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 #:
000244
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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2694 John F. Hennegan, Direct Examination. Thereupon, JOHN F. HENNEGAN, the next witness produced by defendants of lawful age, being first duly sworn by the Examines deposed : Direct examination by Mr. Kingsley: Q. Where do you live Mr. Hennegan? A. Cincinnati, Ohio. Q. How long have you been a resident of Cincinnati, Ohio? A. Ever since the day I was born there, fifty -eight years ago. Q. Mr. Hennegan, what is your business at the present time? A. Well, we are in the printing business. Hennegan & Company is the name of the firm, and we have been in the printing business for thirty years. Q. Were you ever a motion picture exhibitor? A. Yes, sir. Q. Did you own a theatre? A. Yes, sir. Q. Where was this theatre located? A. Well, we operate a theatre now. Q. Where is it located? A. The Lubin Theatre, at 143 West Fifth Street, Cincinnati. Q. How long have you operated the Lubin Theatre? A. Well, since the day it opened, that is, about four and a half years ago. Q. Were you at one time the owner of an exchange business, a rental exchange business? A. Yes, sir. My brother and I owned the Magnetic Film Exchange in Cincinnati. Q. When did you buy the Magnetic Film Exchange? A. Well, the best that I can recall at the present time, it was in the early part of 1909. Q. Do you recall what you paid for it? A. Yes, sir. Q. How much was it? A. Ten thousand dollars. Q. How long did you run the Magnetic Film Exchange? A. About one and a half years. Q. From whom did you buy the Magnetic Film Exchange? A. I bought it of Mr. Seigmund Lubin, of Philadelphia. Q. Did it have the name of the Magnetic Film Exchange when you bought it? A. No, sir. Q. What was it called when you bought it? A. The Lubin Film Exchange. Q. Did you change the name after you bought it? A. Yes, sir, immediately.