Exhibitors Herald (Jul-Sep 1922)

July 22, 1922 EXHIBITORS HERALD 19 Group Bookings Abandoned By F. B. O. in Chicago Meet Home Office, Division and Branch Officials Attend Sessions —Convention of Executives Also Held in New York City Group bookings are a thing of the past in so far as Flim Booking Offices of America is concerned. The company's policy is "picture for picture." each to sell as an individual unit. This distribution plan was announced following two recent conventions of home office executives and district and branch managers, the last get-together being held in Chicago on July 6, 7 and 8. Prior to the Chicago meeting Southern and Eastern managers had convened in New York. F. B. O. Officially Launched at Two Meetings Official launching of F. B. O., formerly R-C, was the occasion for the two important conventions. They also served to effect a close relationship between Harry M. Berman. the new general manager of distribution, and his field forces. Other than Mr. Berman attending the conventions from the home office were J. I. Schnitzer. vice-president, and Nat Rothstein, director of advertising and publicity. Framers of Constitution Hear Quigley Plea for Free Screen (Continued from page 17) that are not entitled to freedom in your Bill of Rights and they are not the things that make a nation of successful and contented people." He pointed out that motion pictures are bringing to the people of the country cheap amusement for the working classes, but that they have other fields, such as education, which is being intelligently discussed and handled. Publisher Is Questioned Some of the more important and interesting questions asked by delegates and the answers of Mr. Quigley follow: Q: Just suppose the picture poisons the mind •of some young person, how will you reap any feenefits, how will you get damages from the person responsible ? A: My answer to that question, sir. would be this: that with this system in effect and witn evervone in the motion picture industry realizing that 'the penalty of showing such a picture would •be jail and confiscation of his property, no such picture would be shown. Q: Who will determine the propriety of these pictures and when will it be determined? A: The public. And when seen by the public. Q: It is a general presumption that in constitutions that nothing is written in the constitution until there was a reason for it. Now. the Star Chamber sessions for years and years in the •days of Elizabeth controlled the press. That, of course, brought about abuses in the development ■of liberty and tyranny of the people of England sufficient to bring about the present constitutional provisions relative to freedom of the press and free speech. Has there been any indication of any such feeling in the moving picture industry against that method of expression? Loss Has Been Suffered A: A condition has been encountered which ■competent directors of motion pictures maintain will make it impossible to produce worthy motion pictures. Millions of dollars of loss have I/een suffered by the motion picture industry through the ruthless, and what I believe to be, the unreasonable cutting of pictures at various places throuehout the country. You have some more or less informal censorship arrangements in this state at this time, I believe, and each one of those, whether it be large or small, develops into a similar proposition to the Star Chamber conduct of the press that you referred to. Q: Has that abuse reached the person or has it just reached the property of the individual? A: My answer to that would be that it has violated what I believe is the individual citizen's right and also it has violated his property rights. Q: It is true, is it not, that most newspapers are institutions and responsible for their wrongs, tut there are thousands of moving picture operators in little picture shows throughout the country with no financial standing and a suit against them for violating public morals would not amount to anything? Exhibitors Real Business Men A: I do not agree with you, sir. The motion picture exhibitors represent sound and substantial investments that are being operated by real business men in various communities, men of importance, character and stability, and they are fully able to sustain any action against them for any possible wrong doing. At one point during this procedure, Mr. Speer, father of the amendment, asked for the floor to offer the following comment: Mr. Chairman, it does seem to me that if we are going to have guarantees of free expression in this day that the screen should be treated the same as the press, and I have no doubt but what in 1775 if this same condition existed and we had the movie screen then that it would Have been so incorporated in the constitution. By implication it does seem to me that the constitution does very nearly cover it when it recites that every person shall be free to write and publish whatever he will. That is the language now of the constitution and the screen and the news reel seems to me is a publication of the same sort. Interrogating Mr. Quigley again started. Q: Why do you advocate this proposal? We think you have the same right now. A: I would like to answer that if I might by saying that a few years ago. proceeding on the belief you expressed, this matter was taken thro-ish the courts in one of rtie Eastern states and finally reached the supreme court of the United States where it was held in effect that in the absence of some specific reference to the motion picture 'he court held it could not assume that the motion picture was covered by the amendment. The first day of the Chicago meeting was devoted to screening of the company's latest features, "My Dad," "In the Name of the Law" and "Kick Back," Harry Carey's first R-C picture, and the Carter De Haven and Plum Center comedies. Praises Field Forces During its first year of operation, F. B. O. will have facilities for th« distribution of twenty-four features and a promising list of short subjects, according to Mr. Berman, who spoke highly of the men comprising his field forces. "The convention has been a decided success," said Mr. Berman. "I am gratified over the fine group of men I find in the field. Their enterprise should make F. B. O.'s first year one to be proud of." P. A. Powers, who controls the distributing corporation, was unable to attend the Chicago convention owing to the press of business on the Coast where he is in constant touch with production activities. Among Those Present Branch managers present at the New York meeting were: R. A. Davis of Atlanta; S. E. Fitzgibbon of Boston; E. W. Kramer of Buffalo: Charles R. Rogers of New York; J. M. Flynn of Philadelphia, and Milton Simon of Washington. At the Chicago meeting were the following members of the field force: C. R. Plough of Chicago: E. T. Gomersall of Cincinnati ; Mark Goldman of Cleveland; L. E. Harrington of Dallas: J. S. Nelson of Denver; A. M. Elliott of Detroit; E. M. Booth of Indianapolis ; R. E. Churchill of Kansas City: Frank Jene of New Orleans; William Benjamin of Omaha: A. H. Schnitzer of Pittsburgh; C. D. Beale of San Francisco ; A. W. Carrick of St. Louis, and E. J. Lipson of Seattle. Division managers attending at Chicago were : Joseph Klein, Eastern district ; C. E. Penrod. Central States district, and E. C. Jensen, Western district. Equipment Dealers to Form National Body at Indianapolis Meeting Distributors and dealers of motion picture equipment will gather in a national convention at the Claypool Hotel, Indianapolis, July 13, 14 and 15 for the purpose of organizing a national association in the field. The meeting is called by a special committee composed of H. J. Smith of Hollis. Smith, Morton Company, Pittsburgh : \Y. C. Denney, Argus Enterprises, Cleveland, and Leo F. Dwyer, The Theatre Supply Company, Cleveland, chairman. It is expected that motion picture dealers from all parts of the country will attend the three day session during which the organization will be effected, officers elected and problems of mutual concern discussed. Subjects to be brought up for discussion have already been outlined by the committee and forwarded to equipment dealers. Will H. Hays has been invited to address the gathering. "I couldn't run my show without the HERALD. It comes in on Sunday rooming and I have to stay home and read it instead of going to church." — CHARLES T. Rook, manager, Liberty theatre, Sayre, Okla. "The HERALD is our HOUSE Cat, so to speak. Very valuable." — ODEON THEATRE, Hardin Entertainment Company, Hardin, Mo. * * * "I consider every inch of the HERALD is valuable."— W. CRUICKSHANK, Opera House, Mitchell, Ont.