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30 the only party to feel the blow. The US Government was then in the thide of its own anti-trust suit against the in- dustry, and regarded the Goldman case as a testing ground for its own cam- paign. The t of Justice hus- tled into the fray, and a brief was filed on behalf of the government as “amicus curiae,” claiming that the public had a direct interest in the number of first- run theatres, that it was to the public's benefit to have as many as possible, and’ that “the District Court’s approval of the pattern of distribution disclosed... is a threat to free competition in any business.” On August 2, 1945, the Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the District Court. After a long delay, the final judgment was delivered and Goldman was awarded $375,000, about a quarter of his original request, on last December 19. Eleven ~ HOW THE FILM DISTRIBUTION. MONOPOLY WORKS = ihe eo. el | L@sirerausth BEES BBEL initial showing i city ‘restricted to ons theatre controlled by hig firms First-ron house plays picture as fong as @ is profitabis f hestal fea & admission price Set by big distributor | KEY ARUN -QHCATRE ! eS NEW REPUBLIC days later he sued again, this time for $8.4 million for profits lost at the Er- langer between the time his first suit started and the end of 1946. The de- fendants appealed the original suit back to the Circuit Court. But the battle was won. Six months before the award, how- ever, the attention of theatre people everpwhere-was drawn a cision rendered in the crucial “New _ York Case” of the government against the industry. This judgment finally out- lawed any kind of block booking; for- bade chain contracts for any pictures; barred price fixing; opened the picture market to free competitive bidding; and forbade the acquisition of new theatres by any of the producer affiliates. The basic threat to freedom in the ine dustry—producer-owned theatre chains —has not been scotched. But the gov- ernment is carrying the case to the Su- preme Court with a request for com plete divorcement. A final decision will probably be rendered sometime next winter. Anybody’s guess . s this is being written, the Supreme Coust is considering 2 motion to stay the provisions of the decree until it sees the case. But the producers already are testing out the competitive-bidding item and finding to their delight that it yields more money than ever, during the pres ent picture scarcity. As a result, inde- pendent exhibitors all over the land have set up a howl that the decision meant to free them is actually going to destroy them. , Goldman is one independent who is not howling. Having forced his way to the top of his local heap against terrific odds, he is getting all the first-run pic tures he wants and making big profits on them. The able Philadelphian has demon- strated once for all that the big boys can be licked and that competition is ~ possible. Under the logic of the com- - petitive system, an open market ind ~ better, less expensive product, The anybody's guess. unrestricted buyers can ultimately bring . more producers, selective buying and a se movie business, however, is aot noted “. ge 3 for logic; and how this will all end is