Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Oct-Dec 1928)

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October 20. 1928 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD 21 Expect Fireworks at Toronto With Revival of Allied States Illinois and Kansas to "Go Along" withMPTO Ohio in Accord with National Organization but Thinks Small Town Slighted By ERNEST A. ROVELSTAD A Convention Is Always A Convention By EDWIN S. CLIFFORD CONVENTION HEADQUARTERS, TORONTO, October 16. — The skeptical who did not believe that the gathering of motion picture theatre owners at Toronto would attract more than a corporal's guard were mistaken although things do not really get under way until tomorrow. The lobby of the King Edward hotel looks just exactly like the lobby of every other hotel where conventions have been held in previous years. ♦ * « 100 From States Already There Attendance figures are not yet available but it appears that fullv 100 theatre owners from the states are here already and Stragglers are still arriving. Add to that another hundred from Canada and it makes a pretty impressive turnout. Breakfast this morning was just exactly like breakfast at every other convention. At one table could be seen Charley Pettijohn in earnest conversation with a group of five other men. Mike Comerford strolled into the dining room. The center of another group as usual in the lobby were score* of familiar faces — Jack Miller, Biechele, Wood, of Ohio, Lightman and Norman of Arkansas, George DeKruif of National Theatre Supply and many others and as at all past conventions everyone milled around shaking hands, going from group to group. » ♦ » Allied Revival Is Live Topic The news from Kalamazoo that the Allied States organization was to be revived furnished a general topic of conversation, but to the press at least everyone seemed a bit cautious about making comment. Jack Miller was an exception. As usual he was perfectly willing to state where he stood emphatically. He will remain with the National organization and will not go along with the Allied. On the other hand Wood of Ohio stated emphatically that his state would cast its lot with the Allied States. Others were more reticent. Underneath there seemed to be just the possibility of some fireworks. While the Allied group declare themselves out of the National organization, their presence here indicates that they may attempt to tell the convention just why they are out. National officers refuse to be drawn into a controversy but intimate that the Allied will not be permitted to air their grievances here. * . * * Prohibition Issue Is Investigated Toronto's way of handling the prohibition question is of course being investigated by a great many of the visitors from the slates. Nearly half apparently have paid their $2 and taken out a permit which entitled them to buy and possess liquor with their choice of every kind of beverage anyone could want. (Continued on page 32) EmeM A. Rovelstad CONVENTION HEADQUARTERS, TORONTO, Oct. 16.— Decision of Allied States to reorganize was the big topic of lobby discussion as the MPT OA convention opened this noon with a luncheon in the Crystal ball room of the King Edward hotel, but officially the organization had not been advised of Allied's action at Kalamazoo and Allied was not recognized by the national organization. While the leaders of the M P T O A refused to be quoted as to their stand on the Kalamazoo movement, and declared that the subject was not even brought up in the meeting of the board of directors last night, the rank and file were looking for fireworks on the convention floor despite the statement of Allied men at the Michigan meeting that they would sit in only as observers. Allied Must Declare Self As the credentials committee went into session this afternoon it was said that members of Allied would have to declare themselves definitely in or out of the convention before decision would be made as to their right to vote. Officers of the national organization not only questioned the claims of Allied of having 14 states lined up, but even went on to declare that they doubted whether Allied could muster more than five and that would include the Steffes group of Minnesota, the Dakotas and Montana, as well as Michigan. This contention of the national organization was confirmed by the declaration of Tack Miller that Illinois would stand solidly behind the M PTOA. Miller declared: "Illinois will not go along with Allied. We'll stick with the national organization." However, the arrival of P. J. Wood in a delegation of 18 from Ohio, which Wood declared would go in with Allied, was taken to indicate strength for the Steffes-Richey group. The Ohio representation was one of the largest from the States. Ohio Still in Accord, But — Wood declared that Ohio would take action at its convention November 20 and 21. "We're still in perfect accord with the policy of the national organization to include in its membership the chain theatre and even the distributor-owned theatre," said Wood, "but we feel that the most urgent need today is some action to benefit the small town theatre and this thing the national organization has absolutely neglected. Unless something is done, the small town theatre is headed toward extinction." Despite Allied's claim, it appeared that Wisconsin, Missouri and Kansas had not deflected from the M P T O A. Henry Staab, business manager of the Wisconsin (Continued on page 32)