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| National Association of the Motion Picture Industry | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Association of the Motion Picture Industry |
| Formation | 1916 |
| Dissolved | 1934 |
| Purpose | Film industry self-regulation, content standards, trade coordination |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Region served | United States |
| Notable members | Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, Metro Pictures, Famous Players–Lasky |
National Association of the Motion Picture Industry was an early American film trade association formed to coordinate the fledgling motion picture industry's approach to content regulation, distribution, and public relations. It sought to mediate between film studios, city authorities, social reformers such as the National Board of Review, and municipal censorship bodies including the Chicago Board of Censors. The association's activities occurred during the silent era and early sound era amid disputes involving studios like Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and exhibitors represented by groups such as the Motion Picture Exhibitors' Association of America.
Founded in 1916, the association emerged as major companies including Famous Players–Lasky, Fox Film Corporation, and Vitagraph Company of America expanded national distribution networks like the Edison Manufacturing Company and Thomas Edison's early competitors. Early conflicts involved city censorship boards in Chicago, New York City, and Boston, and reform movements connected to organizations such as the National Board of Review and the National Woman's Christian Temperance Union. The association attempted to forestall state and federal legislation advocated by politicians including William Jennings Bryan and local leaders like Mayor William Hale Thompson by proposing voluntary content guidelines similar in spirit to later codes such as the Production Code Administration's Motion Picture Production Code. Throughout the 1920s the association navigated transitions involving companies including RKO Radio Pictures and Columbia Pictures, and debated issues raised by influential producers like Adolph Zukor and distributors such as Jesse Lasky. The advent of sound films linked to innovations by Warner Bros. and the regulatory posture of bodies like the Hays Office led to eventual organizational shifts culminating in successor frameworks in the 1930s.
Membership comprised major studios, regional distributors, and independent exhibitors including First National Pictures, United Artists, and chains like Paramount Publix Corporation and Loew's Incorporated. The association's governing structure mirrored trade organizations such as the Motion Picture Association of America and incorporated committees addressing production, distribution, and censorship disputes; prominent executives from firms like William Fox's enterprise and Marcus Loew's circuit participated. The association interfaced with municipal agencies such as the New York State Censorship Board and national advocacy groups like the National Consumers League, while coordinating with theater owners associated with the Theatre Owners of America. Membership criteria and dues systems reflected contemporary practices used by organizations like the National Association of Broadcasters.
The association instituted a voluntary system of content recommendations intended to guide studios including Warner Bros., Paramount, and independents such as Essanay Studios in producing acceptable material for exhibition in municipalities including Los Angeles and San Francisco. These guidelines addressed depictions of crime, sexual content, and race, intersecting with controversies involving films like productions from D. W. Griffith's collaborators and the publicity strategies of distributors such as Marcus Loew. The association's approach anticipated later mechanisms used by the Production Code Administration and ratings frameworks similar to what organizations like the British Board of Film Classification would formalize overseas. Content adjudication often involved consultation with civic groups including the Anti-Saloon League and religious organizations such as the Roman Catholic Church's diocesan review boards.
Activities included compiling lists of objectionable subjects, advising studios like Goldwyn Pictures and Samuel Goldwyn on scene deletions, and mediating disputes between exhibitors represented by the National Association of Theatre Owners and distributors such as Pathé Exchange. The association sponsored publicity efforts to counter criticisms from reformers like Jane Addams and collaborated with trade journals including Variety and Motion Picture News. It organized conferences akin to those later convened by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and coordinated with labor organizations such as the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees on exhibition standards. The association also worked with patent holders like George Eastman's firms and technical pioneers involved with studios such as Biograph Company to standardize distribution practices.
By proposing voluntary self-regulation, the association aimed to avert legislative intervention from bodies such as state legislatures in New Jersey or federal inquiries similar to those led by committees in Washington, D.C.. Its efforts influenced legal debates involving notable cases and actors from companies like Paramount Pictures that later faced antitrust scrutiny in matters comparable to the United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc. decisions. The association's negotiations with municipal censorship boards affected enforcement practices in cities including Chicago, Philadelphia, and Cleveland. While not a regulatory agency, its standards were invoked in litigation and municipal hearings involving distributors like Universal and exhibitors managed by executives like Nicholas Schenck.
Though the association dissolved as centralized studio power shifted and the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America consolidated influence under figures like Will H. Hays, its model for voluntary content oversight foreshadowed institutions including the Motion Picture Association and modern ratings systems such as the Motion Picture Association film rating system. Corporate governance, inter-studio agreements, and negotiation tactics developed within the association informed later practices at companies like Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and contemporary trade groups including the Independent Film & Television Alliance. Its interactions with civic organizations such as the National Board of Review and labor entities like the Screen Actors Guild influenced norms for content stewardship, distribution protocols, and industry self-policing that persist in varying form across film industries worldwide, from Hollywood to studios involved in the British film industry and the global circuits managed by companies like Sony Pictures.
Category:Film history