The feisty independents back then spread out in order to illegally fight back (court battles take time, beatdowns are instant) against the east coast Trust's effective moral censorship, and celebrity probably was a side aim or help.

The Master Switch by Tim Wu touches on what the Trust did to stifle celebrity/stardom and acting as an artform in order to maintain a low-cost monopoly over film watching. This is in contrast to a high-cost monopoly the article above is advocating for.