Evening star., 1922-05-08
MOVIE MANAGERS
OPEN CONVENTION
Owners Of Film .Theaters,
With 5000 Additional Wis.,
itors, Meet in City.

With delegates in attendance from
every section Of the United States. the
third national convention Of the
Motion Picture Theater Owners of
America opened at the Hotel WASH
ington today. For the past two days
every train entering Washington has
been crowded with members OF the
ORGANIZATION and their families, and.
according to registration figures, fully
5000 visitors have already reached
the city.
The convention. which 1t is predicted
will be one Of the most important ever
held by the picture house owners. was
called to order by Sidney S. Cohen Of
New York. national president. and
after q special number by the Crandali
Theater Orchestra, invocation was
pronounced by Rev. James Shera
of Representatives, after which the
delegates were welcomed by Julian
Brylawski Of the Cosmos Theater.
Response by II. j. O"roole.
NJ. ]. O'Toole Of Scranton. Pa, chair
man of the national public service
committee of the organization. re-
sponded on behalf Of the visitors. and
later reports from the various COM
mittees were read. The real work of
the convention, however, will not get
under way until tomorrow. 1t was
said today.
One of the features OF the late ses-
sion today will be an address by
Senator Robert L. owen Of oklahoma,
who will talk on the value motion
pictures have been to the national
government in war and In peace.
A concentrated fight against certain
taxes paid the American Society Of
Authors and Publishers for music fur
nished the motion picture houses of
the country will be made at the con-
Vention, according to those familiar
with the program, and efforts will
be made to hasten the passage of =
Dill now pending in Congress. intro
ducsd by Representative Lampert of
Michigan, to modify the copyright
laws So as to give music freer ex-
preston. This measure has the full
support of the association.
A spirited contest for election Of
national president is predicted for
tomorrov's session. The incumbent
Mr.. Cohen. will have as an opponent.
State Senator James ]. Walker of
New York. Mr.. Walker is counsel
for the organization and has a strong
following.
A banquet will be held at the Wash
!nIton Hotel Wednesday night. and
Friday night 4 reception will be
fendered by the delegates to members
From San Francisco came the
Northern California delegation. head
ed by c. c. Griffin, who Is also a
nAtIohal vice preSl0ent. j. D LustiS,
president, and Glenn Harper. secre-
tary of the Southern California or
ganization, also. arrived early.
Michigan has sent a large delega-
tion. headed by Claude Cady Of Lans-
Ing. They Travelled in special cars
sent sixty exhibitors. most of whom
travelled by automobile from Phila-
delphia. D. A. Harris and large del
eGation from Pittsburgh represent
western Pennsylvania
The largest delegation that ever
represented New York at a national
convention is on hand. Among the
100 exhibitors from the Empire state
are William Landau, president of the
liam Brandt. Louis F. Blumenthal. w.
H. Linton, Utica; G. A. Roberts, AL
bany: Louis Buettner. Cohoes. and
practically all the oficials of tho New
York state unit.
other heads Of delegations and P.
T. o. leaders who have arrived are
Samuel ]. Berman. New York; r.
Woodruff. New Jersey; H: H. Lustig.
clsvelsnd s..a.r, a Lisk ,vSH.. rois spsh ssm
Bullock. Cleveland: NJ. Van Prang.
Kansas City Kan; Laurence Gold
man. Kansas City. Mo-: George p.
Aarons, Philadelphia; John 8. Evans.
Philadelphia. and Martin G. Smith.
Toledo.
SUNDAY MOVIES OPPOSED.
The Washington Presbytery today
adopted resolutions appealing to the
American Motion Picture Thsater
Owners meeting here to request its
members to discontinue opening OF
motion picture houses on Sunday.
We greet these representatives Of
a wonderful art and industry, wish
ing full success to those in the busi-
ness who are endeavoring to free
1t from vicious and improper uses"
declared the resolutions.
They further protested against
INSTRUMENTATION" on the screen
"of disproved falsehoods about al
legged blue laws" urged congress
sional investigation to enable VIII
H. Hays ito do what he doubtless
has in his heart. but dare not under
present conditions even to attempt"