Exhibitors Herald (Jun-Dec 1917)

X H B R H R D Mutual Film Corporation in $400,000 Suit; New York Motion Picture Co. Is Defendant Action Charges Breach of Contract and Asks for a Permanent Injunction, Broncho, Keystone and Domino Companies Included A suit for $400,000 damages, charging breach of contract, has been filed against the New York Motion Picture Corporation and a group of related concerns, in the Superior Court of New York, by the Mutual Film Corporation. A permanent injunction, restraining the defendant concerns from the further circulation of various motion pictures, is also asked. The defendants include the Broncho Motion Picture Company, the Keystone Film Company and the Domino Motion Picture Corporation. The Mutual Film Corporation charges that the New York Motion Picture Corporation and its allied companies have violated contracts for the exclusive sale of the pictures in question to the complainant and that they have further refused to deliver additional print copies of the pictures as stipulated in the contract. "The motion pictures involved," said President John R. Freuler of the Mutual Film Corporation, in commenting on the suits, "include all of the pictures made for the Mutual by the defendants in the period of 1912-15, which means the old Keystone comedies, the W. S. Hart pictures of that period, the Charles Chaplin comedies made by Keystone, the early Mack Sennett comedies, and the western productions by Broncho and all Domino pictures." The suit is under the supervision of President Freuler and Samuel M. Field, general counsel for the Mutual Film Corporation, and is being handled in New York by John G. Turnbull, eastern counsel for the company. Lewis J. Selznick President of Select Makes Business Trip Lewis J. Selznick left New York on Friday afternoon, November 9, for a business trip to Detroit, Cleveland and Pittsburg. In Detroit, Mr. Selznick called on the new manager of the Select exchange, W. D. Ward, and met prominent exhibitors of that section. In Cleveland, on Tuesday, Mr. Selznick was received by Sam E. Morris, who is in charge of the Cleveland exchange. Mr. Morris not only welcomed Mr. Selznick as President of the Select Pictures Corporation, but also as a warm personal friend on whose executive staff he served in the New York offices. Mr. Selznick also has many friends amongst the exhibitors in Cleveland to whom he paid his respects. Harvey B. Day, the new Select executive in Pittsburg, will keep open house at the Select exchange in that city, which Mr. Selznick expects to reach about the middle of the week. While in Pittsburg he will settle several business matters of importance, and will also, through Manager Day, make himself personally known to the exhibitors of that district, Herbert Brenon Heads Movement to Supply Prisons with Plays U. S. Exhibitors Corp. Gets Ince Film "Those Who Pay" as Its Second Feature Herbert Brenon of the Herbert Brenon Film Corporation, has become sponsor for a nation-wide movement to supply state prisons with projection machines and a film service for the recreation of inmates. Mr. Brenon's interest was aroused recently when he addressed the prisoners of Sing Sing prison, New York, who had gathered to witness "The Fall of the Romanoffs," the latest Brenon production. He was impressed with the interest and intelligence shown. In letters to the wardens of the various state prisons Mr. Brenon has urged that prisoners be given motion picture entertainments regularly and told of his desire to start a fund for supplying such paraphernalia as should be needed as well as the installation of a system for the distribution of films to the prisons. Story Written by C. Gardner Sullivan Founded on the Human Triangle — Bessie Barriscale in Leading Role — Ready in December The U. S. Exhibitors' Booking Corporation has selected as its second picture Thomas H. Ince's drama of romance and political intrigue, "Those Who Pay," in which Bessie Barriscale portrays the leading role. "Those Who Pay," which is described as one of the strongest dramatic subjects ever produced by Mr. Ince, will be given to exhibitors about December 15 and will be available simultaneously in all parts of the country, both on the franchise fixed price and open booking plans Trade showings will take place soon in New York and other cities throughoul the country in which branches of the Booking Corporation are located. The scenario of "Those Who Pay" wa; written by C. Gardner Sullivan. Th< story is founded upon the human trian gle, one man and two women, and abou' these characters has been woven a narra tive of compelling interest, it is said, tha culminates in one of the biggest dramatic scenes ever converted to the screen. THREE SCENES FROM "THE ZEPPELIN'S LAST RAID" THIS SPECTACLE WAS MADE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THOS. H. INCE. ENID MARKEY AND HOWARD HICKMAN .ARE TH FEATURED PLAYERS. (U. S. Exhibitors' Booking Corp.) 22