Exhibitors Herald (1927)

October 22, 1927 EXHIBITORS HERALD 19 Deadlock on Producer Theatres EXHIBITOR DELEGATES UNAFFILIATED Albany— L. A . Buettner , Cohoes , N . V.; Meyer Schine, Gloversville , A. Y. Atlanta S. H. Borisky , Chattanooga , Tenn. Boston —Stanley Sumner , Cambridge , Mass.; Nathan Yamins , Fall River, Mass. Buffalo— Jules Michaels, attorney; A. C. Hayman ( Sidney Pfeifer, Buffalo, by proxy, representing all.) Butte — None present. Charlotte Charles W. Picquet , Pinehurst, N. C. Chicago— Ludwig Siegel, Chicago, Jack Miller , Chicago . Cincinnati—/!. Hettesheimer, Cincinnati. Cleveland J. J. Harwood, Cleveland , H. H. Lustig, Cleveland. Dallas — H. A. Cole, Dallas, Sam Hefley , Cameron, Tex. Denver— E. A. Bishop, Denver, Max Shubach, Denver. Des Moines— E. P. Smith, Fort Dodge, Iowa; Harry M. Weinberg, Des Moines. Detroit — James C. Ritter , Detroit; Glenn A. Cross, Battle Creek, Mich. Indianapolis— Billy Conners, Marion, Ind., Frank J. Rembusch, Indianapolis. Kansas City, Mo.— R. R. Biechele, Kansas City , Kan.; A. F. Baker, Kansas City, Kan. Los Angeles — N. B. Berenstein , President Los Angeles M. P. T. O. Los Angeles. Memphis, Little Rock— Cecil W. Cupp, Arkadelphia, Ark. Milwaukee W. A. Bauer, Milwaukee; A. C. Guten berg, Milwaukee. Minneapolis— None present. New Haven J. W. Walsh, Hartford, Conn.; Joseph Shulman, Hartford, Conn. New Orleans — D. L. Suddath, Natchitoches, La.; C. J. Goodwin , Bastrop, La. New Jersey— Sidney Samuelson, Newton. N. J.; Joe Seider, Hightstown, N. J. New York— J. Arthur Hirsch, New York City; Harry Suchman, New York City. Oklahoma City — E. W. Johnson, Tulsa; F. B. Pickrel, Ponca City, Okla. Omaha— C. E. Williams, Omaha; S. F. Kennedy, Broken Bow, Neb. Philadelphia— E. J. Goldman, Philadelphia; Lewen Pizor, Philadelphia. Pittsburgh— Nathan Friedberg, Pittsburgh ; Anthony P. Jim, Pittsburgh. Portland, Ore.^— G. T. Woodlaw, Portland. St. Louis— Oscar C. Lehr, St. Louis; Fred Wehrenberg, St. Louis. Salt Lake City— Proxy by R. F. Woodhull. San Francisco— Morris Gallos, San Francisco; Charles Michaels, San Francisco. Seattle— Ray A. Grombacher, Spokane ; J. M. Hone, Seattle. Washington, D. C.— Herman Blum, Baltimore ; J. Louis Rome, Baltimore. AFFILIATED Griffiths Amusement Corp., J. H. Macfarland. Rickerts & Nace Amusement Enterprises, Inc., F. L. Senff. Naborhood Theatres Corp., Wesley E. Snyder. Universal Chain Theatres Corp., Don Michaeloff . Schine Theatres, Meyer Schine. Balaban & Katz, Max Balaban. Lubliner & Trinz, Ed. Sonnensheim. Shea Operating Corp., Paramount Enterprises Inc., Maine & New Hampshire Theatres, Inc., A. C. Keough. A. E. Blank Theatres Corp., Consolidated Amusements Inc., Savannah Theatres Corp., F. L. Metzler. Skouras Super-Theatre Corp., Spyros Skouras. Great States Theatres, Floyd Brockell. E. J. Sparks Enterprises, Inc., W. S. Butterfield Theatres Inc., Butterfield & Butterfield Theatres. Inc., Marion Coles. Publix Theatres, P. A. Raibourn. Jefferson Amusement Co., Dent Theatres Inc., L. M. Ash. B. F. Keith Corp., Orpheum Circuit, Maurice Goodman and Martin King. F. F. Proctor Circuit, Wm. S. Hart. Harris Amusement Co., L. A. Harris. Loew’s Incorporated, Leopold Friedman and Edward A. Schiller. Loew’s Ohio Theatres, Fred Desberg . ( Continued on page 32) Sides to Air Views in Letters to Commission Producers and Distributors Turn Down Own Committee’s Resolution After Exhibitors Indorse It Says Myers: “ The committee appointed to negotiate a new contract have an opportunity to do much in the way of providing against conditions that are now the subject of complaint” (Special to the Herald) NEW YORK, Oct. 18. — The matter of the acquisition of theatres by producing and distributing companies, generally considered one of the most important problems of the conference closely following in importance the subject of block booking, was discussed at intervals during several of the sessions. Resolutions were presented by the exhibitor and distributor groups, but the conference ended with no definite action taken, and no resolution agreed upon for acceptance by the Federal Trade Commission. It was finally decided, late in the closing session, to permit both sides to the controversy to communicate their views to the Trade Commissioner by letter. The matter was brought up by the exhibitor group on the third day of the conferences, through the following resolution: RESOLVED, That the building, buying, leasing or otherwise acquiring or threatening so to do, of any theatre building or buildings, or theatre or theatres, for the purpose and with the intent, or with the effect of intimidating or coercing an exhibitor or exhibitors of motion picture films to lease or book and exhibit motion picture films produced or offered for lease or leased by a producer or distributor, or for the purpose and with the intent or with the effect of intimidating or coercing an exhibitor or exhibitors of motion picture films to surrender his theatre holdings either in whole or in part, is an unfair trade practice. This was objected to by the distributor group and Commissioner Myers instructed that the resolutions committee of each group confer in an effort to draw a resolution which would be acceptable to both sides. At the Friday session Joseph M. Seider announced that J. Robert Rubin, of the distributors, had drawn a resolution which was accepted by the exhibitors. He then read the following: RESOLVED, That the acquisition or operation by a producer or dis Code of Ethics Waits For Month or Two The code of ethics to be promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission as a result of the conference is not expected to be issued for a month or two. Commissioner Abram S. Myers obtained a large amount of inf or-, mation on the larger subjects such as block booking, and this will be turned over to the full Commission. Out of this information the code of ethics will be shaped. tributor in any manner of a motion picture theatre in any territory, or the exhibition of motion pictures by a producer or distributor in a place other than a theatre in any territory, or threatening by a producer or distributor to acquire or operate a theatre in any territory, or to exhibit pictures in a place other than a theatre in any territory, not in good faith to engage in the business of exhibiting motion pictures for profit in such territory or not in good faith to advertise the pictures of such producer or distributor in such territory, but for the purpose and with the intent of intimidating or coercing an exhibitor or exhibitors in such territory to lease, book or exhibit the motion pictures of such producer or distributor, or to sell or surrender to such producer or distributor the theatre interests of such exhibitor, or any interest therein, is an unfair trade practice. Immediately there were several objections from the producer and distributor sections. Mr. Seider pointed out that the resolution had been prepared by the distributors and expressed surprise that there should be objection to it from that side of the house. Mr. Rubin appeared equally surprised. However, after much discussion the resolution was sent back to the producers and distributors to be revamped, as a number of them said they had not had opportunity to consider it. On the final day of the session the resolution was brought up as unfinished business. The producers and distributors stated that they had not had time to work out a new resolution on the subject. Harry Suchman, chairman of the exhibitors resolution committee, then read the exhibitors’ resolution into the record, and apparently both sides are as far apart as ever on this important question. Announcement was made from the conference floor by the chairmen of the producer and distributor groups that they concurred in the sentiment of the exhibitors’ resolution, but not in the verbiage in which it was presented.