The Billboard 1924-06-14: Vol 36 Iss 24 (1924-06-14)

Plea Di Se re The Billboard JUNE 14, 1924 SS An Injunction From a Cloudless Sky T WAS at an Executive Committee meeting a Vriday, May 23, when the phone rang and we were asked by a newspaper man: ‘‘What have you got to say about this injunction?” “What injunetion?’’ ‘The Producing Managers’ Association against Equity and the Managers’ Protective Association.*’ Then for an hour the wires were hot with questions from reporters. With no disrespect to the court, our first reaction was one of intense amusement. We saw in the move the last effort of an expiring giant. But Equity has never underestimated opposition. With a responsibility to 10,000 members, we have no right to do so and so we started there and then to build up a defense, including preparations for a series of smashing attacks. The injunction papers with supporting afidavits were long and took more than an hour to read. Apparently we were enjoined from doing most everything. The next morning, Saturday, after making preparations for possible eventualities, saw us at the lawyers’ office, and how we all worked. Paul N. Turner and Edwin G. Marks for Equity and William Klein and Charles H. Tuttle for the new Managers’ Protective Association. That day and Sunday things hummed, hours meant nothing and food was snatched from counters. On Monday the trial. Samuel R. Golding, for the plaintiff, the P. M. A., opened with a long and able address. He had it all his own way until our side started, and then our carefully prepared defense seemed to shatter point after point of theirs. When we left the court room at 7 p.m. we felt satisfied. But yet who knew? Our group was confident} but anxious. The law s difficult for laymen to understand. The next day we were summoned again by the learned judge, but only to clear up a particular point. That afternoon the rumor went around that we bi lost. Newspapers asked us for verification. We could say nothing, we were in the dark. May 28, at 1 o’clock, the first news of our success was received, but even then We did not know the full extent of the victory; that was contained in Judge McCook’s decision which we read at 3 p.m. INJUNCTION VACATED, EQUITY AND ITS ALLIES VINDICATED, EVERY ACCUSATION DISALLOWED, RESULT 100 PER CENT FOR THE A. E. A. Round Robins Defiant Pending Appeal We wish to record that the eleventh annual meeting held Monday, June 2, at the Hotel Astor, New York, was an extraordinary example of the solidarity and faith of our members in their officers and council. There was not even one heckler when question time was announced. * That is remarkable when one considers the size of the meeting, some 1,600 members attending, and the divers interests represented. Not one sign of discontent was shown by the members of the seven companies who gave in their notices and terminated their engagements last Saturday. They all. seemed proud that they would henceforth be Gold Star members. The managers are apparently waiting for a decision on their appeal from the dismissal of the injunction, and it will be heard in the Appellate Division within two or three weeks. If the judgment of the lower court is sustained we know that five or six of the ‘*Round Robins’”’ will decide to break up that group and act independently. As one of them stated the other day, he did not intend to be driven out of the business by an absurd pledge which has proved to be nothing but a boomerang. However, we must relax our vigilance. There may be an attempt on the part of some of the ‘‘die-hards’’ to break thrn the Equity ling or to keep employment below normal for as long as they can hold out. It is a curious fact that in spite of the seven closings there are three more theaters open this week than there were the corresponding week last year. Absent Councilors Enthusiastic At the annual meeting the following messages were read: , “They challenged us again, and again they lose. “The unbroken chain of victories cannot be accounted for by mete inck. We win because we are right, and as long 2% we are actuated by that spirit of justice and fairness we can't lose “Serty I am usable to be with jou. “Joan Cope’. Paul N. Turner, (unsel-Frank G Los Angeles Office 6412 Hollywood Baulva. i John Emerson, Pr esident Ethel Barrymore Vice President Grant Mitchell, Second Vice President Gillmore Ex ecutive Sec. Treas. . SanFrancisco Office-369 Pine St Pertaining to Judge McCook’s decision in our favor on the P. M. A. injunction, Florence Reed, in Minneapolis, enthusiastically wired: “Atta Judge!’’ George Afliss, always thoughtful, cabled the following from London: “Equity members here express admiration for handling of situation and gratitude to fellow members making sacrifices.”’ Members Swell Emergency Fund Amelia Summerville returned from picture making in Italy in time for the annual meeting. She is so happy to be home again that she sends Equity a contribution to the Emergency Fund. Julia Arthur, our new member, has also sent a check for the same purpose. Equity’s President Sails for Europe President John Emerson, accompanied by Mrs. Emerson (Anita Loos), sailed for Europe June 4, on the S. S. Berengaria., for a muchneeded rest. The annual meeting had taken place, the new agreement with the Managers’ Protective Association had been signed, and the situation was well in hand. As he expressed it, however, there is still some ‘‘mopping up” to be done. The Council, at its meeting the day before he left, passed the following resolution: “We take this opportunity to express to our president, John Emerson, who is sailing tomorrow for Europe, our deep affection and unbounded admiration for the skillful way in which he has steered the Actors’ Equity Association during these troublous months, and our lasting gratitude for the time and labor which, at great sacrifice to himself, he has given.’’ Mr. Emerson will be gone several months and will travel widely on the continent, atiending to the staging of his play, *“‘The Whole Town's Talking’, in London, and other personal icine, as well as to several matters for the A. E. A., such as addressing the various foreign actors’ associations and investigating needed relief for aged German actors and the orphans of actors. Accident Bereaves Harry Stubbs The Council passe: 1 a vote of deep grief and intense sympathy with Marry Stubbs in the great tragedy which recently entered his life. Monday morning, June 2, Mr Stubbs, Managing Director of th Pquity Players, received a wire that the day before his brother and wife, the latter’s mother, his sister and her husband, five in all, had been killed in an automobile accident. Mr. Stubbs left immediately for his sister's home in Illinois. Actors Urged To Make Votes Count J. Uartley Manners writes us from Beverly Hills, Calif. (Mrs. Manners, Laurette Taylor, is making another picture there), in part, as follows: “I wish to goodness someone would aronse in the actor a sense of his national importance by having him take some interest in the Presidential, Congressional and Senatorial election. When he registers his vote he will become of real importance in the nation as well as in the theater.” Would Make Equity a Stock Exchange The manager of an out-of-town theater very courteously proposed that Equity co-operate with bim to the extent of having our betterknown members play stock engagements in his house between Broadway engagements. Such a plan would not be practicable, since few would wish to leave New York while engagements were plentiful. While many of JOHN EMERSON, President. Chorus Equity Association of America DOROTHY BRYANT, Executive Seorstary. HiIRTY-NINE new members joined the Chorus Equity in the past Week. We are holding checks in settlement for claims for Aimee La Marr, Mae Duval and Dorothy Dare. The choruses of all musical comedies now playing New York must be one hundred per cent, or eighty per cent Equity In those companies where the eighty-twenty ruling applies those members of the chorus who do not wish to join Equity must pay the amount of the initiation fee and dues to Equity. Not more than twenty per cent of the chorus of any company will be allowed to do this. That is, in a chorus of twenty there may be four nonmembers, but they must pay the same as the members of the company. The only difference made for them is that, in case of trouble, they will not receive Equity protection. As a matter of fact those people have been working under your contract ever since the contract has been in existence and have profited by Equity during the past five years. No agreement has been signed with the round-robin group of producing managers. Until such an agreement is signed no member of Equity can work for these managers. Don't waste your time by starting to rehearse until you have inquired at headquarters as to the status of your manager. He may tell you that everything is all right and he is going to fix things up with Equity, but it is your duty to find out whether this is the case. Some of our members have protested because the Equity minimum salary has not been raised. No organization can hope to fix a ken. Mrs, Fiske, McComas, Edith 225 W. 42d Mail Orders. Worn and Recommended by Florence Easton, Mory Nash, Helen MenBox salary that is more than a living wage. If his salary were raised there are many companies that could not exist, which means that many of our people would be out of work. The salary is a minimum, not a maximum. It is up to the individual to get more than this. If you fee] that your work is worth more than thirty dollars in New York and thirtyfive on the road, refuse to work for the minimum salary. In order to get the type of chorus they want most New York managers are paying more than the minimum. They employ the type of chorus people who fix their salaries and refuse to work for less. At the same time the organization has not prevented those companies that could not pay more from operating. The Actors’ Equity has no minimum. It is left to the individual member to bargain as to salary—chorus people are protected from managers who would wish to pay less than thirty—and many of them did before the strike when living expenses were higher than is now the case, and at the same time our people are free to bargain individually for more. As a matter of fact the majority of the pro tests about the minimum salary have come from people who are not Equity members and so, snpnosediy, believe in individual bargaining. If you are worth more than the minimum to the management, yon can get it. Do you hold a card paid to November 1. 19247 Beginning June 1 members who are not in good standing and who do not hold ex cused cards are fined twenty-five cents a month. DOROTHY BRYANT, Executive Secretary. BALLETS Hand Made. Blanche Bates, Carroll TOE. $4.75 Day ond Other Stars. lack Kid, Pink Satin. St., New York ee $3.75 = “4 White Kid Catalog B Free. Bie : %e -Grant Stewart, Rec Sec. 115 West#7 St NEW YORK @8ryant2Hl-2 Kansas City Offic CHICAGO OfficeCAPITOL BLDG. “y°¥y oe our most prominent ‘people do stock work the summer time, it is under a different arrangement, We had to explain to this manager that ty A. E. A. could not underwrite a proposition of this nature. To do so would require much supervision and added responsibility. Equity’s Broadcasting Stand Justified We have no reason to regret insisting that our members be paid for giving scenes from urrent plays jn which they are appearing over the radio. It should be borne fn mind that the A. EF. A took the first stand on this question, and one which has since been followed by numerous other interested groups. The case of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and its fight down in Washington has received countrywide attention. We feel that the society will be successful, for it seems to us that never was a more piratical proposal made to congress than that the songs and lyrics of authors and composers should be allowed to be broadcast without payment of royalties, Our late lamented friend, Victor Herbert, sald only a few weeks ago that he had heard his song, “‘A Kiss in the Dark’, over the radio dozens of times and he felt it impossible © concede that anyone would purchase a copy of it after it had become so common. New York is Worid’s Play Center New York City © the play center of the world, it is shown by a recent survey which reveals that nearly 1,500 licensed amusement resorts, theaters, motion picture theaters, dance and concert halls flourish here. They are, according to the license returns, 196 places that classify as theaters—that is, where performers in costume appear. Five hundred and seven'yeight picture houses are enumerated and there are 705 dance halls. Sunday Shows Under our new contract with the Managers’ Protective Association we need play ne Sunday performances in places where it was not customary on May 1, 1924. No matter what legislation is passed now, under this contract our people are protected against seven days’ work, week in and week out, in many cities of the country. A European Trip En Masse The secretary of the Atlantic Conference, at Brussels, Belgium, extended a most cordial invitation to Equity to hold a convention on the continent of Europe, offering to make all arTangemen's for our meetings and entertainment. A great many American organizations are doing that very thing this year. We just wish that all Equity folk could take advantage of this hospitality, but then what would bappen to the American playgoer? Stage Children Miss Mr. Emerson President Emerson regretfully had to decline the honor of addressing the Professional Children’s School graduation exercises, May 29, at (Continued on page 162) SUPPORTERS For Dancers, Acrobats, ete Gentlemen and Ledies. Send $2.00 and hip measurement We willl ship postpaid. Perfect support guaranteed. M. FOX 796 Bth Ave., New York. WolffFording & Co. 46 Stuart St., Boston, Mass. THEATRICAL MATERIALS, TRIMMINGS and SUPPLIES Catalog on request Sensational Stage Dancing AND Acrobatic Instruction GEO. HERMANN, | HARRY DeMUTH, Dancing Skeleton. Whirting DeMuths, Studio, 313 West 46th St., New York onl | §