Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1921)

2406 Motion Picture News Iowa Exhibitors Convene in Des Moines Over 100 Members in Attendance ; Plans Laid to Fight SundayClosing Restrictions WITH over one-hundred motionpicture theatre-owners of the state in attendance, the Iowa exhibitors organization concluded its convention at the Hotel Chamberlain, Des Moines, la., on Thursday of last week, October 20th, after two days of active and enthusiastic business sessions. Messages were received from many absent members of the exhibitors' organization, assuring the officers of their fullest support and cooperation in promoting the objects and policies of the association. The panel of officers elected at the convention comprises the following: J. C. Duncan, Plaza theatre, Sioux City, president; Tom Brown, Strand theatre, Iowa City, vice-pres. ; M. Tournier, Star theatre, Mason City, treasurer; and E. Metzger, Strand theatre, Creston, secretary. The executive committee, elected, consists of Dr. J. C. Pence, Lyric theatre, Columbus Junction ; H. S. Earll, Star theatre, Davenport ; Alexander Frank, Garden Theatre, Waterloo; W. M. Waterhouse, Hildreth Opera House, Charles City ; A. J. De Bold, Strand and Palace theatres, Cedar Rapids ; Geo. Cruzen, Rivola Theatre, Oskaloosa; B. I. Van Dyke, Royal theatre, Des Moines; C. C. Peregrine, American theatre, Corning ; Ben Harding, Liberty theatre, Council Bluffs ; Wm. Johnson, Rialto theatre, Ft. Dodge ; and Philip Schlumberger, Opera House, Denison. Affiliation with the Motion Theatre Owners of America was formally established by the Iowa exhibitors under the name of the Motion Picture Theatre Own ers of Iowa. Another important tie-up to advance mutual exhibitor interests was the selection of the Iowa members for the joint board of control of the Nebraska and Iowa state organizations. This joint board of control was proposed and adopted at the recent convention of the Nebraska exhibitors in Omaha. The Iowa members chosen for this joint committee are as follows : Morey Cohn, Strand theatre, Council Bluffs ; Ben Harding, Liberty theater, Council Bluffs; and L. B. Seymour, Rex theatre, Glenwood. Another important question which occupied the attention of the exhibitors was the fight on Sunday-closing restrictions. Legal council was employed to represent the association in three such battles now being conducted in different parts of the state. The most urgent of these cases exists in Grinnell, la., where a keen fight has been waged at the expense of the individual exhibitor of that city. The following resolutions were adopted by the convention : An appeal urging every Iowa Congressman to use his influence to secure the repeal of the film rental tax. A vote of thanks tendered to A. R. Prarner, a member of the national executive committee, for his untiring efforts in promoting the work of organizing the state body. An endorsement of the purposes and efforts of the public welfare department of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America under the direction of Dr. Francis Holley. Approval of the plan, recently adopted by the Nebraska exhibitors' convention, to establish a joint board of control for the purpose of co-ordinating the efforts of the two state organizations in problems of mutual interest. (The Iowa members selected for this committee were named above.) A protest against and condemnation of all producers engaged in the exhibition of pictures in direct competition with the independent exhibitors. Plans were adopted to promote the growth of the state organization and steps taken to launch immediately an intensive campaign to enroll every motion-picture theatre-owner of the state as an active member of the association. On Wednesday evening, October 19th, the attending exhibitors were the guests of the local Des Moines and Omaha film men at a reception at the Hotel Chamberlain. The opening meeting was attended by all the film men of the city, and the expressions of opinion made at this session were taken to forecast a spirit of harmony in all activities for the future. The grievance committee, elected, consists of : Tom Brown, Strand theatre. Iowa City ; Ed. Weggner, Lyric theatre, Valley Junction ; and Harry Hiersteiner, Family theatre, Des Moines. The ways and means committee comprises Philip A. Schlumberger, Opera House, Denison ; Alexander Frank, Waterloo, Garden theatre; J. C. Duncan, Plaza theatre, Sioux City; and William Waterhouse, Hildreth Opera House, Charles City, Iowa. ParentTeachers Body Meets Exhibitors Much Done to Promote Civic Understanding by Conference in Indianapolis MUCH to cement the valuable friendship between exhibitors and members of the Indiana Parent-Teachers Association and the Indiana Board of Photoplay Indorsers was accomplished last week in joint sessions of the associations, at which prominent men of the industry appeared in Indianapolis. Photoplay men praised the work of the Indiana Board of Photoplay Indorsers, which through local indorsing bodies attempts to feel the public pulse and let the exhibitors know what kind of pictures the public wants, as opposed to the censor• ship idea ; while prominent women in both associations told the members, gathered from all parts of the state, that the old idea that exhibitors are bent upon showing evil pictures and should be muzzled at every opportunity is obsolete and injurious to the public itself, in that through censorship the public sometimes is deprived of the opportunity of visualizing great masterpieces of literature. Dr. Samuel Atkinson came from New York as the personal representative of William A. Brady who had been invited to speak from the viewpoint of the national producers body. Both he and Frank Rembusch, head of the Rembusch string of theaters in Indiana, who spoke from the standpoint of the exhibitor, were warmly received. Tributes to the honesty and proper public spirit of the exhibitors and producers of today was paid by Mrs. Hence Orme, president of the parentteachers association and Mrs. David Ross, president of the state indorsers. The mutual expressions of good will were a continuation of a unique situation which exists in Indiana. So thoroughly are the club women of the state convinced that affirmative rather than negative criticism is more helpful in ridding the country of bad pictures that when half a dozen censorship bills were proposed and one nearly passed by the 1921 state legislature that they formed in Indianapolis one of the most powerful lobbies of the year and battled shoulder to shoulder with the exhibitors. The result was that censorship finally was decisively defeated, and sentiment against it sown in such a large measure that it is somewhat unlikely that the bugaboo will rear its head again for some time. In addition to advancing the indorsement rather than censorship idea before the parent-teacher members and indorsers in Indianapolis, Mrs. Ross also spoke in the same vein before the annual meeting of the State Federation of Women's Clubs at Muncie during the week, gaining wider appreciation of the work than ever before. " The most damnable crime today is (Continued oti page 2413)