There was a time-it was the golden age-when the merchant of films or
apparatus did his business directly with the consumer; he knew hint. The
business took care of itself because the offering was equal to the demand.
The dizzy growth of the industry in the course of these last years has
changed this happy state of things. The customers have multiplied to such
proportions that the manufacturer would need a magic power to know them
all.
-Georges bureau, Cine Journal, no. 1, 15 August 1908

In 1907 a nickelodeon manager got films wherever and however he could. The problem was to get enough of them. Nothing prevented an exhibitor from purchasing films directly from the producers, but this was not very practical for a program that changed twice a week or even daily. Why continue to buy films that would be shown only a limited...