We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
CHAIN THEATERS, INCORPORATED 551
second alternative called for a change of program to one of showing motion pictures only and a dismissal of the orchestra.
The Willamette Theater was well located in a highly competitive theatrical district in San Francisco, California. It had a seating capacity of approximately 3,000. While not palatial, it nevertheless was a first-class theater. The program comprised sound motion pictures of high quality, short subjects, and several vaudeville acts. Direct competition came principally from de luxe motion picture theaters, some of them showing both firstclass films and stage performances, and others presenting motion pictures only. One competitor supplemented motion pictures with a few vaudeville acts, the quality of which was not comparable with that of acts booked by the Willamette Theater.
Although the musicians playing in the Willamette Theater had not threatened to strike, the executives of Chain Theaters, Incorporated, wished to be prepared for such an emergency. Those in favor of ignoring the demands of the musicians believed that the musicians would withdraw their proposal when they realized that the company would not acquiesce. This contention was supported by the favorable attitude that vaudeville artists had taken to the plan of three performances daily. It was further substantiated by the fact that the introduction of sound pictures had weakened the bargaining power of musicians in San Francisco and elsewhere.
On the other hand, musicians in various theaters throughout the country had struck because they had not been granted similar demands. None of the units in Chain Theaters, Incorporated, however, had been confronted with this situation. Although in a few instances local theatrical trades had followed musicians' strikes in sympathy, the American Federation of Musicians had remained neutral. The Federation, however, had raised a campaign fund of considerable size for the purpose of presenting to the public, through a series of advertisements in 800 newspapers, the value of music played by an orchestra of visible musicians as contrasted with mechanically recorded music.
If a strike were inevitable, the Willamette Theater would be compelled to hire nonunion musicians. Such action would be contrary to the long-established policy of Chain Theaters, Incorporated, of employing only union musicians, and might have a detrimental effect on some of the company's other theaters that