Motion Picture News (Jul-Aug 1916)

July 22, 1916 MOTION PICTURE NEWS 387 History of the Formation and the Development of the Motion Picture Exhibitors League of America The Organization. Whose Ramifications Now Extend Throughout the Country, Ranks in Importance with Similar Bodies in Other Industries, and Reached Its Present Standing Only After Six Years of Hard Work on the Part of Its Members — The Difficulties Overcome to Gain This Position for the Association Woidd Have Discouraged Men with Less Tenacity of Purpose By George H. Wiley Edifdr's Note. — The historical account of the formation and development of the Motion Picture Exhibitors League of America, on this and the following pages, is, it is believed, a real and valuable contribution to film trade history. Motion Pictuse News takes this opportunity to extend to Mr. Wiley, the compiler of the article, its sincere thanks for the serznce he has rendered to all its readers. George H. Wiley was national secretary of the Motion Picture Exhibitors League of America during ipiS-1914. He is an unquestioned authority on all matters pertaining to the league from its formation to the present day, and without his co-operation, such an article as this would not only have been incomplete, but impossible of preparation. ONE spring morning in 1910, rather more than six years ago, exhibitors in various towns and cities of Ohio, paused in the perusal of their morning mail to read a letter that was somewhat out of the ordinary routine. Some answered it punctual!}-. Others laid it aside, intending to reply, and forgot. A few days later, other Ohio exhibitors received similar communications, with much the same result. As weeks went by, the campaign grew until it had included seven hundred motion picture theatre managers of the Bucke.ye State. The idea behind the letters was Organization. Sitting in a little office in Cincinnati, the man who had conceived the idea and had the courage to put it to the test watched and awaited developments. They were slow — discouragingly slow. There was little of promise, less of performance. Had he struck too soon? Were the exhibitors of Ohio — and of the United States ready for a national exhibitors organization? The man had already answered H:he question in his own mind. Could he convince his fellow-exhibitors that he was, of necessitj-, right? First Call for Organization Sounded He would know on September 12. That was the date set for the first convention of exhibitors Ohio had ever known. If earnest letters, if the generous assistance the newspapers gave him, could bring him success, then he meant to have it. Throughout the summer every exhibitor in Ohio was urged to come to Columbus, and help to make the convention at the Southern Hotel what it ought to be. When he faced the eleven exhibitors who responded in person to the call, on that September day, Marion A. Neff might have been pardoned for making the situation spell failure, but he never would have pardoned himself for it. Disappointment was one thing; defeat was another. And no one who ever knew Neff accused him of counting one disappointment as a defeat. Then and there he resolved that the eleven men in that room should become the nucleus of the organization he dreamed. Had there been but three, his resolution would have been the same. On the spot, the twelve exhibitors proceeded to form themselves into a body, elected temporary officers, and promptly issued a call for a second meeting in November, when permanent officers were to be elected. During these two months the founders of the league bent every effort to increasing the attendance at the November meeting. The result was something more than a sixty per cent, increase, and when the pioneers of the organization assembled at the Hotel Chittenden, in Columbus in November, their ranks had swelled to eighteen. The temporarj' officers had been : President, M. A. Neff, Cincinnati; vice-president, W. A. Pittis, Conneaut; secretary, F. A. Buesche, Steubenville ; treasurer, W. O. Yard, Welston. Marion A. Neff, First President Mr. Neflf was re-elected president. Mr. Pittis was chosen as first vice-president, and his associate as second vice-president was T. P. Rickert, of Port Clinton. C. C. Carter, of Cincinnati, replaced Mr. Buesche as secretary, and G. O. Dupis, of Lima, succeeded Mr. Yard as treasurer; the latter's death was reported to the convention while it was in session. The new league was still an infant, albeit an undeniably growing one, when the third meeting was held in Columbus, and a feeling of -elation kindled the senior members as they realized that ten other exhibitors took their seats beside them. Even at the fourth meeting, the new organization could hardly be said to have passed beyond the danger of a " relapse," but every sign pointed to vigorous health and gaining strength. The example of persistent effort set by the discriminating few who first responded to the call was beginning to have its effect upon the slothful and the doubters through Ohio. Plans for a sweeping membership campaign were taken up, perfected and ratified at this meeting, and President Neff drew the enthusiasm of the gathering to a head when he recommended the issuance of a call for a national convention to be held in Cleveland, August 1, 1911. It was accepted with cheers. On how sound a basis the optimism of the national officers rested, and how well their confidence in the exhibitor's appreciation of organization benefits was rewarded, may be judged from the following table. Each of the states enumerated below was represented by delegates at Cleveland, and charters were granted upon the basis of avowed membership, as follows : State. No. ^Membership. ' Ohio 1 440 Illinois 2 230 Pennsylvania 3 137 Michigan 4 41 Indiana 5 114 West Virginia 6 65 Wisconsin 7 30 August 6, 1911, was the date of the granting of the first charters, and on that day the league numbered on its rolls one thousand and fifty-seven members. Neff's judgment was vindicated. The patience and endeavors of his associates had borne abundant fruit. In less than one year the league had not only increased its membership nearly one thousand per cent. — it had become a national body. Its first name, " The Exhibitors League " was dropped, to be supplanted by " The Motion Picture Exhibitors League of America." Every Man Puts His Slionlder to the Wheel Heartening as the victory was, it had been an uphill fight, with more than one deadlock, more than one peril of backsliding. That it was so decisively won, was due in large measure to the wholeheartedness of those few men who gave unstintedly of their time and their money, to preach and make converts to the gospel of organization. There was no thought of emolument; every officer gave his services gladly to the organization. There were expenses, too, which taxed the tiny treasury of the League — would have overtaxed it, had not the determined officials ried with each other in meeting them out of their own pockets, satisfied if only the results