The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1920-08-14
INDEPENDENT FILM MEN
CONSULT LOCAL THEATRE
HEAD In TRUST FIGHT

supremacy in the motion picture in
dustry. On one side are large pro-
ducing companies who are intent up
on monopolizing every branch OF the
business from actors to theatres, and
on the other are large number of
independent exhibitors, stars and d.
rectors who have merged their oppo-
sition to this would-be trust in CO.
operative organization called the As
ISOLATED First Nationa Picturesl, Inc,
which is waging the battle to keep
theatre independent and the develop
ment of genius unrestricted. A three
days inspection of this territory as a
motion picture exhibiting field has
just been completed, and before leav.
ing the city today to report to the AS
ISOLATED First National Pictures head
quarters for this territory the field
survey official said that L. D. Joel of
the city did join in the move to keep
the would!be trust from obtaining the
the death grip on motion pictures.
| Secrecy Attends Results
! While he would not go into the de-
tails Of the report he is to make he
declared that Lakeland graded SO
high as field for the exhibition of
pictures that beyond a doubt it had
already been included in the plans Of
those who are attempting the monop-
olization Of tn industry as the loca.
tion of trust-owned theatre. For
this reason alone, he declared, the
Associated First National Pictures,
Inc, was inclined to grant sub
franchise to l.. d. Joel here in order
to prevent the Sitting of competition.
Associated First National Pictures,
Inc, is tn name chos IN by an associa-
ton Of exhibitors, now numbering
100000, who have rebelled against an
idea of a giant financial monopoly of
motion pictures. Several months ago
efficiency experts retained by men
who had purchased great number of
shares in several of the companies
that produce motion pictures ex-
pounded the theory that there was
great amount Of waste in permitting
recognized stars of the screen and
well known directors to spend any
amount of money they deemed neces-
sary to film production They
pointed out that smaller companies
whose capital was necessarily limited
held down production expenses, and
that there was no reason why the
larger companies, with practically un-
limited capital, could not do the same
thing. A further advantage of such
an idea, it was urged, was that ex-
hibitors would have a standard
amount that they would have to pay
each week for their productions, in
stead Of paying large amount when
they ran stellar picture and small
er amount WIN the picture was not so
good.
Damages Of Film Trust
/ Exhibitors all over the ountry look.
ed askance at the idea, fearing that
1T would develop into Q continuous
output Of mediocre pictures, and that
1t would sound the death knell of
productions such as I'm Old Kentuc.
KY" and others in which the scenario
writer and director were no trequired
to keep expenditures within limited
sum, Many directors and some of the
best known film stars also declared
that such course was impossible II
individual genius and artistic work
were to survive. This feeling crystal.
lied into the formation Of the Asso.
ciated First National Pictures.
Such stars as Charlie Chaplain
kathrine Macdonald, Norma and Con.
stance Talmadge, Mildred Harris
Chaplin, Anita Stewart, Nell Shin
man, Charles Ray, and many others
have already allied themselves with
the association of exhibitors. Mar.
shall Neilan, who directed "The I'm.
pardonable Sin,' Daddy Long Legs i"
and The Rivers End; King Vidor
who directed Better Times" and
The Turn in the Road" have also
lined up with the association of ex.
hibitors, as well as Henry Lehrmann
the well known director of comedies
Each OF these have entered into con.
tracts to produce motion picture plavs
Exclusively for the theatres represent.
ed by membership franchise in Asso.
ciated First National Pictures.
The Spirit of re
The basis of the organization of
Associated First National Pictures is
revolutionary as far as the motion
picture industry is concerned and Is
strictly cooperative. For purposes of
administration the entire country has
been divided into zones, with an en-.
franchised film distributing headouar.
Il