Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1921)

October sg , i Q 2 i 2277 SundayOpening Victory in Chillicothe, Mo, Exhibitor Repeatedly Arrested at Last Wins Fight; Rome, N. Y., to Vote on SundayOpening CLEAN-CUT victory for Sunda)openings was won last week in Chillicothe, I\Io.', when the city lerouncil passed an ordinance legalizing N notion-picture showings on Sunday. The oi passage of the ordinance was the climax 0 a long fight which has been waged since aslhe middle of July by W. P. Cuff, a local oipxhibitor. Word from Rome, N. Y., says Sihat the voters of that city are to be given oimn opportunity at the elections on Xovem 3)er 8th to decide whether or not motion)icture shows will be given in that city on Sundays. The victor) for Sunday opening in Chilothe. Mo., is regarded as a certain asance of similar steps being taken in all es and towns throughout the state iiere the blue-law restriction is enforced. ioth the national exhibitor organization, thhe Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Tiii^merica, and the state body, took active :irts in the fight in Chillothe though the ijor role has been played throughout by , o|dr. Cuff, who is an executive officer of the iul)*!. P. T. O. of ^lissouri and owner of the Btrand and the Empire theatres in Chillicothe. 1 Upon advice of the M. P. T. O. M. Mr. fflffuff began showing pictures on Sunday, uly 23. On each succeeding Monday he las been arrested and arraigned in police jjiourt and tried for violation of the city 5{[musement ordinance, an antique relic. Did You File 'Em! If you haven't already built a place — or found a corner — or got some way to file in order, every copy of " Motion Picture News," you'll — well, you'll be lost. Watch for the answer in next week's issue. But — it's not too late — have you already filed your copies? Mr. Cuff was fined $100 at the trial of the first case, and immediately appealed. On the trial of the second case, the jury found him not guilty, and the remaining trials since that time have resulted in "hung" juries. Then came the victory. Public opinion became so strongly opposed to the radical element, which had drawn the city attorney within its web, that the city council was virtually forced to pass an ordinance last week legalizing motion picture shows on Sunday. The ordinance makes the additional provision that all prosecutions now pending in any court for the alleged violation of the repealed section of the amusement ordinance are forever barred and that the city attorney shall dismiss such prosecutions. Following Mr. Cuff's second arrest, a series of ads entitled "Fair Play" were started. The newspapers followed the developments closely, and each time Cuff was arrested front-page articles appeared. In addition, other exhibitors in the state circulated thousands of pamphlets, "The Case Against the Blue Laws," which were secured from the national headquarters of the M. P. T. O. of A. Exhibitors in scores of other Missouri towns see a "handwriting on the wall" in the victorv of Mr. Cuff. Lawrence E. Goldman, counsel of the M. P. T. O. M., is preparing a Sunday opening campaign for Kirksville, Mo., where until recently theatres were permitted to operate on Sunday, but since have been notified that the blue ordinance of that city will be enforced if Sunday shows are continued. Following is a copy of the Chillicothe ordinance, the technical portion of which scores of Missouri exhibitors expect to have put in force in their various localities in the near future : " Section 1. That Section 388 of Chapter XIV of the Revised Ordinances of Chillicothe, Missouri, 1915, entitled ' Misdemeanors ' be and the same is hereby repealed and the following new section in lieu thereof to be known as Section 388 regulating Sunday shows: " Section 388 — Sunday Shows. No person, firm or corporation shall within the corporate limits of Chillicothe, Missouri, give any public entertainment, theatrical or other exhibition whatever on the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday, and any person so offending shall be denounced guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars nor more than two hundred dollars for each and every offense: PROVIDED, that nothing contained shall be construed to apply to chautauquas, lectures, church or school entertainments, agricultural or industrial expositions or moving picture exhibitions; and. PROVIDED FURTHER, that all prosecutions now pending in any court for alleged violations of said repealed Section 388 are by this ordinance forever barred, and the city attorney is hereby instructed to dismiss said prosecutions. " Section 2. This ordinance shall be in force from and after its passage, approval and publication." M, P. T, O. of A. Accuses First l^ational Complaints Stated to Have Been Received from State Units to Form Basis of Investigation 5 I toECLARING that numerous requests have been received from members of the organization, the • tion Picture Theatre Owners of Amer^a on Oct. 19 issued a statement to the "iffect that all allegations made against "^irst National Pictures were to be thorughly gone into. The statement in part reads : " In addition to the demands of several tate units affiliated with our National Oranization, numerous complaints of memers of the ^Motion Picture Theatre Ownrs of America who are subfranchise holdrs in Associated First National Pictures, nc, have been received, requesting a thorugh investigation of the present manageliicnt of that company's affairs. In " Despite the attempts that have been Siade to preven: such an investigation, the oiompiaints are of such a serious and spec-toic nature, and in most instances, affecttjig the investment^ of exhibitors, that no .jj^ffort can be or will be spared by this oranization in the protection of its indiidual members. " Selected delegates of Associated First National Pictures will meet in the City of Chicago in the very near future for a ' Get-Together ' meeting. It is sincerely hoped that an immediate reduction of the exorbitant exhibition values which have been arbitrarily placed by the management of that company on productions which they control, will be made." The statement then goes into alleged promises of J. D. Williams, General Manager of First National,, that no more than THE NEW RELEASE CHART Just another of the DESIGNED TO SERVE Departments of MOTION PICTURE NEWS Turn to Page 2341 a ten per cent dividend would be declared at any time, excess profits to be devoted toward buying pictures for the free use of subfranchise holders, and queries as to the whereabouts of the excess profits or free pictures. High rentals impressed by First National, with " Passion " cited specifically as having cost $30,000, and marketed on a $600,000 basis, are discussed in the M. P. T. O. A. statement, as well as the allegation that territorial franchise holders had violated solemn pledges as to not building or buying additional theatres. The fact that some pictures are not delivered to subfranchise holders in alleged violation of contractural obligations ; that subfranchise men have been compelled to play a greater number of pictures than originally agreed on, are cited as other bases of complaint. Vigorous exception is taken to H. O. Swalbe's letter defending General Manager Williams' stand in refusing to cooperate with the M. P. T. O. A. in investigation of his company.