Variety (September 1919)

■:■'-'. ■■ >'• ■ 1 :\.^s 15 GREATER N. Y. EXHIBITORS PLAN "STRIKE" AGAINSTBIG PRODUCERS Secret Organization of Picture Showmen Formed, With 1,200 Members. All Pledged to Combat High Film Rental Charges. Trouble Due Nov. 1, When Contracts ■~ Expire. May Refuse to Run F. P. t Universal, Select and Others Unless Rentals Come Down. The picture exhibitors of Greater New York have caught the strike fe- ver that* recently ran its course in the -other branches of the show business and according to report are lining up to declare themselves against the film distributing offices. The principal com- plaint is the prevalent high price of rentals. Most of the yearly contracts with the film exchanges are due to expire around Opt. 15. According to the plan 'arranged'by a newly formed organi- zation of picture showmen, they will not be renewed, unless the Famous Players, Select, First National, Uni- versal, United Artists and one or two other big producers, consent to a gen- erous slash in rental charges. The moving spirit in the new organi- zation of exhibitors, declared yester- day a membership of over 1,200 had , already been enrolled, and pledged to refuse to book pictures of the above named producers, unless "fair" service prices are granted. The "fair rental" association," as the picture showmen's organization ^is known to its members, will not be In- corporated, but will be conducted as a secret body. The reason for this is that the organization has received le- gal advice that its proposed "strike" against the producers, due about Nov. 1, narrowly approaches a "blacklist," and whatever steps are taken must be very carefully guarded to avoid con- flict with the anti-trust laws. FIVE FILM THEFT ARRESTS. The Film Theft Committee of the First National Exhibitors' Association in a statement given out yesterday made known its recent activities in bringing about the arrest of five al- leged picture thieves within the past ten' days. Chairman Pitman of the committee who is conducting the cam- paign claimed the success in appre- hending malefactors within the past several months will soon lead to stamping out theft in the industry. W. C. Hawkins, as special representa- tive for the committee has been ac- tively concerned in running down the thieves together with officer Brady of the 47th Street police station. According to the story sent out Willie Feinberg and Moe Goldberg were arrested after a taxi-cab chase which ended in Central Park, where Mr. Hawkins and I. J. Schwartz of the Fox Film Co. cornered the two men who had with them a eppy of the "Romance of Tarzan." They had se- cured possession of the feature by calling up an uptown theatre and ex- plaining that the film was to be sent out of town. They asked the house manager to send it to the Penn rail- road . station, which the manager agreed to provided a receipt would be given. The picture was delivered^ by the house porter but it Js alleged Gold- man was tracked from the station and arrested after the chase. Goldman, ac- cording to the statement was identi- fied at Jefferson Market police station by the porter and was granted a con- tinuance until today. Others arrests were made two days later after an alleged conspiracy on the part of Al Lehrer, shipping clerk for Select Pictures, Joseph Spreckman bis assistant and Barney Alvin to secretly circulate. Select features among business acquaintances. They would, it is said, deliver any Select picture on 24 hours notice. Officers of Select were informed of the scheme by Hawkins and was advised as to procedure by assistant district attor- ney A. B. Unger. ... , It is alleged that Spreckman and Al- vin passed over a lot of Select film for $100 in a room in a private house. Hawkins and Brady broke into the room and arrested Alvin. Spreckman who was supposed to have gone for more film was later arrested on the street. Lehrer was then arrested at the Select exchange and the $100 was passed back by him to the officer. The trio was arraigned at the 54th street .court on Monday of last week and was later bound over for action by the grand jury. HORSLEY TO REISSUE. David Horsley has made an arrange- ment-with the Exhibitors Mutual for the release of the reissues of his George Ovie single reel comedies, his two reel animal pictures and the five reel Crane Wilbur features, which "he made several years ago. Horsley leaves for the Coast'this week and will be gone for about a month, returning to reopen his Bay- onne studios. RECORD BOOKING AGREEMENT. Philadelphia, Sept. 24. A booking agreement, comprising the bigest deal yet consummated in the motion picture industry in this state was entered into yesterday when F. G. Nixon-Nirdlinger arranged to book IS houses in which he is inter- ested, with the Stanley company of America> By the arrangement, Nirdlinger be- comes an important factor in ■ the Stanley company and enters the direc- torate of the corporation. The thea- tres affected by the change are the Locust, Belmont, Rivoli and Cedar in the West Philadelphia section; the Frankfort, Jumbo and West Alleg- hany in the Northeast section; the New Friehofer. now being built, the Strand; by arrangement with Mrs. J. Effinger; Nixon's Temple in Camden, N. J.; Nixon's Dover at Dover, DeL: ' Grand Opera House, West Chester; ' •Pa.; Cort, City Square, and Criterion, Atlantic City. Adolph Zukor was present at the meeting. He is also a director in the recently reorganized Stanley Co. ALLIANCE IS COMBINATION" The Alliance Film Securities Cor- poration, a new holding company with a combined capitalization of $2,500,000, was formed last week by the amalga- mation of the Educational Film Cor- poration, the Far East Film Corpora- tion and the Coronet Film Corporation. E. W. Hammons is president of the new combine. FRENCH EXHIBITORS GIVE IN. Paris, Septi4.v Film exhibitors have signed the agreement submitted by the musician}' union, accepting all the terms imposed and paying alt in full during the lock- out. ' ...V - t ■ .:" -" The exhibitors additionally agree not to discharge anyone concerned in tile trouble. It is agreed that all contracts after Sept. 20, when the agreement goes into, effect, shall pass mutually through the musicians' union and exhibitors' union. .The vaudeville managers signed a similar agreement last week. There is much feeling against the legitimate management overe there by. the vaudeville directors and exhibitors. They accuse the legits of lack of »up- iiort through declining to join in the ock-out. ~ -. WOLPER SIGNS CHAMBERS. Contracts were signed late last week under which the Robert W. Chambers Film Corporation will come into exist- ence. The company has been formed for the exclusive making of film verr sions of the author's stories. It is.utb derstood that the capitalization of the company will be about $500,000. SMOKE HIDES THE SUN. Word comes from Universal City, Cat, that for the first time in the his- tory of film making at that point, weather conditions recently have driven the camera men to the bench. A big forest fire in the mountains in that vicinity is the cause. The heavy smoke pall almost obscures the sun. WORLD RIGHTS $250,000. San Francisco, Sept. 24. George Davis has bought the world's rights to "The Confession" from the National Film, The reported price is $250,000. HAMPTON'S OWN STUDIO. Jesse D. Hampton has decided to build his own studio on the Coast, bar-; ing heretofore rented the Willis and Inglis place in Los Angeles for pro- duction activities. -?m He has acquired a plot in L. A. on the Santa Monica Boulevard and work will begin immediately. - '..•'•' :t|P STRONG ESTATE $20,000,000. £g Rochester, N. Y., Sept. 2*p The will of Henry Alvah Strong, which has been probated in Surrogate Court here, bequeaths an estate con- servatively estimated to be more than $20,000,000. -*jfi Mr. Strong was president of the Eastman Kodak Company, the man who originally financed George East- man's inventions to the extent of $10,- 000, and for many years the holder of a controlling interest in the company Amusements in Europe On page 9 of this issue is an article on the amassment field In Continental Europe, written by Hayden Talbot. Thers will be three installments, covering theTegitimate, vaudeville and picture*. Mr. Talbot', article this wade treats of the legitimate. Yonkers Studio for F. P.-L. The Famous Players-Lasky Corpora- tion has leased the former Triangw studio in Yonkers. George Fitzmaurice will start pro- ducing "On With the Dance," with Mae Murray starred, in the newly acquired F. P. property on Oct. 1. . .; Two English Productions by Harrii. The next two . productions to M started by "William Harris, Jr., art "Abraham Lincoln," the much talked about Drinkwater play, and "The Losf Leader," by Lennox Robinson, also highly regarded. li Both pieces are current London su| essses. ■ i | M ....:■ ,.,<-fc^.y:.:. Y V :./i '...>•'■ A