Moving Picture World (Jul 1921)

July 9, 1921 territory, as the saying is, in the short week we spent in Washington. We received assurances from the Postmaster General that immediate improvement in the transportation of films through the Parcel Post would be introduced. We conferred with leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and legislative and administrative experts on the very impoitant question of the music license. We were advised not to call it the music tax because the expression would create confusion in the legislative mind and the average legislator would be inclined to refer us to the Committee on Ways and Means. Music license is really the better name in any event. It is not my intention to advise the enemy in detail of what we propose to do, but I can say to you that there is absolutely no justification in law for the methods which the American Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers pursues in exacting a heavy toll from the exhibitor. Introduced Amendment We are on the point of submitting evidence to the Post Office. Last Tuesday, June 21, Congressman Lambert of Wisconsin, Chairman of the Committee on Patents and Copyright, introduced an amendment to the present Copyright Law which had been prepared by our attorneys. This amendment, while it fully protects the owner of the exclusive copyright of the musical composition, makes it impossible for him to exact arbitrary payments for the playing of short parts of the musical composition. There are other remedial features of the proposed amendment, but I state this as the principal one. We have every reason to believe that as soon as Congress has disposed of the pressing problems of tariff and taxation, this subject of musical profiteering will be taken up. Signed Pledge You know, that in obedience to the mandate of the Cleveland convention, the officers and executive committee, a few weeks after the adjournment at Cleveland, approached Adolph Zukor, president of the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation to dissuade him and his company from buying theatres in competition with the exhibitor. It is a matter of solem record that Mr. Zukor, after consulting his attorneys, signed a solemn pledge which obligated him to refrain from ' the purchase of the theatres except in such cases where his product suffered from unjust discrimination. In what has been described as an excess of fairness, the committee of the exhibitors agreed to let Mr. Zukor be the judge of what constituted unjust discrimination. Mr. Cohen then recited the hitsory of the Widow Dodge and Schwartz cases as co.. Crete evidence of what the M. P. T. O. A has accomplished. A Bulwark of Defense Our organization will always primarily exist as a bulwark of defense. We must be prepared for emergencies, for hostile maneuvers, for efforts to curtail product, for attempts to monopolize the ownership of theatres. We have erected a complete building, i. e., the Motion Picture Owners of America, but it is still bare within. We are still, after all, in a formative stage. I often think of this when I look at the volume of business piled up on the desks of the officers of this organization. We are anxious to do our best, but we realize that our efforts must be systemized, that our equipment must be made more adequate, that the mass of routine work which accumulates in a live and growing organization like this, demands the emnloyment of a sufficient clerical force. It would be poor economy indeed to overload the men at the helm with detail work when their time and talents should be given to the solution of the big problems. Our foundations are laid deep. We must now provide for the actual daily needs of the exhibitor. I am thinking of MOVING PICTURE WORLD the establishment of service stations in each film shipping zone with a paid manager in charge. Such a system, properly planned and efficiently enforced, will take care of every theatre owner in the United States, no matter how far removed from the center of the shipping zone. I believe that we should have a representative at every state capitol and a permanent agent at the National Capitol. We should have a file as complete as we can get it of every legislator in every state, and in the nation, and we ought to know where he stands on the questions which interest and affect the motion picture industry. We must be prepared for such emergencies like the wave of anti-picture propaganda which not so long ago swept over the entire country and created a lynching spirit among alleged reformers and ill-informed citizens and politicians. We have sought to meet this anti-picture propaganda by an appeal to common sense. We have provided the nucleus of a library in publishing three booklets, to wit, “The Case Against the Blue Laws,” “The Case Against Censorship,” and “If Shakespeare Fell Among the Censors.” These booklets have had considerable distribution and we believe possess permanent value not only for the exhibitor but for the entire industry. To Gather Statistics However, they are but a beginning. We must have a Bureau of Statistics and a library. I recommend the preparation of a motion picture encyclopedia, which will contain, among other things, a complete text of every law affecting motion pictures in every state in the Union and in the National Capitol. We ought to have at least a digest of local ordinances which affect motion picture theatre in the various communities. From these we can learn the ideas, sources of information and motives of the legislators, and advise them in a practical way whenever that seems necessary. I specially recommend that we gather complete statistics regarding taxation. At present the subject of taxation is a most confusing one. Cities, counties, states and the Federal Government impose licenses apparently without due investigation, arbitrarily with no higher statesmanship than that of trusting to luck. I am in hopes that our attorneys will be able to prepare a scheme of fair and graduated taxation elastic enough to adjust itself to local needs but at the same time rigid enough to resist the ignorant attempts at imposing too great a burden. I believe, and your executive committee believes, that the exhibitors of the country ought to have a screen weekly which will carry our messages to the public. We are the publishers of the screen. Why should we not be the editors as well? As I have said before, we all believe in peaceful relations between the various branches of the industry. I want to suggest a practical method of securing such relations. I believe that if this organization will appoint a committee on Business Relations, providing it with definite and limited powers, the producers and distributors will be inclined to follow our course. Even if it might be difficult to expect an adjustment of our major problems within the industry, from the co-operation of these committees, there is no doubt that they can work together on plans against the common enemy. If such committees had existed and co-operated, censorship could have made no progress and we would have checked the agitations of the Blue Law fanatics in every state. Producers and distributors have presumed to lead the industry in all these matters without consulting the owners of the screens. You know how deplorable the results have been. Want Sufficient Supply The big subject which your convention will be called upon to consider and upon which I ask you to concentrate your time 183 and your abilities, is the question of a sufficient supply of pictures suitable for public exhibition without mortgaging our theatres or taking the producer and distributor into an involuntary partnership. There are very definite rumors of an intention on the part of certain producing groups to curtail production. Attempts are also being made, as you well know, to bar foreign made film. This, too, is done with the idea of cutting down the supply of film and strengthening the hands of producers and distributors to the detriment of the theatre owner. I believe we want to go on record as opposing the prohibitive tariff on films that are made abroad. Those who have given the subject attention at all, know that the foreign film without special merit has no chance in this country at all. The percentages of foreign made film which by reason of its superior quality is suitable for presentation to the American public, is very small indeed. I do not believe that it exceeds 3 per cent, of the total. Entitled to the Best We believe that art has no boundaries, and quality is not confined to any nation or country. We believe that our patrons are entitled to the best, no matter where we can get it, and we thoroughly believe in the need of variety in our programs. The foreign film to some extent at least provides this element of variety. Those At Convention ( Continued from page 180) PENNSYLVANIA — Joseph M. Shverha, Rialto, Lewiston ; John H. Cook, Arcadia, Reading; George P. Aarons, Dreamland, Philadelphia; H. J. Sched, Colonial, Reading; C. E. Gable, Strand Theatre Corporation, Sharon ; John -S. Evans, Dreamland, Philadelphia; P. A. Matsfield, Western Pennsylvania Amusement Company, Pittsburg; Samuel Stifle, Roxboro, Philadelphia; C. F. Hopkins, Victoria, Harrisburg; Gladys M. Miller, Tioga, Philadelphia; Jean Frizlen, Drury, Philadelphia; David Bavrist, Eureka, Philadelphia ; J. R. Cadoret, Capitol, Wilkesbarre; M. J. (TToole, Regent, Scranton ; M. E. Connerfort, Strand, Scranton, H. Goldberg, Western Pennsylvania vania Amusement Company, Pittsburg; M. Stiefel Amusement Enterprise Company, Pittsburg; M. W. Breuner, Pastime, Philadelphia; C. H. Goodwin, Eureka, Philadlphia ; C. Stamper, Frankfort, Philadelphia; A. J. Fischer, Jr., Frankfort, Philadelphia ; A. J. Fischer, Jr., Marmoth, Philadelphia; Silar Blum, Montgomery, Philadelphia ; L. Pizor, New Phoenix, Philadelphia; Mr. and Mrs. J. Courduff, Opera House, Royers Ford ; J. W. Brady, Century, Philadelphia; Jerome Carpar, Roland Clarke Enterprises, Pittsburg; John Guthrie, Majestic Theatre, Grove City; D. A. Harris, Paris Amusement Company, Pittsburg; Cora Brady, Century, Philadelphia; M. Wo x, Royal, Ke\stone, Bellevue, Stratford theatres, Philadelphia; George P. Aarons, Dreamland Theatre, Philadelphia ; Stahl Brothers Amusement, Max Stahl, Lyric, Rez, Capitol, Oil City; C. Rappoport, Ideal, Philadelphia RHODE ISLAND— Edward M. Fay, Fay’s Pastime, Providence ; W. G. Hartford, Imperial, Pawtucket. SOUTH DAKOTA — M. W. Sheve, Colonial, Watertown ; Charles W. Gates, Strand, Aberdeen, Leo Peterson, Iris, Bellefour-che ; Joseph J. Schuster, Cozy Theatre, Wagner; C. F. Hanson, Lyric, Redfield: F. L. Smith, Bijou, Huron ; E. T. Peter, Queen and Victoria, Cuero ; B. B. Peter, Queen, Cuero ; S. H. Hoake, Colonial. Taylor; L. Santikos, Rialto, San Antonio ; James C. Quinn, Rialto, El Paso ; E. L. Byar, Lyric, Terrel; Ed Foy, Queen, Cuero. UTAH — S. M. Stringham, Eko Theatre, Price ; H. E. Skinner, Alhambra Theatre, Ogden. VERMONT— Mrs. Pauline K. Dodge, Town Hall, Morrisville. ( Continued on page 187)