Now quoting from Mr. Samuelson's testimony in this same case: Question. And during the time that you have been connected with the theater, you have had these other connections with the moving picture business that you have referred to? Answer. Yes; to the great benefit of the theater. Question. Was that an advantage? Answer. A tremendous advantage. Question. Why? Answer. Because of my knowledge of the industry, we are able to exhibit pictures in the Newton Theater which are not ordinarily shown in a theater of that size and location. Question. Are you able, by reason of your position in the industry to obtain any advantage over your competitors in the matter of the distribution of pictures? Answer. You mean the exhibition of pictures? Question. Yes. Answer. We receive our pictures sooner, and all of the theaters in Sussex County, as a result of my efforts, get their pictures earlier. As a matter of fact, For ex we get them at the same time that they are on Broadway, or sooner. ample, we showed The Shining Hour on January 1, 1939, and I don't think it was at the Capitol for 2 weeks thereafter. This Sunday we are playing Idiot's Delight, and so on in great detail. Bear in mind that this is on direct examination by Judge Coult in the New Jersey Supreme Court in which proceeding Mr. Samuelson was under oath. Is it possible that because of Mr. Samuelson's affiliation with the Allied, and he testified that for 5 years he was president of the Allied Theaters in New Jersey, and vice president of the Allied Association for 2 years, and president for 2 years, that he bought pictures at such terms not only because of the lack of competition but because of his position in Allied and because of the advantage that he testified to in the above hearing. You must draw your own conclusion. (Excerpts from Film Daily Year Book, 1940, submitted by Mr. Schaefer, are as follows:) [From Film Daily Year Book, 1940 (p. 641), distributors, New York, N. Y.] Advance Film Exchange, Inc., 630 Ninth Avenue. Alliance Films Corporation, 1270 Sixth Avenue. American Trading Association, 723 Seventh Avenue. Amkino Corporation, 723 Seventh Avenue. Artcinema Associates, Inc., 729 Seventh Avenue. Atlas Film Exchange, 723 Seventh Avenue. British & Continental Trading Co., 1270 Sixth Avenue. C. & M. Pictures, Inc., 729 Seventh Avenue. Casino Film Exchange, Inc., 210 East Eighty-sixth Street. French Cinema Center, Inc., 35 West Forty-fifth Street. French Film Exchange, 545 Fifth Avenue. French Motion Picture Corporation, 126 West Forty-sixth Street. Gallic Films, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue. Garrison Film Distributors, Inc., 1600 Broadway. Garden Pictures, 729 Seventh Avenue. Goldwitt Film Sales Co., 729 Seventh Avenue. Guaranteed Pictures Co., 729 Seventh Avenue. Hungaria Pictures, Inc., 1600 Broadway. Ideal Pictures Corporation, 1600 Broadway. Imperial Pictures, Inc., 729 Seventh Avenue. International Cinemart Corporation, 729 Seventh Avenue. Kassler, Frank, 1600 Broadway. Lenauer International Films, Inc., 202 West Fifty-eighth Street. Luporini & Variety Films Corporation, 33 West Forty-second Street. March Pictures Corporation, 630 Ninth Avenue. Mayer & Burstyn, 1481 Broadway. Modern Film Corporation, 729 Seventh Avenue. National Pictures Corporation, 1501 Broadway. New Star Films, Inc., 1560 Broadway. Olympic Motion Picture Corporation, 325 West Forty-fourth Street. Paramount Pictures, 1501 Broadway. Pax Film, Inc., 723 Seventh Avenue. Puritan Pictures Corporation, 723 Seventh Avenue. RKO Radio Pictures, 1270 Sixth Avenue. Raspin Productions, Inc., 20 West Twenty-second Street. Record Pictures Corporation, 1501 Broadway. Reliable Film Export Co., 1560 Broadway. Reliable Pictures Corporation, 565 Fifth Avenue. Republic Pictures, 1776 Broadway. Roma Film Co., 630 Ninth Avenue. Scandinavian Talking Pictures, Inc., 220 West Forty-second Street. Screen Attractions, 630 Ninth Avenue. Screencraft Pictures, Inc., 723 Seventh Avenue. Select Attractions, Inc., 1501 Broadway. Special Pictures Corporation, 1270 Sixth Avenue. Spectrum Pictures Corporation, 729 Seventh Avenue. Sphinx Films Corporation, 535 Fifth Avenue. Tri-National Films, Inc., 250 West Fifty-seventh Street. Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation, 444 West Fifty-sixth Street. United Artists Corporation, 729 Seventh Avenue. Universal Pictures Corporation, 1250 Sixth Avenue. Vedis Films, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue. Vitagraph, Inc. (Warner Bros.), 321 West Forty-fourth Street. World Pictures Corporation, 729 Seventh Avenue. [From Film Daily Year Book, 1940 (p. 647), Exchanges-Product, New York, N. Y.] Advance Film Exchange, 630 Ninth Avenue. Alliance Films Corporation, 630 Ninth Avenue, Arthur Greenblatt, manager (Alliance). Atlas Film Exchange, 723 Seventh Avenue. Central Film Co., 630 Ninth Avenue, Philip M. Brown, manager. Columbia Pictures Corporation, 630 Ninth Avenue, Nathan J. Cohn, manager (Columbia). Garrison Film Distributors, Inc., 1600 Broadway, T. J. Brandon, manager (Frontier Films, Inc., Cine Liberte, British Progressive, Ltd., History Today, Inc., Sepba, Kino, Ltd., China Film Co., American M. P. Institute). Guaranteed Pictures Co., Inc., 729 Seventh Avenue. Loew's, Inc., 630 Ninth Avenue, J. J. Bowen, New York manager; B. Abner, New Jersey manager (M-G-M). Merit Pictures Corporation, 630 Ninth Avenue. (Lichter). Monogram Distributing Corporation, 630 Ninth Avenue, J. J. Felder, manager (Monogram). Paramount Pictures, Inc., 331 West Forty-fourth Street, Milton S. Kusell, district manager (Paramount). Polish American Film Corporation, 5328 Sixty-fifth Place, Maspeth, L. I., Edward Albin, manager (Polish Films). Producers Distributing Corporation, 630 Ninth Avenue, Bert Kulick, Melvyn Hirsh, managers (Producers Distributing Corporation). RKO Radio Pictures, Inc., 630 Ninth Avenue, Robert S. Wolff, manager (RKO Radio). Republic Film Exchange, Inc., 630 Ninth Avenue, Morris Epstein, manager (Republic). Sack Amusement Enterprises, 723 Seventh Avenue, Lester J. Sack, manager (Million Dollar Productions). Syndicate Exchanges, Inc., 630 Ninth Avenue, Melvyn Hirsch, Bert Kulick, managers (Syndicate, Warwick). Times Pictures, Inc., 630 Ninth Avenue. Treo Film Exchange of New York, N. Y., 630 Ninth Avenue. Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation, 345 West Forty-fourth Street, Harry H. Buxbaum, manager (Twentieth Century-Fox, Gaumont British). United Artists Corporation, 630 Ninth Avenue, Clarence Eiseman, manager (United Artists). Universal Film Exchange, 630 Ninth Avenue, David A. Levy, manager (Universal). Vitagraph, Inc., 315 West Forty-fourth Street, Ed. M. Schnitzer, district manager (Warner Bros., First National, Vitaphone). World Pictures Corporation, 729 Seventh Avenue, Arthur A. Mayers, manager (World, Standard). [From Film Daily Year Book, 1940 (p. 644), Exchanges-Product, Dallas, Tex.] Adams Film Exchanges, 3081⁄2 East Harwood Street, L. F. Turner, manager (Victory, Spectrum, Astor, Colony, Metropolitan, Artcinema, Imperial, Puritan). Columbia Pictures Corporation, 1818 Wood Street, J. B. Underwood, manager (Columbia). Loew's, Inc., 2013 Jackson Street, Leroy Bickel, manager (M-G-M). Lone Star Film Corporation, 208 South St. Paul Street. Monogram Pictures, Inc., 304 South Harwood Street, John L. Franconi, sales manager, Edwin Blumenthal, manager (Monogram). Paramount Film Distributing Corporation, 412 South Harwood Street, L. W. McClintock, manager (Paramount). RKO Radio Pictures, Inc., 402 South Harwood Street, S. M. Sachs, manager (RKO Radio). Republic Pictures Corporation of Texas, 2011 Jackson Street, W. G. Underwood, C. C. Ezell, managers (Republic). Sack Amusement Enterprises, Film Exchange Building, Alfred Sack, manager (Million Dollar Productions, India white product). Texas Film Service, Inc., 412 South St. Paul Street. Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation, 1801 Wood Street, H. R. Beirsdorf, manager (Twentieth Century-Fox, Gaumont British). United Artists Corporation, 308 South Harwood Street Hugh Owen, manager (United Artists). Universal Film Exchanges, Inc., 308 South Harwood Street, Edward S. Olsmith, manager (Universal). Vitagraph, Inc., 508 Park Avenue, Doak Roberts, manager (Warner Bros., First National, Vitaphone). STATEMENT OF MRS. LEWIS P. ADDOMS, CHAIRMAN MOTION PICTURE COUNCIL, BROOKLYN, N. Y. The CHAIRMAN. Mrs. Addoms. Mrs. ADDOMS. Mr. Chairman, I am Mrs. Lewis P. Addoms, of Brooklyn, N. Y. I am here in the capacity as chairman of the Motion Picture Council of Brooklyn, an organization which tries by every means in its power to raise the standards of education and moral tone of films. I also represent the Motion Picture Department of the Long Island Federation. I also represent the New York division of Long Island, Staten Island division of the State Federation of Women's Clubs, and all of these organizations which I represent are opposed to the Neely bill, because we feel it will not do the things we want to do. We feel also that these organizations of women throughout the country who have written in support of the bill have done so and are doing so actively because they do not understand as a group that the bill will not do what the organizations want done, or that their support of the bill, and its passage, will definitely defeat what is desired. In order to conserve your time, Mr. Chairman, I ask permission to file the detailed information in support of these remarks. The CHAIRMAN. The statement will be included in the record as a part of your statement. Mrs. ADDOмs. Thank you. (The statement referred to follows:) Mr. Chairman, and Members of the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce: I am Martha W. S. Addoms, chairman of the Motion Picture Council for Brooklyn, N. Y., an organization of volunteers working for the betterment of film entertainment. I am also chairman of the Motion Picture Department of the Long Island Federation of Womens Clubs, and of the Motion Picture Department of the Second District of the New York State Federation of Womens Clubs. Of our 221 motion picture theaters in Brooklyn, 65 are affiliated with one or the other of the major producers; 40 belong to affiliated circuits, and the rest are either totally independent, or book through very small circuits. The council maintains a complete file of every film produced. Every week through the year its editorial committee receives the advanced bookings of all circuit theaters, and most of the independent theaters. It carefully studies the content of each film, and issues résumés of each for distribution to school, church, and civic groups. Particular attention is paid to the grouping of films in the large downtown theaters, for as a general rule the arrangement presented there is adhered to through the neighborhood houses. Often changes can be made at this point, and a film suitable only for adults separated from one suitable for children. In the first group of theaters mentioned, central booking departments select the films for all the theaters of their respective circuits. The managers in this group have little choice, but this frequently results in benefit to the public, in that if the requested changes are made, they affect not one, but many theaters. In the second group a central exchange selects, subject to the manager's approval. Here community pressure has effect, but competition enters in, and there are fewer films on hand to choose from. Also each individual manager has to be won to the community point of view. The third group offers the greatest difficulty. Held down to lowcost films, because they have a low admission charge, and obliged to fill his house, the manager oftens turns to the off-color film, the horrorthriller, the gangster, or cheap western. In a community of 3,000,000 people of all races and all creeds, it is impossible to exert concerted community pressure. Different local groups desire different types of films. One local exhibitor recently flaunted great banners advertising a semihistorical picture as "the greatest sex picture of all time." When questioned as to why he chose that type of advertising for a picture that was not definitely a sex picture, he replied, "That's what brings them in." Upon studying his books it was shown that he took in approximately five times as much on a racy film as he did on a simple, human interest film. Much testimony has been offered to prove that the Neely bill would do away with poor films; that all managers desire to present fine wholesome films, and would do so if allowed to select them individually. Unfortunately, the experience of the council over a long period of years is just the reverse. The average, small theater selects the films that he believes will give him the greatest financial return, and he cares not one whit whether they be ethically good or bad. The only hope of better films lies in the slow painstaking process of public education. Working through parent's and civic groups, the council has endeavored to increase the demand for wholesome films; to raise the standard of taste above the dime-novel counterpart in films. If it can be shown that a better type of film offers not only better mental stimulation and development, but also better entertainment, the pendulum of public opinion will eventually swing that way. Under the block-booking system community workers have the assurance that the local manager, whether he wishes to do so or not, will have upon his schedule some films which may be used to demonstrate that a film may be both entertaining and ethically sound. It is to be regretted that public opinion is so often sectional opinion. There are great numbers of intelligent people in every large community who do not go to the movies at all; their vote is lost. There are a far greater number who go, enjoy a film if it be good, and complain in private when it is combined with a poor film. But they are inarticulate; their vote is lost. But the mass audience makes its preference felt by cheers and boos. It becomes a question of social values; what shall our American film audience learn from the pictures we present? Community selection must be guided; the better film must be offered constantly, sugar-coated if necessary, until it, and not the thriller-gangster-horror film, attracts. Public taste cannot be legislated; it must be lead. It is the council's belief that the national organizations which support the Neely bill and those which oppose it are accuated by the same desire for better films, and that the apparent difference in opinion comes from their varying knowledge of the bill's provisions and of the industry practices. The council's speakers have met with numerous local units of these national groups. Invariably after its opposition to the bill has been explained, members have asked why it is that their own national committee supports it. And the answers must always be that probably they have not sufficient knowledge of industry practice to off-set the alibi that block-booking is responsible for all that the local manager wishes to escape. They have rushed in to settle, by legislation that they do not understand, conditions which have not been honestly set forth. The council is repeatedly asked "But won't the bill abolish double features?" "Won't the gangster film be eliminated?" "Won't we then have fine shorts and travelogues?" The same lack of definite authoritative knowledge has brought about the support on the part of the religious leaders. They ardently desire better films. But they, too, have been lead to believe that the |