The screen writer (Apr-Oct 1948)

< CO > i— i z w w H »— i THE resignations of the three Board members were received and accepted the following day. Edwin Justus Mayer, Samson Raphaelson and Sidney Buchman were made a committee to issue information to the trade papers each day, to combat attacks against the Guild. Ted Paramore was appointed chairman of a committee to send a daily bulletin to the membership, keeping them apprised of Guild activity. Ernest Pascal, Seton Miller, and Samson Raphaelson were instructed to try to negotiate with the producers for a fair minimum basic agreement between them and the Guild. On May 8, an unofficial meeting of active members was held at the Hollywood Athletic Club. Members reported instances of intimidation and coercion by producers. It was decided that the Board should rescind its order pursuant to Article XII, and should urge SWG members to make application at once for membership in the Screen Writers' Guild of the Authors League of America. 123 resignations were acted upon on. May 11. The Board asked the Council of the League to meet as soon as possible to set up under its Constitution the Screen Writers Guild of the Authors League. The Council acted upon this request, and accepted to membership in the new Guild 125 screen writers. During this critical month of May, the Screen Guilds Magazine, which had been published jointly by SAG and SWG, as an outgrowth of our original magazine, was given over to the Actors, with the understanding that nothing concerning writers be published without SWG Board approval. On July 20, the President and the Secretary were instructed to file a certificate of dissolution with the Secretary of State of California. July 28 was the last Board meeting of the California corporation. It became a concurrent meeting of the Eastern and Western halves of the Authors League Council. The affiliation agreement was discussed. This agreement was adopted by the Trustees of SWG on January 25, 1937. There were now 143 Authors League SWG members. The League took over the manuscript registration service. On September 3, the Western Council recommended that the Hollywood office be closed. The first meeting of the Executive Board of the SWG, and the Council of the League, was held on May 25, 1937. The Wagner Act had been upheld by the Supreme Court, and it was decided to hold a mass meeting on June 21, to determine the Guild's collective bargaining rights under the Act. The Board resigned, so that the Council might ratify the appointment of those elected in May of '36, as the Board of the new organization. Dudley Nichols, Charles Brackett, Frances Goodrich, and John Grey were elected President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer on June 1, 1937. It was announced that 40 new members had joined the Guild. The Board, writing to Marc Connelly, on June 15, mentioned the formation of the Screen Playwrights, who had secured a contract with the producers, and pointed out the danger that this group, under the Wagner Act, might call for an election for sole bargaining rights. The letter explained that the group which had remained loyal to SWG felt justified in taking steps to revive the Guild, and so had called a mass meeting, though there had not been time to consult the Council. The officers of SWG asked authority from the League to suspend Authors League members who were active in the Screen Playwrights. Among these was Rupert Hughes. On June 16, 1937, Leonard Janofsky became Guild attorney, and Anthony Veiller was appointed Chairman of the Membership Committee. The Guild assented to the formation of a Radio Guild within the League. On July 11, the League granted the Guild the right to conduct and control preparation for, and the actual litigation then pending before the NLRB to which the Guild was a party; to manage the office of SWG; to conduct a publicity campaign for funds and new members ; to negotiate with the Producers. On August 19, the Producers were asked by letter to bargain collectively with the Screen Writers' Guild. The Boards of the Actors, Directors, and Writers Guilds issued a joint statement on September 15, taking a stand in opposition to any encroachment on their jurisdiction by the IATSE. An Inter-Talent Council, consisting of the presiding officers and three Board members from each of the Guilds, was formed. Since the Academy had assured the Guild that the Screen Playwrights would not be recognized by it, it was agreed that three representatives of SWG should sit on the Academy Committee, and that the Guild would participate in the Academy Awards. AT the annual election and meeting on December 15, 1937, Anthony Veiller reported 470 active and 75 associate members. The Board elected in June was re-elected. The National Labor Relations Board handed down a decision June 4, 1938, ordering an election to determine the collective bargaining agent for writers. The balloting was to be by studios. At a membership rally on June 13, the SAG and the SDG expressed their hope for a Screen Writers' Guild victory in the election. On June 27, Dudley Nichols urged all writers eligible to vote to do so at the NLRB election the following day. He emphasized the "dangers of the IATSE threats which would affect all writers should they remain divided and not united in one solid body." Dorothy Parker read a Motion Picture Herald report of George E. Browne's statement at the IATSE convention in Cleveland that IATSE planned to "embrace the entire industry." On August 8, the NLRB certified SWG as collective bargaining agent for all screen writers. On September 19, the Guild asked the studios to recognize it as the 30 The Screen Writer, April, 1948