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 (1914)

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:
1914
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 5
Leaf #:
000159
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 21, 2023
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Harry W. Sciierer, Direct Examination. 2609 taking an interest in the different houses. Getting us lined up whereby we would never interfere with one another. Q. In other words, Mr. -Foley, representing the General Film Company, assisted you and your business competitors in arranging so that you would not have a conflict of program? A. Yes. Q. Was that true at any time during the Pittsburgh Calcium Light days? A. Xo, sir. Q. Do you now advertise programs in advance? A. Yes, sir. Q. Do you expend money in advertising them? A. Yes. Q. Did you find it possible to do this before you began getting a service that you could depend upon? A. No, sir. Q. What service did you use during this period that you were taking service from the Pittsburgh Calcium Light Company? A. We ran three reels at each program, running from a week to 30 days. Q. Is a three-reel program a complete program in youi* neighborhood or vicinity? A. At the present time we are running four. Q. What is the general rule in your vicinity? A. In our town, four. Q. How often do you change a four-reel program? A. Every other day. Q. That means twelve pictures a week, does it not? A. Twelve pictures a week. Q. A three-reel program every day is the general rule, is it not, in other towns outside of Johnstown, or don't you know that? A. That I don't know. Q. Did the three-reel program that you had when you were taking service from the Pittsburgh Calcium Light Company consist of three reels every other day? A. Every other day, yes. Q. So that now you are getting one-third more reels than you did prior to the formation of the General Film Company? A. Yes, sir. Q. What prices were you paying to the Pittsburgh Calcium Light Company for the three-reel service, every other day? A. I think it was around $65.00. Q. What prices are you paying the General Film Company for the four-reel service every other day? A. $100.00. But they are earlier releases.