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 #:
000403
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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Otto P. Hall, Direct Examination. 2853 Q. With what theatre were you connected in Cleveland? A. Dreamland. Q. How long were you connected with the Dreamland Theatre? A. Two years, as assistant manager. Q. During what years were you the assistant manager of the Dreamland Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio? A. 1008 and 1009. Q. To what place did you go then? A. I came to Atlanta. Q. Were you in the motion picture business in Atlanta? A. Yes, sir. Q. What theatre did you own or operate or manage? A. I managed the Majestic Theatre. Q. And how long did you have the Majestic Theatre? A. Three years. Q. Are you still managing it? A. Xo, sir. Q. When did you cease to manage it? A. About eighteen months ago. Q. Since that time have you managed any theatre in Atlanta? A. Xo, sir. Now, I gave my residence in Atlanta for that length of time there. There was an intermediate space there when I was not here. Q. Where were you then? A. .Jacksonville, Florida. Q. What were you doing there? A. Building and managing the Prince Theatre. Q. When was it that you built the Prince Theatre in Jacksonville? A. It was opened on July 19, 1912. Q. How long did you operate it? A. Eighteen months. Q. Did you then sell it or dispose of it? A. Xo, sir, it was turned into another corporation. Q. A theatrical corporation? A. Yes, sir. Q. What is your present occupation? A. Branch manager of a film exchange. Q. Of what film exchange? A. The World Special Film Corporation. Q. And is it an unlicensed film exchange? A. It is. Q. What is the character of the service it furnishes? A. Features. Q. How many reels per week? A. Xo stated amount. Q. From what source does it obtain its supply? A. From foreign manufacturers, through a New York office. Q. Do yon handle foreign goods altogether? A. Mostly