Variety (September 1919)

W-M\ W* / m : .■ ■: ■ VAKIETY DAILY BULLETIN a*;■ wm OFFICIAL STATEMENTS ) SECOND AVENUE THEATRE OPENS. PICTURE "EXTRAS" AFFILIATING. A, LA. m£§. f-.' :,'.;■>, j*a r,-. »'•-- By FRANCIS WUjBON. §■: Id port of the arguments presented by the member* of the Fidelity League one finds an • almost indecent exposure of child-like intelll- •V.' fence. Mr. David Warfield seems not to hare heard of such things as the right to collective bargaining, the right of an individual to be represented by counsel, or that autocracy of Player and corporations is a thing of the .' When Warfield declares that the contract "proffered to actors by the managers through the Fidelity League Is "the most remarkable ■ and the most favorable contract that oonld have been dreamed of," he merely elaborates "the obvious. He also unintentionally pars a great compliment to the Actors' Equity Asso- ciation. Wht Is equally obvious, but what Mr. War- field evidently fails to comprehend, la that the managers themselves never dreamed of suoh a contract until the many thousand members of .the Actors' Equity Association brought It to their attention—for as the Times has aald editorially, that "remarkable" contract Is merely the Actors' Equity contract "with an •"added gesture." ' Only a few days ago a pompous member ef the Fidelity League held forth interminably - on the utter Impossibility of managers granting «ucb. terms. Suddenly, to what must have been to the pompous member's humiliation, the master's voice was heard, and behold! the terms were not only granted, but bettered. .This yielding was due to no managerial con- sideration of the actor nor of appreciation of what David Warfield, continuing to speak largely, calls the "terifflo disturbance In the profession." Not at all. It was wholly in- spired by the desire to attract much-needed .members to the think ranks of the Fidelity :,, League (sometimes called "The Fldoes"), and In furtherance of the futile plan to disrupt the /Actors'Equity Association. . -, :/r' V Mr. Warfield's concern over the obstinacy of 9,000 members of Kqulty insisting upon the recognition of tfc$rNh's*ociatlon is strikingly Illustrated' by tWhatoa* of the lone, hold-out --juryman who eompiatoed of the plgheadedness ■C.vef the other cloves' jurors. ''£.: -As a former< member of Equity's Council, from which he was tactfully requested to ;V2s'l- ToUre, Mr. Warfield should have known better ""than to suggest that Equity withdraw Its . demand for recognition—that it should stultify Itself by renouncing all for which it stands In ';■■ order that the Indefensible and selfish Interests : , v - of Mr. Warfield and his co-conspirators may continue indefinitely. Just how Warfield ex- plains to himself or his friends the willingness Bsf-:flf managers to give better than Equity terms to the Fidelity League While omitting power to enforce those terms, and while conceding those terms to be fair and just, the producing managers should desire to crush the Actors' Equity Association for having originated them, and Just why Warfield should take pains In Jirint to insult ordinary Intelligence by making udefensible, child-like statements, is not quite 'A'Volear. $^0 The publicity department of the Fidelity League should be notified that the address of the Montessiro Kindergarten is still to be found In the telephone book. FRANCIS WILSON, §|Kf"is President The managers are wrong in their estimate of the actors' psychology in this struggle, as wrong as, the Germans were In auch matter lis the war. The actor has revealed unsus- pected characteristics during the last few weeks. A smouldering resentment has burst iito flame; resentment against managerial boeBlain, against tricky construction and exe- cution of contracts, against the abuse of power '^glided hands, against the debasing trend of ome managerial taste, against many wrongs ,/'.that eannot be righted la a material way. yv^rtore are now stirred into action and the r'f- hove of emancipation. ygS'^'The showy generosity of the money terms now offered by the managers, and the evasion of the Issue—to save their faces—shown in the -: wording of the clause as to the oneice of arbitrators are hot the vital questions. /■ The actor, with the co-operative movement In mind, has to consider the possible actions of his competitors. Valuable lessons may be JgJ derived as to the lengths to which competitions 5&;may lead from the experience of Klaw, Flake, Belasco, Bhubert, Brlanger, etc These man- f> tS& *-.*»•«. now so tightly bonded together, have 3 aekdlft.records showing Just what they respeo- V ■ tlvely inflicted or endured. These questions ufgjfcra more vital than remuneration for an extra jfematineo on the substitution of the word "any" ']) fbr;the word "Equity"! The managers had <-thelr plans laid long before the strike; the ; actors must lay their plans to meet what ... their competitors will do. There Is known ...■"; among the sportsmanlike suoh a thing as $$'£;'friendly competition. Against that no one .■need lay a deeper plan than to let the best win; but the Equity has no expectation that ^ suoh a Blpirlt will animate all the managers. 1 • i It has the consolation, however, of knowing who among them have the sportsmanlike spirit, -.. and it counts on their showing It when the .-time will come, when they, too, will be freed tl rom the yoke they now bear. The public likes good'sportsmanship, and they can only add to l;. their popularity In showing it Let not the managers count on a relaxation !fP$!? , ''% u,t T efforts when, as they said, "the , hurrah has paused and the novelty has worn rgff," Europe is busy with reconstruction; the Equity is taking its coat off to start recon- struction, too. 'k'.^SoplV of Executive Council, A. E. A., to State-' k^- : '<-'■'!■ ■'. ♦««»' of Arthur Bopktn*. i ;<f-, "Why the managers cannot recognize Equity." W; -Mr."Arthur Hopkins in bis most recent state- S£mat says: "A condition like this can only Jill -."■••" S '■■■:-- . ■ '. , . ■•■ •; , . i mean chaos and, finally, death to the theatre." A. E. A. Executive Council, In reply to Mr. Hopkins: "This calamitous prediction is false. Out of chaos Is born order. The chaos of the Revolution gave birth to the Constitution of the United States. Death to the theatre would not necessarily follow the present chaos. The Producing Managers' Association, in their arro- gance, seem to think thnt their theatres are the Theatre." The Theatre Is the outcome of one of the most deeply imprinted instincts in human nature, and has survived from the infancy of man. The public will see to it that lta hunger for the Theatre will be appeased; that it ia necessary to its ordinary life, and "necessity la the mother of Invention." Means will be invented as demand produces supply. The pub- lic wants to see actors, not plays, not to see managers produce or "present" them. Actors want to act plays to the public. This Intense desire will-find the way, despite the efforts of the managers to confine the satisfaction of their desire to the theatres they happen to own. The entire producing Is not built on indi- vidual contract; although Mr. Hopkins says It la If his statement were true, a play would be killed if the cast for it were found to be unavailable or different from that which the producers hoped. What really happens is that the plays are produced with what casts are available at the time, which Is to say with actors then disengaged and alive. Mr. Hopkins surely does not mean to say that he would kill a play it the actor he built his hopes on had died. He would produce it just the same, and; if still useful, succeed even better than he hoped. Managers are not infallible in their first choice of al cast To show bow little sincere is their managerial argument about the "Indi- vidual," one of the glaring proofs against it Is the notorious practice of managers of en- gaging a good actor to originate a part and having a cheaper tone study his work at re- hearsals and performances in order to give an Imitations of or "as good as" duplication of it The original actor, after devoting his time and best efforts to his work, Is given his two weeks' notice as Boon as his imitator Is ready to Imi- tate him. For that purpose some managers will not engage actors "for the season" or the "run of the play," but only under a two weeks' notice clause, which gives them a free hand. The Actors' Equity Association has long recognized the hollowness of this "Individual" plea. Mr. Hopkins says the actor cannot serve two masters—namely the Theatre and Union- ism. Mr. Hopkins serves two; perhaps un- willingly, but he serves them—the Theatre and' his organization, which amounts to a union. Hr. Hopkins' duty to that union, to which he is bonded in the. sum of $10,000, may upset the contract with the actor. Indeed, duty to that union made managers break written agreements to arbitrate and recognize the Actors' Equity Association, thereby bring- ing about all the present trouble. Mr. Hopkins looks with dismay on the lower- ing of vitality of the "theatrical business." He should not confuse the lowing of managerial bank business with the vitality of the Theatre. The Theatre's fine vitality 1b Just what has lowered those bank balances. Its vitality la shown in Its strength to throw off the mana- gerial shackles which for years—and for more profit—have bound It "The substitution of new managements or actor-manegementa will not alleviate the situa- tion," Mr. Hopkins says. It will not alleviate the condition of present managers possibly, but it still ho'ds out a hope, and as an experiment or as an effort to bring a constitution out of a revolution. The public has already shown its warn encouragement of this proposition, and it is a fair hope that development will bring back to Its ranks the thousands of cultured playgoers whom the policies of some of the present managers and their union have for years estranged from the Theatre. The mutual regard engendered between the actor or author and the public is not extended to the managers. He foists his name by poster on that public, but that does not win regard, that merely Indicates where to pay for tickets. True mu- tual regard Is a greater asset than publicity and will confidently.be banked on in the very near future by the true trinity constituting the Theatre—the Author, the Actor and the Public. ACTORS' FIDELITY LEAGUE. Many conflicting statements which have been erroneous In their entirety have been - made with respect to the numerical strength of the Actors' Fidelity League. A member of the board of directors stated Monday night that the Books of the Fidelity League were open to scrutiny with respect to the numerical strength of the organization as well as to give those who desire an opportunity to in- quire into the quality of the membership as well. The Fidelity League at present has a . membership of over 2,600. Harry Ridings, a brother-in-law of Wilton Lackaye and manager of the Chicago opera house, telephoned the headquarters of the Actors' Fidelity League to rush to him 200 application blanks for membership in the League. Mr. Ridings stated in his wire that - there were that number of persons thrown out of work in Chicago as a result of the Equity strike order who were desirous of Joining an organization which was striving to place the actor back to work again. At a meeting of the board of directors of the Actors' Fidelity League today (Sept. 1) a fund was created for the relief of those members who have been thrown out of em- ployment as a result of the Equity strike and who might be In heed of. financial assistance. A committee of three was named to receive the application of those players needing The Second Avenue theatre, down- town East Side New York, started with an A. E. A. performance yester- day afternoon. The house held a very good fnatinee business with a Vasibtt reporter professing to see nothing but money in the house. The Second Avenue bill contains a revue and some specialists. It is placed . in that . section of the city through circumstances and the A. E. A. looks for patronage from uptown rather than in the neighborhood. The Second Avenue scale is $2 top. assistance, and their eases will be attended to without delay. In the case of those actors or actresses who are too proud to ask for as- sistance, steps will be taken to alleviate their Immediate wants without subjecting them to the humiliation of applying for funds. These disbursements will be made so unobsrtrnslvely that no deserving player need feel qualms over accepting temporary assistance from the or- ganization which Is battling so zealously to uphold the traditions of the theatre and all - It stands for. One member of this committee will always be available to those desiring assistance at the headquarters of the Actors' Fidelity League, 122 West 43d street, at any time of the day or night they choose to make the request The board of directors also designated Dr. Richard Hoffman, of 1037 Madison avenue, aa its official physician, and Dr. Hoffman will attend all members of the Actors' Fidelity League In need of medical services and with- out cost to these patients. ' The management of the Galio English Opera Company was given assurance a week ago by heads of the Actors' Equity, the stage me- chanics and musicians' unions that per- formances of this company, opening In "The Mikado" at the Shubert Theatre, Monday night (Sept. 1), would be permitted, as Fortune Qallo, managing director of the organization, ■ Is not a member of the Managers' Association' and the members of the company are all mem- bers of the Actors* Equity. Consequently, the company proceeded with rehearsals, and, ac- cording to agreement, inserted -In newspaper and other advertising the focts that the com- pany was 100 per cent Equity and sanctioned by the beads of the unions. Consequently, the sale of tickets was allowed to continue In good faith on part of the management until notice came from the union authorities that the per- formance would not be allowed. FRANCIS WILSON. •The condition of affairs in the Fidelity, the so-called theatrical league of persons on the stage," said Francis Wilson yesterday, "has v reached the limit of endurance and has strained the patience of the public to the breaking point "The persons who have Joined the Fidelity have outraged the feelings of every actor on the American stage. They have Bought to we ,™f n and "Pudlate the actors of America. Their stand has not weakened the Actors' Equity Association, but it has weakened the attitude of every actor or person who has affiliated himself with Fidelity and who has thus attempted In a weak moment to swing his Individual strength to an organisation composed of members representing managers interest and serving managers' ends." HOWARD KYLE. Howard Kyle, of the Actors' Fidelity League, made the following statement: "The Actors' Equity Association represen- tatives-have declared through the press they do not mean to have a closed shop. This Is contrary to the course they pursue In ter- rorising actors, when they desire to break their contracts, with the threat—Strike or you will never be permitted to appear on the American stage again. "Were It not for actors there would be no occupation for stage hands. It seems, there- fore, as though the tall Is wagging the dog, when the stage hands have It In their power to close theatres and force actors out of their engagements. "It is a strange occupation of 'victory* that is held by those who celebrate the arbi- trary closing of a theatre by musicians or stage hands who victimize actors in doing it. The worst actor on the stage might without Justification, hold a curtain down to force a demand, but It would be a deplorable not to say an outrageous step. Certainly It should not be a matter for jubilation." The Motion Picture Players' Union . held its third, meeting at Geneva Hall last night with 250 in attendance. The M. P. P. U. organized during the last three weeks with a membership re- cruited almost wholly from picture "extras". It has applied to the Ameri- can Federation of Labor for a charter. Hugh Frayne and Mrs. M. P. Scully have the organization plans in charge. The application is now under consid- eration by the Executive Council of the A. F. of L. and the charter is ex- pected to be forthcoming within the next ten days.' Several newspapers reported the M. P. P. U. had already received this charter last Friday. The application however is still pending. Among the first propositions taken up last night was the proposed elimi- nation of agencies and the creation of a central booking office, to be con- ducted by the organisation without fee for service to its members. Plans to broaden the scope of the organiza- tion and enlist the leading men and women and higher salaried picture players were also discussed A $5 minimum fee for a day's work and $30 for a weekly engagement was talked of, but nothing definite ar- rived at. It is possible a higher mini- mum will be demanded, several advo- cating^ be placed at $8 per day and $35 weekly. Another proposed de- mand discussed at last night's meet- ing was that the studios furnish all costumes used by "extra" people. At the present time the "extras" are fur- nishing their own dress suits and evening dresses, the picture manufac- turers supplying costumes only when "period" clothes are. necessary. Mrs. Scully stated last night that the M. P. P. TJ. was independent of any other theatrical" organization in -the field and had no affiliation with the A. E. A. but would work in co-opera- tion with the Equity if the need arose. The fact that no affiliation exists between the M. P. P; TJ. and the Equity means a legitimate actor be- longing to the Equity who desired to work in pictures would have to belong to both organizations, according- to Mrs. Scully i / Among the speakers at last night's meeting were Francis Merlin, Russell Morrison and R M. Bennet. A minimum daily scale of $7.50 was agreed upon. The weekly scale was left in abeyance until the next* meet- . mg. The following temporary officers were installed last night: President D. J. Gfcew, Vice President Harry Pike Sfjftetary R. M. Bennett, Finan- cial Secretary Gus Pearl, Recording Secretary Chas. Harris, Treasurer M , ary %. Manning, Seargent-at-Arms Wm. Nally. The next meeting will be held Thursday (Sept. 4) at Geneva Hall. DAVID WARFIELD. A David Warfield, wbo'has been giving a good deal of hie time to the Intimate concerns of the Actors' Fidelity League during the past week, made the following statement: "I believe that the actors and actresses of the United States have gained through Fidelity the most remarkable and the most favorable contract that could have been dreamed of. I can see clearly that the profound obstinacy, as exhibited by the Equity, la causing a con- tinuance of the terrific disturbance in the profession. . This obstinacy of that organiza- tion seoms centered on the selfish and illogi- cal demand for the recognition of the Actors' Equity Association, as the actors' represen- tative. It that domand were withdrawn, I be- lieve that the wide differences would be healed and the sun again smile on the theatrical world." BOSTON ADDED TO STRIKE. (Continued from page 1) The A. E. A. benefit performances (two) yesterday a* the Auditorium, Chtcago, brought in! gross $8,300, $3,500 at the fnatinee and $5,000 at night. Geo. C. Tyler dulf opened his "Hir- ing Line" at the Bfackstone, Chicago, Saturday night, while last night" at the Davidson, Milwaukee. Tyler pre- sented "Tillie" with Patricia College heading the cast tad t\ non-union stage hands, senf there from Chicago. Late last night another peace report broke, a bit different from the other, but the two could nave had a subter- ranean connection. \The second report purported to record an exchange of views between one pf the stage hands union officials and one of the largest managers, the stage hands .official de- claring some compromise might be reached if it carried with it recogni- tion of the A. E. A. When this re- port was placed before another man- ager of the managers' association who should have known pfjt, if it occurred, he refused to comrient. It was then too late to locate the stage hands' of ficials. J 28 rag .-V _-.-.'. Mir-. -'-..- - /i ■ "~" ■■'■ i —'■-•■ : --^iiit,(-->>;iiii.-*: •■^•aiv^-""'";"'''^.