The screen writer (Apr-Oct 1948)

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by their financing of expensive junkets for their president ... to New York and from New York to Washington?" At the annual meeting in April of 1934, Ralph Block was elected President, Wells Root, Vice-President, Tristram Tupper, Secretary, Ernest Pascal, Treasurer. A magazine was launched, with Ralph Block as Managing Editor. In June, the Guild was notified by Sol Rosenblatt of NRA that Ralph Block, John Emerson, James Gleason, Dudley Nichols and Waldemar Young had been selected for the five writer-five producer committee under the Code. Gladys Lehman, Rupert Hughes, Jack Natteford, Seton Miller and Courtney Terrett were alternates. The Actors and Writers Boards, meeting jointly, wired Mr. Rosenblatt their gratification at the personnel appointed. In January of 1935, Ralph Block reported to the Board that the brief from the 5-5 Committee was ready to be sent to Washington, but the legal death of NRA ended this brief period of writer-producer cooperation. On July 5, 1935, the National Labor Relations Act was passed. Ten days later the Board sent a letter to the major studios and principal independents, stating that the Guild, with 770 members, was the bargaining agent for writers, that the negotiations which the producers were reported to be carrying on through the Academy, which had 38 writer members, were illegal, that the Guild stood ready to appoint a committee for collective bargaining for writers under the Wagner Act and invited the producers to do the same. Ernest Pascal, as President, Nunnally Johnson, as Vice-President, John Grey, Treasurer, Robert N. Lee, Secretary, had taken office in April of 1935. Nunnally Johnson resigned in December, because he had become a producer. In September, the Board warned the membership through the magazine, of the dangers inherent in becoming parties to the proposed Academy Code of Fair Practice Between Producers and Writers. In October, the Board took action favoring the inclusion in the agreement covering SWG affiliation with the Authors League, of a provision that no SWG member would adapt any story material not written by a member of the Dramatists or Authors Guild, unless it was in public domain. It asked the Authors Guild to pledge its members not to sell for picture use any material unless the contract of sale contained a provision satisfactory in form to the SWG and the Authors Guild and approved by them both. Francis Faragoh met with the League Council in New York during the fall on the affiliation agreement. Luise Sillcox appeared before the Board in January of 1936, and explained the affiliation plan in detail. Later in the month, the new Authors League constitution was approved. In March, the Board passed unanimously a resolution asking the League, working with the three Guild Boards, to draw up a minimum basic agreement, including a provision for League shop, and to order that no member should sell his services or his material to any producer who had not signed the basic agreement. The membership was to direct the Council as to the time, the terms, and the manner of putting the basic agreement into effect. f\ N April 6, the Board decided to ^S call the annual meeting for May 2, instead of April, and to submit to the membership Article XII of the Code of Working Rules, providing that no member might contract for his services or his material beyond May 2, 1938, as well as the question of direct affiliation with the Authors League, and the League shop proposal. On the last day of April, representatives of the so-called "opposition group" within the Guild, presented their views to the Board. They were James K. McGuiness, Patterson McNutt, Robert Riskin, John Lee Mahin, and Howard Emmet Rogers. The group declared itself solidly for the Guild. Its members pledged themselves to vote for continuance of the order pursuant to Article XII, for the principle of amalgamation with the League, and for actual amalgamation as soon as certain changes in the constitution and by-laws could be made, assuring SWG of a greater measure of autonomy. The Board, in the interests of harmony, decided that the principle of amalgamation only should be voted on at the annual meeting. Harmony reigned at the annual meeting on May 2. Ernest Pascal was elected President, Seton I. Miller, Vice President, E. E. Paramore, Jr., Secretary, and John Grey, Treasurer. The membership voted 193 to 25 for the principle of amalgamation with the League, and 188 to 32 for the adoption of the cut-off clause, Article XII of the Code of Working Rules. A committee was appointed to revise the League constitution so as to safeguard SWG autonomy. The new Board included the Messrs. McGuin.ess, McNutt, Kalmar, and Riskin, representing the group in the membership who opposed immediate affiliation. The harmony and sweet reasonableness which had prevailed at the Saturday night meeting, was violently disrupted on Monday, when Mr. McGuiness, Mr. McNutt, and Mr. Kalmar announced to the new Board their intention of resigning. Mr. McNutt, who was the spokesman for the three, stated that "the Guild ain't got a Chinaman's chance," reported dozens of resignations already in the mail, and the formation of another writers' guild, led by Herman Mankiewicz, which had been assured that it would be recognized by the producers. Robert Riskin asked for proof that members were resigning in large numbers. Mr. McNutt named no names, but assured him it was so. The three urged Mr. Riskin to join them in resigning from the Board, since they were all four now representatives deserted by their constituents. Mr. Riskin refused to do so. Mr. McGuiness, Mr. Kalmar, and Mr. McNutt were asked by the Board to think over their proposed resignation for twenty-four hours, and agreed to. < > z < X H w w H >— i The Screen Writer, April, 194 29