Exhibitors Herald (Mar-Apr 1924)

April 5, 1924 E X 1 1 I 1! IT O R S HERALD 19 Exhibitor Leaders Snub True; Cohen Ready for Legal Action Probe of Organization Politics Is Suggested President of T. O. D. C. No. 2, Charges "Mysterious Influences' 9 Block Constructive Work By JOHN S. SPARGO {New York Editor of Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, March 25.— Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation No. 2, the one promulgated recently by W. A. True and Carl Anderson, is in for some rough sledding if Sydney S. Cohen and Harry Davis, the most active officials and stockholders of Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation No. 1, can provide the going. Mr. Cohen as president of the M. P. T. 0. A. and also of T. 0. D. C. No. 1, and Harry Davis of Pittsburgh, have reconciled their differences in an effort to protect the exhibitors who are interested in the original exhibitors distributing organization. Want An Accounting on "After the Ball" Efforts will be made at once to compel the True T. O. D. C. from using that corporate name, and also to compel Anderson Pictures Corporation to make an accounting on the picture, "After the Ball," to T. O. D. C. No. 1. A meeting will be held within the next day or two on the question of beginning legal action, and it is understood that immediate application for an injunction will be filed looking to bring about the above results. Committee After Special Rates for Boston Gathering (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, March 25.— The committee having in charge the details of the national convention of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America, which will be held in Boston May 27, 28, and 29, plans to make the gathering, which is the last over which Sydney S. Cohen will preside as president, a notable one. Information obtained at national headquarters is to the effect that many exhibitors from all parts of the United States are planning on making the trip to the New England capital, and that an attendance of more than 200 is expected from Canada. These are members of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Canada, which organization is affiliated with the M. P. T. O. A. To Report on Legislation The committee, which is composed of prominent exhibitors from the five New England states, is making arrangements for special hotel and railroad rates and it is expected that these will be announced within the next week. Special programs will be arranged for each day of the convention and a number of the statesmen of national repute are expected. An invitation has been extended to President Coolidge to be the guest of the theatre owners amid the scenes of his earlier triumphs. Plans for the convention are set forth in the following statement : ''Reports will be made on legislative activities at Washington, which will include the admission and seat tax repeal moves, the action now associated with the elimination of the music license tax, and the turning back of all moves designed to inflict upon this industry national censorship. "Theatre owners will be shown how these lines of action have saved them directly upwards of $15,000,000, and will save the business over $50,000,000 a year in impending moves certain to be consummated as well as vast amounts in other dividends not to speak of the money value of good will built up in the official mind in nation and state. Seek Express Reduction "Other reports will tell of moves to reduce express and parcel post rates to exhibitors by reclassification of our shipments. The equitable contract recently placed in operation by the national officers will be considered and an effort made to have it generally used. The condition of prints and other supplies with respect to cost, rebates and other charges will be discussed. There will be an inside report on music tax, on radio activity and how to make it serve the theatre and on the extension of public activities." The following statement was issued today from the office of Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation No. 1. "Immediately following the announcements of the incorporation of the Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation organized under the laws of New York by W. A. True and Carl Anderson, which was done while Mr. True was still an officer and director of the Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation organized under the laws of the state of Delaware, and with which he was officially connected for fifteen months, Mr. True sent out a number of telegrams and letters to leading exhibitors throughout the country requesting them to act as members of an advisory board to pass upon pictures and in such ways associate themselves in the development of the business affairs of his corporation. Charges Misrepresentation "These telegrams and letters were peculiarly worded and nothing was contained in same to give the impression to the theatre owners addressed, that the company referred to was a different Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation than the one organized by Mr. True and other theatre owners under the laws of Delaware in December, 1922. "No statement was made of any kind that the directors and stockholders who were associated with him in the company generally known as the Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation were not associated with him in this new company. The impression created in every instance was that the company Mr. True referred to was the original company and he was attempting to advance its business interests. "As a result of this erroneous impression he received a number of acceptances from different theatre owners agreeing to serve on this committee. "Following the giving of their consent by these theatre owners, came information through the trade press and otherwise that the company Mr. True represented was not the company he was formerly associated with and that their impression of the same was therefor an error. These theatre owners immediately wired him requesting their names be taken from the advisory board, as they had an entirely false impression of the situation and they had no desire whatever to participate in the affairs of a new company while the original concern was still in business and carrying out its purposes. Seegert Asks Withdrawal "National committeeman, Fred C. Seegert of Milwaukee, president of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Wisconsin, was one of the theatre owner leaders communicated with by Air. True and who agreed to serve on the advisory committee under the misapprehension indicated above. Mr. Seegert on learning of the true situation immediately wrote to Mr. True saying that he was surprised that 'you should ask me or anyone else to act in an advisory capacity of one distributing company with the impression that such person accepting was consenting to become an advisor to another. Your wire to me was very incomplete since I have found out a little more about what was going on. I personally like to play fair and feel that you do too, but I believe you have made a serious mistake and are in reality misleading exhibitors when no doubt your intent and purposes are to help them. I do not care to enter into any controversy in this matter and so therefore ask that you kindly withdraw my acceptance wired you recently consenting to act in an advisory capacity.' "W. W. Watts, of Springfield, 111., one of the leading exhibitors in the Middle West and a member of the board of directors of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Illinois, was also written to by Mr. True under the same conditions (Continued on page 5^)