Boxoffice-March.06.1948

: March
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Local Amusement Tax
Urged by Professor
HARRISBURG. PA.—Carl H. Chatters,
professor of muncipial aciministration and
finance. Northwestern university, urges municipalities
to adopt amusement taxes to Increase
revenues and to avoid local sales and
income levies. The Pennsylvania internal
affairs department's monthly bulletin published
these recommendations.
'The amusement tax is an ideal local tax,"
Chatters said in pointing out possible sources
of revenue for meeting inflated costs of local
goveniment-s. The yield from an amusement
tax can be "substantial," he said, noting that
federal income from this som'ce is more than
$400,000,000 annually. "Local sales taxes are
not generally feasible and can be used best
when collected as part of a state tax," he
added. "Both local income and local sales
taxes are strong medicine and should be used
only when carefully prescribed."
Most local government bodies in Pennsylvania
have the power under a 1947 law to tax
almost anything not taxed by the state. Many
have levied amusement taxes and some have
passed income taxes. The "tax expert" also
recommends 1 share of the state
gasoline taxes, (2i graduated license fees so
that large businesses pay more than the
small, (3i charge other municipalities on the
same basis as citizens for services rendered,
(4) get maximum revenue from use of idle
funds and rental of city properties. Chatters
warned, however, that all cities differ and
require varied methods of financing.
Creative Ideas Save Production Costs,
Says President of Screen Plays, Inc.
NEW YORK — With production costs
mounting steadily, Hollywood is fast becoming
a "creative idea world," with saving
becoming a byword among the younger producers,
according to Stanley Kramer, president
and executive producer of Screen Plays,
Inc. The company's first picture, "So This
Is New York," comedian
starring radio
Henry Morgan, will be released by United
Artists this spring.
The group that formed Screen Plays is
composed of Kramer, George Glass, vicepresident
and director publicity
of advertising,
and exploitation, and three writers
and two directors. Kramer and his group
intend to produce three more pictures in the
next two years and, although each of the
writers and directors may not work on all
the pictures, all seven will participate in the
profits. Among the scripts already prepared
for filming are an adaptation of Taylor Caldwell's
novel, "The Wide House," a Ring
Lardner story, "Champion," and a Carl Foreman
original based on the life of Adah
Menken, the first chorus girl. In addition,
Kramer has options on the majority of
Ring Lardner's many magazine stories and
he will probably make another picture starring
Morgan.
Production budgets on the Screen Plays
pictures will range from $850,000 minimum to
$1,300,000 top. The figure is increased if a
top-ranking star or director is signed for
the picture. Kramer believes that a twoweek
rehearsal period for the players prior
to the actual shooting of a picture means
a big saving in time and money. However,
it is difficult for independent producers to
secure production loans on anything but the
actual shooting period of a picture, he said.
Director Alfred Hitchcock recently employed
the two-week rehearsal period for his first
Transatlantic Pictures film, "Rope," and
completed the picture in 34 days shooting
time.
Kramer believes that creative effort In
production technique can cut down on the
picture's cost without impairing its quality.
As an instance, an important scene in "So
This Is New York." which shows the principal
characters walking along Broadway in
the 1919-20 period would have cost $31,500
to reproduce storefronts and restaurants.
By filming just the characters' feet, in the
footwear of this period, walking past the
name plates on the Broadway sidewalks, the
entire one and one-half minute sequence was
filmed for only $2,100.
To Show 'Winter Meeting'
NEW YORK—"Winter Meeting," starring
Bette Davis, will be tradeshown in all Warner
Bros, exchanges March 29. Janis Paige
and James Davis are featured.
PARAMOUNT
TRADE SHOW
Monday, March 15th
PAULETTEGODDARD
MACDONALD CAREY
HAZARD^
with
Fred Clark • Stanley Clements
Frank Faylen • Maxie Rosenbloom
.c.d by MEL EPSTEIN
GEORGE AAARSHALL
CITY ^ PLACE
ALBANY
FOX PROJ. ROOM, 1052 Broadway
ATLANTA PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 154 Walton St., N.W. . .
BOSTON
PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 58 Berkeley Street
BUFFALO
PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 464 Franklin Street
CHARLOTTE PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 305 So. Church Street . .
CHICAGO PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 1 306 So. Michigan Ave. .
CINCINNATI PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 1214 Central Parkway .
CLEVELAND PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 1735 E. 23rd Street
DALLAS
PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 41 2 So. Harwood Street
DENVER
PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 2100 Stout Street
DES MOINES PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 1125 High Street
DETROIT PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 479 Ledyard Avenue . .
INDIANAPOLIS PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 116 W. Michigan Street.
JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA THEATRES SCREEN ROOM, 128 E. Forsythe S
KANSAS CITY PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 1800 Wyandotte St
LOS ANGELES BOULEVARD THEATRE, Washington & Vermont Sts. . .
MEMPHIS PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 362 So. Second Street . .
MILWAUKEE: PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 1121 N. Eighth Street . . .
MINNEAPOLIS PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 1201 Currie Avenue
NEW HAVEN PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 82 Slate Street
NEW ORLEANS PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 215 So. Liberty St
NEW YORK CITY FOX PROJ. ROOM, 345 West 44th Street
OKLAHOMA CITY. . .PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 701 W. Grand Ave. . . .
OMAHA
PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 1704 Davenport St
PHILADELPHIA PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 248 No. 12th Street
PITTSBURGH PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 1727 Blvd. of Allies
PORTLAND PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 909 No. West 19th Ave.
ST. LOUIS PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 2949 Olive St
SALT LAKE CITY PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 270 E. 1st South St
SAN FRANCISCO PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 205 Golden Gate Ave.
SEATTLE
PARAMOUNT PROJ. ROOM, 2330 First Avenue
WASHINGTON PARAMOUNT fROJ. ROOM, 306 H Street, N.W
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BOXOFFICE :
6, 1948 27