The Moving picture world (May 1922)

May 13, 1922 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 147 Exhibitor Convention Atmosphere to Be Quite as Peaceful as a Boiler Factory WAR is everything that General Sherman said it was, but peace seems to be anything but what it meant or indicated in the good old days, for, if the' internal strife prevalent within the ranks of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America is any criterion, the third annual convention of that organization at Hotel Washington, Washington, D. C, from Monday, May 8, to Friday, May 12, promises to be as peaceful and as cjuiet as a boiler factory in full blast. Much had been said and much has been done — toward kindling the fires that will blaze skyward in Washington, but whether peace will come depends entirely on what is done at the convention. And right now speculation indicates no such happy ending. If the threats that both sides have made during the past two weeks materialize, the convention will result in only one thing — the disorganization of the exhibitor association into pieces that will be far from peaceful. While the various factions are hurling charges and countercharges at each other, the fact remains that friends of the organization are spending many sleepless nights trying to restore harmony within the ranks. But up to press time their efforts went for naught. Both factions are stubborn and determined to fight to the end. Nothing that mutual friends have said or done has thus far made any impression on either side — and all that remains for the exhibitor member and the industry in general to do is to hop a rattler and head for the burgh where Volsteadism was enacted into a startling and dry fact. The convention must do its own deciding on the merits of the controversy. Most Important Ever Held One thing is certain : the 1922 convention of the M. P. T. O. A. promises to be the greatest and most important e.xhibitor gathering ever held. The very future of the exhibitor organization depends on what the delegates do at Washington. Exhibitors from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the Canadian to the Mexican border, will constitute a jury on whose findings and ultimate verdict depends the future of an organization that has made remarkable progress and in the three years of its existence has had a meteorically wonderful career. The more optimistically inclined exhibitors will go to Washington confident that all differences will be ironed out before the convention opens. These maintain the stand that when the executive committees get together in Washington on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, preceding the Monday opening of the convention, the warring factions will have By ROGER FERRI adjusted their differences. But developments, outlined in detail elsewhere in this issue, promise anything but an armistice. That the factions will carry their battle to the convention is a fact. That considerable time will be spent in disentangling the differences of the two is equally certain. Briefly, there'll be a hot time awaiting the boys in Washington — and no exhibitor in this country, who has the money and time to spare, can afford to stay away. AH aboard for Washington, D. C. 1 Judging from reports that have reached New York from the Capital, the publicity committee, headed by Nelson B. Bell, is getting big results, for newspapers not only in Washington but throughout the country are daily publishing newsy stories concerning the convention. The Associated Press and United Press both are carrying interesting yarns that will maximize the importance of the session. And remember, , Mr. Exhibitor, don't be hoggish. Bring on the women. The more the merrier. Don't worry about having them on your hands. There will be those who will be happy to rid you of them. Ah, you have us wrong ; we mean there is a special entertainment committee that will see to it that the ladies are well taken care of. And if the program on our desk means anything, the women folks are going to be a mighty tired lot by the time their services will be needed to inject a little society and pleasure into the annual ball that will bring the convention to an end on Friday, May 12. The music tax hearing, slated for Friday, May 5, has been put over until Monday, May 15, the Monday following the close of the convention. It will be an interesting affair and the special committee of the M. P. T. O. A. is hopeful that enough of the delegates will stay over to impress the Congressional Patents Committee with the importance of the Lambert bill to the exhibitors. The convention committee sends on a wireless estimating the crowd that will be on hand at almost 5,000. That will be some little get-together. Which probably means that it will be necessary to dispense with the services of our Congressmen, diplomats and others for the week so that the exhibitors may occupy their rooms. And you may as well take along your check book, for before the Washingtonians get through with you. you'll need the services of your bank in more ways than one. The convention committee is headed by William A. True, of Hartford, Conn. Ihe various sub-committees are as follows : Convention Committee — Sidney B. Lust, chairman ; Tom Grant, vice-chairman. Publicity — Nelson B. Bell, cliairman; Earle F. Dorsey and Tom Grant. Accessories — Sidney B. Lust, chairman; Julian Brylawski, William C. Murphy, Abe Dresner and Nat Glasser. Program — Harry M. Crandall. Entertainment — Lawrence Beatus, chairman; Julian Brylawski, Morris Davis. Banquet — Julian Brylawski, chairman; Harry M. Crandall. Reception and Badges — Morris Davis, chairman ; Sidney B. Lust and Mark Gates. Hotels — Tom Grant, chairman; William C. Murphy and Mark Gates. Speakers — Harry M. Crandall. Auditor — -Fritz D. Hoffman. Secretary — Samuel M. Boyd. Finance — Julian Brylawski. Auxiliary Entertainment — William C. Murphy, chairman ; Messrs. Milstein, Wilson and Reichert, branch managers of the Fred B. Warren Vitagraph and Select exchanges, respectively. The leading hotels of Washington will have buses at the Union Station at the disposal of the guests. Cars also can be taken to any of the big hotels. The atmosphere of southern hospital ity, says Nels Bell, will be thrown about the visitors to the Capital immediately they set foot] off the rattler. Morris Davis, chairman of the reception committee, has arranged for the convenience of delegates. And if you know Washington as this writer knows it, you will have wished that the convention was a year in holding. President Sydney S. Cohen will arrive in Washington on Friday afternoon and will immediately go into conference with the various chairmen of committees. The executive committee of the national organization will hold a series of meetings prior to the convention. Voting on national officers will be by units ; that is, the delegates of the various states will go into caucus immediately after the nominations are made known and decide on a candidate. Which means that these meetings, from current reports, will be as harmonious and quiet as a gathering of chorus dames at a freefor-all smacking match. Take it from Adolph Zukor, Bill Fox, L. J. Selznick and other producers, all {Continued on page 148)