Motography (1912)

244 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. VII, No. 6. best place for a title is on a card alongside the screen. This is obviously up to the exhibitor rather than the manufacturer; and under the present system only the "de luxe' shows can use the scheme. Perhaps the system will change sometime, in the evolution of things. ANOTHER 111 X DM ILL FIGHTER. DARK corners in the moving picture theaters of Chicago are filled with dangers for young people, according to Airs. Joseph T. Bowen, president of the Juvenile Protective Association. The association is preparing an ordinance, which Avill be presented to the city council soon, requiring the owners of all moving picture theaters to keep their places lighted, even while the pictures are being shown. ''The many dark spots of these theaters are filled with dangers for the young," said Mrs. Bowen in her address. "While the pictures are being shown all the light is concentrated upon the screen and the remainder of the theater is left in darkness. In these dark spots young men and women congregate and disaster overtakes many as a direct result. We expect the theater owners to fight the ordinance, but we hope for its passage." This is only another example of the truth that reformers seldom have any knowledge of the objects of their attack, but rush blindly in ; their blows, like the rain, falling on the just and on the unjust alike. The possibility that Chicago might already have an ordinance requiring picture theater owners to keep their places lighted during the performance never occured to this worthy club-woman, nor to the association which received her suggestion so enthusiastically. The still more important, and much more obvious fact that the ordinance is enforced escaped them completely. There are no dark picture theaters in Chicago. Therefore the evils of which Mrs. Bowen speaks do not exist. Consequently the Juvenile Protective Association is proven to have no knowledge of picture theaters, and therefore to be incompetent to suggest legislation governing picture theaters. THE INDEPENDENT SITUATION. A GREAT many exhibitors throughout the country, .and not a few exchanges, have been eagerly anticipating that the recent dissension among the various manufacturers who are members of the Sales Company would bring on a price cutting campaign between the two factions, which would enable them to obtain their films cheaper. C J. Hite. vice-president of the Thanhouser Company, one of the active organizers in the Mutual Film Company and treasurer of the Film Supply Company of America, authorizes the following explanation of the recent upheaval which has taken place : Mr. Hite has been financially interested in several manufacturing companies and has been a large exchange owner for several years. With the keen insight of the western business man, Mr. Flite sought for some method of getting the various film exchanges throughout the country to adopt a standard system and a standard scale of prices. In other words, he was anxious to have the exchange business put on a sound commercial basis, not only for his own protection but for the protection of other reputable exchanges having to compete with unscrupulous renters and junk exchanges. With no designs on the manufacturing field, Mr. Hite collected about him other commonsense men engaged in the film business and obtained capital which he used in eliminating several junk film exchanges and re-organized others which had not been on a paying basis. The natural trend of this work was the organization of the Mutual Film Company, the parent, or holding organization. There was no secret about the operations of the Mutual Film Company, nor the purposes for which it was organized, but several of the independent manufacturers thought they saw in its inception a move to deprive them of a part of the outlet for their product, and immediately formed a counter-organization to keep the balance of power among the manufacturers. The Mutual Company was therefore forced to acquire properties in the manufacturing field in order to assure itself of a program. Mr. Hite was able to interest prominent capitalists in the scope of his ideas, with the result that they purchased the Thanhouser Company, which has long been noted for a product of superior quality. When news of the purchase was given to the trade, the opposition forces immediately formed what is now called the Universal Film Manufacturing Company, four of the companies which had formerly enjoyed the balance of power in the Sales Company, standing sponsor for this new venture and endeavoring to induce the other members of the Sales Company to join their organization against the Mutual Film Company. Those companies not wishing to pool their interests or share the fortunes of the Universal Film Manufacturing Companjr would therefore have been without an outlet for their product. This led to the formation of the Film Supply Company of America, a combination of manufacturers cooperatively banded together, pledged to produce a high standard of film released through their own organization to insure a full program. The members of the Film Supply Company of America are as follows : Thanhouser, Gaumont, American, Great Northern, Reliance, Solax, Eclair, Majestic, Lux and Comet, and have as officers Herbert Blache of the Gaumont Company, president ; Ingvald C. Oes, Great Northern Film Company, vice-president ; Harry R. Raver, Eclair Film Company, secretary ; C. J. Hite, Thanhouser Cornpan)'-, treasurer. The board of directors is comprised of the aforementioned officers and S. S. Hutchinson of the American Film Company, William Grey of the Comet Film Company, H. E. Aitken of the Majestic. George Magie of Solax, Paul Hernaud of the Lux, and Seymour Stewart of the Reliance. The capital stock is equally divided between the various companies comprising the corporation. The company secured an excellent location, the entire third floor of a new building at 133 West 44th street, New York, where the executive and shippingdepartments will be installed. It announces the .following program of releases, orders for which should be sent to the Film Supply Company of America beginning Monday, June 10: Monday — Eclair (American) Comet, American. Tuesday — Thanhouser, Majestic, Gaumont. Wednesday — Reliance, Solax, Gaumont Weekly. Thursday — Eclair (American) Gaumont, Comet, American. Friday — Lux, Solax, Thanhouser. Saturday — Great Northern, Reliance, Comet. Sunday — Paris-Eclair, Majestic. Ii) addition to the program of regular releases the