Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-03

Y gradual purchase by tn
chain concerns, forms al
Interesting little topic, at least tt
the outsider looking in upon TIT
picture industry It was only {
few years ago that the exhibition
houses were owned by thousands
of individuals, but the "smal
men" of the game have beer
bought out by the chains, unit
there are few privately owned
theaterS today. This followed the
purchase of the legitimate theaters
by New York organizations. The
chain organizations are enabled tC
simplify their bookings and buy
pictures for all their theaterS, but
they have not (Which is a very
good thing) beer able to eliminate
competition. The various big
chains compete against each
other, so that no single organiza-
tion can claim monopoly in the
exhibition of pictures.
One of the real romanceS OF
the screen world is the Fox or
sanitation. William Fox is the
foremost theater operator of the
world today. Figures just COM
piled show him to have 619 photo
this policy of owning and opera
ting the theaters gives immediate
sway over more houses than any
ether chain.
The expansion Of the Fox in
tereSts has taken place within the
past two years. aal it came as the
result. in 1927. of an appropria-
ton Of 500, 000. 900 for a five-year
program of picture production
Opposition by various competing
theaterS to booking the features
scheduled on this list resulted in
Fox going out for theaterS of his
own, where the showingS would be
assured. The first big purchase
was the Roxy Theater, in New
York, and short time later $50
theaterS were added to the chain
through purchases in the Midwest
and Far West. Another move was
the purchase Of the Poll circuit, in
New England; the opening of
theaters in Washington, Philadel-
phia. Brooklyn, Detroit, st. Louis,
Seattle, Los Angeles and Newark.
Sites have also been purchased
for theaterS in Atlanta, Boston,
Cleveland and Pittsburgh, and the
Fox organization recently pur-
chased 200 theaters in the New
York area.
This great movie chain, the
largest and the most powerful in
the world, has a history which is
really a business romance. Will
liam Fox started his movie career
a quarter of a century ago with a
savings account of $1,666.
THE following communication
comes from Frank ]. Wilstach
CT the Motion Picture Producers
and Distributors of America, Inc,
the organization of which Will H.
HAYS is president:
There is, 1t appears, consider
able misunderstanding as to the
remaining Of books and plays
found unsuitable for the screen.
Here and there 1t has been limited,
rather broadly, that the Hollywood
studios. in order to deceive their
own organizations. have been
screening, surreptitiouSly, various
Objectionable books and plays
under the disguise of new names,
The implication of double dealing
is wholly unwarranted. Those who
have made these innuendoes are
not acqu-. tinted. evidently, with an
agreement entered into in De-
cember, 1927, with the Authors
League of America and the Motion
Picture Producers and Distribu-
tors Of America. This agreement,
given wide publicity at the time,
was made at the suggestion of the
Authors League, and it permits
the author Of play or book,
which has been rejected on ac-
count OF unsuitable matter, to
submit a new story under a new
title. This formula has been in
operation for more than a year
and it has proved highly beneficial
to noveliStS and dramatiSts,
Il take pleasure in enclosing the
full text of the agreement refer
red to. and hope very much that
you will find 1t worthy of your
attention"
Section S of the agreement
makes the matter quite plain. II
= reads: After a story has been re-
jected the author may prepare q
new story, with the unsuitable
material removed and with a new
title written notice of which shall
be given to the association by the
author) and which title does not
in any way suggest the old title
but using such dramatic incidents
and interest as may be used anc
making certain elimination of the
unsuitable material. Then the
author may submit such new STORY
to producing companies for pic.
turizatlon, as in the original in
stance, with the distinct under.
standing that 1t shall not be pub.
licized nor advertised in any way
that will connect the new STORY
with the old, and that it shall no
be presented in any way tina
would mislead the theatergoers.
WILTON A. BARRETT, executiv,
secretary of the Nationa
Board OF Review of Motion Pic
lures, says that the motion pic
ture, through the socially minde,
community groups throughout tn
country, has come to mean some
thing more than entertainment
And, illustrating this point, tn
DANCING.