Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1917 - Jun 1918)

X H B R H R D Chicago Chosen By A. E. A. Board For Annual Meet ill Be Held in June— To Operate "Open House" Chicago is to supplant Detroit as the cy in which the first national conventn of the American Exhibitors' Asso(tion will be held. This action was t:en at a meeting of the directors of 6: organization held in the Hotel Astor c April 9. Plans for the affair were ;o taken up and largely perfected. it was" voted to dispense with all 1 np and ceremony usually attendant on a national affair of this nature and r ke the convention a business confence. One of the features of the dec on of the board of directors is the "ien house" policy which will govern t session. It is announced that every eiibitor in the United States, no matt' what his affiliations may be, will be v corned. Vhile definite date for the conventn has not as yet been set, it is the psent intention to hold it about the n Idle of June. Choice of the actual d s rests with the committee, howe r, and it is believed that an early dision on this will be forthcoming ir he near future. The time to be consued is set at either three or four ilj „ All Branches Invited very branch of the industry will be irted to enter into the various conferees which will be held. It is propi:d that the big questions confrontin the motion picture business will be ta:n up at various hours during the d; and that some of the most promin t men in the business will be invid to lead and participate in the disci ions. he committee in charge of arrangem ts for the convention are Frank J. Ribusch, national secretary of Indi apolis; Louis Frank, chairman, n£Dnal director of Illinois, and King P<y, state secretary of Michigan. rull particulars with reference to tit and date will be announced later," re s the announcement from the commee. "Entertainment will be suppl l to those attending. It is proposed to ave promptness and good order as a lotto, and every exhibitor in the Ui ed States, no matter what his afiations may be, will be welcomed to atlid the meeting. Expect Large Attendance nasmuch as there is such need of gol sound business discussions with thi ndustry at the present time and the ne of economy, this meeting will, no do.t, be favored by the entire industry an the attendance very great as a resul Chicago being centrally located is logical place for the convention. he committee will be pleased to hear ire, anyone who has any suggestions to ake as to what will be of the greatest jenefit to exihibitors in this gath«if Headquarters will be opened at Cnago next week and every means n be used to make this one of the £r' est gatherings and provide the gri est good than anything that has evi taken place in the industry." Robert Goldstein Found Guilty Of Violating Espionage Act Federal Jury in Los Angeles Finds Producer Sought to Spread German Propaganda Through "Spirit Of 76" Charged with violating the government espionage act, Robert Goldstein, producer of "The Spirit of '76," was found guilty by a jury in the United States district court of Los Angeles last week. Although a number of investigations have been begun into the activities of several men associated with the film industry this is the first conviction to be obtained since this country entered the war. Goldstein's arrest occurred about three months ago following the exhibition of his production in a Los Angeles theatre. Federal agents swooped down upon the playhouse the third day of the showing, confiscated the film and took Goldstein into custody. Repeated attempts on the part of the film man to obtain his release on bonds met with failure and he has been confined in a cell since the time of his arrest. Denies Guilt Repeatedly Despite Goldstein's repeated denials of any effort to influence people of German descent in this country against the English by means of the production, testimony given in his trial tended to show that he was the one who insisted that scenes of English brutality during the Revolutionarv war be retained in the film. Hearing of the charges was had before Federal Judge Benjamin F. Bledsoe. The editor of a local German paper was one of the chief government witnesses to testify against the defendant. Stockholders of the Continental Producting company under which name the picture was made, also appeared as witnesses. Probably the most damaging evidence given against Goldstein was that of George L. Hutchin, writer of the scenario upon which the picture was based. He testified that to the best of his knowledge Franz Bopp, fugitive German ex-consul at San Francisco, was to have become financially interested in the film. Review Board Passes On Films for Navy Through the efforts of the War Camp Motion Picture Committee, the various ships of the Navy on which there is motion picture equipment, will be enabled to obtain supplies of recent pictures for their use while at sea. The Bureau of Navigation of the Navy Department has asked the Committee for several hundred complete schedules of exchanges for distribution through the Navy Department, and they have been forwarded. Price lists with special rates for entertainments while the boats are in port, are also being furnished together with detailed information as to methods of securing motion picture programs to take to sea. The War Camp Motion Picture 15 Hutchin also testified that Goldstein had ordered changes made in the script and had incorporated scenes designed to show the brutality of British soldiers. The producer had made known his intention, the witness said, of making one and two reel features which would appeal to German turnverein members in the United States. . British Brutality Sought W. L. Brock, engaged to do research work for the production, testified that he had been instructed to obtain all the information possible which might tend to show that the British in the Revolutionary war were just as brutal as the Germans in the present conflict. He also said Goldstein was intensely bitter against the British. Max Socha, editor of Germania, proved to be the star witness of the government. He' testified regarding an alleged scheme to induce Germans to purchase stock in the Continental Producing Company and produced an advertisement tending to show that the picture was unfavorable to the British and advising local Germans to aid in this propaganda. Film Shown Jury During the course of the trial the film was viewed by Judge Bledsoe as well as Federal Judge Oscar Trippet. This was done after Goldstein's attorneys had put up a spirited fight to prevent the picture being shown, contending that it could not properly be put on with the lighting afforded by the courtroom and the lack of music. Stockholders of the company testified that after viewing the film they had told Goldstein that in their opinion a number of the scenes should be eliminated. Those particularly objected to, they testified, were alleged evidences of British brutality practiced during the Revolutionary war. Goldstein, however, they charged, remained obdurate and insisted that the film be shown as made. Committee has requested the Army and Navy Commissions on Training Camp Activities to furnish the Navy Department with the bulletin lists of pictures selected by the National Board of Review for the Commissions. This will make it practicable for the chaplains on board more than two hundred ships to visit the exchanges nearest the ports of landing of their vessels and obtain such pictures as they desire. Film Corporation Bankrupt A petition in bankruptcy has been filed against the Brewster Film Corportion of 149 Broadway, New York. The creditors by whom the action was launched and the amount claimed by each is as follows: K. L. Abbott, $500: Lawrence Langner, $500, and Kerr, Page, Cooper & Hayward, $500.