Fanchon & Marco, Inc. v. Paramount Pictures, Inc.

This is an action under the Anti-Trust Act by a corporation which owns and operates motion picture theatres in Los An-geles and elsewhere against distributors of motion pictures and other theatre owners and operators. It is claimed there is a combination of defendants, who control eighty per cent of the supply and have a monopoly of distribution to refuse discriminatorily to release motion pictures to the Baldwin Theatre, operated by plaintiff on the outskirts of the metropolitan core, on first run day and date with theatres in downtown Los Angeles and to confine that house to a twenty-one day clearance in favor of the first run theatres, denying it a seven day or fourteen day basis. The action is not based on price fixing, but is concerned exclusively with runs and clearances. The Trial Judge found against plaintiff and dismissed the action.

The lengthy record and exhibits introduced have been carefully considered by this Court. Based upon this examination of the record ruled upon by an able and experienced Trial Judge, Hon. Leon Yankwich, who heard the case without a jury and who is well acquainted with the local distribution of motion pictures and operation of theatres in the…