The Moving picture world (May 1922)

May 20, 1922 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 265 M. P. T. O. A. Convention Chicago will get the next convention of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America, Of that you can rest assured. This guarantee was given to the Illinois and Chicago delegates as well as to the Chicago Chamber of Commerce representatives who were active here during the convention. Will Hays "sold" himself 100 per cent, to the exhibitors who listened to him at the banquet. The fact of the matter was that this same man was asked to be endorsed at the Albany convention of the New York exhibitors last February, but at the request of Cohen the motion, made by Bill Brandt of New York, was tabled. After that Cohen bitterly assailed Hays. But those on the inside here now have it that these two gentlemen will soon get together and their organizations will work in closer co-operation. Speaking of Hays and Cohen reminded the writer of a thought that occurred to him during the address of the former. He said the producers and distributors were offering "confidence and co-operation." The exhibitors contributed another "C" and gave Cohen, making it "Confidence and co-operation and Cohenism," The actions of John Mannheimer failed to strike a popular chord even with his own friends from New York. This gentleman's stand on the Cohen-Walker controversy was uncertain. Sam Berman insisted that he had pledged himself against Cohen and the Cohen men claimed he was with the President. Mannheimer himself had little to say, but he did do many, many things at the convention that apparently did not meet with the approval of other New Yorkers, and when his name was mentioned for a directorship he was hissed. He withdrew from the contest. This was the only audible hissing done during the most boisterous convention held by the M. P. T. 0. A. The first three days of the convention accomplished only one thing — the settlement of the CohenWalker controversy so far as the exhibitors are concerned. True, officers were elected on Wednesday, but the election was incomplete for announcement of the successful directorial candidates was not made until Thursday morning. Executive committee meetings delayed every session opening, members of that body coming into the convention hall from forty minutes' to one hour late. That a drive will be made during the ensuing year to bring the "bigger theatre owners of the country" into the organization was hinted at by those who are influential enough to carry such a plan through to successful completion. A committee, including Marcus Loew, Jake Wells of Atlanta, William StefTes of Minneapolis and Mike Comerford of Scran ton, are unofficially instructed to bring these "big fellows" into the fold. While Walker has passed out of the motion picture business — he said Tuesday he was quitting the industry permanently — no one will be surprised if he shortly accepts the dictatorship of the new organization that Sam Harris of New York is forming to include every branch of show business. However, the situation is problematical, for Jimmy has every chance of acquiring an important political office, an office for which Tammany has been training for the past thirteen years. The committee on rumors was a busy body. There were hundreds of humors afloat. None amounted to anything of any importance. One particular rumor had it that the Executive Committee had adopted a constitution for the organization that would bar every state delinquent in its national quota from voting. However, subsequent events proved this report to be untrue. However, there were not a few tricks that had been carefully planned that did not materialize.