Close Up (Oct 1920 - Aug 1923)

Someone is to Blame for this State of Affairs In the issue of March 20, the Editor of this Magazine came out in a very blunt manner and asked you to eradicate, or curtail, the activities of “The COOTIES of Screenland.” At that time we made a monetary offer of $50.00 to every individual actress, or actor, who would enter our office and sign an affidavit to the effect that they had been wronged by these moving picture booking agents. At this writing we have become convinced that the fault lies not with the agents, generally, but in certain ramifications connected with the moving picture industry. Let us illustrate: The Producers’ Association possibly get together and select an individual, let us say, by the name of [Annals], giving this person authority to engage the general rank and file of Extras, and Small Bit actors! These are engaged at a reduced scale of price, presumably to offset the so-called slump in moving pictures. Such a person who formerly received $7.50 per day is through necessity compelled to accept $5.00 a day; then, should this person be sent out to the Goldwyn Film Corporation, for instance, he or she will probably pay 65 cents carfare! and 50 cents commission, or more! and buy a little lunch, which would leave that person with probably about $3.00 for his or her work, while even laborers on our city streets today are capable of making more than this without any preconceived or special talent, but these individuals who are engaged in picture work must be specially trained or possess some talent adequate to the picture in which he or she is required for. Now, that’s getting right down to the actual routine of, we will say, the workings of so-called Service Bureaus. If these are Service Bureaus, then they must be service bureaus for the benefit of the Producers, and not for the individual. Now, we will leave this angle and take up one which may probably be true! We are referring to John Lancaster. If we are right in supposing that he is a booking agent, then we would like to understand why he is willing to accept 5% commission instead of the accustomed 10% usually asked by agents? If he is not a regular commission agent, then it stands to reason that he may be in cohorts with the Producers’ Association to return, let us say (and this is merely a guess), half of this commission to them. If this should be the case, then John Lancaster is not working for the individual actor or actress, but for' the producers, and, if such is the case, the fact should be openly understood and the persons vitally concerned should take some action to protect their own histronic services against such small time stuff. Again, if we understand rightly, it was He who started the Equity. From what we can glean of the Equity we would suppose that it was organized for the mutual interests of the performer. If his idea was merely to organize the local branch, and afterwards to take advantage of having so organized it, as to start a booking agency, then the sooner this fact is known and thoroughly understood, and appreciated, the better it will be for the cleaner conception of doing business. Of course with the fact understood that our premises are not theories. We are not suggesting that John Lancaster isn’t a fine man, personally; we are not indicating that he is specifically opposed to the individual actor or actress; we would not allow you to infer that he was anything but an honest man! but we would like to know why he can accept less commission than other booking agents who go to a great deal of trouble in many cases to find positions for their particular clients? Isn’t it a fact that if you are personally engaged, let us say, at Lasky’s, Universal, or Goldwyn, etc., through the casting director of these various plants (and we might mention others), why is it necessary that this particular engagement should be afterwards referred to John Lancaster! and the individual can only get that particular engagement through John Lancaster! notwithstanding that he, or she, has been previously or partially engaged by the casting director, or directors, at these plants for a certain part? Those of you who have any information on this subject vital to fhe point of view expressed in this article will render a favor to the editor if you will step forward and give us that information. We will use that information, and at the same time hold inviolate the confidence of that person giving such.