Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1913)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1315 Independent Exchange Pool Independent Exchange Company Opens Purchasing Office Under Management of P. At Powers. By Hugh Hoffman. ti'X/' OU can't keep a squirrel on the ground." It seems Y that every bt. Patrick's Day finds Pat Powers at the top of the heap. No matter how many bumps he may have received during the year, the music and the marching on the 17th of IMarch seem to fit in with his general frame of mind at that particular time. His latest coup d'etat is an alliance with the Independent Exchange Company, which once more makes Mr. Powers an important factor on the Independent side of the business. The Independent Exchange Company is the formation of thirty-two buying exchanges in various parts of the country which intend to pool their combined purchasing power for the purpose of obtaining the quality of pictures which they choose to buy. Mr. Patrick A. Powers, until recently identified with the Universal Film Manufacturing Company, from which he retired and was considered by some to be safely laid away on the shelf, so far as the film business is concerned, has been appointed purchasing agent for this combination. To get the real essence and flavor of this latest move of Mr. Powers, one should know the past history of the business, or at least some of the principal facts touching on and appertaining to. A few years back when the Independent manufacturers were floundering about in the midst of unsatisfactory market conditions. Powers was just breaking into the manufacturing business. He had previously been an exchange owner and knew that line thoroughly. He retained his exchanges and was in the manufacture of pictures when the Motion Picture Distributing & Sales Company was formed. The Sales Company was the formation of two contending factions, with Powers as the deciding unit. It is probable that Pat's antecedents resided in the Emerald Isle near the City of Cork, because he has all the characteristics of a cork; that is to say, he always comes to the top, no matter how deep thev try to sink him. The Sales Company was cleft in twain. Cleft in twain is correct. Parted in the middle, as it were. Everybody wanted to be a captain and no one wanted to be a private. There were one or two who aspired to be generals and Pat was one of them. The effect was like a wedge; something like a log jam, and when it busted the fragments flew in both directions. The fragments came together again, like a stop motion trick picture, in two halves on either side of an impassable gulf. One half became known as the Universal Film Manufacturing Company, and the other as the Film Supply Company. On the other side of the gulf, Patrick Aloysius Powers was to be seen against the horizon mounted upon his war horse as general of the Universal Film Company's army. Riding immediately behind him was Carl Laemmle as first assistant general. It appears from later developments that Laemmle also had aspirations to be a general and could never be content as first assistant to Pat Powers or anybody else. Therefore, there were two generals in that army ; one who admitted it and the other who had mental reservations. At last there was mutiny among the rank and file composed of captains and then they decided that they did not want Pat for a general any more and would rather have Carl. So Pat was unhorsed and red-lighted and left stranded behind — a general without an army alone in the cruil world. He sold his war horse and his armor to the Universal Company and retired to private life about a month ago. Those in the film business who know Patrick Aloysius Powers fairly well have been expecting something to happen every day. They did not have to wait long, for in the silent watches of the night, the self-rising son of Erin went forth into the wilderness and raised an army. He knew that the props of the film manufacturing industry are the exchanges. He also knew the exchange business fair to middling. With this knowledge and those facts he marshaled around his banner thirty-two exchanges who at his word promptly canceled the Universal output and signed a declaration of independence. At the head of this army your Uncle Pat rode across the Hudson River drawbridge, with a flag of truce in one hand and on olive branch in the other. Quoth he to the watchman at the gate, "I come not to cut up any didoes in the film game ; our errand is an errand of peace. This is the army of quality — we demand it as our right and we are going to get it. As exchange men we have declared an emancipation proclamation from the state of mediocrity. For many a year we have been obliged to buy in a closed market, films of every description, regardless of their merit. But no more. Instead of weapons we have sacks of gold. 'We are going to spend this gold for good films only. We have no axe to grind, and we are going to buy good films from any who are willing to sell to us, provided they have something good to sell. We make no distinction between individual manufacturers or trade factions. Each will have a chance. The striving producer with talent, and the moneyed producer with facilities will be given equal consideration. All we ask is a peek at the goods instead of buying them in a sealed can as we have done so long. Each week we will spend 55,000 iron rubles in the purchase of films. These films will be personally selected by five members of our worthy band. The general having so declared himself, the gate keeper bowed low while Aloysius slapped his horse on the flank with a sap of solid gold and the army marched to the citadel of the city where he made the same speech all over again. All during this time there were mounted A. D. T. messengers with long flowing whiskers bolting like centaurs with great haste from the stronghold of the Universal army, bearing urgent messages somewhere into the woods beyond. "Where are we going to sleep tonight?" roared Patrick Aloysius. '"Are there none who will welcome us to their fireside?" A pause ensued and then old Harry Raver stepped forward from the multitude and spake as follows : "Hon. St. Patrick, I have an abode, although it is but a humble place, and I bid you and your soldiers welcome to our city and our fireside — at the Film Supply Company offices at 33 West 44th Street." Quoth Pat, "Just for that I will make you a Knight of the B. V. D.'s. Rise up. Sir Harry Raver, and we will follow." Thus did the army of peace invade Manhattan and march to the Film Supply Company's barracks where Pat called the roll as follgws : Anti Trust Film Exch., 128 W. Lake St., Chicago, 111. California Film Exch., 54 Seventh St., San Francisco, Cal. California Film Exch., no E. 4th St., Los Angeles, Cal. Canadian Film Exchange, Calgary, Alberta. Canadian Film Exchange, 32 Queen St., Toronto, Ontario. Canadian Film Exch., 516-7-8 Holden Bldg., 'Vancouver, B. C. Canadian Film Exch., 402 Kerr Block, Regina, Saskatchewan. Canadian Film Exch., Over Monarch Theater, Winnipeg, Man. Central Film Exchange, 113 W. Georgia St., Indianapolis, Ind. Cincinnati Buckeye Film Ex., 236 W. 4th Ave., Cincinnati, O. Consolidated Film Exchange, Falls Bldg., Memphis, Tenn. Consolidated Film & Supply Co., Rhodes Bldg., Atlanta, Ga. Consolidated Film & Supply Co., Maison Blanche Bldg., New Orleans, La. Detroit Llniversal Film Exchange, Detroit, Mich. Greene Film Exch., W. E., 665 Washington St., Boston, Mass. Independent Exchange Co., 133 W. 44th St., New York. Independent Film Exchange, 415 Ferry St., Pittsburg, Pa. Ind. Western Film Exchange, 64 Seventh St., Portland, Ore. Interstate Film Co., Philadelphia, Pa. Miles Bros., 1145 Mission St., San Francisco, Cal. Miles Bros., 411 W. 8th St., Los Angeles, Cal. Pacific Film Exchange, Butte, Mont. Pacific Film Exchange, 216 Seneca St., Seattle, Wash. Rex Film Exchange, 84 No. Pearl St., Albany, N. Y. Standard Film Exch., 172 W. Washington St., Chicago, 111. Texas Film Exchange, 1315 Elm St., Dallas, Tex. Toledo Film Exchange, 120 Erie St., Toledo, Ohio. United Motion Picture Co., 112 Main St., Oklahoma City, Okla. Universal Film Exchange, 8th & Pine Sts., St. Louis, Mo. LTniversal Film Exchange, 13 10 Walnut St., Kansas City, Mo. Victor Film Exchange, 39 Church St., Buffalo, N. Y. Victor Film Exchange, Prospect & Huron Rd., Cleveland, O. \N'ichita Film & Supply Co., 122 N. Market St., Wichita, Kan. ROCHESTER EXHIBITORS' BALL. The first annual entertainment and ball of the Motion Picture Exhibitors of Rochester will be given at the Convention Hall, Thursday evening, April 3, 1913. A number of photoplayers representing both the independent and licensed companies will be present and a' prominent member of each will lead the grand march. In addition talent from local theaters will be there to display their abilities and quite a number of civic and political bodies have promised to grace this occasion with their presence. Moll's augmented orchestra will furnish the music for this occasion and we feel assured that this will be one of the greatest social affairs Rochester ever had. SIMON OPENS OFFICE. Walter C. Simon, the well-known writer of special motion picture music and expert of "playing the pictures," announces that he has opened an office at Room 612, 14S2 Broadway, New York City, and that he will make a specialty of preparing music for feature productions. Mr. Simon has probably written more special picture music than any other composer, and his long experience in "playing the pictures" eminently fits him for this work.