Evening star., 1925-11-05
By JAMES ROBBINS.
Article VIII.


ture operators who demanded the
right to buy films they chose for their
patrons was a group Of men called
the dynamite squad"
Its operations and what became
known Is 'Shock advertising" are in
the evidence from the investigation of
the industry that is to be laid before
the Federal Trade Commission.
Counsel for the commission, in their
brief, refer to the dynamite squad"
in connection with the roundup of
theaters, by purchase or otherwise"
whose owners baked at taking a 100
per cent supply of films from one pro-
ducer or to sell out or lease. They re-
fer to it as something more than a
purchasing crew or one sent out to
build theater topping in size the one
for which a contract could not be OBJ
tanned.
Counsel for the Famous Players
Lasky Corporation and its president,
Adolph Zukor, respondents in the Gov
ernment action, declare there was a
trade war and that the name "dyna-
mite squad" was given by its compet-
itors to men who were sent out to &C
quire theaters where there had been a
boycott of its pictures.
Invasion of Texas.
IAN invasion of Texas" Is referred
to by the commissions counsel. the
invaders" consisting OF u men head
ed by Stephen Lynch, who was man.
ager Of Southern Enterprises, which
operated theaters in Southern States
and Is said to have been acquired by
Famous Players since the investiga-
ton started. These II men became
generally known and referred to by
a h jS cya he
mite squad" ''wrecking crew." ''dy-
Mantle carriers ''wrecking gang
and dynamite gang" 1t is said they
bought theaters so fast it was hard to
tell when they purchased them, and
that in less than three weeks they
made deals for the acquisition of the.
aters amounting to $375,O00.
Respondents counsel claim these
terms were not descriptive Of the ac-
tivities Of the men.
A. j. Bothancourt. an exhibitor at
Houma. La. is cited as testifying that
he went to see an exchange manager
about a new contract after using
Paramount, the Famous Players pic
lures, for six or seven years, and of
his being told the manager was not
ready to close.
1t is stated Bethancourt subse.
quently had a talk with Zukor in
Cleveland, and that he testified he
said to Zucor:
Il understand you are going to take
that service away from me down
there. and 1 have been with you so
long, and shown your pictures, and
don't owe you anything, and 1 think
1t would be doing ME a dirty trick IL
you did take them away"
To this he is quoted as saying Zukor
replied:
go on back home and write me
when you get home"
Warning to Exhibitors.
1t is stated that when several ex-
hibitors in Texas. Arkansas and Okla.
homa refused to enter contracts for
the Paramount service the dynamite
gang" was sent into the territory and
proceeded to acquire theaters on q
large scale. This raid is said to
have been staged in such a spectacu-
lar manner as to serve as a warning
to all exhibitors that unless they
bought Paramount pictures 100 per
cent they could expect opposition.
Denial is made by Famous Players
that 1t ever insisted exhibitors buy
pictures 100 per cent.
Another method Of coercing and
intimidating exhibitors who refused to
pay exorbitantly high prices asked by
Famous Players-Lasky Corporation
for it's pictures" the commissions s
counsel state, was a campaign term
ed shock advertising
This campaign consisted of a Sc
ries of postal cards, letters and news
paper advertisements. Paramount ex-
change managers throughout the
country were furnished by the New
York office with forms to be used in
their respective territories. the name
of the town being left blank, so that
each manager could fill in the name
of the town in which he decided to use
it against a rebellious exhibitor.
"An examination Of this publicity
matter shows that 1t was cunningly
devised to disparage and belittle the
exhibitor with his patrons by an ap-
peal to their civic pride and pa
triotism."
On behalf Of Famous Players, it LIS
held that this type Of advertising was
perfectly legitimate means Of building
up a consumer demand, and that it
was only used for a few weeks in
1921.
Postal Cards Sent.
Post cards are said to have been
sent first, with statements of the fol-
lowing nature:
Your taste Of clean entertainment
is just as high as any one in Surround
ing towns named), isn't it? Why
shouldn't you be entitled to such fine
Paramount pictures as tseveral pic
lures named, such as THE Right to
Love-" The Restless Sex" Behold