Movie Age (1927)

PAGE 6 MOVIE AGE 'A Sidney S. Cohen President Of New “Board of Trade” New Organization Launched to Fight Those Who “Seek to Monopolize Motion Picture Industry” The Board of Trade and Commerce of the Motion Picture Industry of the United States of America, headed by Sydney S. Cohen, is the name of an or¬ ganization which has been launched, ac¬ cording to announcement, to assure “free and unrestricted competition in making, selling, distributing and exhibit¬ ing motion pictures.” Mr. Cohen for many years has been a prominent exhibitor in New York and the storm center of many bitter controcersies in the film industry, espousing the cause of the independent producers and exhibitors against those producers he charged were seeking to control the trade by both producing pictures and owning theatres. For four years he was president of the M. P. T. 0. A., which he largely helped to create. The official announcement of the new organization reads as follows: “The formation of the Board of Trade and Commerce of the Motion Picture In¬ dustry of the United States of America, with offices at 28 West 44th street, New York City, has come about as the result of the recent trade conference called by the Federal Trade Commission to dis¬ cuss trade practices within the motion picture industry, and held in New York City, October 10-15, 1927. “A number of prominent independent theatre owners from different parts of the United States, together with some representative producers, feeling the ur¬ gent and immediate need of an organi¬ zation such as this, met and formed the Board of Trade and Commerce of the Motion Picture Industry of the United States of America, electing as their president, Sydney S. Cohen, the out¬ standing independent theatre owner of the country — a man who served four terms as president of the Motion Pic¬ ture Theatre Owners of America, later serving as chairman of ith Board of Directors, and at present being chair¬ man of the Advisory Board. This Board of Trade and Commerce was formed solely for the purpose of ad¬ vancing the best interests of the entire motion picture industry. It is not en¬ gaged in any way in making, buying, selling or exhibition of motion pictures, and is dedicated to the proposition that a free and unrestricted competition in making, selling, distributing and exhibit¬ ing pictures is fundamentally essential to the successful future existence and development of this great industry. The founders of this association believe that independent producers, distributors and exhibitors must be guaranteed freedom of action in their respective undertak¬ ings and must be protected against un¬ lawful aggressions by potential monopo¬ lists so that they may work out their own destinies, — all to the end that the public may by their continued enjoy¬ ment of superior motion pictures, the product of an active competition, be en¬ couraged to continue to support the in¬ dustry as it has so loyally done in the past. This Board of Trade and Com¬ merce is further convinced that without a free and unrestricted screen the in¬ dustry is in danger. “Membership in the Board of Trade and Commerce of the Motion Picture Industry of the United States of Ameri¬ ca is open to every interested person, save only those producers, distributors, theatre owners or officials affiliated with those forces who seek to monopolize motion picture industry; and who, in seeking to monopolize, destroy all in¬ dependent and all initiative.” Sales and Office Details Divorced by U. Artists In Reorganization Plan Separation of selling activities and office management, plus division of the United States into Eastern and Western sales divisions and of those divisions in¬ to districts, with no exchanges being eliminated and all present personnel being retained, are features of United Artists’ new domestic sales plan. A1 Lichtman, vice-president and gen¬ eral manager of distribution for the United States and Canada, announced the general plan in New York last Sat¬ urday, adding that already much of the progressive realignment has been ac¬ complished. He said he waited to an¬ nounce the plan until the return Fri¬ day from Europe of Joseph M. Schenck, president of United Artists. Under the plan as outlined by Mr. Lichtman, no one connected with actual selling will be hampered with distribu¬ tion problems. Salesmen will sell films and that is all. Office managers, already being appointed, will supervise the non¬ selling activities of exchanges. Every present exchange will be re¬ tained and it is probable that several additional ones will be established as further service to exhibitors — with con¬ sequent increase in personnel. Cresson E. Smith will be eastern gen¬ eral sales manager, with headquarters in New York. David Bershon will be western general sales manager, with headquarters in Los Angeles. The Miss¬ issippi river will divide the sales terri¬ tory, St. Louis, Chicago and Minneapolis being in the western division. Canada will be handled as at present. Groups of exchanges (for instance, those in Chicago, Minneapolis and Omaha) will be formed into districts, with one exchange designated as district headquarters. District crew managers will be in charge of salesmen, who will operate out of the district headquarters. Present branch managers will be pro¬ moted to be crew managers or special representatives, each responsible direct¬ ly to the home office. The special repre¬ sentatives will handle all key city first runs and circuits. Smaller towns and subsequent key city runs will be hand¬ led by salesmen under the district crew managers. Branch officers will function as ser¬ vice depots and territorial headquarters for handling of detail and routine. Salesmen will not be responsible to of¬ fice managers in charge of districts. Mr. Lichtman said the plan is already in actual operation in three districts. One comprises Chicago (district head¬ quarters), Minneapolis and Omaha. A second includes Cleveland (district headquarters), Detroit, Cincinnati and Indianapolis. The third embraces Kan¬ sas City (district headquarters), St. Louis and Dallas. The plan is now being extended nationally as rapidly as pro¬ motions can be made and additions to the sales personnel effected, Mr. Lichtman said. “Beau Geste” Wins 1926 Photoplay Gold Medal The Photoplay magazine gold medal for the best film released during 1926 has been awarded to Paramount for its production of “Beau Geste,” according to an announcement in the December issue. The gold medal picture of the year is decided by votes from readers of the magazine and is said to be the only award in the industry coming direct from fans themselves. This is the seventh annual award of a Photoplay medal. The previous win¬ ners were: “Humoresque” in 1920; “Tol’able David,” 1921; “Robin Hood,” 1922; “The Covered Wagon,” 1923; “Abraham Lincoln,” 1924; “The Big Parade,” 1925. Dan Michalove Resigns Dan Michalove, who for several months has been directing the Univer¬ sal circuit of theatres, will shortly sever all connections, according to re¬ ports from New York. Michalove came to New York from Atlanta early this year under a five-year contract. At the present time, it is understood that Universal theatres are operating under the supervision of E. H. Gold¬ stein until a successor to Michalove is named.