Exhibitors Herald (1927)

June 4, 1927 EXHIBITORS HERALD 19 Exhibitors Columbus -Bound For Constructive Convention East Sends Own Special to Ohio Theatre Owners from Every State in Union Are Expected By JOHN S. SPARGO (New York Nezvs Editor) NEW YORK, J^ne 1.— -From New York City and other points in New York state the exhibitors will move toward Columbus in good numbers for the eighth annual convention of the M. P. T. O. A. A special Exhibitor section will be attached to the “Ohio State Limited” on die New York Central road next Monday afternoon, leaving Grand Central Station at 4 o’clock and arriving in Columbus at 7 o’clock Tuesday morning. The New York leaving time will be on the daylight saving sdiedule. Among those who will attend from New York are President Sol Raives of the Chamber of Commerce, Sam Sonin, Morris Needles, Rudy Sanders, Charles O’Reilly, John Manheimer, Harry Suchman, Louis Geller, Henry Suchman, Max Felder, William Aitken, Marty Schwartz, Sydney S. Cohen, Clarence Cohen, Charles Steiner, A. F. Schwartz, Louis Blumenthal and others. The attendance will be large, especially from the Middle West and Canadian border states. A very representative series of delegations will also attend from the Eastern and Far Western states according to advice from National Headquarters here, and it is expected that exhibitors will be present from every state in the Union. National President R. F. Woodhull, Chairman Joseph M. Seider of the Administrative Committee, and Business Manager M. J. O’Toole have provided a program for theatre owners which will take up every minute of the time and give constructive force and effect to exhibitor organization. One of the keynotes of the convention will be overseating and overbuilding, and moves will be made to get in touch with all divisions of the business to prevent the continuance of this ruinous policy. A meeting of the Administrative Committee will be held Monday morning, June 6, and the preconvention meeting of the National Directors will be held in the evening of the same day. Governor Vic Donahey of Ohio will be a speaker at the Convention and at the banquet on Wednesday evening. Speaker Nicholas Longworth and Congressman Frand Reid of Illinois are to address the Convention. Attorney Nathan Burkan of New York will also discuss exhibitor problems and Judge Moses Grossman, president of the Arbitration Society of America, has been invited to talk on Arbitration. S. L. Rothafel (Roxy) and Harry Reichenbach will speak. Expect Officers To Be Re-elected Woodhull f Seider and O* Toole Indicated in Line to Retain Posts By ERNEST A. ROVELSTAD . (News Editor) All roads are leading to Columbus, Ohio, this week, with exhibitors from every part of the United States, as well as from Canada and overseas, on their way to the Eighth Annual Convention of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America. National Headquarters has pledged a constructive session, and a complete representation of the theatre owners of the nation is expected to be on hand to participate in that accomplishment, bringing their own problems for solution on the Convention floor. Personnel of the leaders at National Headquarters has presented an unusual situation in the past year and interest in this phase centers in the action to be taken by the Convention in selection of chief officers for the coming year. Since the Los Angeles convention three of the leading offices have changed hands. R. F. Woodhull returned to the presidential chair after Eli Whitney Collins, elected at the last Convention, relinquished the office with his withdrawal from the exhibition field. Joseph M. Seider, business manager, resigned from that position in order to devote his full time to the matters of the Administrative Committee, of which he also was named chairman. M. J. O’Toole, who had been succeeded as president of the M. P. T. O. A. by “Pete” Woodhull at the Milwaukee Convention two years ago, became business manager when Seider left that office. While the determination of the occupants of those offices is to be made on the Convention floor, indications in advance of the meeting“are that Woodhull will be re-elected president, Seider will again be chairman of the Administrative Committee and O’Toole will continue as business manager. Problems to come before the Convention for action will be many, but arbitration, the Uniform Contract, and overseating are expected to engage a great deal of attention. It is possible also that the matter of producer-ownership of theatres again will be aired, but the program as outlined shows the committees have centered their attention upon constructive issues. The list of speakers and their topics points to a covering of the entire field of activities of the industry concerning exhibitors by men who are expert in their departments. There will be addresses on synchronization of music with motion pictures, new lighting devices. Independent production, showmanship, exploitation, the legal aspects of exhibition, and other matters of particular interest to theatre owners. R. F. WOODHULL Is expected to be re-elected president of the M. P. T. O. A. at the Columbus convention. He is Elling out the term of E. W. Collins.