The Moving picture world (May 1922)

264 MOVING PICTURE ' WORLD May 20. 1922 Inside Facts and Dope on By ROGER FERRI WASHINGTON, D. C— When the delegates began pouring into the Capital on Sunday they ascertained that the Executive Committee had held a convention of their own and that there was really nothing for the delegates to do but sanction the work of that body. An example of the work of this committee at the "little convention of its own" was given at the Wednesday meeting, which will not soon be forgotten by all those who attended. The "steamroller" with its attached plow was merciless and spared no one. The mandate of the executive committee had to be served — and it was despite the protests of the cooler ones. The exhibit at the Coliseum was virtually a fizzle, not more than 100 theatre men attending it during the first three days. The fact of the matter is that the exhibit is held in a most uninviting section of the city, in the market section. It was held in an upstairs auditorium, poorly ventilated and with anything but an attractive atmosphere. From a reliable source it was ascertained that the producers, distributors, manufacturers and others, who had booths, had paid the M. P. T. 0. A. $20,000 in rentals. More misinformation was handed out at this convention than at any affair of its kind ever held. One daily trade press writer, who boasts often of his contention that he is "in intimate touch with everything in the business" was purposely given some of this misinformation by a leader of one of the faction. The latter said he was "giving it in confidence." Twenty minutes later this wTiter tipped several friends off. The latter in return passed the word along and in time it reached the source from whence it came. And the leader's only comment was: "I purposely gave him that story for I knew that his word didn't mean a thing and that the best way to throw the other side off the track was to give this man the wrong information. He didn't disappoint or surprise us. He did just what we had expected he would do." This chap incidently turned out to be the greatest "off the record" gossiper that ever covered any kind of convention. But it took the other writers and delegates only one day to ascertain that the opposite version of the stories circulated by this man was the correct one. Senator James J. Walker of New York did not take kindly to the invitation extended to him by the convention to attend and speak at the banquet, for while he was in Washington and about the hotel he did not grace that affair with his presence. The greatest surprise of the convention came in the form of the unheralded change in schedule of the time slated for the elections. It was generally believed that the elections would be held Thursday, but the Executive Committee met on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning and selected its slate of candidates. At that meeting, too, the floor organization was formed. M. J. O'Toole was originally selected to stage manage the affair, but when the battle royal started on the floor the Scrantonian lost control of himself and gave it up as a bad job, leaving A. Julian Brylawski to handle the situation alone. Julian was bombarded with questions concerning parliamentary law and such, but he evasively dodged these interrogations or answered them with the help of others. With the exception of the falldown of O'Toole as stage manager the affair was a success insofar as the Executive Committee was concerned for its executive officers were named. One thing is certain. And that was made clear by President Cohen. He has held the position without pay for the past two years. He declined a $25,000 salary last year at Minneapolis. But he informed the exhibitors that he "is far from being a rich man" and also that he had spent considerable money belonging to him personally. But that is ancient history, if the address of acceptance of Mr. Cohen was properly interpreted.