Boxoffice-March.06.1948

: March
. . . Doris
. . Mrs.
. . Hoke
Crescent Challenges
Heavy Decalur Tax
DECATUR, ALA.—Declaratory judgment
proceedings attacking Decatur's new increased
amusement tax—branded the highest
in the nation—has been filed in chancery
court here by Crescent Amusement Co. of
Nashville. The circuit operates the Capitol,
Roxy and Princess theatres.
The amusement tax, it is maintained, is
"arbitrary, unreasonable, discriminatory, illegal"
and in violation of the state and fedoral
constitutions, the 14th amendment to
the U. S. constitution and the statutes of
the state of Alabama.
FIXED BY ORDINANCE
City ordinances fix the amusement tax at
1 cent on each ticket of 15 cents or less, 2
cents on 16-20 cent admissions, 4 cents on
21-30 cents and 7 cents on admissions in excess
of 30 cents. This schedule was adopted
Sept. 22, 1947.
The new schedule supplanted one passed
by the city council in June 1941, fixing the
tax at 1 cent on admissions of 15 cents or
less and 2 cents on admissions in exce.ss of
15 cents.
These tax hikes, it is contended in the suit,
has caused the pri^alege or license tax on
motion picture shows to jump from $100 in
1940 to $17,000 in 1947 and approximately
$39,000 in 1948.
HAS MADE NO PAYMENT
Since the tax went into effect. Crescent
has filed tax statements but has made no
payment. Surety bond in the amount of
$25,000 was posted to guarantee tax payment
if the current suit is lost.
On 15 other foreign corporations doing
business in Decatur, according to the suit,
the 100 per cent valuations of real and personal
properties exceed $1,077,000, but the
total license taxes paid by them in 1947 was
only $3,429.80. Although the real and personal
properties of these 15 corporations together
are 17 times greater than that of
Crescent, according to the suit, the amusement
company's tax would be 11 times greater
than that exacted from the 15 corporations.
The theatres' license schedule is in "enormous
and shocking disparity to the business
license imposed by the city upon each of the
persons, firms and corporations conducting
such other business," Crescent charged.
National Screen Conducts
Sales Session in Dallas
DALLAS — A National Screen Service regional
sales meeting was conducted here by
Herman Robbins, president; George F. Dembow,
vice-president in charge of sales, and
William B. Brenner, vice-president in
charge
of service, who arrived from New 'York.
Burton E. Robbins, son of the president, and
attached to the home office, accompanied
that group.
Others here were district managers Bernard
'Wolfe, of the west coast, and Charles
Lester of Atlanta, and branch managers Ben
Ashe, Los Angeles; Jack Marpole, San Francisco;
Jack Flannery, Seattle; Fred Weiman.
Salt Lake; Gilbert Clark, Oklahoma City;
Al Rosenthal, Memphis; J. L. Boyer, New
Orleans, and F. 'W. "Doc" Allen. Dallas.
BOXOFFICE :
6, 1948
ATLANTA
Oteve Broidy, president ol Monogram Pictures,
was here for a conference with Babe
Cohen, local manager, and was guest of honor
at a luncheon given for the press and radio
and theatre people . . . J. H. Lutzer, Film
Classics southern district manager with headquarters
in Dallas, was another visitor, huddling
with Ralph McCoy, branch manager.
Mrs. Pearl Beaslcy, who has been with
Universal exchange 25 years, was honored by
employes at a party at the exchange and was
presented with a gold watch for her long
and faithful service . . . United Artists has
transferred Shag Jordan from the Termes-
•see territory to Georgia . Gewlnner,
publicity director for Georgia Theatres,
was ill in the hospital.
Vistitors on the Row included Sam Raine
of Bessemer, Ala.; P. L. Taylor of Columbus,
Ga.; Charlie Camp, former Filnu'ow employe
now at the naval air station in Jacksonville,
Fla.; O. C. Lam of Rome, Ga.; Mi-s. Wallace
Smith of Barnesville, Ga.; Jay Soloman ol
Chattanooga, Teim.; Mi-, and Mrs. Harry
Whitestone of Fair Mount, Ga.; L. L. Duncan
and Sidney Laird of the Al-Dun circuit of
West Point, Ga.; Charlie Hutchinson of Austell,
Ga.; Ed Duncan of the Duncan-Richard
Theatres in Carrollton, Ga.; 'W. 'W. Hammond
jr. of Fyffe, Ala.; Mi-, and Mrs. J. E. Jerrell
of Commerce, Ga., and Lawrence Buzbee of
Dadeville,
Ala.
Ray Palmer, traveling- auditor for 'Warner
Bros., died here February 26. Funeral services
were held in 'Washington where he lived
with his wife, daughter and son . . . Bob
Ingram, district manager for Columbia Pictures,
was in New 'York on business . . . Tom
Guinan of the Eagle Lion home office was
a visitor at the local exchange.
In order to comply with the fire safety law
and avoid the risk of losing its operating license,
the Cameo Theatre here has agreed
to install a sprinkler system at a cost of
about $10,000, together with a few other
minor changes.
Sunset Carson, Astor western star, made a
personal appearance at the East Point Theatre
along with the Sunset Rangers, cowboy
harmony group . C. Mason, formerly
with Columbia, has joined the Republic staff
Barber of FUm Classics spent a
week in her home town, Cartersville. Ga.
Benton Film Forwarding Co. of Atlanta
started handling the physical distribution of
Film Classics product March 1. This service
includes film inspection, shipping, mounting,
storage, etc. National Film Service, of which
Benton is a member, now handles Film Classics
distribution in 19 exchange centers.
Orders 'No Smoking' Signs
PENSACOLA—All theatres and 40 other
business firms here have been ordered by
Capt. R. G. 'Ward, chief of the bureau of fire
prevention, to display "no smoking" signs.
Joins Sowego Drive-In
PUTNE"Y, GA.—M. C. Dunford is a new
partner and manager of the Sowego Auto
Theatre, replacing J. C. McLellan.
cP^
OITIKIOR
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