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 #:
000304
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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2754: Floyd Brown, Direct Examination. fifty. The Apex seats, I think, in the neighborhood of five hundred. In Richmond, Indiana, there is the Murrette, which has been using the General Film Exclusive program, but I believe is now independent, seating probably seven or eight hundred. The Lyric, of Fort Wayne, which is one of the largest houses, is independent. I never was in the house but it probably seats in the neighborhood of eight hundred or nine hundred. The Jefferson, at Fort Wayne has been running the Exclusive program, but I understand they are now running independent features. I think they seat somewhere between nine hundred and a thousand. Those are the two largest theatres in Fort Wayne. In Logansport there is a house, I don't remember the name of it, using the independent service, which seats probably six hundred or seven hundred. In Terre Haute, the American, using the independent service, seats four or five hundred. The Wiser Grand, if they are running pictures now they are using the independents, and it seats probably a thousand. Then there is a new picture house in Muncie Avhich has been running the Exclusive program of the General Film Company. I could not say what they are now running, but I rather think independent features. That is the largest regular picture house in Muncie, and it seats six hundred people. Q. Are they running General Film service at present? A. Not our service. If they are running General Film, it is exclusive. I don't believe they are. Q. Anything in Louisville? A. In Louisville, the Novelty is the second largest house. I think they seat about 800. They run independent. Q. The houses you have mentioned in the foregoing towns are the larger houses? A. Yes, sir. Q. Running independent service? A. Yes, sir. Q. There are other houses in all these towns which run independent service, are there not? A. Yes, sir. Q. Did you have knowledge of the conduct of the business of the H. Lieber Company prior to August, 1911? A. Yes, sir. Q. Did you know about the service that was supplied by the H. Lieber Company to the exhibitors who came to it for motion pictures? A. Yes, sir. Q. Prior to August, 1911, did the H. Lieber Company have any difficulty in supplying exhibitors with reference to giving them definite fixed programs? A. Yes, sir.