In the District Court of the United States, for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the United States of America, petitioner, vs. Motion Picture Patents Company, et al., defendants (1913)

Page scan 000366 from In the District Court of the United States, for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the United States of America, petitioner, vs. Motion Picture Patents Company, et al., defendants

Record Details:

Title:
In the District Court of the United States, for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the United States of America, petitioner, vs. Motion Picture Patents Company, et al., defendants
Date:
1913
Publisher:
New York, Appeal Printing Co.
Volume:
In the District Court of the United States, for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the United States of America, petitioner, vs. Motion Picture Patents Company, et al., defendants : record volume 4
Leaf #:
000366
Language:
English
Collection:
Early Cinema and Government & Law
Format:
Periodicals
Contributor:
The Museum of Modern Art Library, New York
Sponsor:
Media History Digital Library
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:
These seven volumes contain the testimonies and supporting documents from the U.S. District Court's antitrust lawsuit against the Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC). Formed in 1908, the MPPC (sometimes referred to asœ"the Edison Trust" or just "the Trust") sought to control the American film industry through pooling patents and demanding that producers and exhibitors acquire licenses to those patents. Independent producers and exhibitors, who refused to license the patents, argued that the MPPC was an unlawful monopoly. In 1912 and 1913, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania heard testimonies from both MPPC members, such as Siegmund Lubin, and "Independents" who later became Hollywood moguls, such as William Fox. Ultimately, in 1915, the case reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which found the MPPC in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act and spelled the end for the already weakening MPPC. -- Eric Hoyt, 2012
Date Added:
September 12, 2024
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2216 Albert J. Gilligham, Direct Examination. Q. What is the condition there as to the number of larger theatres, from 500 up? A. There is the Columbia Theatre there, that seats about 800. There is the Alhambra Theatre there, that seats over a thousand. The Colonial Theatre, that seats about 900. The Atlas, that seats 900. The Coliseum, that seats twelve to fifteen hundred. Q. You have mentioned six theatres? A. Yes, sir. Q. You have mentioned the six largest theatres there? A. Five, I believe. The Columbia, Colonial, Alhambra, Atlas, and Coliseum. Q. How many are being served by the General Film Company? A. The General Film Company furnishes the Atlas, the Columbia, and the Colonial. The Alhambra is the largest house of the five. That is, in the downtown section. That is devoted exclusively to motion pictures. Q. And who is serving that? A. The independent program. Q. Then you are serving three of the five, in that case? A. Yes. Q. Which is the next largest city in your territory? A. The next largest city would be either Bay City or Saginaw. Q. And what are the conditions there? A. The largest house in Bay City is furnished by the independents. It is owned by a man by the name of Lahey, and is located on River Street. The largest house in the City of Saginaw is furnished by the independents. It is known as the Bijou Theatre, and is owned by the Bijou Amusement Company. Q. How much business are the special feature people doing in your territory? A. You mean the amount of business they are doing? Q. Yes, the amount of business. A. We give them credit for doing twenty-five hundred to three thousand dollars a week. Q. About what percentage would that be on the total amount of business in that territory, if you know? A. About twenty per cent. Q. Has the Famous Players Film Company gone actively into business in your territory? A. Yes, sir, very much so. Q. What class of theatres are they serving, as to size?