Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1919)

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EXHIBITORS HERALD First National Exhibitors Circuit Effects Tremendous Expansion Two Allied Companies With Combined Capital of Sixteen Million Dollars Organized to Develop "Exhibitors Defense Committee Plan of 1920" Five Thousand Theatres Is the Ultimate Goal (By Wire to EXHIBITORS HERALD) NEW YORK, Nov. 25 — The elaborate expansion plans of the First National Exhibitors Circuit, Inc., recently undertaken, crystallized this week in the formation of two allied companies with a combined capital of sixteen million four hundred thousand dollars. The New companies are: ASSOCIATED FIRST NATIONAL THEATRES, INC.— Capital : $10,400,000. ASSOCIATED FIRST NATIONAL PICTURES, INC.— Capital : $6,000,000. The announcement covers one of the most important developments in the history of the industry relative to the alignment of exhibiting interests. The story of the initial First National development may be summarized as follows : Crandall, owning and operating eight theatres in Washington, D. C, with several other large houses under construction, and Whitehurst, who owns six important theatres in Baltimore, have joined with Tom Moore of Washington in the ownership of the First National franchise in Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia. The Mark-Strand company of New York, owning and operating a chain of twenty-seven theatres in New York state, has signed an agreement which makes the New York City Strand theatre and the New Mark-Strand theatre of Brooklyn members of what First National describes as "The Exhibitors' Defense Committee Plan of 1920." Exhibitors who have been members of the First National Exhibitors Circuit have signed contracts which make their respective theatre properties, totaling more than eight hundred theatres with which the members are credited with either owning outright or controlling, a part of the "Exhibitors' Defense Committee." IT IS OFFICIALLY STATED THAT THE ULTIMATE PLAN OF THE MOVEMENT NOW UNDER WAY IS TO INCLUDE AT LEAST FIVE THOUSAND THEATRES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA. Agreements for the joint ownership of the First National franchise between Moore, Crandall and Whitehurst were signed earlv this week in the home office of the First National in New York. To the present theatre strength of the First National Franchise in Delaware, Maryland and the District of Columbia in houses owned by Moore is added Crandall's properties in Washington which include the following theatres : Metropolitan, 3,000 seats ; Knickerbocker, 1,700 seats; Savoy, 1,500 seats; Apollo, 750 seats; Avenue and Grand, seating 1,000; Crandall's, seating 500, and Meader's, seating 500. Theatres owned in Baltimore by Whitehurst, who now has active interest in First National Franchise for territory, include Xew Theatre, with 2,000 seats; Garden, seating 2,500 ; Century, now being built, which will have capacity of 4,000; Parkway, with 1,100 seats; McHenry, with 1,000 seats; Peabody, seating 500. Century to Cost $2,000,000 The Century Theatre, it is said, will cost two million dollars when it is completed. In addition to these theatres Crandall has included in his properties the New Cumberland, now being con structed, which will be one of the largest and most costly theatres in the south. Both Crandall and Whitehurst were in New York last week with Moore for the purpose of discussing final details of arrangement, which, under the new First National plan, now gives the franchise in the capitol territory theatre representation as strong as that which any other First National franchise has had in the past. Are Leaders In the South Crandall and Whitehurst have been among the foremost Southern theatre operators, controlling chains of houses, who heretofore haye been independent of affiliation with any exhibitor cooperative concern. The announcement that the Mark-Strand company of New York has allied itself with First National's plan for expansion indicates that within a short time all of the theatres controlled by that concern will be included. The New York Strand has been known as a First National franchise house since the circuit was organized two years ago. The Mark-Strand of Brooklyn 51