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 #:
000239
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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Glenn A. Cross, Cross E.xami nation. 2680 Q. What projecting machines do you use in your houses? A. I now use Powers. Q. What have you used? A. Motiograph. Cross examination by Mr. Grosvenoe: Q. Is the Garden Theatre the largest theatre in Battle Creek? A. Yes, sir. Q. And that is the new theatre? A. Yes, sir. Q. And there you use the licensed service? A. I do not use licensed service there exclusively. Into the town, I get ten reels per day, 6 reels licensed, and 4 reels Universal. They are balanced and booked according to the subjects. I may have on at the Garden Theatre, 2 reels Universal, and 2 reels General. Or, I might have on at the Garden Theatre, 4 reels Universal, which happened one day last week, if I remember rightly ; 4 reels of the Universal service. I don't have any distinction between the licensed or unlicensed reels. I simply book and balance the programs. Q. Well, then, you show some of the licensed pictures at the Queen Theatre? A. Yes, sir. Q. What did you mean by stating on direct examination that when the Garden Theatre was opened, you transferred your licensed service to the Garden Theatre from the Queen, and put in the Universal service at the Queen? A. I did not say that I transferred that. Q. Yrou described the Queen Theatre on your direct examination as a theatre which was supplied by the Universal service? A. Yes, sir. Q. Then, as a matter of fact, you show licensed pictures there too, don't you? A. I do, sir. The Queen Theatre pays for the unlicensed service. The Garden Theatre pays for the licensed service. The Rex Theatre pays for both licensed and unlicensed service. Q. How long have you been combining the independent and the licensed service in a theatre? A. Well, for about six months. Q. And before that you showed licensed service exclusively? A. Not exclusively. I have shown several State Right Features, and features of that kind from Feature Film Exchanges.