The Moving Picture World (1907)

7oo THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD. Moving Picture Association. A preliminary meeting of proprietors was called in the hall in Miles Bros.' Duilding, at which many were pres- ent. It was resolved that a committee of three be ap- pointed to arrange data, obtain counsel's opinion, and re- port at a meeting to be held Thursday. The committee consisted of Messrs. Miles, Driscoll and Seraphine. Thursday,* December 26, at the Murray Hill Lyceum, the meeting was called to order by Mr. Miles, who said: "The purpose of this meeting is to perfect an organiza- tion and to secure, first and foremost, Sunday opening in Greater New York; after that we hope to so consoli- date all exhibiting interests so that we will work in unity for the protection of the business in general and for the benefit of the business and in such a way that all mem- bers of the association will be helped. If we are to secure Sunday opening and work with all moving picture in- terests it is necessary to secure the greatest financial sup- port from the nickelodeons." Fifty-five applications were handed~ln at the meeting. We, Herbert L. Miles, Joseph F. Driscoll and Nicola Seraphine, the committee on organization of the Moving Picture Association, elected at a meeting held on De- cember 24, 1907, report as follows: First. That the exhibitors of moving pictures in Greater New York be organized in a permanent associa- tion, the affairs of which association shall be managed by an executive committee consisting of seven members, which committee shall select from its number a president and secretary and a treasurer, and which committee shall have full charge of the affairs of the association. Second. That the name of said association shall be Moving Picture Association. Third. In order to insure the selection of an executive committee which shall be widely representative and fully qualified to manage the affairs of the association, the organization committee recommends to this meeting that the following seven gentlemen be selected as the execu- tive committee for the period ending January 1,. 1909: Messrs. Nicola Seraphine, Fox, F. J. Driscoll, Brinkman, D. Donnegan and J. Valenci. Fourth. That any person engaged in the business of exhibiting moving pictures shall be entitled to full mem- bership in the association upon the payment by him of the initiation fee of twenty-five ($25.00) dollars for each place of business conducted by him in accordance with the resolution adopted at the meeting held on December 24,1907. Fifth. That the executive committee be selected at once and be directed to report immediately to this meet- ing a plan of action to be adopted by this association as its policy in regard Jto the question of Sunday opening. An adjparamentldf an hour was taken, after which the executive committee reported to the meeting as fol- lows: First. That after examining the information blanks which have been filled out by those present at the meet- ing the committee finds fifty-five men are present, repre- senting in all seventy licensed moving picture places. Second. That all have signed the applications for membership, pursuant to the recommendation of the com- mittee on organization. Third. . Your committee has consulted with the or- ganization committee and had from that committee a very -full report on the question of Sunday opening, and fur- ther, your committee has consulted with counsel in re- spect to the status of the moving picture business in Greater New York as affected by the ordinance of the Board of Aldermen amending the Charter of the City of New York, and the provisions of the Penal Code, to- gether with the opinion of the Corporation Counsel and the various decisions of the courts construing these laws. We are of the opinion that the appellate courts will sus- tain the contention that the moving picture business can be conducted on Sunday. Your committee therefore rec- ommends that proper tests be made in the criminal courts for the purpose of establishing this right. Your committee further reports that it is inadvisable co test this question by means of injunctions, because such relief is only of a temporary nature and will last for only one Sunday and there is no appeal from an unfavorable decision. • • —1 We find, therefore, that the only practical way is to start the test in the police court and take it to the Supreme Court on habeas corpus proceedings. We believe that at the. present state of affairs in New York City the persons in charge of every moving picture place that opens on Sunday will be arrested, and we therefore advise that a proper test or tests be made as your counsel may direct. In closing Mr. Miles stated that this association would take the place of the other two associations, from which the two presidents, Messrs Seraphine and Fox, were rep- resented on the executive, and that both were working for the best interests of >the movement in perfect unison. Willi G. Bashes' ©sa ££©^ingf Paet*BE?es ContinuedJrom page 689. "In broaching this sphere of moving pictures to several of the biggest concerns in the amusement business of America, I have been met with the-reply that all the happenings are in Eu- rope, and very few in America. This is indeed news, and very Strange to me. Wc in Europe always have envied the newspaper man of America for the ■wonderful and marvelous happenings which you get on this vast continent I ask any one in the moving picture business to pick up the first newspaper, either morning or evening, which he can lay his haqd to, and see whether there is not a fond—I might say almost inexhaustible— of subjects ready and waiting to be depicted in moving picture photography. "Incidents, such as your President going down the Mississippi River with that wonderful flotilla of steamers, accompanied by a_ coterie of the most prominent Statesmen and business men giving an added importance to the value of the picture, would indeed have made a very, fine and attractive series of. pictures, with that educational influence which. I am trying to impress upon your public. Furthermore, you have the value of such a picture as an undying record of a great historical happening, and when the Panama Canal has been opened and the great water- way route shall be traversed by the ships of the world, with what pride WOUld posterity lOOk Upon that living picture of the really first great step toward the realization of that great American dream which has become an established certainty- Such a picture would no doubt fill a most important niche in the archives of the world's history. y "In passing, I might say that already the French Government is forming a.library of film subjects which are to tell the his- tory of the country in moving pictures. I am also given to un- derstand that your own government here is procuring such a set to show the advancement of the 1 navy. MIGHT PHOTOGRAPH BALL GAMES. "I find your public is mad, as is our own, on football. (W e have no baseball in the Summer time, although we are trying hard to leam the game.) Your Jbaseball and your football crowds are a big factor to rememBer, and you have an enor- mous clientele to draw upon if you would but show an ani- mated record Of the games that take place away from, home- Recently you had the post-season games for the championship of the world, and I understand that thousands were turned awayi and that many paid as high as $10 for a seat Surely, if they would pay such large amounts to see the game, the ones who were turned away would at least pay a nickel or ten cents to see a reproduction of those memorable battles on the diamond that makes baseball history.