Exhibitor's Trade Review (Nov 1925 - Feb 1926)

November 21, 1925 Page 17 NEWS OF As Reported in Exhibitors DAILY REVIEW $15,000 RETURNED TO INDEPENDENTS M. P. T. O. A. To Tender Testimonial Dinner To Carl Laemmle Concrete plans developed at sessions of the Administrative Committee lasting over eight hours this week, will be put into immediate execution for the rehabilitating of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America into one of the most powerful membership organizations in the country. As one of the first planks in the new platform of strength, the exhibitor leaders yesterday wrote out and delivered a check of $15,000 ot the Independent Motion Picture Association of America. At the same time they cancelled an additional and written obligation of the independent association to the national organization totaling $25,000. That the I. M. P. A. A. may continue the maintenance of their association and that Independence may be furthered is the basis upon which the Administrative Committee, at the request of the Play Date Bureau took this action. The Committee, as a token of the appreciation of the National organization, for the steadfastness of Carl Laemmle in his pledge of $50,000 for the cause of Independence made in the name of the Universal Film Corporation at Milwaukee, was unanimous in its endorsement of a resolution providing for the tendering of a testimonial dinner to Mr. Laemmle in January. In the Music Tax situation the committee authorized the engagement of Fulton Brylawski, copyright attorney of Washington, as the first step in the forthcoming fight against the exactions of the American Society of Composers, Authors Association. Kindred theatrical organizations and associations will be invited to join the National association of theatre owners in this movement. The fullest cooperation will be afforded Mr. Seider in his capacity as business manager. Upon this official the executive committee rests much of the hope for the establishing of the National organization on a rock-bound basis. The building up of a massive campaign against all copyright legislation adverse to the industry will be one of Mr. Seider's many earlier tasks. The Administrative Committee heartily sanctioned the issuance by the business manager of an organization bulletin which will chronicle all matters of a technical and intimate interest to members of the National organization. Details concerning the nature of this bulletin will shortly be announced in a statement to the entire industry by Mr. Seider. Independents Meeting Called For Dec .11 The second annual meeting of the Independent Motion Picture Association of America will be held at the headquarters, 1650 Broadway, Friday, December 11. This date was determined at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the association presided over by chairman W. E. Shallenberger of Arrow Pictures Corp., with the following members in attendance : President I. E. Chadwick, Chadwick Pictures Corp. ; Nathan Hirsch, Aywon Film Corp. ; Wm. Steiner, Wm. Steiner Productions ; W. Ray Johnston, Rayart Pictures Corp. ; M. H. Hoffman, Tiffany Productions, Inc. ; Jack Cohn, representing Joe Brandt, Columbia Pictures Corp. There were also present Abe Carlos, of Carlos Productions, Inc. ; Sam Sax, of Lumas Film Corp., and Frederick H. Elliott, general manager. Various routine matters were considered as well as plans for the annual meeting, at which time reports of officers and committees will be presented and officers elected for the ensuing year. Jack Cohn was appointed a committee of one to investigate trailer service on behalf of the producing and distributing members. Mr. Cohn is to file his report with recommendations at the next meeting of the organization. President Chadwick announced that he would call a meeting of the producing members of the association to be held today when various subjects of extreme importance to the independent producers are to be discussed. UFA STARTS OPERATION OF NEW THEATRES Ufa announces the opening or reopening of eight theatres in Germany. They are the Ufa Palace, a 3,000 seat house in Berlin ; the Mozart Saal, Berlin ; Koenigstaadt, Berlin, a 1,500 seat house ; the Schuman in Frankfort-am-Main, a 5,000 seat house, the largest motion picture theatre in Germany ; the Lichtspiele in Dresden ; a theatre in Dessau, and a 1,000 seat house in Heller and in Kiel. Oklahoma M. P. T. O. Meet December 8 is the date set for the annual convention of the motion picture theatre owners of Oklahoma, which will be held in Oklahoma City. U. S. Supreme Court Throws Out Appeal WASHINGTON, D. C— The appeal brought before the Supreme Court by the American Feature Film Company to test the constitutionality of the Connecticut law, taxing motion pictures shown in the state $10 a reel, was dismissed by the court, upon motion of the parties to suit. NEW PRODUCTION LINE-UP AT F-P-L Turnbull, LeBaron and Schulberg Named "Associate Producers" Jesse L. Lasky made public a new line-up of the Paramount producing forces, as determined upon at a conference of the production department heads at the recent Paramount convention in Chicago. As first vice-president of the corporation, in charge of all production activities, Mr. Lasky has made the following appointments : Hector Turnbull, William LeBaron and B. P. Schulberg will be associate producers and will be in charge of actual studio production. Mr. Turnbull and Mr. Schulberg will be the producing heads of the Lasky studio in Hollywood, and Mr. LeBaron will be in charge of production in the Long Island .studio. Charles Eyton, as already announced, has been appointed general foreign representative of the production department and will leave for Europe to make arrangements for production there. Walter Wagner continues as general manager of the Production Department and Edwin C. King as general manager of the Long Island studio. Victor H. Clarke has been appointed general manager of the Lasky studio. Ralph Block, managing editor of the editorial department, has been appointed supervising editor at the Long Island studio as a member of Mr. LeBaron's staff. Lloyd Sheldon will be senior supervising director at the Long Island studio and other supervising directors, beside Mr. Block, will be Tom J. Geraghty, Julian Johnson, Townsend Martin and Luther Reed. On the West Coast Lucien Hubbard will be senior supervising editor and his associates will be Garnet Weston and Kenneth Hawks. Henry Salsbury continues as manager of exhibition and distribution relations in the home office and John W. Butler as manager of the production department's home office. Hamlin Remains at Strand Fred Hamlin, who has been handling the publicity for the Mark Strand Theatre for two years, has patched up his differences with the theatre and will remain in the same capacity as heretofore, Joseph Plunkeet. manager, announced. Skouras Takes Another ST. LOUIS.— The St. Louis Amusement Company has taken over the bookings for the Ozark Theatre, Webster Groves, Mo. The Koplar-Skouras chain now includes 24 theatres, three of which are closed, and 15 airdomes. It also plans to build two new houses in the near future. Deals are on for the purchase of several houses.