOS
1114 Blum Bldg.
Chicago 5, Illinois
SAVEREIDE THEATRE BROKERS
Largest Exclusive Theatre Brokers in America
thejsjjtre equipment
442 NORTH ILLINOIS STREET
INDIANAPOLIS
INDIANA
"Everything for the Theatre"
""'
n'snmim
SKID ROW"
W/Rf - WR/Tf - PHOHi
MACK ENTERPRISES
Ccntrolio,
III.
Box 445 Phone 3544
tax if it were placed on the gross sales and
services of every business in Springfield, but
we do feel that placing a tax on only the
theatres in unfair and discriminatory. It would
also be discriminatory since the drive-in theatres
would not have to pay the tax.
"We have been in the theatre business in
Springfield for a long number of years and
we have made every effort to keep our admission
prices at the lowest possible level. Our
increase in prices on a first run theatre ticket,
since 1930, exclusive of the 20 per cent federal
admission tax, has been only four cents.
The majority of other prices such as food,
clothing, furniture, etc., have increased from
50 per cent to 100 per cent.
"We endeavor to keep our prices low, because
the motion picture theatre is a mass
media of entertainment and communication.
A recent survey conducted in Bloomington,
III., showed that the great majority of those
attending motion picture theatres are in the
midle income and lower income groups. Another
tax would be placed upon those least
able to pay. This was our reason for absorbing
the heavy license tax instead of passing
it on to the Springfield public.
"The Springfield theatres have taken an active
part in every city endeavor. We are willing
to sit around the table with the council
to help solve your problems. We feel that the
solution is not more taxes. As of November 1,
we have the highest income tax in our national
history. A recent survey indicated
that one-third of the national income went
into federal, state and local taxes.
"We ask that you try to find other methods,
such as certain economies, reorganizations, reductions
of personnel and services rather than
increasing taxation upon the Springfield paying
public."
INDIANAPOLIS
•The Rltz at Alexandria is being dismantled
and converted for business property purposes.
The house formerly was operated by
R. S. Weilert, who says it has been leased
by a department store . . . Mr. and Mrs. Paul
Janny of the Gaston at Gaston are visiting
their daughter and her new baby in San
Diego, Calif. . . . Ben Fuller of the Grand at
Union City has been featuring stage shows
with excellent success.
Columbia's Christinas party will be at the
Variety Club of Indianapolis December 20.
Olive Alte is chairman of the affair . . . Oral
Jolly, assistant shipper at Columbia, has resigned
and will join the Universal shipping department.
Charles Crawford has succeeded
him at Columbia. Carl Taylor, former shipping
clerk at U-I, has resigned.
The Fountain Square announced new
opening hours, with doors opening at 6:45
p. m. daily, 12:15 p. m. Saturday, 12:30 p. m.
Sunday and 1:30 p. m. holidays. Early bird
prices will prevail from 6:45 until 7 p. m. .
The Emboyd, Fort Wayne, has changed its
Ijrogram with vaudeville shows and one feature
every Saturday and Sunday. The new
program was started in October. Harvey
Cocks, general manager of Quimby Theatres,
says the new program is a success and is
getting capacity houses.
'Streetcar' Gets 140
T
In Chicago Debut f*
CHICAGO—Loop first run business was ver
good, with stellar new bills. The Grand had '\.
hefty week with "A Streetcar Named Desire, ^\,
and "Three Steps North." The Chicago ha
a bright week with "Meet Me After th
Show" and Lauritz Melchior heading a stag
revue. The double bill of "Painting the Cloud
With Sunshine" and "Tomorrow Is Anothe
Day" had a good week at United Artists. "Hill
of Ireland" bowed in at the World Playhousi
(Average Is 100)
Chicago Meet Me After the Show (20th-Fox),
plus stage revue K
Grand—A Streetcar Named Desire (WB), Three
Steps North (UA) 1< ij
Oriental—The Racket (RKO), plus stage revue U .,.,j,
Roosevelt Adventures o£ Captain Fabian (Rep);
The Sea Hornet (Rep), 2nd wk ICI
Selwyn The River (UA), roadshow attraction, '
'"
4th wlc Goo_
State-Lake Across the Wide Missouri (MGM); i-fji:
Red Badge of Courage (MGM), 2nd wk IC! _l1iMi\
Surf—The Lavender Hill Mob (U-I) 11J^J(C»"1
United Artists—Painting the Clouds With Sunshine ^^^^U
(WB); Tomorrow Is Another Day ICl^^H
World Playhouse—Hills of Ireland (World Travel) 12/^^
Woods—The Blue Veil (RKO), 3rd wk lOJ
Ziegf eld—Journey Into Light (ZOth-Fox) JB
'Desire' Second Week Scores
130 in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS—First run houses ha(
fairly good business, with "A Streetcar Namet
Desire" heading the list at 130 per cent in it;
second week at Keith's. The Circle, with "Tht
Desert Fox," ranked second with 125.
Circle—The Desert Fox (20th-Fox); Street Bandit
(Rep) - 12
Indiana Anne of the Indies (20th-Fox); Obsessed
(UA) 9
Keith's—A Streetcar Named Desire (WB); 2nd
wk , prices 13
Loew's An American in Paris (MGM), 2nd wk 11
Lyric—Iron Man (U-I), Stand Up and Sing (U-I) .. 8
New Illiopolis Theatre
Opened by Ed Griesheim
ILLIOPOLIS, ILL.—The new Illiopolis The-'
atre was opened last Friday (16) by Edwarc
Griesheim, owner and manager of the house-
Inclement weather and other handicaps hac^
delayed the opening from time to time, the)
|
^k
most recent being a week's postponement be-J*^l,,,||
cause the heating system hadn't been com-;j 1?'
pleted.
The theatre, accommodating 330 persons.^
replaces the house destroyed in a fire ot^
July 4 last year that raced through the Masonic
Temple, causing total damage of $86,000.
WHEN YOU NEED
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ADAMS 8107
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70
BOXOFFICE :: Noveinber 24. 1951
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