Exhibitors Herald (Mar-Apr 1924)

March 29, 1924 EXHIBITORS HERALD 25 How and When It Happened FEBRUARY 13— Sydney S. Cohen elected president of the T. O. D. C. W. A. True elected chairman of the board of directors. Harry Davis resigns from board. Carl Anderson elected director. MARCH 4 — Sydney S. Cohen announces elimination of Harry Davis. MARCH 7— True incorporates T. O. D. C, No. 2. MARCH 14 — True moves to offices of Anderson Pictures Corporation. True and Anderson announce elimination of Cohen and Davis. True and Anderson resign from directorate of T. O. D. C, No. 1. March 15 — Cohen moves M. P. T. O. A. to offices of T. O. D. C, No. 1. Cohen and Davis reconcile troubles. MARCH 16— And Ad Infinitum: Everybody issues statements. Powers and Price Purchase Triangle (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, March 18.— It was announced today that Pat Powers and Oscar Price had purchased the assets of Triangle, including negative rights to twenty-seven hundred pictures made when D. W. Griffith, Mack Sennett, Thomas H. Ince, William S. Hart and Douglas Fairbanks were with Triangle. Some of the pictures will be reissued and the stories of others will be sold. Fairbanks, Pickford Will Sail on April 12 (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, March 18.— Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford will sail on the Olympic on April 12 for Cherbourg. Thence their itinerary will include Paris, London, Brussels, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Christiana, Moscow, Vladivostock, Manilla, Tokio, Honolulu and San Francisco. The Fairbanks party will include also Mr. and Mrs. Robert Fairbanks, Mrs. Charlotte Pickford, Little Mary Rupp, Kenneth Davenport and an entourage of servants. Blue Law Vote April 1 (Special to Exhibitors Herald) DIXON, ILL., March 18— Dixon on April 1 will vote on the question of Sunday shows. The city commission refused to pass a closing ordinance and petitioned for the election. Cohen and True Battle With Opposing Distributing Units National President Expected to Seek Injunction Prohibiting Use of Name T. 0. D. C. by Corporation Number 2 (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, March 18. — Even in this industry in which things happen quickly with often a few monkey wrenches being thrown into the wheels of exhibitor distributing circles, the oldest of the old timers are now standing on one foot trying to dope out a working plan of just where they "are at," The latest monkey wrench incident occurred last week when William A. True incorporated the Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation of New York, with himself as president, moved over to the officers of Carl Anderson Pictures and announced the elimination of Sydney S. Cohen and Harry Davis. Cohen Will Seek Injunction Against True Another wrench is poised and ready to be thrown within a day or two by the Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation of Delaware, of which Sydney Cohen was elected president a few weeks ago. This is in the shape of an application for an injunction prohibiting the True distributing unit from using the same name under which the original distributing company was incorporated more than a year ago. The injunction also will seek to force Carl Anderson to account to the Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation No. 1, on the distribution of the picture, "After the Ball," and not to the Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation, No. 2, of which Mr. Anderson and Mr. True are the controlling factors. All these things and a few others followed quickly on the withdrawing of Harry Davis of Pittsburgh from the directorate of corporation No. 1, the election of Carl Anderson in his stead, the relegation of the then president, Mr. True, to the chairmanship of the board of directors, and the election of Mr. Cohen as p r e s ident, all of which happened on February 13. (Note the date.) Following the True anent the Harry W. A. True announcement of M formation of corporation No. Davis and Sydney Cohen got together, settled their difficulties and joined in a common cause to protect the interests of all concerned in corporation No. 1. This was brought about by Dr. H. Harry Meyers, Mr. Davis' representative in New York, who, with full authority to act for his principal, will work with Mr. Cohen for the immediate legal elimination of corporation No. 2. No. 2 Issues Statement The announcement of the break between True and Cohen became known last Saturday when, under the heading "Cohen and Davis both eliminated from the T. O. D. C," a statement of the action was sent out from the offices of the corporation No. 2. The statement in part follows : "Through the incorporation of Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation in New York, with papers filed at Albany on March 7, it became known that both Sydney S. Cohen and Harry Davis have been eliminated from the organization and William A. True of Hartford, Conn., is now president. "The explanation of this action by the present officers is that politics were, in their opinion, interfering with the very definite aims of the organization which are to acquire and distribute pictures in the interest of theatre owners and build up a workable, cooperative plan along those lines. "They state that there is no reason whatsoever that exhibitor politics should be taken into consideration in any of . the aims of workings of the company and that they believe that by their recent action all politics are now thoroughly eliminated. Idea Bigger Than Individual "They further state that the manner in which their fellow exhibitors are booking their first picture, 'After the Ball,' has encouraged them in their belief that the idea of, 'Pictures by the exhibitor for the exhibitor,' is much bigger than any individual connected with that idea, no matter how nrominent he may be in the eyes of exhibitors or the public in general." Before the issuance of the statement the following wire was sent to a number of prominent theatre owners in various parts of the country: "Have today incorporated Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation under New York state laws to simplify and improve working conditions and elimination of non-constructive forces which prevailed. Have pictures ready for immediate release and a big broad plan for supply of pictures for next season. Splendid exhibitor support on 'After the Ball' proves soundness of our plans. We want you as leading exhibitor to give us the benefit of your excellent judgment and broad experience by accepting appointment on our advisory board. Wire answer 723 Seventh avenue. Signed W. A. True." It was pointed out today by Mr. Cohen as rather peculiar that the filing of the articles of incorporation of corporation No. 2, and the sending of the above wire occurred while both Mr. True and Mr. Anderson were officers of corporation No. 1, and done without the knowl (Continued on following page)