Exhibitors Herald (Mar-Apr 1924)

32 KXHIBITORS HERALD April 5, 1924 Ray With Ince — Star to Typify American Youth A contract has been closed whereby Charles Ray returns to the Thomas H. Ince studios to work again under the guidance of his discoverer and mentor. Details of the new Ray pictures have not been fully determined, but both the star and the producer declare that the productions will be made in strict accord with public demand that Ray return to the type of happy, wholesome American youth that first were made popular by him. No particulars concerning distribution have been announced, although the initial subject will go into production shortly. Ray entered pictures eleven years ago as one of a mob at Inceville. He then worked under the Ince banner for eight years before becoming a star-producer. THOMAS H. INCE CHARLES RAY Exhibitor Leaders Snub True; Cohen Ready for Legal Action (Continued from page JO) and agreed to serve. Later Mr. Watts sent the following letter to Mr. True asking him to have his name withdrawn from the advisory committee: " 'Kindly withdraw my name from your advisory board of the Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation of New York At the time you wired me for the use of my name I did not understand that the Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation of New York was entirely new and foreign to the one of Delaware in which I am a stockholder.' Disproves True Action Another officer similarly addressed by Mr. True, was National Director John A. Schwalm of Hamilton, O. Mr. Schwalm agreed to serve but after learning the real facts in the case wrote to Mr. True asking that his name be withdrawn. He also wrote a letter to President Sydney S. Cohen of the Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation of Delaware, saying that he did not approve of Mr. True's actions in the matter and would not, under any circumstances, be a party to any further disorganizing moves. "Another official similarly addressed by Mr. True was national vice president, Eli Whitney Collins of Jonesboro, Ark., who is also president of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Arkansas. After agreeing to serve on the advisory committee under the same misapprehension, Mr. Collins wrote to Mr. True stating to liini that he gave his consent to act on the advisory committee through a misunderstanding of the facts and that he desired his name to be withdrawn. In his letter to Mr. True, he said in part: " 'I have, since answering your wire of a few days ago, wherein I accepted appointment on the advisory board of the Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation, learned that the offer concerned a different organization than the one with which I had always associated the name and that the new one did not include some of the leading officers concerned with the original. In short, the matter seems to be of a more or less personal nature between yourself and various other men. I am not in a position to make a personal investigation in the facts of the case and would not, under any consideration, become involved in any differences between you and the men with whom you were associated in the Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation. I hope you will accept this letter in the kindly spirit in which it is written and drop my name from any list that you intend using for the reasons as outlined above.' Lick Also Withdraws "National director, C. A. Lick of Fort Smith, Ark., was also the recipient of a letter from Mr. True. Mr. Lick agreed to serve and later withdrew his agreement under circumstances similar to the other officers mentioned above. "Following is a copy of wire sent to W. A. True by Martin G. Smith, president of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Ohio, relative to use of his name as member of the advisory hoard of new company formed by William A. True and Carl Anderson: " 'William A. True, 723 Seventh avenue, New York City. Circumstances under which new corporation was formed and of which I was not advised make it impossible for me to connect my name with your movement. Please consider my acceptance of appointment on your advisory board withdrawn. Martin G. Smith.' "In each instance Mr. Cohen received direct information from the officers who were under the misapprehension indicating to him that they had no desire whatever to assist in any move which threatened the integrity of the original company and were entirely mistaken in their view of it when they gave their consent to serve on the advisory committee." True Makes Charges In explaining his position, Mr. True charges that "mysterious influences are blocking every constructive move." Tn a statement reviewing the situation, he says : "In t he interest of progress and results and for the entire removal of obstructionists it may be necessary to stage a Teapot Dome investigation of politics in the exhibitor ranks of the picture industry.'' He charges that "mysterious influences are blocking every constructive move made by the theatre owners in their attempt to promote cooperative picture distribution and that these influences suddenly became bold and daring when the first picture put out by the Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation was ready for release and that further mysteries enshrouded and handicapped progress immediately preceding and following the annual meeting of the stockholders of the Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation; that the wielders of mystery were content to marktime and prevent results for what purpose and to what end the theatre owner public has not yet learned. "The plans of theatre owner distribution of pictures almost universally accepted and adopted by exhibitor organization a year ago, can now develop to maturity without interruption," continues Mr. True. "We now know definitely that any opposition to the plan was the opposition of a few individuals and not of the exhibitor rank and file. "Telegrams and letters from prominent theatre owners have been pouring into our offices, the number and tenor of which prove beyond doubt that our fight to locate and kill the mysterious influences which blocked the movements of exhibitor distribution during the past year was a fight well worth while. Should similar opposition and complications develop, we can promise the motion picture industry to the Teapot Dome investigation that will prove interesting to the theatre owner public. Meanwhile we are taking advantage of a clear field to make theatre owners' distribution a fact and not a fancy, to show definite and constructive results." That William A. True has thrown his hat in the ring to fight to a finish may be gleaned from extracts of a letter which he wrote to Sydney S. Cohen under date of March 15: "I have at no time sought to dodge any of the responsibilities which I assumed, but quite to the contrary I have contributed liberally of my money and my time to protect and safeguard the interests of the company and the investments of the minority stockholders who had no vote and no voice in the operation of the business. While I was president of the corporation, as you very well know, I repeatedly attempted to clear the way toward obtaining pictures for distribution. That was the purpose for which we organized, but invariably I was blocked by my fellow members on the board, and at no time did any one of them offer any substitute plan that could in any wise effectuate the purpose of the corporation." Fight Film Case Is Renewed in Wisconsin (Special to Exhibitors Herald) MILWAUKEE, WIS., March 25.— As a result of testimony before the congressional committee investigating the activities of Attorney General Daugherty, United States District Attorney Roy L. Morse has announced that he will conduct a rigid investigation here to discover if he can why arrests did not follow the returning of indictments here two years ago as a result of the handling of the Dempsey-Carpentier and the DempseyWillard fight films. One indictment named Fred C. Quimby, who testified before the congressional committee. In addition to Quimby those charged in the indictment with conspiracy were W. A. Aschmann and Otto Meister. Named in the second indictment are J. Flaherty, Lee Simpson and W. S. Altman of Chicago, and Henry Goldenberg of Milwaukee.