The Film Daily (1921)

-jM^ mm DA1L.V Wednesday, June 22, lft Vol. XVI No. 82 Wednesday. June 22, 1921 Price 5 Cents Copyright 1921. Wid's Film and Film Folks, Inc., Published Daily at 71-73 West 44th St., New York. N. Y.. by WID'S FILMS and FILM FOLKS, IXC F. C. ("Wid") Gunning, President and Treasurer; Toseph Dannenberg, Vice-President and Editor; J. W. Alicoate, Secretary and Manager; J. A. Cron, Advertising Manager. Entered as second-class matter May 21, J918. *t the post office at New York, N. Y., under ; ot" March 3, 1879. Terms (Postage free) United States, Outside of Greater New York, $10.00 one year; 6 months, $5.00; 3 months, $3.00. Foreign $15.00. Subscribers should remit with order. Address all communications to WID'S DAILY, 71-73 West 44th St., New York, N. Y. Telephone; Vanderbilt, 4551-4552-5558 Hollywood, California. Editorial and Business Offices: 6411 Hollywood Blvd. Phone, Hollywood 1603. London Representative — W. A. Williamson, Kinematograph Weekly, 85 Long Acre, London, W. C. 2. Paris Representative — Le Film, 144 Rue Montmartre. Qi Quotations Last Bid. A^ked. Sale Famous Players .. 51 55^ 54H do pfd Not quoted *Gold\wn 3'/2 4 D. VV. Griffith, Inc Not quoted Loew's, Inc 11 11^4 HJ4 Triangle V% Yi ¥» World Film Not quoted ♦Quotations by H. Content & Co. That Barthelmess Party Dick Barthelnuss was the guest at an informal luncheon tendered him erday at the Vanderbilt by Charles H. Duell, president of Iniation Pictures, Inc. J. D. Williams. H. O. Schwalbe, C. L. Yearlsey, Lesley Mason, Horace Judge of First Xational attended, as did the representatives of the press. re were no speeches and everybody had a good time, despite the heat. After the luncheon the party went to Paterson. X. J., where Barthel laid the corner-stone of the new Hamilton theater at Church and Market Sts. The house i; will be ready next is to be operated by the tn' and will show First National product. More Sales [uity Pictures have sold "The k Panther's Cub" for Eastern lia and Southern New JerBen Amsterdam of Philadelphia. orma Talmadge will return to the io in July to begin work on nilin' Through." Zukor Promises (Continued from Page 1) they urged these exhibitors not to continue their methods and that the following morning he found two of i exhibitors in a dressing room of Douglas Fairbanks. "This was the critical period of my life," he said. "I had worked hard. The only thing that I could do was to secure theater.to make sure that my product would get a fair showing." "I never intended to or do not intend to run theaters for any purpose other than to insure the release of my product." He declared that the statement made thai he was seeking to "trustify" the business was preposterous. "This statement was made with a purpose, he said. "What is the ptjrof the men who are trying to malign me? They have called me a liar and a crook, and said that I secret agents after theaters. "I don't want to be personal, but unless we can get together on legislation and see how we can protect our business, what is going to happen?" When he reached the case of Mrs. Pauline Dodge, Zukor, with arms lifted appealed for the appointment of an impartial committee to investigate the charges made with reference to methods being used to obtain theaters. In a voice hoarse with emotion and with his arms appealingly held before him, Zukor said, "Don't try to sacrifice me. I have spent the best years of my life in this business. I have my reputation at stake. I have my family to consider. Nobody has ever charged me before me crucifying anyone. If I am not a fit man to be in this business, then I will get out. I think too much of the picture industry. My record is clean. I will abide by the decision of any fairminded committee." Later he said with regard to the so-called "trustification" and the influence that Famous Players had with banks, "Banks are not played with like children. The fact that the studio of Famous Players is working in these difficult times is an indication that we want to do the best we can even as a matter of insurance to this business. "The Public is bilious on pictures. Next Fall business may not be better than it is now. We have got to make the very best picture possible in the most economical way." "The fact that we are keeping the studio open in this troublesome time is only another indication proving my faith in this business." In closing he declared that he was not trying to apologize to them, as he was trying to make the industry as reliable as any other in the world. Me reiterated the necessity for ople in the Jndtutry standing together. And then closed. At the suggestion of Leo Brcchcr, Senator Walker was asked to take I he floor. Walker Forceful As usual. Senator Walker was forceful and dramatic. At the start he commanded applause by declaring that he was taking his place with the "continentals of the motion picture industry." He said that his presence was practically demanded at the luncheon, inasmuch as he could not secure a postponement of the event until after the Minneapolis meeting, and this, despite that it was a great inconvenience for him to be present in view of an important hearing scheduled for , the Board of Standards and Appeal ' with reference to tanks on theater i roofs, affecting 14 theaters. He said he had made no charges against Mr. Zukor personally, who, ; he declared, would have made a success in any business he entered. "I have never heard such pleading, never beard a man make a semblance of a good case out of a bad one as he has , done." he said. I He produced a copy of "Progress Ad," the Paramount house organ, dated Nov. 7, 1918, and, declaring that facts, couldn't be sidestepped, he read from an ! article signed by Zukor, in which Zukor de | clared that one of the greatest evils of the ■y was the co-ordination of producers and exhibitors. "It was good doctrine in ! those days." declared Walker, "but it isn't evidently so good today. Because that evil , exists today. Exists in Famous Players. ' Connick said in Albany that Famous had over 400 theaters. That's true, isn't it?" j he asked looking at Zukor. "To support it we have the statement filed by that company when it applied for listing its stock on the New York Stock Exchange, which shows | that Famous owns stock of $2,000,000 in the | Southern Enterprises, Inc., operated by a man named Lynch, and operates theaters." Then he read from other financial papers and records that Lynch owned 115 theaters in the South, that Famous had loaned the Stanley Company — which Walker characterized as a theater company — large sums; that it owned 18 theaters in Canada and the 45 houses in the Black organization in New England. He returned to the question of why Zukor would not go to Minneapolis, instead of wanting to answer the questions here, and demand to know : "What fair play is he getting here that lie wouldn't get at Minneapolis? You may trust the trade journals to quote him at length, but you may have to look for my name," said Walker, who then went into details of the case of Mrs. Dodge, reiterating the well known case and demanded at the finish: "If you had to pick on someone why did you pick out a little widow woman who operated a house with a little over 200 seats? Why didn't you pick out someone worthy of your size?" Later he said : "What can these men here expect of you when you camiot control Alfred Black in whose company you have a financial interest? I submit that to you, gentlemen. And Mr. Zukor, don't underestimate the purpose of the M. P, T. O. of America. Our slogan is 'an injury to one is an injury to all.' Don't forget Mr. Zukor, that while you had your early struggles^ that Mrs. Dodge is having hers now. Every one of you men here should go on your knees every night and thank Sydney Cohen for what he has done for you, even at the sacrifice of his own affairs." This brought tremendous applause. Following this Walker went into details of the Schwartz case and the Loomer Opera House in Willimantic, Conn., where he charged that Alfred S. Black had succeeded in securing the lease and forced Schwartz out of business. Walker, all through this portion of his address read documentary evidence to support his charge, but as is his usual custom, interspersed his speech with remarks of his own. He continually repeated that he did not hold Zukor as an individual responsible for these various occurrences, but questioned Zukor's prestige and authority as president of the Famous Players-Lasky organization. Walker further cited a case in Mansfield, La., where a Mrs. Hrownsfield had trouble with H. F. Wilks, the representative of the Southern Enterprises and the Lynch circuit. Here he read a letter sent by Mrs. Brownto II. .1. Herman president of the I. M. P. T. O. A. of Louisiana, in which she recited bow Wilks endeavored to raise money locally to erect a theater in competition to her Palace. Mi then read letters from Charles De Paul of Saulte. Ste. Marie, Mich., to the Michigan M. P. Exhibitors, in which De Paul told how be couldn't pay the rental prices asked by Paramount for his Dreamland theater, despite the fact that lie had used the cl pany's product right along. Another case was Xcwnvin, ( 'alif.jH Walker said Paramount had mscrteJ^M tisements in the local papers, and w^^| owner of the Rex had inserted coit^H to offset the alleged damaging effect^H Paramount ads. Glenwood, la., was another Walker. In that town, had repeated its stunt of taking ad' space without the knowledge of Mr. Seymour, exhibitors of that town, H. I. Kraus, Omaha manage, pany, stated that Seymours had of the action. further alleged unfair tactii rs, cited by Walker, include ing of Paramount Pictures in Neb., in a school in direct competi the theater; the construction in Paw tucket, K. I., where Senator bad shown Paramount Picture the jacking up of prices for t1 product: the cutting of services frordH named Aaronowitz in Duluth, .Minn.,U ry favor with a more influential cortr^H Waker then made direct ret letter sent to him by J. IJ. Williams ^H National, in which the latter referre^H growth of a trust menace. In th^^H tion, Walker Tead a letter irom BH .Mumper of Federal PI which Mumper hinted that becaulS L)e Mille and Neil McCarthy were' of the Commercial, National B^B Los Angeles, his (Mumper's) off. In summing up Walker gave the foB reasons for his belief that Fai were attempting the formation The continued practice of Famou: in securing theaters. The stringency of the mom The general curtailment of prod The coercion of exhibitors to their theater properties. The insertion of a form ad in tov it was deemed necessary, to force! of theaters. The importation of German films, At the conclusion of Walker's spi crowd assembled gave him eontii plause and rose to its feet. Mr. 2 his representatives included. Mr. Zukor in his reply said: "I make a definite promise gentlemen, that all of these c' be investigated. Of a great know something, but of othe: entirely unfamiliar. "I hereby assume all responsi the Famous Players Corp. I J prosper with you in this businea do not want to make money at expense." Zukor's remarks were signa'.l burst of applause. After he finisi Brandt spoke a few words and tl S. Cohen made a few remarks, course of which he stated Marcus forced to purchase Metro to off: tions of Famous Players. Cohen of a plan advanced to Loew by Black to build up a great circuit (Continued on Page 3) l» re ti ti if: .,«■ RITCHEY posters ar< made with just one end view — ticket selling. RITCHE LITHO. CORP. 406 W. 31 st St., N.r. Phone Chelsea ( k ~