Exhibitors Herald (Jul-Sep 1922)

July 29. 1922 EXHIBITORS HERALD 35 Hoy System Is Abandoned By Big Distributor Group Members of the M. P. P. D. A. Withdraw Support From Adjustment Agency— Exhibitors' Protest to Hays Regarded as the Reason By JOHN S. SPARGO (New York News Editor) NEW YORK, July 18. — While no official announcement has been made it is positively known that the distributors who are members of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America have decided to abandon the use of the Hoy System in the Adjustment of grievances. One of the results of the long series of conferences between Will H. Hays and the three exhibitor bodies is a method arrived at which makes the Hoy System objectionable to exhibitor and distributor alike. Forecasts Abandonment of Entire System The withdrawal of support of the companies in the Hays organization leaves the Hoy System with so few clients that it is thought that an abandonment of the entire movement is but a matter of a short time. Will Hays Goes West To Inspect Studios Tm Going to See People Who Make Pictures," He Wires (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, July IS.— Will H. Hays s on his way to Los Angeles to see at lose range the making of motion picures and the people who make them, •"or some time past it has been expected hat Mr. Hays would make a trip to the Toast, but no date was set. Last Friday Mr. Hays left New York o spend the week end with his family vhich is summering in Michigan. It sas expected that he would be back in ■few York this Tuesday morning. Telegram Is Received. Yesterday the following telegram was eceived from Mr. Hays by Courtland imith : "I am going to California to see the ieople who make pictures and the men vho direct them." At Mr. Hay's office it was unknown ust what date he will return, but it is xpected that the trip will take at least hree weeks. Committees to Continue During the absence of Mr. Hays the ommitttes having the adjustment of natters between the distributors and exlibitors in hand will continue the work if smoothing out the details. But the greement which has already been pracicaHy reached will not be signed until lis return. Local Censors Have Hit Snag in Kansas (Special to Exhibitors Herald) KANSAS CITY, KAN., July 18.— An mportant question in censorship will be deided in Kansas next week by Attorney ieneral Richard Hopkins. Recently several Kansas towns have taken authority upon hemselves to supervise the censoring of inductions already passed upon by the Kansas state board of censorship. In many ases, according to M. Van Praag. president f the M. P. T. O. Kansas, important parts f film have been cut by the self-instituted ensors of the cities, causing no end of rief to the exhibitors, who had purchased he production, already passed upon by the tate board, under the presumption that the lm was immune from anv further censorig. as far as Kansas was concerned. "I have every confidence in the world lat Attorney General Hopkins immediately • ill put a stop to this unfair practice," said Ir. Van Praag. fames Leaves World First of Next Month Arthur James, who has been editor of he Moving Picture World for the past wo years, has resigned, effective the first f August. No announcement has been lade of Mr. James' successor, although . has been reported it will be Robert E. \ elsh, recently with the Wid Gunning oranization. and prior to that managing edi3r of the Motion Pictun; News. To See Hampton Film (Special to Exhibitors Herald) LOS ANGELES, July 18.— Benjamin • Hampton will give a preview of Hearts Haven" to a specially invited hnstian Science audience at Cosmoart tudios. The decision to withdraw was reached as the result of a clearer insight into the workings of the Hoy System brought about by the conferences, when it was clearly shown that some of the angles of the system were in direct variance with the plan worked out by the conferences to govern arbitration. There will be a series of Film Boards of Trade in operation in all of the exchange centers of the country. The arbitration boards of these various units will be maintained with an equal number of exchange men and exhibitors. Just what the number will be has not been discussed. When settlements cannot be made in the exchange centers, there will be recourse to a national board of appeal which will sit in New York and which will have an equal representation from distributors. Cohen Issues Statement The following statement was issued by Sydney S. Cohen: "In view of the developments of the Copyright : Harris & Ewing. WILL H. HAYS has departed for the Coast to "see the people who make pictures and the men who direct them." past few weeks involving the suit of Fred G. Nixon Nirdlinger of Philadelphia against the Film Board of Trade and other agencies there using the socalled Hoy System, tile Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America are positively opposed to any blacklisting proposition of this character brought about through the efforts of a self appointed board of judges who assume to impose their dictum upon the exhibitor without any opportunity of appeal, and as an alternative to obeying their mandates use the Hoy System and resort to the illegal practice of forcing a dark house upon the exhibitor by withholding film through improper processes. Will Support Nirdlinger "It is unbelievable that any such line of conduct could be tolerated in this business which, because of its peculiar character, must have mutuality as one of its fundamental features. "The Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America are firmly behind Mr. Nirdlinger in his actions. We stand for fair and square business dealings and honest arbitration with both sides properly represented." Brackett Returns With Sixteen Jap Subjects Robert A. Brackett, who has spent the last six months in Japan, passed through Chicago on Saturday, July 15, en route to New Y'ork to arrange for distribution of sixteen one-reel subjects which treat of "people and things Japanese." The films portray the manners and customs of the Oriental people. The producer said that during his stay in Japan he was accorded every facility for production purposes, and that he found the Japanese people willing cooperators. Harold B. Franklin New Head of Black Theatres Harold B. Franklin has been elected president of Black's New England Theatres, Inc., which were acquired recently by Paramount. Mr. Franklin's headquarters will be in Boston.