The Washington times., 1915-01-11
PHOTOPLAYS AND
PHOTOPLAYERS
Bv GARDNER MACK.
Merger OF Three Big
Film Companies
Reported to Be
Planned
By GARDNER MACK.

:, merger of film interests is i'm
mincnt that will bring the three big
companies now releasing daily
program under one general booking
concern. Reports that the General
Film, the Universal, and the Mu-
tu8l compa nies have formed an al
lance are carried in most of the
periodicals devoted to the amuse-
ment business this week. The exa ct
details arc not given. but the state
ment that the heads OF the three
concerns have been in earnest con-
, ference several times during the
past week or ten days and that the
announcement OF the merger of
booking interests is daily expected.
The Mutual and Universal companies
nave recently gone through rather
upsatting eXperiences-upsettin so
lar as the matter Of organization is
concerned. The death of Frank uite
several months ago caused decided
change in the complexion Of the Mu-
fnal organization and the acquire
ment by Pat Powers Of a majority
o1 the stock Of the Universal com
pany has caused a spirit Of unrest 70
upset tho Universal organization.
Just what Powers intends to do with
the controlling interest he now folds
no one can tell. lie has SO fal. made
no move except to have himsclf
elected treasurer Of the company.
IN view OF the suits mat have been
h!ed against the General Film Com
pany and the Motion Picture Pat
ents Company-of which the General
Film Is q part-it is possible that :,
t,,ta
wipe out tho so-called trust aspect of
the General Films business and bring
ABOUT q Withdrawal OF the legal pro-
ceedinss. Some of the suits were
hied by William Fox, who has long
been known to oppose the General
r1m plans: Fox was the author of 4
very shrewd scheme which prac-
ticaliy upset the trusts plans and
enabled him to control Of and rent
10 others all the General Film prod
uct he wanted. He organized a
COMPANY which bought films nom the
Individual members Of the General
rim and released them on the same
day, they We're released by the Gcu-
crai. lie usually charged less for his
nim than the big company and in this
way hurt the General Film businc ss
throushout the country. An appeal
made TO the courts brought out the
fact that the subsidiary companics s
Of the trust were compelled to seli
Their product to Fox if he offered
10 buy II.
AS Fox has started building lIp a
Dig feature business in addition 70
ne business he controls through his
pig cXchange: and further than that
mas FOX instituted new suits to dis
solve the General Film Company. il
is very likely that the General and
Mutual. and Universal might feel
that this is the man they must fight, =,
and are PREPARING TO merge THEN.
booking interests on that account.
The tilm export Of Variety believes
the lumors of the merger are based
Hpun Tact. lie states:
mere was every appearance of
Authenticity in the statement a few
days $50 IRON a. substantial sim man
that there had been a second confer
ence downtown lar- last week attend
ed BY j. j. Kennedy. head of the PAT
entS Company, snd president OF the
General Film COMPANY: Harry Ait
ken, president Of the Mutual. and
'arl Iaeminlc. president of the Uni-
IeIsal
Nothing o. Tie ,omfclenne pc
"ame pahll". OF roIl's". bat IL is
Dtc".n:l'@ moe ana mnic the fixed
DO" HIntion piCtuc people that
- " ptSsest daily release pro
.''"' '.'' cdginc toward some soit
-, I.;.." understanding. What form
ard. The pending dissolution suit
against the trust would. oI
course. preclude the possibility OF
anythin: approaching an open mer.
ger, to the exclusion OF the out
Siders. In this connection it is inter
esting to note that Pat Powers has
lately become head OF a daily re-
lease service. the United. As hold
er of the majority Of voting stock In
the Universal, Powers could prob
ably force The other INC mbels of
any sort OF pooling arrangement
TO take care of this now property
i'll the event oil a peace treaty.
Another angle to the conp.a. Sit.
uation is the persistent report rh:
one OF the big feature progra.ns has
in contemplation the establishment
Of a service of singlc-reclers for Us.
In conjunction with its multiple rec
features. II is known TO have made
a large number Of single reel sub
.ecta. and the manufacturers of the
group are making more. Besides $
the rumors intimate that big DTo
Queer OF 100 foot subjects ma,
break away from his present di.:
1ributirs concern ard throw in hi
lot with feature pcoDle