Screen Guilds Magazine (August 1935)

The Presidents Speak ♦ ♦ ♦ Eddie Cantor, Past President Robert Montgomery was elected President of The Screen Actors’ Guild at the annual meeting held Sunday, July 28 , at the Writers’ Club. He is the third president of the organization fol¬ lowing in the footsteps of Eddie Cantor and Ralph Morgan, the man who pioneered the group. Organized a little more than three years ago, The Screen Actors’ Guild has forged steadily forward, until today its membership embraces almost every important player in motion pic¬ tures. Splendid cooperation has helped mater¬ ially in bringing about the betterment of players’ working conditions, but there still is much to be accomplished. A large share of the work will be carried by the other new officers of 1935 - 36 , who were elected at the annual meeting. Robert Montgomery, President 1 AM happy in the knowledge that during the past eighteen months The Screen Actors’ Guild has had the cooperation of everyone connected with this organiza¬ tion, especially in the aggressive fight that has been made on behalf of the extra and bit player. Now more than ever does the actor need a strong organization to prevent attack on his income and to improve working conditions. The organized body prepared for the long pull must win. That The Screen Actors’ Guild has made an enviable place for itself in the motion picture industry goes with¬ out saying. All through my recent trip to Europe, in Italy, France and England, almost the very first questions put to me by the newspapers were concerning the activities of The Screen Actors’ Guild. In London, many import¬ ant actors spoke to me about organizing a body patterned after our own Guild. O UR organization does not depend on one man or even any group of men but needs the support of every single member. The Guild should never be allowed to die from neglect. It would be many years before another organization could be attempted during which time a central booking office would unquestionably arise to con¬ trol salaries and cater principally to the producer. I want to express my gratitude to the retiring board members without whose help the job of President would have been a much more difficult one. To the new officers, I offer my sincerest greetings and best wishes for success, and to all the other members of The Screen Actors’ Guild I appeal for their continued interest and cooperation. Of course, as ever I stand ready always to serve The Guild in my fullest capacity. God bless you all. Eddie Cantor. • 6 T HE Presidency of The Screen Actors’ Guild is a great honor and a great responsibility. Deeply ap¬ preciating the honor you have bestowed upon me, I would nevertheless face the tasks before me with trepidation were it not for the splendid officers who have been chosen to serve with me, and were it not for the solid foundation which has been laid by the untiring, far-seeing work of the officers who preceded us. It is with a large measure of confidence that we of The Screen Actors’ Guild start this third year of our ex¬ istence. From a lowly beginning, our organization has grown and developed until now it has the strength of great numbers and solidarity of purpose. H AYING achieved our first aim of uniting for a com¬ mon purpose, we must now mlaintain that united front and work as an organization for the betterment of all the actors in the Motion Picture Industry. This work is not only a matter for the officers but for every mem¬ ber of The Guild. Each of us must do his part. Too much credit can not be given to those courageous ones, who, under the leadership of our first president, Ralph Morgan, brought the Guild into being. Eddie Cantor, during his term of office, carried on the great work and mortared the foundation stones on which we are building. They have set us an example of unselfish devotion to the common cause. Let us try to make our accomplish¬ ments during the coming year match theirs. Robert Montgomery. The Screen Guilds’ Magazine