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:

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2721 Thomas A. Brown, Direct Examination. Q. Have you any independent houses in your vicinity? A. We have four. There are three regular picture houses in Iowa City showing independent service, in addition to the vaudeville house, making four. Q. How large are the three independent houses? A. The Deevers Pastime Theatre seats, as near as I can remember, about 400 to 410. The Princess Theatre, using Universal service, seats in the neighborhood of about 2G0 or 270. And the Iowa City, Mr. Hanlon, manager, using the Mutual program, seats about 200. And the Ingelert Theatre, vaudeville house, seats 1100, using independent pictures. Q. What projecting machines do you use in your theatres? A. I use the Motiograph. Q. Have you always used the Motiograph? A. Not always, no sir. I have used the Pathe machine, and the Powers and the Edison. Q. Do those four comprise all that you have used? A. Yes. Q. Are you solicited from time to time by representatives of independent exchanges who ask you to take their service, either in connection with, or in substitution for licensed service? A. Are you referring to regular service? Q. Yes. A. Not recently, I have not been. Q. Do you receive — A. I receive circulars announcing the kind of productions they are making, and so forth. Oh, in a way, I am, yes. In that way. Q. Do you find that the licensed producers of motion pictures are competing with one another in respect to the quality and character of their pictures, and in respect to trying to get the good will of the exhibitor, by sending him literature and circulars? A. Oh, yes. I receive circulars every week of all of the different productions, advertising their multiple reels and special features. Q. During the period that you have been an exhibitor of motion pictures, have you been familiar with the prices of programs? A. Yes, sir. Q. How do the prices that you are paying to-day com pare with the prices that you paid in 1900 and 1910? A. Considering the number of reels that we are showing, anrl the quality of the film, we are paying less now than we were paying at that time.