Boxoffice-Febuary.28.1953

. . Harry
. . Warner
. . Herman
. . The
.
. .
. . John
—
Reveals Theatre Losses
In Tax Repeal Plea
WASHINGTON—Although many industries
have suffered under heavy taxes, "few have
suffered to the extent of the motion picture
exhibitor." Rep. Hale Boggs. Louisiana Democrat,
told the House on Thiu^day in an appeal
for his bill to remove the fedei-al admissions
tax from film theatre admissions.
Rep. Cecil King, Los Angeles Democrat, on
the same day introduced his own tax repealing
biU, the latest in a long list.
Boggs argued, "the removal of tile tax
burden imposed by the 20 per cent tax on
theatre admissions may well be the difference
between survival and collapse for many
motion picture exhibitors."
CITES THEATRE CLOSINGS
He said that "unlighted marquees" all over
the United States "are ample proof of the
dire straits of the . . exhibitor. More than
.
. . . one
3,200 out of less than 27.000 have been forced
to close during the past five years
of the principal rea-sorLS for the plight of theatres
... is the 20 per cent . . . tax."
The tax leaves the theatre operator only
four-fifths of hLs income with which to meet
increased operating costs and, with a diminished
attendance it has become increasingly
difficult to make business ends meet, Boggs
points out.
A second handicap is that the tax has
"placed an irremovable ceiling on admissions
prices." Unlike the grocer or clothing merchant,
the exhibitor can't pass on increased
costs to his customers, because the admissions
tax long ago brought prices up to the "reasonable
limit" which customers will pay.
FYom 1947 to September 1952, the Bureau
of Labor Statistics reveal that film admission
prices have advanced only 13.6 per cent, compared
to a 67.7 per cent rise for food and a
rise for the entire consumers' price index of
48.4 per cent.
Boggs said that the Princess Theatre in
North Little Rock, Ark., diu-ing 1951 had sustained
a net operating lass of $1,543.12. The
$6,878.69 paid out in admissions taxes would
have resulted in a modest profit for the hou.se
if it could have been retained.
The Roxy Theatre in Hot Springs, Ark., lost
$6,001.56 during 1951 and paid $2,668.98 in
admissions taxes that year.
LISTS LOSSES, TAXES
The Circle Theatre, Hagerstown. Ind., during
the first 36 weeks of 1952 lost $1,841.22 and
paid $2,830.08 in admissions taxes. During
the same period, the Wysor Theatre, Muncie,
Ind., lost $1,642.23 and paid admissions taxes
of $10,076.46. The Sherman Theatre, Sullivan,
Ind., dm-ing the 36 weeks lost $1,768.23,
ju.st about balanced by admissions taxes of
$1,876.11. The Gary Theatre, Gary, Ind..
also almost balanced, with losses of $6,653.79
and taxes of $6,739.68. The Tivoli Theatre,
also in Gary, lost $10,851.89 and paid $4,511.70
in admissions taxes.
Six theatres in the "valley." textile section
of Georgia and Alabama, together lost
$19,042.54 in the period 1947-52. while paying
an aggregate of $162,664.54 in admissions
taxes.
The Victor and Queen Anne theatres in
Cincinnati made net profits for 1947-51 of
$24,064.31 and paid admissions taxes totaling
$43,506.02.
The Valley Theatre, Little Valley, N.Y., lost
(Continued on next page)
HARTFORD
XX7hen Elmwood days, annual merchants' sales
promotion event, was held in the suburban
West Hartford district. Vince Capuano. who
manages the Perakos Theatres. Elm Theatre.
Elmwood, was on the promotion committee . .
John Markle. Columbia exploiteer, conferred
here with George E. Landers, division manager
for E. M. Loew's circuit, on future releases.
. . Four Hollywood
Walter T. Murphy, manager of the ATC's
Capitol, New London, held the regional premiere
of "Torpedo Alley," backed by extensive
navy tieups. The production was filmed on
location at the sprawling U.S. submarine base
in nearby Groton last June .
starlets, Bobbie Thompson, Pat Reed,
Pamela Reid and Lillian Farmer, appeared at
the submarine base and coast guard training
station to promote interest in the Red Cross
blood program . New England Theatres
sneak-previewed "I Confess" at the
Strand, Hartford, and Roger Sherman, New
Haven.
Harry Browning of the New England Theatres
was in town to award Francis S. Murphy,
editor and publisher. Hartford Times, a citation
from Children's Cancer Research Foundation,
Boston. At the same time, Browning,
divi.sion manager of the circuit, presented an
honorary membership in Variety Clubs of New
England, to Murphy, making him the first
New England publisher to receive such membership.
A Waterbury woman, Blanche E. Ricciardi,
withdrew her $5,000 suit against the board of
managers of the Edmond Town Hall Theatre,
Newtown, and A. J. Smith, Town Hall operator.
The Waterbiu'y resident had claimed
she suffered injuries to her left hand Dec. 8,
1950, when a door in the theatre was pushed
while she was entering the restroom .
Lauritz Melchior and a variety show will
play at the Bushnell Memorial March 9 at
$4.20 top . Goldstein of the AA office.
New York, was in the Connecticut territory
on film promotion.
Jack A. Sanson, city manager in Manchester
for Warner Theatres, has been elected president
of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce
. . . Harry Feinstein and Jim Totman
of Warner Theatres conferred with Jim Mc-
Carthy, Strand, on "Bwana Devil" . . . "Hans
Christian Andersen" opened at the Strand
Wednesday i25i.
Representatives of the Palace in Stamford
and of Local 449 signed a contract incorporating
the agreements that ended the 15-
month-old strike of projectionists at the independent
theatre. On hand were Nicholas
Trim'boli, business agent of Local 449; Frank
C. Vuono. manager of the Palace; Charles H.
Vuono. assistant manager; Harry Van Allen,
president of Local 449; Henry P. Nolan, secretary,
and Carl Galaso, executive board, both
of the Central Labor Union.
John E. Petroski of the Palace, Norwich,
lined up national guard promotion support on
"Thunderbirds" . M. Levy, general
counsel of TOA, was in town; as was John
DiBenedetto, Poli. Worcester . Hugh J.
Campbells of the Central. West Hartford, became
grandparents again, with birth of second
child to their daughter, Mrs. Walter Pew,
of West Hartford.
Peter Perakos, head of the Perakos Theatres,
New Britain, was among 25-year members
of Elpis chapter. Order of Ahepa, New
Britain, Greek social and fraternal unit,
honored at a banquet held February 15 at
the Hotel Bond. His son, Steve, was banquet
chairman. Also on the committee was Joe
Spivack of Connecticut Theatre Candy Co.
Russell Janney, author of "Miracle of the
Bells," addressed a Brotherhood week luncheon
held by National Conference of Christians
and Jews at the Bond February 20. Among
those attending were C. Glover DeLaney,
general manager of radio station WTHT, who
presided with film industry representatives including
Ray McNamara of the Allyn Tlieatre,
and Allen M. Widem. Hartford Times motion
picture editor . McGrail. U-I publicist,
was due through the territory with
Suzan Ball, star of "City Beneath the Sea."
"The Hoaxters" was screened at Bushnell
Memorial for an audience of 200, consisting
of members of the state legislature, theatre
circuit executives and representatives of
the metropolitan Hartford area press and
radio. Tlie screening was arranged by William
H. Mortensen of the Bushnell and Harry F.
Shaw of Loew's Poli Theatres.
The New England premiere of Allied Artists'
"Torpedo Alley" was held February 13 at the
ATC circuit's Capitol in New London. The
Lindsley Parsons production was shot on location
at the U.S. submarine base in neighboring
Groton.
Two Warner circuit houses in Connecticut
the Palace. Norwalk, managed by Earl Robinson,
and the Hull, Derby, managed by Nick
Lanetti—have dropped Monday through Friday
matinees. The two theatres now are open
from 5 p.m. daily, with continuous performances
on Saturdays and Sundays starting at 2.
New Britain Now Added
To Nationwide TV Web
NEW YORK—The Bell System television
WKNB-TV in
network now includes station
New Britain, Conn. It began commercial
operation February 13. Programs are fed it
from the New York-Boston radio-relay system,
beamed over a new microwave link to
a receiving tower near the station. Network
programs are now available to 120 television
stations in 76 cities in the U.S.
Stars in 'Wings of the Hawk'
Glerm Ford will star in "Wings of the
Hawk" for Universal-International. Aaron
Rosenberg will produce.
—2^-
Invest In
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U.S. DEFENSE BONDS
Now Even Better
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BOXOFFICE :
: February 28, 1953 89