The Film Daily (1921)

Z^B&ADSTREET of FILMDOM 7/fcRECOCHIZED Authority OL. XVI No. 77 Friday, June 17, 1921 Price 5 Centi A. P. T. O. I "*aws Up Uniform Contract and ubmits It To All Distributors 'ommittee on Bu .iness Relations Finally Draws Up Form — Planned to Show It to All Exhibitors Assembled for Minnenoolis Convention — Present Copy M; j Undergo Revisions If Need For Them Develops at Meeting Following is a copy of a tentative uniform contract drawn up by he Committee on Business Relations of the M. P. T. O. A., and submitted to all distributors. It will also be submitted to the exhibitors at linneapolis. The members of the committee are: E. T. Peter, Dallas; H. H. ,ustig, Cleveland; W. D. Burford, Aurora, 111.; John Evans, Philadelphia; '. H. Burkey, Kansas City, Mo.; John Mannheimer, Brooklyn, N. Y. ; M. idelhertz and S. Morass, New York. The text: THIS AGREEMENT, made the ay of 19 , between , ereinafter called the exhibitor, and ereinafter called the distributor, WITESSETH : 1. The distriDutor agrees to let and the diihitor agrees to hire the films hereinafter Jecified for the dates hereinafter specified. Name of Subject Date of Exhibition I 2. The exhibitor agrees to pay for each lm as follows : | 3. The exhibitor agrees to exhibit said motion pictures only on the date or dates hereinbefore set forth. I 4. The distributor agrees that it will furish the exhibitor with a copy of each film It time for exhibition at the theater of the rhihitor on each of the dates above set forth. I S. The exhibitor aerees that it will be esponsible for the film. That if the film li lost, destroyed or damaged, the exhibitor 'ill pay to the distributor therefor the sum f per lineal foot of film so destroyed r damaged, in full settlement of all claims. 6. If the distributor fails to deliver any ne of the films above listed according to the ;rms of this contract, then, and in that vent, the exhibitor, at his option, may deIare the entire contract void. 7. During the life of this agreement, the istributor agrees that it shall not permit he exhibition of any films above specified ] any other theater in until ays after the final date of showing of such lm, as above set forth. The distributor nd exhibitor, recognizing the impossibility if ascertaining the exact amount of damages ■hat may be sustained by the exhibitor in he event of a breach by the distributor of ny of the provisions of this paragraph, it I hereby agreed by both parties hereto, hat in the event of such a breach, the disributor will pay to the exhibitor as liquiated damages an amount equal to double ihe amount of the rental price paid or tiarged for such picture, and in addition hereto, any sum or sums charged by or paid o the distributor, to or by any theater or heaters where such picture may be shown, n breach of the provision of this paragraph. 8. In the event that the distributor shall ail to provide the exhibitor with any of he above pictures at the time above speciied, it is hereby agreed that the distributor "ill pay to the exhibitor as liquidated lamages in accordance with the provision ■f the foregoing paragraph, an amount equal o double the rental value of the picture, so liled to be delivered, except that if such nilures occur on Saturdays, Sundays or olidays, the amount of liquidated damages o be paid by the distributor shall be treble he rental value. If, in such event, the disributor sends a substitute film for the one lerein provided for, the exhibitor, if he ccepts such substitute, shall not be obliged (Continued on Page 2) Profits $1,471,861 Loew's Financial Statement Issued — Gross Income Over 18 Million — Rumors Discounted The financial statement of Loew's, Inc., and affiliated corporations was made public yesterday afternoon. It shows that Loew's, Inc., has operated at a profit of $1,471,861.39 for the 30 weeks' period beginning Sept. 1 and ending May 8, 1921. Total income in that period was $18,024,792.15, and total operating expense, $15,592,421.13. There are $5,949,208.72 tied up in construction work, and mortgages on real estate total $6,311,750.02. Operation of the distribution system maintained by Metro cost $1,461,616.77. The statement contains a message to the stockholders of the company fram Marcus Loew, in which he states the company has made a number of investments not yet fully productive. Here is mentioned "The Four Horsemen" and the following: The theater and 16-story office building at Broadway and 45th St., New York. Theater and office building at Broadway and 83rd St.. New York. Theater building at Gates and Broadway, Brooklyn. Theater and office building at Broad and New St., Newark. Theater and commercial building at Massachusetts, Ave., Boston. Theater and 10-story office building at Market and Taylor St., San Francisco. Theater and 12-story office building at 7th and Broadway, Los Angeles. The concluding paragraph states: "Notwithstanding any rumors to the contrary, I want to assure you that I have no theatrical interests except as a stockholder of your company. From the foregoing statements, you have every reason to ignore the wild rumors, and not to be discouraged by what is happening in the stock market." Kent of Famous Answers to Charges of Mattoon, 111., and Willimantic,, Conn. Takes Full Responsibility of Attacks Made on Zukor — Says Correspondence Dates of Mattoon Incident Indicate Decided Lapse of Time and "Long Before Any Difficulty" Developed — Gives Prices Offered — Says Company Tried to Get Landlord to Rent Willimantic House to Schwartz Holt To Star Elevated by Famous Players-Lasky — Company Announces Fall Production Schedule (Special to WID'S DAILY) Los Angeles — Jack Holt is to star for Famous Players-Lasky. He has been leading man in Paramount Pictures for some time past. S. R, Kent, in charge of distribution of Famous Players, yesterday issued a statement relative to the charges made upon Adolph Zukor with regard to the Mattoon, 111., incident and relative to the case of H. Schwartz, an exhibitor, of Willimantic, Conn., by the M. P. T. O. A. Because of the importance of these matters the statement is printed in full. Mr. Kent goes into the matter in detail and in his reply says: The Facts on Matton, 111. "At a meeting of exhibitors held in Kansas City, a few weeks ago, certain statements were made by officials of the Exhibitor's Association regarding the difficulties between Mr. B. Uran, of Mattoon, 111., and ourselves. "These statements were later repeated before the exhibitors of New York City. "The case above cited has been used in an attack upon Mr. Zukor and the Famous Players-Lasky Corp., as tending to show the trend of their policy with relation to the independent exhibitors of the country. "The responsibility of this organization in the Mattoon matter rests with the writer, and with no one else. No one else in this organization knows anything of the details. "The facts of the Mattoon situations have not been printed, neither have the statements made borne any semblance of the real truth. "In the issue of June 11th, 'The Exhibitors' Trade Review,' reprinter a letter addressed to Mr. Uran by Mr. Akers. in which Mr. Akers asks if Mr. Uran would be interested ir selling the controlling interest in his theater. "I want to repudiate this statemem of Mr. Akers. It was made independently by him without the knowledge of the writer or anyone else ir this company. "I shall be glad to show to an> interested party, all of the orieina correspondence between Mr. Urar and Mr. Akers. which will prove conclusively that this organization hac nothing to do whatever with thi; matter. The Date of the Letter "Furthermore. 'The Trade Review stated that this letter was writter toward the end of the month of May or some three months after Mr (Continued on Page 3) Coincident with the arrival of the above dispatch, the Famous Players offices announced that Holt was to star for the organization. His first picture will be "The Man Who Sold Himself." He is now at work on a William DeMille Prod., "The Stage Door." The Ayres Announcement Famous Players also officially announced yesterday what has been published in these columns frequently: that Agnes Ayres is to star for the company. She will return to Los Angeles shortly to start work. F. P. Announces Plans Famous Players-Lasky yesterday afternoon issued a lengthy statement outlining its production policy for the 1921-1922 season. About 60 productions were listed for the new season and more promised. Details will appear in tomorrow's issue. Leaving for Tour and Home W. A. Gibson, managing director of Australasian Films, Ltd., and Stuart F. Doyle, managing director of Union Theaters, Ltd., leave New York Saturday for a trip around the country. They will connect with a boat leaving for Sydney. San Francisco July 9