Evening star., 1925-10-28

| The motion picture had been invent
! ed. Zukor saw opportunity with ii.
| He figured the action in it would be
more realistic if it We're viewed under
| the impression of travelling. In
| little store on Fourteenth street he
built a representation Of a railroad
car. His patrons saw the pictures out
| of one end.
Became Great Figure.
From that beginning with the early
"thrillerS, :" when guns played the
parts later taken by hearts. ZullOr
| became the greatest figure and power
in the motion picture industry, the
evidence taken shows. lie carries
So, 900 900 life insurance.
In the brief filed by attorneys for
the commission, it is said:
"A study of the record in this case
will show that the present position of
the respondent. Famous Players Lasky
Corporation, in the motion picture in
duStry Is the result of the personal
activities and influence of its presi-
dent, Adolph Zukor.
In every move that has been made
since 1914, the directing hand has been
Zukor's; the ambitious dream of domi-
mating and controlling this industry
originated with Zukor; the scheme Of
uniting production, distribution and
exhibition under one company as the
means of bringing about such a monOp-
oly was Zukor'S: the cOnSpiraCieS and
schemes to unite the three branches
We're planned and successfully carried
out under the direction of Zukor."
Reference also is made TO the un-
disputed declarations of Zukor, repeat
edly made, Of his purpose to control
and dominate the industry" and also
Of proving the unfair and unscrupu-
lOuS methods used TO destroy and
eliminate competition in his effort to
accomplish his purposes"
There is reviewed the organization
Of Famous Players by Zukor; its alb
sorption of smaller companies; the
war among the directors Of
Paramount Pictures which it
later acquired; the securing Of
distributing companies: the result
ant organization OF First National as
an exhibiting circuit. the attempt TO
absorb" and later TO destroy" it. and
subsequently Zukor'S making of "buSi-
ness connections" with the franchise
holders in it; his working combina-
ton" with Loew, whom he had left in
the theater business when he set out
for himself; the raising of $4,000. 600
10 buy thcaters in key cities; various
stated coercive methods employed in
the industry and their effect upon it.
Zukor Held Link Creator.
Linking the so-called big Three" in
the business-Famous Players, Metro
Goldwyn Mayer and First National
which have been set forth sepa rately
as blazing its independence, is Zukor,
according to the testimony, through
his working combination" with
Loew. head of the Netro-Goldwyn-
Mayer, and his business connection"
with First National.
1t is claimed he had a practical
monopoly" of leading stars and come
dianS, that by virtue of various merg-
ers he became the greatest producer
of feature pictures in the world, and
that his rise to that position was
brought about through a complete
program of extension" a progressive
program" of acquisition by purchase
or otherwise" and complete harmony,
unity and concert of action"
1t is stated between S6,O00,0 900 and
$1,000, 900 in cash on hand was used
for such turn around"
Defense counsel assert Famous
Players and Zukor put out at most
only II per cent of all pictures pro-
duced, distributed only like amount
and actually owned, operated and con-
trOlled but 2 per cent of the theaterS
in the country. Their number of
houses is said to be 14S, of which
81 are first-run ones. There are II ,156
motion picture theaters.
I'm the organization of the five or
six large producers whose product
takes up most of the time of the bet
ter first-run theaters there is con-
stant competition" it is stated in the
respondents exception.
Such companies as Goldwyn, Met
ro United Artists, First National,
Universal, Warner Brothers, Associ-
ated Producers and the Famous Play
ers-Lasky Corporation possess the
size, stability and organization nee
essary for the production of consist
emily good feature pictures.
Growth of the business has been
attended with some confusion and the