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 #:
000230
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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2G80 Edward Mi. Smith, Direct Examination. name and seating capacity of each one, and about the time that you started it. I don't care about the exact dates. If you are approximately right, that will be near enough for our purpose. A. Well, the first house that I had was in Saginaw, Michigan, seated about 200. Then I built another one there that seated about 350. Then a little later I went to Grand Rapids. I had lived in Grand Rapids all the time, but I did not start in the business there. Then the next theatre seated about 2G0. The Idea Theatre. Q. What was the year that you started the Idea Theatre? A. That was five years ago. It would be 1908. Q. What was the next theatre that you built there? A. I was interested in taking over three others at one time. Q. So that in a short time you had four theatres operating in Grand Rapids? A. Yes. Q. Now you have six? A. Yes. Q. What are the seating capacities of these six theatres? A. I have one that seats 148; one, 312; one, 250. Another one, 260. One 1087, and one, 1111. Mr. Grosvenor: Which of those is the one that is part vaudeville? The Witness : The one that seats 1111. By Mr. Kingsley : Q. Do you know how many unlicensed theatres there are in Grand Rapids? A. Well, there are 8 that are unlicensed. Q. Do you know their seating capacities? A. Not exactly— no, I do not. Q. How many other licensed theatres are there in Grand Rapids aside from yours? A. None. Q. Are all your houses licensed houses? A. Not at the present time, no, sir. Q. HowT many of your houses are licensed houses? A. Let's see — wre have four. Q. Will you name those and give their seating capacities? A. Monroe Vaudette, 150; Idle Hour, 312; and (lie Columbia Theatre, that is the one that is part vaudeville and part pictures, runs licensed pictures, and that seats 1111. Those are the only ones that run exclusively licensed. Q. Now, will you name the houses which are unlicensed,