Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1921)

Record Details:

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November 5, 1 9 2 1 2405 Results in Passing of Constructive Measures More Than 200 Delegates Attend Meeting; Tension Disappears cause of the fact that this is a stockholders meeting with transactions of confidential business, all, other than regularly elected delegates are excluded from the meetings. President Lieber in his address of welcome to the delegates, declared with emphasis that the meeting had been called, not for the purpose of having the delegates listen to a series of prepared addresses by executives of the organization, but to give franchise holders, through their delegates, a thorough opportunity to express themselves, to present their criticisms and suggestions, and to give the men whom they had elected to manage their affairs, the benefit of their individual viewpoints on all matters affecting the welfare and betterment of First National as an exhibitor distributing organization. Doctor George Kelb, of Norwood, Ohio, made a brief reply to Mr. Lieber and the executive committee on behalf of the delegates, declaring the meeting the healthiest and most constructive thing that could possibly have happened, because it afforded the franchise holders, through their delegates, an opportunity of understanding the First National idea and the First National plan which the majority had only been able to obtain in an imperfect and fragmentary manner. He felt confident, he said, that the complaints and criticisms would disappear when such an understanding was arrived at. The plan worked out by the executive committee for holding of sectional meetings of the delegates as a preliminary to the general sessions of Tuesday and Wed High Lights in J. D. Williams' Address to Delegates ffnr^HE producing and exhibiting branches of our industry are the most vital. I do not believe that any branch should control the industry to the detriment of the others. " We have finally crystallized our ideals and policies under three general principles. (1) Exhibitor Independence and the protection of our theatre investments. (2) Exhibitor Distribution. We cannot, we dare not, allow a middleman to take control of the business for acting as messenger and carrier between studio and theatre. (3) Independent Production financed by our box offices. We recognize the imperative need for fostering independent production if our business is to continue in popular favor. " First National does not want to become a trust. We do not want a monopoly of any kind in this business. Our object should be to serve between three and four thousand non-competitive members in the United States and Canada with the best productions money can buy at a cost allowing a fair profit. " We must be willing to share with them (independent producers) the profits of our common industry. " Our future — and it can be as successful as you wish to make it — depends upon one great big, all embracing factor, and that is the loyalty and support you give your organization and its officers." nesday was then announced by President Lieber. For the purpose of expediting matters and speeding up the general meetings, the delegates were divided into seven sectional groups — Atlantic, Middle Eastern, South Eastern, Middle Western, Western, North Western and Pacific. The territory included in the several sections was as follows : Atlantic Section — New York, New Jersey, New England, Toronto; Middle Eastern Section — Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland; North Eastern Section — Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee ; North Western Section — Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Central Canada; Middle Western Section — Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota, Missouri, Arkansas ; South Eastern Section — Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Oklahoma ; Pacific Section — Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico. The tension that marked to some degree the opening of the convention disappeared after the first day, and Tuesday evidenced harmony everywhere. The seven sectional groups held meetings all Monday afternoon and evidently all misunderstandings and contentions were satisfactorily ironed away. The reports of these meetings were heard by the entire convention on Tuesday, but early in the day it was already clearly evident that the " get-together " convention of the Associated First National franchise holders has fully lived up to its chosen name — had, in fact, exceeded the most sanguine hopes of the minds back of the co-operative idea. The scope and breadth of the "Get Together" was indicated by the subjects for discussion during the various sessions, which were as follows: "Past — Present — {Continued on page 2413) In all more than tivo hundred delegates, representing practically every state in the Union, were in attendance at the meetings at the Drake Hotel