Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-10-30
BY JAMES ROBBINS.
ARTICLE LII.

non pictures, the testimony in the
Federal Trade Commissions investiga
ton OF the industry. which carries TO
the pocketbOok, artistic value a nd edu-
cational sense Of every movie pa
iron throughout the country. is sum
med up by Government counsel as a
triumverate with domination by
Iukor from his office on Fifth ave
nue., New York.
There he is visualiZed as swapping
the whip and making producer. dis
Iributor and theater owner do his
bidding, with the 20 900 900 picture
theater goers daily from Fla stport
Me, to Friday Harbor Wash, who
pay $1,000, 900, 900 yearly for admis-
sions, seeing the films selected for
them.
Paramount the trade name Zuk or
took and adopted for his Famous
PlaNers-LaSky Corporation is defined
by no less authority than Webster as
ton: superior to all others; chief; su-
preme; eminent and a paramount
person as a lord paramount; a su-
preme proprietor or ruler.
Huge Stake Held Zukor's Aim.
The parts OF the $500. 900 900
for are connected from the evidence
with him, and outstanding are his
stated deals with Marcus Loew. who
heads Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer. and the
ranchise holders in First National.
In their brief file with the commits
sion. counsel for that trade body sa v:
1t was part of Zukor's plan to
make Business connections with the
owners of large theater circuits
throughout the country. The evidence
shows that he has consistently worked
to make every possible connection with
the Loew circuit and the First Ma.
tional circuit wherever possible"
"All the affllia tons and connec-
lions. as shown by the record" they
say. prove positively that the
Iukor-LOew combination is working
together all over the country and
il becoming stronger all the time.
In the light Of this evidence II would
be hard for anybody seriously to
contend that there is any real rivalry
or competition between Zukor and
Loew. Their purposes. aims and
ambitions are now. and have been
for years. one and the same. and
they are today in reality as closely
connected as they were back in the
90's. working together in the fur
business.
From this undisputed evidence.
showing the inroads that Iukor had
made in the First National circuit
and how he is slowly but surely OBJ
tanning entering wedges wherever
possible" counsel further contend,
we confidently submit that unless
commission ii will be but a short
time until he has accomplished what
he started out to do in 1917. 10 wit.
gain control of the First National
circuit and eliminate it as A com
petitor in distribution and produc-
tion. and bring it's theaters under
his control and domination.
Interest Shown I'm Theaters.
Famous Players is shown not only
as provider of pictures for the Loew
houses, but as interested in the Loew
theaters. With its theaters. particu-
larly in New England, the West and
South. Famous is listed as the larg
est buyer of the films of Metro
Goldwyn and First National. Three
hundred films are needed for the
first-run houses.
Loew is presid lent of Loews. Inc.
which is engaged in opera ting $50
theaters in this country and Can
ada. OF them, 100 are exclusively
motion picture houses. The policy
of the remaining so is to show Il
combiption of pictures and vaude-
Vile. There are 80 OF these theaters
in the metropolitan district of New
York.
After Zukor and Loew embarked
on their first venture In the amuse-
ment line. operating penny arcades
as the Automatic Vaudeville Co. and
Zukor went into picture production.
eaving Loew to take in the nickels
and dimes at the public gates of the
thriller" theaters they had estab-
lished, their associate remained
close. Zukor's daughter, Miss Mil
dred Zukor. married Arthur Loew,
son of Marcus Loew.
The attorney for the Automatic
Vaudeville Co. was Elek John Lud-
vigh. who had become acquainted
with Loew when he was attorney for
Norman Raehr & Co.. a manufacture
ing fur concern of which Loew was
the company. When Zukor organized
Famous Players he took LudVlgh as
counsel and secretary.
Stockholders Listed.
A list of the stockholders Of Loew's.
Inc. as set forth by the commission s
counsel. shows that Eugene j. Zukor.
son OF Adolph. held 5000 shares:
Mrs. Lottfe zukor. wife of Adolph
Zukor. 6.S92 shares Mrs. Mildred Il.
I.oew. daughter of Adolph Zukor. g.
OOO shares. Other stockholders are
listed as interested in the Stanley
Co. of Philadelphia. the largest mo
ton picture operators In PennsEi'
yania and New Jersey, whose VI.
$50 900 notes Famous Players is salo
to hold: and the Saenger Amusement
Co. of New Orleans. a. Famous PlaE'
ers connection in the South. More
than 1000 shares also were credlteo
to the Ludvigh family. and nearly
that many to the Mastbaum family,
which is in the Stanley Co. The total
canftaIization of Loew's, Inc, Is f.
900 900 shares.
Tn connection with stock holdings
II Is noted by the commissions coun
sci that on September l5, 1873. out IL
of the 90 directors In the Famous
Plavers-Las sky Corporation owned any
Of the common stock. and that those
- owned of record. but $3.50 shares
out of approximately 214.oo0 issued
and outstanding. The 20 directors
also owned. of record. 1t is set forth
hut $50 shares of the preferred stock
out of approximately 10000 shares
and eight of the directors. including
Zukor. the president. owned neither
common nor preferred stock.
Counsel for Zukor declare this Is
not true record Of holdings, pointing
out that stock of record held by in
vest rs is not in their name. and thai
at all times Zukor has been one Of the
largest, II not the largest, stockhold
ers in the company.
Going back to the Loew sharehold
ers the Government counsel record:
With this close aff1liation between
Zukor. Loew and the Ludvigh family
it was not a difficult proposition fol
Zukor to make a business connection