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 #:
000269
Language:
English
Collection:
Government & Law and Early Cinema
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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W. Allen Kexney, Cross Examination. 271!) Q. What projecting machines are you using in your houses now? A. We are using the Motiograph, Edison, Towers, Standard and Simplex. Q. Have you used any other type at any time? A. Not that I remember of. Q. Have you ever had any experience with the independent service? A. Yes, sir. Q. What was your experience? A. Well, we have used the independent service at two of the houses, the Casino and the Columbia. In fact, we used the independent at the Columbia Theatre up until last Saturday night. Q. How long had you used it altogether at the Columbia Theatre? A. I suppose two years, but possibly there was a short time that we used the General in there within that two years. Q. What became of the service that you gave up, the independent service? A. That was the Warner features. It was rented to two other houses in a couple of blocks of us. Q. Were they giving you a complete program, the Warner features? A. Yes, sir. Q. What is the best independent service that you can obtain in Louisville now, and by that I mean in regard to the release date? A. Well, the Universal averages thirty days, the Mutual third run or fourth run, the Warner, third run. Q. Does that mean that all the earlier runs are booked up? A. Yes, I said the Universal thirty days. Now that is a service that has been run three days old in the first run house, and four days old in the second run house, and a party that would take the third run would have to take it thirty days after the second run. Q. In other words it is booked up to that time? A. Yes, sir. Cross examination by Mr. Grosvexor : Q. Witness, when you took the stand you were greeted by counsel for the defendants as "Judge." Are you a Judge? A. I am a lawyer and served as Judge of the Circuit Court for about three years. Q. The Circuit Court of Kentucky? A. Yes, sir.