Canadian Moving Picture Digest (May 1924-Apr 1925)

_ Address of Sydney S. Cohen, Past esident of the M. P. T. O. at the Boston Convention. In our previous . es was reported a summary of the dé velopment of this Organization ponsored by Independent Exhibitors, he protective measures followed and 1e widening recognition of the Ex_ hibitor in relationship to the Comunity, City and National Government. The fight for the abolition of the Seat Tax and the revision of the Admission Tax which is to save the Exhibi cribed, the good work done at ashington being narrated in detail. The arrangements for a National Motion Picture Day or Week, accord after the order of National Vaudeville Week. The Menacing Producer _ atre Owners up to this period content to solve problems without Government interference. Suggestion that ‘work can more effectively be carried out by appointment of paid executive secretary. Establishment definite Budget System—Washington repre sentative to help in legislative matters, _ protection of screen—District Service Bureaus radiating from national headquarters. Need of Bulletin Service for unbiassed reports of The atre Owner's activities.. Suggestions _ for production of movie reel on order of Urban movie chats for advancement of industry in general. Dedication of M. P. T. O. to service of the: -atre owners. Motto “Injury to one s all the concern of all.’ All exOx Aibitiors helped. Kd. . “The Motion Picture business trav * ar along varied lines and these are closely interwoyen with the laws of the Nation, State and Community, ‘making the Theatre Owner respon_Sive to these legal situations and rendering our activities to no small extent dependent upon our ability to apply the same to such situations and circumstances as may from time A to time come along. Because of this I feel the necessity er, of having associated with our Nationval | body an able lawyer and advocate General Counsel. We are not rush Bt pace! entanglements and we tors millions of dollars yearly, was ! Page Five Iney Ss Cohen’s Retiring Presidential Speech (Continued from Aug. 16th issue.) are not courting difficulties, but a properly directed line of procedure is always predicated on sound legal advice. Our business is big and ever expanding and as I have herein indicated follows many diverse lines and we should at all times be perfectly cognizant of our real legal position. Therefore, a General Counsel for our Organization is a very necessary element. Trained minds of this character are frequently a most pronounced business asset and the great mass of Theatre Owners in the Nation who are constantly beset with difficulties of various kinds can certainly find much comfort and satisfaction in knowing that their business in a National way is being conducted under the supervision of legal knowledge which will give the advantage of every law and prevent their being watairly made the victims of any law. NON-THEATRICAL SITUATION Non-theatrical competition in our industry is today one of the real dangers which menace the welfare of the Theatre Owner. Every other line of trade has its definite regulations where the manufacturers of an essential product sell only to the recognized dealer. ‘Vhis line of procedure seems to be mest essential to the general and constructive development of all American enterprise. Where a product is sold promiscuously by manufacturers the resultant trade becomes most chaotic in character and adds very little to the general importance of the industry. But in the Motion Picture business producers of pictures are not inclined in most instances to be governed by fair and equitable business ethics. ‘They seek the dollar from any person or association which may desire to hand it over to them. They seemingly have no consideration for the welfare of the Theatre Owner who constitutes their principle patron and through whose efforts the nullions of dollars which constantly flow into producer channels come. Therefore, they have not only made a business of selling feature pictures to non-theatrical centers but they have aggravated the situation by establishing departments in their headquarters for the extension of this unfair traffic. One of the first statements made by your Board of Directors and other National Officers to Will H. Hays, President of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, on the occasion of our original meeting with him in New York after the Washington Convention, was that ‘non-theatrical situation was a great menace and a disturbing elemni within the mdustry. Mr. Hays did not seem to be entirely familiar with the situation and it was explained to him by your National President and others until all around the table, exhibitors and producers and lawyers, agreed that the situation was presented exactly as it existed. Then Mr. Hays said, “It is all wrong and should be stopped.” We believed then that some definite move would be made to curb the practice or at least prevent its being extended into new fields. But eyidently, Mr. Hays was not supported in his opinion by the officers of the producing companies, for not only was the business of that time continued but additional moves made to provide film to non-theatrical centers since. We feel that this practice should be brought to a halt. This subject is so extensive in character that I have requested one of the leading exhibitors of the country and an outstanding executive in a large state organization to present it to you in a detailed manner and this will be done during the course of the convention. I mention the situation now so as to prepare you for his report and hope that you will shape up in your minds lines of procedure which we may put into practice through the action of this convention that will have a tendency to correct this abuse and render the position of the Theatre Owners more secure in a business way by the obliteration of this form of unfair competition. (To be continued.) Two Changes Weekly For Imperial, Ottawa The Imperial Theatre, Ottawa, Ontario, has made the first break in its actual operating policy during many years in the decision to change programmes twice weekly for the remainder of the summer. For something like seven years, the late Mr. Brouse has stuck closely to the pic _ture-a-week plan except when a fea ture was good enough to hold over a second week. Mr. Brouse was one of the original franchise-holders of the Associated First National. 8 eis yl pares Read The Digest Advertising P | aa tl ll Ca iti ae tt tal ea) en dT el all “ihe 1 APs ak by