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 #:
000392
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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2842 Otto Haas, Direct Examination. Redirect examination by Mr. Kingsley : Q. Do both of your theatres run continuously? A. No, sir; I cannot always run the Dreamland. Sometimes the expenses would be more than the receipts. Q. So that opens from time to time? A. Yes. I used to run it regularly before this big house with the independent service opened against me with six reels, and since then I have to shut down. OTTO HAAS, the next witness produced on behalf of the defendants, of lawful age, being first duly sworn by the Examiner, deposes as follows: Direct examination by Mr. Kingsley: Q. Where do you live, Mr. Haas? A. Charlotte, North Carolina. Q. How long have you lived in Charlotte? A. Going on seven years. Q. Are you in the theatrical business? A. Yes, sir. Q. What kind of a theatre do you have in Charlotte? A. Moving pictures. Q. How many theatres have you in Charlotte? A. Three. Q. Are those all motion picture houses? A. Well, we have five motion picture theatres, and one vaudeville theatre. Q. I meant more particularly, how many do you have yourself? A. Three. Q. Tell us the names of those theatres, and the seating capacity, and the kind of performance you have there? A. Theatore, Edisonia, and Ottaway. Q. What is the seating capacity of the Theatore? A. About 175. Q. And the Edisonia? A. About 200. Q. What is the seating capacity of the Ottaway? A. Four hundred and fifty. Q. Are these all exclusively motion picture houses? A. Yes, sir. Q. What sort of motion picture service are you using at present? A. I am using at present licensed service, and Universal. Q. Licensed and Universal in all these houses, or licensed