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 #:
000319
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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Houston N, Morgan, Direct Examination. 2769 Q. How long have you been a resident of St. Louis? A. A little over 14 years. Q. In what business are you engaged? A. In the exhibiting of motion pictures. Q. How long have you been an exhibitor of motion pictures? A. Well, I think it is about 18 years, or 19. Q. Are you the owner or operator of a theatre at present? A. I am the manager of the New American Theatre, located in East St. Louis, at present. Q. What is the seating capacity of your theatre? A. Six hundred nine. Q. How long have you been the manager of that theatre? A. About 7 weeks. Q. Prior to that time, were you engaged in the motion picture exhibiting business? A. Yes, sir. Q. In what capacity, and in what location? A. As manager. Q. Of a theatre? A. Of the Easton Taylor Theatre. Q. Where was that theatre located? A. In the City of St. Louis, on Easton Avenue. Q. What is the seating capacity of that house? A. About 600. Q. How long were you the manager of it? A. From the opening of it, after Ave closed the Bonita Airdoine, September 20th, until I went across the river to East St. Louis, which would be, I think, about 6 or 7 weeks. Q. How long was the Bonita Airdome open? A. All Summer. Q. Were you the manager of that during the Summer? A. From the 22nd of July. Q. Prior to the 22nd of July, 1913, what were you doing? A. One year's time before that, I was the manager of the Gem Theatre on 6th Street. Q. What was the seating capacity of the Gem Theatre? A. Nine hundred and something. Q. Was that in St. Louis? A. In St. Louis, yes, sir. Q. What was the capacity of the Bonita Airdome? A. Well, we could get in about twelve to fifteen thousand people. We had a seating capacity of about three thousand. A little over three thousand. Q. You say you had been manager of the Gem for part of the year? A. Yes, sir.