In the District Court of the United States, for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the United States of America, petitioner, vs. Motion Picture Patents Company, et al., defendants (1914)

Record Details:

Title:
In the District Court of the United States, for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the United States of America, petitioner, vs. Motion Picture Patents Company, et al., defendants
Date:
1914
Publisher:
New York, Appeal Printing Co.
Volume:
In the District Court of the United States, for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the United States of America, petitioner, vs. Motion Picture Patents Company, et al., defendants : record volume 5
Leaf #:
000227
Language:
English
Collection:
Early Cinema and Government & Law
Format:
Periodicals
Contributor:
The Museum of Modern Art Library, New York
Sponsor:
Media History Digital Library
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:
These seven volumes contain the testimonies and supporting documents from the U.S. District Court's antitrust lawsuit against the Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC). Formed in 1908, the MPPC (sometimes referred to asœ"the Edison Trust" or just "the Trust") sought to control the American film industry through pooling patents and demanding that producers and exhibitors acquire licenses to those patents. Independent producers and exhibitors, who refused to license the patents, argued that the MPPC was an unlawful monopoly. In 1912 and 1913, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania heard testimonies from both MPPC members, such as Siegmund Lubin, and "Independents" who later became Hollywood moguls, such as William Fox. Ultimately, in 1915, the case reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which found the MPPC in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act and spelled the end for the already weakening MPPC. -- Eric Hoyt, 2012
Date Added:
September 21, 2023
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John D. Kessler, Direct Examination. 2077 my theatre, and they would say "You keep this film back for me" and it was absolutely taken away from me, when I was practically devoting all of my time looking after the film. Q. Now you say "You would go down there." Do you mean down to the office personally to see about getting your show? A. Yes, sir. Q. Did you personally try to get a satisfactory program? A. Yes, sir. A program that he told me I could have at least two days in advance, and then the very last minute he would take it away from me. Q. Did you have any difficulty or trouble with keeping your program clear with respect to your competitors in the neighborhood? A. I never could keep it clear, but I would sometimes slip one over on him, and he would sometimes slip one over on me. Q. This was an interchange of courtesies that was going on from time to time? A. Yes, sir. Q. Since you have been taking your service from the General Film Company have you found it possible to get a program in advance and advertise the program in advance? A. Yes, sir, I can advertise it a week, or a month in advance. Q. What has been your experience in reference to being able to obtain the program on the date designated in your advertisement? A. It always comes, no delay whatever, except through the express company, the trains might be late, but nothing outside of that, I have never had any trouble. Q. How far is Sandusky from Toledo? A. I should judge about sixty miles. Q. When you were operating the Jewell Theatre, in Toledo what service were you using? A. The Kent Film Company's. Q. What service did you use in the Diamond Theatre? A. T was pretty nearly down and out when I commenced to operate that. Q. Then you didn't have much service? A. No, sir, T had all of my service going to the boneyard. Q. What projecting machine did you use in the Star Theatre? A. At the present a Towers, and a Simplex. I have used the Edison; I have an Edison. Q. Have you kept in touch with the prices of the motion