Variety (September 1919)

; '-/- : '7" / '.'.' .; - VARIETY DAILY BOTUEHN ■;...■■. -. ■ ' p. y&M COHAN SEES SUNSHINE BREAKING THROUGH BLACK STRIKE CLOUDS President of Actors' Fidelity League, at Bjltmore Meeting Held Last Night, Predicts That in Forty-eight Hours Steps Toward Settlement Between Actors and Managers Will Be Well Under Way. A. F. L. Not Affiliated with Any Group of Managers. jfV-r-V-' \,:: "." •>; : Last night's meeting.at the Biltmore i of the Actors' Fidelity League at the meeting drew an overflow crowd. It swas featured with the promise that the theatres would soon be open. js| There was enthusiasm, some laughter and interruption on the part of A. E. A. members who were present. This came near the close of the meeting,. .the chair then in the hands of Louis Mann being lenient to a degree. George M. Cohan, president, opened the meeting saying: "I have been in conference with attorneys in regard to the strike and I bring good news.' The clouds are beginning to break and inside of 48 hours there will be a little sunshine around this town, as far as Spthe factors are concerned. *'i '■} ^L-,was called into that conference because of the Actors' Fidelity League. -The only interests I have now are your interests, and so it will be necessary for me to run away soon to again join 4the conference. "I am going to the mat on this fight and will stay there until you get what .' you deserve and you're going to get H it ,1 That's why I am going. This is the crucial hour. We are going to get all the recognition of this league that *?* p we expected and from all ends-too. r f *I have been "asked what fidelity meant in this league and I am answer- ing that my idea is that it is an or- |Vganization of men and women of the acting profession who mean to stay by their contracts. That slogan, 'righjt wrong,' has done more harm to me .theatre in three weeks than can pos- sibly be righted in three years. $t"i/Lr,. Samuel Gompers told me'last week that he had never stood up be- hind contract breakers. Well, the Fi- delity League is one to meet all its obligations. It is a separate organiza- tion without affiliations. From tonight on, the A. F. L. seeks no new mem- bership. A person may apply for mem- bership, but it will not be at the solici- Hon of any league member. "We have no secret understandings ith any manager or group of man- gers. We stand up for the' actor all he time and we will fight for the actor iifca he is fighting clean." Louis Mann then spoke, saying that j^the events of the past 48 hours tended HH show that the future of the theatre rested .no longer within the confines ^ ioi-the A. E. A. We are going to open ^the theatres one way or another." ^IPpiiam Collier added, "Yes, and keep " lEhjemopen.") "We hope the word strike will forever be lost to the thea- $r££. He mentioned that Germany and >ther stricken countries were eliminat- ig strikes from their midst and that he profession should send men to ongress to attend the same ends here. le then took up the case of Bessie JjbCoy Davis, though he mentioned no details of the expose of her alleged treatment by A E. A. members. He said that the management of the show had asked that she resign from the sague, but that she swore to remain 'member and to fulfil her contract. ;<Ruth Chatterton was announced as { o aving joined, as was Nora Bay es, the Vtttr being asked to speak. She jtjjefly stated she was against the; •>king of contracts and was for the ,,.N$£ganization heart and soul. r Florence Nash arose and made a firey address against the passing of the theatre into hands which didn't understand, the point of her appeal being to. "keep the curtain up." Marcel Rosseau arose to say why he resigned from the Equity, and it was because he believed its leaders were' inciting its members to Bolshev- ism. He mentioned Wilton Lackaye's recent address at the Lexington thea- tre and said that bolshevism was the sense of the remarks if not the exact terms used. Mr. Cohan, on finding out the speak- er's name, said: "You're alright, Marcel." . Somebody in the rear called out: "And long may you wave," which Mr. Mann, who excitedly shouted to "arrest that man." Mr. Huntley again arose and Said that if there was one more disrespect- ful word uttered by Equity men pres- ent he would resign from the A. E. A. and take along many of his friends. Earl Mitchell, of the Equity crowd, got up and stated that contracts had been broken by thev managers, and said he knew of two or three instances from the Cohan & Harris office. Sam Forrest replied, stating he had letters from Frank H. Gillmore thanking the firm for the way it had settled the claims of actors. -Arthur Ashley stated before the meeting that an members were re- quested to call at the league's head- quarters at 122 West 43rd street, today or tomorrow, and leave their correct addresses. Also whether they were now under contract or not. This was important, he Said. SETTLEMENT OF ACTORS' STRIKE (Continued from page 1) atrical unions in sympathy with the A. E. A., and the promounced attitude of the Federation -el Labor through Samuel Gompers upon his return from abroad, placed the entire actors' strike as a matter between the theatrical managers and the A. F. of L. The managers persisted in their statements of resistence and said they would fight Ssiwa'fSihS'ad^^s- as fedwation but th6se wl, ° under - Willie Collier wishes he had Said that first" Collier said he was just think- ing of doing it. .Someone asked if, in opening the theatres, the league and managers were against the Federation of Labor. Cohan said: "When this is all over, the American Federation of Labor will be the best friend the Fidelity League has. The theatres have a clean record with the A. F. L. and we'll keep it clean—this association will keep it clean." Mr. Cohan left the room at this point and when Mr. Mann took the chair concerted laughing from about a score of Equity members started friction. Miss Bayes remarked that they prob- ably weren't actors because they didn't work on cue. Mr. Mann then finished a statement that the public supported the Fidelity cause as shown by a $1,000 check which had been sent to help any needy actor who would apply at the league's headquarters. It was this statement unfinished that- started the scoffing. Collier demanded to know the names ot the disturbers. They started speak- ing up. "Percy Helton, for one;" "Harry Grcjen, for another;" "Malcolm Duncan, for another;" "Frank Morgan, for another." Then came "Charles Coghlan, for another." This brought a reply from Collier, who said: "It must be Coghlan junior, for the Cogh- lan I knew was a gentleman." James Huntley arose and addressed the chair. He said: "I am an Equity member in good standing, but f am ashamed of the conduct of Equity members here. We have gentlemen on our side—there are the Barrymores and others,. I came here to learn both sidesr . After an address on contracts and the breaking of them by Frederick Carr, Collier arose and dared the dis- turbers to answer, saying they again missed their cue. Morgan said: "Yes, but you haven't proved that we broke bur contracts yet." ■ «p .• "No," answered Collier, "but Judge Hendrick did." • ' One of the A, E. A. members present asked Mr. Mann to give his opinion on the breaking of the contracts, and Mann explained the opinion he secured from a great, constitutional lawyer, one time in the presidential cabinet, Carr arose to give a bit of Justice Hendrick's opinion and asked if the A. E. A. didn't regard the decision of the courts backed by the U. S. con- stitution. The reply from the. "left wing" was "sometimes." This aroused stood the theatrical conditions did not consider this likely. While the pro- ducers of one or two shows in single theatres could afford to make a stand through confining their activities to the. largest cities only, the producing managers of many attractions and the- atres had to have the country houses. This would be a difficult proposition with A. F. of L. opposition, through the many affiliated unions handling theatrical properties and the danger of a labor boycott against unfair thea- tres and plays. It is believed that before a final set- tlement is reached between the mana- gers and Actors' Equity, there may be a change or two in the officers of the managers' association, to let down in view of the many statements* issued from that headquarters. Just what the position of the Actors' Fidelity League will be in the event of an adjustment, had not been de- fined up to last night. The contract promised the Fidelity may also be given to the A. E A., covering the demands first made by the Equity. The statement of George M. Cohan at the League meeting last night that after the strike was settled the Amer- ican Federation of Labor and the Fi- delity would be great friends, caused considerable conjecture. Last night the Selwyns announced the reopening of "The Challenge" at the Selwyn Friday night (Sept. 5) "with the original cast and a loyal crew." The original cast was headed by Holbrook Blinn who has 25 per cent. of the show. Two of the principals left the piece. One was Jessie Glen- dinning. The original cast would in- clude Miss Glendinning's return. She is a staunch A. E. A. The "loyal crew" portion of the statement might mean a crew from the stage hands union. Several other openings are proposed early. Ziegf eld's "Follies" is to open Monday, say the Ziegf eld people, but no mention of "original cast" is made. None of the managers of the P. M. A. has successed in reopening or opening shows against the strike, excepting William A. Brady and George Tyler. Mr. Brady has continued to present "At 9.45" at the Playhouse, New York, without union actors or stage'hands. Mr. Tyler has put on three shows since the strike started, all within the past six days. "Pollyanna" opened at the National, Washington, Sunday night, after another P. M. A. show had beerf closed in that city a few days before. "On the Hiring. Line" was presented by: Tyfctf at the Blackstone, Chicago, last, Friday night against the violent LENOX THEATRE SHOW. The Lenox Theatre, Lenox avenue § and 111th street, the latest Equity ac- | quisition, will.open next Monday night with a bill of four one-act plays.-**! They are "The Shadows of the Glen/'^| by J. M. Synge; "Suppressed Desires," | by Susan Glaspel; "A Pantomime Re- ; hearsal" and "The Flying Prince," by ; Peggy Wood. "Shadows of the Glen"~| was produced in New York several years ago by the Irish Players. "Suppressed Desires" was played for a brief period by the Washington Square Players. "The Flying Prince" :; has* never been staged before. George K. Denny is general stage director of the four productions. MOVING PICTURE MEETING. A meeting of the Picture Theatre y Employes' Union consisting of ushers, , ticket takers, doormen, etc., employed ',\ in the east side film houses was ^ scheduled for la. m. this morning at .- the headquarters, 125 Rivington street. :js Hugh Frayne called the meeting and presided. •...■".'. Steps were taken to extend the ac- tivities of the Picture Employes' Union | at this morning's meeting, so as -to"'| bring in x every picture house attache '; in Greater New York. One of the '-| plans calls for the establishment of a g local in each borough. '• The Picture Employes' Union has a | charter from the A.F. bf'L. LABOR DAY GROSS, $15,600. A statement issued by Grant Stewart yesterday afternoon was to the effect that the A. E A. shows playing in New York and Chicago on Labor Day had turned in a gross of $15,600. There were three performances in New York, two at the Second Avenue Theatre and one at the Lexington Avenue and two in Chicago at the Auditorium. ; wmmmmmmmtimmmmmmmammmmmmmmmmmmmmm^ opposition of the labor unions of that city, and Monday night, Tyler, with a non-union crew and actors opened "Tillie" at the Davidson, Milwaukee. He still has another production. "Pen- rod" to »*hprtly go on. During the strike, the A E. A. has been very active, while the managers were passive. , The managers waited, but hardly knew what they were wait- ing for. Their greatest confidence was that the striking actors, "broke," through 'being out of work, would be forced to leave the A. E. A. The Fidelity was proposed and organized with this thought in mind, when first announced under the guise of an E. H. Sothern society. With the chill given to the Sothern idea, Louis Mann fa- thered the Fidelity as a pure actors' society, opposed to the Actors' Equity, strikes and anything else the managers, with which it was affiliated, did not favor. The managers' association had plen- ty of resources and could command a great deal of money but made little use-of either in the strike. Their biggest single expense was an adver- tising bill. While they watched and waited the A. E. A. plunged ahead, gathered strength in the rush and brought money to their coffers. It has been reported the A. E. A. had the offer of an extremely wealthy layman of one million dollars as a reserve fund at any time the A. E. A. had to call for it. The actors' association opened several theatres, starting with the Lexington, New York, and proved that their members could be managers as well as actors by making a success of each house opened by it. Nothing Of importance was reported from the other strike centers, Chicago. Boston and Washington, yesterday, ot any account- '■■:.. - : Both actors' societies held, meetings yesterday, reported elsewhere in this bulletin. ';:.;■-;''■•;':'•:■?-.■';; $&*'&.•,:-*'. W '