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"THE ALL Industi-y Tax Committee has submitted
its claim for entertainments tax
relief to the chancellor of the exchequer in
the amount of £2L0OO.O0O. A comprehensive
document giving details of the case was last
week released to the tradepress. Among proposals
made by the AITC was that tax
should be calculated on a seat basis with a
tax free allowance applicable to all seat
prices and a percentage on the excess payable
as tax and levy: that the statutory levy
should be increased to £5.000,000 a year as
against the government's proposal of £5,000,-
000 for the first year and a figui-e between
£2,000,000 and £5,000,000 for the remainder
of the statutory period; and that a tax free
allowance plus percentage retained in the
industry together with special relief for small
exhibitors should be adequate to meet the
industry's needs is another point in the
document.
Based on the estimated gross takings for
1956-57, the submission shows that the £21,-
000,000 tax relief and £5,000,000 for the production
fund, film hire would take £29.700,000
instead of £23,100,000; the exhibitors share
would be £55,200,000 instead of £43,000,000 and
after deducting wages and overheads £15,300,-
000 instead of £3,100.000. There is no doubt
about it that the AITC has done a first-class
job, both in providing a wealth of statistics
and in the careful manner in which the campaign
for relief has been conducted both
in and outside the House of Commons. All one
needs now, is a statement from the new
chancellor, Peter Thornycroft, saying that
he accepts the ATTC's recommendations.
* :^ *
Wardoiu: Street has been buzzing lately
with many rumors on proposed changes in
ownership of film and distribution companies.
Following the takeover of the Paramount
Newsreel Laboratories by the Rank
Group, the grapevine said that Rank would
handle Paramount's distribution of feature
product over here. Fred Hutchinson, Paramount's
managing director, waited a couple
of weeks but in the end, flesh and blood
could stand no more. Last week he issued a
statement saying: "There has never been
any proposal of such a nature and nothing
is further from the thoughts of Paramount."
No sooner had Hutchinson's statement been
fully circulated, when the grapevine said
that Warner Bros, was negotiating with AB-
Pathe to handle the distribution of both
Allied Ai-tists and Associated British Picture
Corp. product. It is believed that in
this instance, while discussions have made
some progress. Allied Artists has stated that
it does wish Pathe to give up the distribution
of its product and so negotiations have been
stalemated for a time.
* « *
Twentieth Century-Pox successfully has
contested the right of Gala Film Distributors
to use the name of Anastasia or any other
combination of words, including "Anastasia"
in the latter's film, which is based on the
story of Anna Anderson's claim to be Anastasia,
the daughter of the Czar. Fox had
heard that at the completion of its film,
"Anastasia," with Ingrid Bergman and Yul
Brynner, Gala was proposing to issue its
own version in black and white with the
By ANTHONY GRUNER
same name. When Justice Roxburgh in the
chancery division had representatives of the
plaintiff and defendant before him, he said
he didn't see why the defendant should not
exploit by means of a film the public interest
which had been aroused, and subject
to these restrictions affecting the title of the
film he would grant the injunction he had
indicated.
* * •
There has been plenty of film and headlines
over the debate in the House of Lords
on the cinematograph films bill. Lord Lucas
of Chilworth, in particular, has been getting
his money's worth in front page stories, although
none of his amendments have been
accepted by the government. Last week he
tried to secure a reduced percentage for
American sponsored British films. This was
turned down. The following day Lord Lucas
said he had been informed by an American
producer friend of his that British actors
were not popular as leading men, as they
didn't know how to make screen love. His
Lordship added however they were very
much in demand as character actors. Most
of the available British leading screen artists
gave a howl of wrath and were free in their
comments about Lord Lucas the following
day when interviewed by the various columnists.
Producers and directors also came
to the aid of the English leading men, pointing
out that some of the most popular international
stars were British, including
James Mason, Richard Burton, Michael Rennie
and Stewart Granger. This did not daunt
Lord Lucas at all. So far, he has spoken
on four amendments and everyone expects
him to put his foot on to many other delicate
issues before the films bill is finally passed
by the Lords.
* « •
Sir David Eccles, president of the Board
of Trade, finally has given way to industry
pressure and will provide parliamentary time
for a debate on quota legislation. Producers,
renters and the trade unions have all been
pressing for the government to allow an opportunity
for the matter to be discussed in
the House of Commons. Last week Eccles
revealed that while he didn't propose to publish
the views that had been expressed to
him on quota legislation, he would consult
the Films Council and all sections of the
industry about detailed amendments to the
quota procedure.
* * *
The meetings between the British Film
Producers Ass'n and the trade unions is
making considerable progress in working out
methods to increase productivity and cut
down unofficial stoppages. The two sides
have discussed the spread-over of production
in film studios and the possibility of
establishing a casualization fund within the
industry. It was recognized, employment in
film production is less in the winter months
than in the summer months. It was also
agreed that for important films for which
exterior shootings were essential there were
even good reasons for such pictures being
produced in the summer rather than in the
winter. As it was felt that the total employment
at all film studios in each quarter
had not been fully revealed, the extent to
which employment fell during the winter
months figures should be calculated by the
BFPA so that the joint parties can consider
the full effect of winter on film employment.
It may well lead to the British film
industry agreeing to spread film production
more evenly over the whole year than is
the case at present and thus reducing
casualization in the industry.
* * *
As part of the drive to get patrons interested
in the activities of J. Arthur Rank
cinemas the Group is to open up a number
of dancing schools in the key Odeon and
Gaumont theatres in various parts of the
country. They w'ill be known as the Victor
Sylvester dancing schools after the name of
the world ballroom dancing champion himself,
who is chairman of the Imperial Ass'n
of Teachers of Dancing. Sylvester's radio
and TV dancing clubs have been popular
with millions of listeners and viewers over
here. First of the schools will be opened
at the Lewisham Gaumont on February 26,
followed by another at the Kilburn State on
March 12. The man who will project the
scheme and organize the Victor Sylvester
schools, is a TV personality, Maurice Jay,
famous for his formation teams. The Rank
Organization already operates ten ballrooms
apart from its 500 Odeon and Gaumont theatres.
They are among the newest and most
modern in the world.
New Film on Hungary
Is Released by USIA
WASHINGTON—"A Nation in Torment,
which pictures Russia's trickery in dealings
with the Hungarians and its distortions of
facts before the United Nations, was released
this week by the U. S. Information
Agency for theatrical showings. The tenminute
film has been translated into more
than 30 languages.
The Agency's first documentary release on
the Hungarian revolt was the ten-minute
subject, "Hungarian Fight for Freedom."
Also being shown is a 20-minute motion picture,
"Revolt of a Generation," which points
up the Communists' failure to capture and
hold the loyalty of Hungarian youth.
Two other films on the Hungarian situation
are being prepared by the USIA for
overseas distribution. One will show how
numerous Fi-ee World countries have opened
their doors to Hungarian refugees who fled
Communist terrorism. Tlie other film will
document the rescue and resettlement in the
United States of a typical Hungarian family.
RKO Acquires 12 Features
For Distribution Abroad
NEW YORK—RKO has acquired 12 features
for distribution abroad. The steppedup
activity includes the releasing of seven
Allied Artists films in Germany, four Lux
Italian pictures for Central America, Mexico
and Brazil, and the re-release of Samuel
Goldwyn's "Marco Polo" in Latin America
and Central America.
Lopert Films in 2 Houses
NEW YORK—The double bill
composed of
"The Lost Continent," Italian-made feature
in Cinemascope, and "The Red Balloon,"
prize-winning French film, will open simultaneously
at the Victoria and Pine Arts
theatres March 11. Lopert Films is releasing
the pictures as a package in the U. S.
E-8 BOXOFFICE February 16, 1957