Exhibitors Herald (1927)

September 17, 1927 EXHIBITORS HERALD 15 Amicable End of Paramount Case Seen; New Delay Granted Trade Body Gives P-F-L 60 More Days to Comply Decision Indicates Conference on Block Booking Will Take Place Before November 1 (Washington Bureau of The Herald ) WASHINGTON, Sept. 13. — Possibilities of an amicable settlement of the Federal Trade Commission’s case against Paramount are seen in the granting last week of an extension of 60 days in the time within which the company must comply with the commission’s order of July 9, requiring Paramount (then Famous Players-Lasky Corporation) and Adolph Zukor and Jesse L. Lasky to cease and desist from “continuing a conspiracy among themselves or with other persons to lessen competition and restrain trade; the practice of block booking; and acquiring or threatening to acquire theatres for the purpose of coercing exhibitors to book films of the defendant company.” Indicated Conference Before Nov. 1 The commission’s announcement of the extension of time granted Paramount indicates that the contemplated trade practice conference of the motion picture industry will take place within the 60-day period of grace granted, or before November 1. The conference is to consider the question of voluntarily banning block booking and other practices complained of by the commission and, if such action is taken, and Paramount agrees to abide by the code of ethics drafted by the industry, no further action will be taken by the commission with respect to its July order. Cities Need Motion Pictures Declares Newspaper Writer (Special to the Herald) BROOKLYN, Sept. 13. — Commenting on the recent closing of motion picture theatres in Chicago, an editorial writer for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle points out the dangers of a city without pictures. He has this to say: “No doubt there are plenty of persons who fail to see anything alarming in a situation of this kind (a city without pictures) but that is a superficial view. To eliminate movies from city life, without putting something in their place would be serious in the extreme. . . . To balance things one has to consider what the millions of persons who now spend their time in the comparatively harmeless movie theatres might be doing if they lacked that diversion.” Labor Commission Will Quiz Film School Man (Special to the Herald) HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 13.— The state labor commission issued a summons last week ordering U. A. Dailey, film school proprietor, to appear before the commission to answer a charge of violating the employment agency act by operating without a license. According to Charles S. Lowl, attorney for the labor commission, Dailey’s school has been offering free screen tests to induce prospective screen actors to pay $250, for a course of instruction in acting and a nromise of employment, when it was completed. Sunday Chautauqua, So Farewell Blue Laws (Special to the Herald) AUDUBON, IA., Sept. 13. — Repeal this week of the two-year-old blue law passed by the city officials of Audubon, la., followed a protest presented a few weeks ago by E. M. Johnson, motion picture manager, after a Chautauqua company had been permitted to put on a Sunday concert. Mr. Johnson pointed out to the city council that the entertainment given by the company, came under the blue law and asserted his own rights in the matter. Many protests against the law have been filed in the past two years. The repeal becomes effective at once and the motion picture house will show Sundays. Frankie Darro Saves Mother, Reports Say ( Special to the Herald ) HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 13. — Frankie Darro saved his mother from being crushed under the heels of a horse recently, according to reports from F B O. Mrs. Darro’s horse threw her when a snake ran across the path, and Frankie succeeded in dragging his mother from under the heels of the horse. Edward Hearne is nursing a broken rib as a result of a fight staged by him and Tom Tyler during the filming of F B O’s “The Desert Pirate.” A large number of industries have met in similar conferences, discussed unfair methods of competition and adopted rules of practice. If the conference represents a substantial majority of an industry, the rules it adopts become the standards of practice for the entire industry, and the failure of any member to abide by them results in action by the commission. Will Cooperate in Sessions “Extension for the second 60-day period was requested by the respondents so they could participate in a trade practice conference of the entire motion picture industry likely to be held soon under auspices of the Federal Trade Commission,” it was explained at the offices of the commission. “In requesting the extension the Famous Players and Messrs. Zukor and Lasky, through their attorneys, announced their desire to cooperate in the trade practice conference in working out a set of well defined trade principles to be followed by the industry in the future. It was on these grounds that the commission granted the request. “Further action by the Federal Trade Commission in respect of the pending orders against Famous Players-Lasky and Messrs. Zukor and Lasky will depend in some measure upon the results of the trade practice conference and upon whether or not the unfair practices condemned by the conference, and which the industry will undertake to eliminate will cover to the satisfaction of the commission the acts with which the respondents are charged. In particular it would depend on whether or not the respondents agreed to refrain from the unfair practices condemned by the conference.” Distributing Prizes to Patrons Illegal, Says Chicago Law Official It is illegal for owners of motion picture theatres to distribute prizes among patrons, according to an opinion Monday by Francis J. Vurpillat, assistant corporation counsel. Isis Theatre, Houston, Has $2000 Fire Loss (Special to the Herald) HOUSTON, Sept. 13.— Will Horwitz’ Isis theatre was damaged to the extent of $2,000 by fire originating in the boiler room recently. Patrons were ushered out of the theatre without any semblance of a panic. Firemen put out the blaze before it spread beyond the basement. Bible Class Protests to Hays Against Producers Ridiculing Church in Films ( Washington Bureau of the Herald) WASHINGTON, Sept. 13. — Tactics of some film producers in portraying ministers, church elders, and deacons and congregations in ridiculing fashion are assailed in a letter to Will Hays yesterday by the Men’s Bible Class of the Wallace Memorial Presbyterian Church. Following indignant discussion of film characterizations, the class determined to seek the assistance of the Ministerial Association of the District of Columbia in an effort to make its protest effective.