Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-07-03
HUNTING THE WILDCAT FILM.

Washington, June 26-The great
business discovery made by 2. Z. Bar
num-that the public loves to be fooled
and that it is amazingly easy to fool it
has recently been put to work IN q
new form. The wildcat movie company
has appeared, and has scampered away
with number of the public's millions
and vengeance-breathing posse of
honest movie-makers hot on its trail.
This latest child Of American fraud
|-Gneal descendant of the gold brick,
the wooden nutmeg and the cherry-col-
ored cat; first cousin of the sailed
mine, the oil gusher for which the pro-
moter does all the gushing the pecan
groves and rubber plantations which
grow only in the tropical imaginations
of agents-is credited with having is
sued stock to the amount of not less
than quarter Of billion dollars, and
some fifty millions of this. amount is
said to have left home completely and
forever.
Lured on by the knowledge of the
fortunes made by many in the moving
picture industry, large portion of the
public has fallen an easy victim to the
dishonest promoter of the wildcat film
company. The National Association of
the Motion Picture Industry has been
most active in trying to expose and dis
credit these men, and vigilance COM
mittee has been in existence for some
time which has achieved notable re-
suits.
During the past year, this committee
has investigated more than hundred
suspected moving picture companies,
representing a combined capitalization
Of a quarter of billion dollars. A
r%c 10 and
timize the public have been discovered
in time to thwart worthless movie
stock flotations. 1t was found that as
a rule these fly-by-night concerns were
differed by men with no experience IN
the moving picture business.
1t was particularly the producing
companies OF this character which were
found to be shady and questionable.
Usually they were composed OF pro-
moters evidently attempting, and often
with success. to cash in on the wide
spread report of fabulous fortunes
made in the motion picture industry.
During the last calendar year, the
American public put S5O,O0O,0OO into
the pockets of dishonest promoters
through the purchase of pretty stock
certificates in worthless producing
companies. This does not, of course,
include any of the stock issued and
sold by we'll established and profitable
motion picture corporations which
sold securities to the public during 1920
for the purpose Of legitimate business
expansion.
But the wildcat companies, as lure
repeatedly call attention to the ire
mendous earning power and assets Of
the honest and established concerns,
seeking by this indirection to associate
their names with these honest and
above board representatives Of the in
dustry.
1t was for the protection Of the
public and the protection of the honest
companies that the National Associa-
ton of the Motion Picture Industry ap
pointed it's Vigilance Committee about
a year ago. when the stock selling OPP
erations of the fake companies were
at high tide.
By putting the bars against the wild
caters, the respectable and honest
movie men hope to protect themselves
as we'll as prevent further mulcting Of
the public. James Il. Quirk, editor
Of moving picture magazine.
Publicity the Cure.
Mr.. Quirk says that publicity is the
strongest weapon the committee has