Motography (Jul 1918)

58 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. XX, No. 2. Fox Declares War on First National Plans to Build or Lease Theatres in Every City Where Exhibitor Organization Is Entrenched WILLIAM FOX has fired the first shot in a battle with the First National Exhibitors' Circuit. His first action was the taking over of the Victoria Theatre, St. Louis, under a long lease. He intends to conduct this in opposition to what he alleges is a pooling system conducted by First National. It is the Fox plan to enter all of the towns where the First National is believed to have effected an arrangement with the theatre owners and managers in regard to the pooling system and either lease or build theatres there. The pooling system, according to a Fox representative, is primarily for the cutting of the price of features and the Fox people intend to fight it by creating exhibiting opposition. There are two other towns in the midwest where the First ' National is entrenched where the Fox people are building theatres. Wherever the Fox interests haven't a regular first run house that is well established they will operate their own theatres against those of the circuit. In a statement issued from the Fox office it is said that Fox has taken the Victoria under a ten-year lease. This makes a total of 27 theatres under the Fox management, the majority of which are located in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut. The Victoria, which will be renamed "The William Fox Liberty Theatre;" will have a high-class motion picture policy and an orchestra of 35 pieces. There is a seating capacity of 2,000. The theatre is located at Delmar and Grand avenues, near the new Grand Central Theatre, operated by William Sievers. At the same time that Mr. Fox has engaged in battle with the First National, he is active in the outlining of a campaign which is being planned by a number of New York exhibitors against the Loew booking system. A plan now under discussion may eventuate in a booking alliance being formed in Greater New York which will control at least 200 days of booking. Besides Mr. Fox, Moss, Keith, Proctor and a number of independents are interested. The reason for forming the combination is to combat the Loew interests which now have first run on many big features because of the fact that they offer the distributor 65 days straight away in their houses. There have been instances where a picture playing the Loew houses has managed to get as high as 82 days. Because of this, it is said that Loew has not only the first run but a two weeks' protection in all his territory after he has played the pictures. Those behind the formation of the new combination feel that with the assistance of a number of independents they will be able to line up at least 200 days in Greater New York. The independents that are figured on are men that control in the neighborhood of from 10 to 12 days each by having three or four houses. The method of distribution ■ will be through the medium of a booking office conducted much along the lines that the United Booking Offices are now conducted in regard to the booking of vaudeville acts. This office will take the picture for a certain number of days and then through the procedure of entering booking slips, the houses will receive the films in the order that the slips are registered. The sales end, as to price, is to be governed by the time of the run in a certain territory and according to the capacity of the house which the picture plays. Funkhouser Trial Continues Acting Chief of Police Alcock has closed his case against Second Deputy Superintendent of Police Funkhouser in Chicago. Alcock, on the stand, has revealed conditions of Chicago's underworld, but the question of motion picture censorship has not been brought up. Counsel for the major, it is reported, intends to move that the charges be dismissed on the grounds that the evidence is insufficient. Unless the case is dismissed, Major Funkhouser will be the first witness in his own defense. In the meantime the board of censors views every picture for which a permit is asked. It is keeping a close watch on the theatres and is also censoring the advertising, which in some parts of the city has been lurid. Victoria Theatre, St. Louis, which has been acquired by William Fox to use in fighting The First National Exhibitors' Circuit. Gives All Profits to U. S. From Jewel's office at Portland, Oregon, comes the remarkable story of the patriotism displayed by Mrs. Alma Anderson, one of the pioneer exhibitors of Palouse, Washington. Mrs. Anderson wrote to Secretary McAdoo recently and agreed to give the entire net profits cf the Bell Theatre, which she is managing, to the Government for the duration of the war. In reply, Secretary McAdoo sent Mrs. Anderson a letter complimenting her on her' patriotic offer and stating that the Bell is the only theatre in the United States that is doing this.