New-York tribune., 1919-08-09
Actors Keep
9Theatres
Dark;3Ope1'
Geo. NJ. Cohan and Others
Take Roles of Strikers {:
Managers Call i'm Play
ers ON Road to Fill Gaps

Nine Of the twelve theatres which
were closed Thursday evening by the
strike of members of the Actors Equity
Association remained dark last night
The three That revived their produc-
tions were the Cohau & Harris, "The
Royal Vagabond:" Selwyn, "The Chal-
lenge," and the Forty fourth Street.
Theatre, "Gaieties of 1919"
Despite picketing on the part of the
striking actors, no show that wcathered
the first night of the walkout closed
last night.
At the Cohan & Harris, George NJ
Cohan appeared in the role of Marcel,
the barber. He was introduced to the
audience before the curtain arose by
William 4. Brady.
MIR. Cohan delivered an address dur
ing the performance in which he said:
"The actors have no real grievance
If they did, I'd be with them. The
$4O0 a week men are causing hardships
on these and he pointed to the
chorus
Cohan BurlcsGues Union
Nine of the ten principals in the
musical comedy have walked out. The
places Of seven have been taken by
men and women from the chorus. Sam
Forrest, producing manager for Cohan
& Harris. also appeared last night. Mr.
Cohan introduced new song into the
show. burlesquing the Actors Equity
Association.
At the Forty-fourth Street Theatre.
before the performance it was an
nounced that Al Jolson would take the
place left vacant by the walk out of
Ed Wynn, and that Sophie Tucker
would ill one Of the feminine roles in
the production. Later it was learned
that Jolson had refused to appear
Pickets Urge Tie-up
At the stage door Of every theatre,
pichets were posted, urging those who
had remained faithful to the Produc-
ing Managers Association to give up
their allegiance. They met with no
marked success.
In front of the New Amsterdam
Theatre John Charles Thomas and Cy-
I'll Chadwick pleaded with the mem
bers OF Zicgfeld's Follies with pict-
urcsQue results.
Chorus giris, who heard that picket
ing was going on, swarmed to the fire
escapes to watch, many of them in cos
tunes never intended for publication.
1t took five policemen to move the
crowd. The cops then suggested to the
stand still and talk about it, but
would have to keep moving. Thomas
and Chadwick complied at once.
Though walking. they cont nued to
persuade, and did so to such purpose
that Eddie Cantor, Eddie Bowling and
Phil Dwyer deserted the show.
Dooleys Return to Show
Johnny and Ray Dooley went out
when the strike was first called, but
returned when informed by Mr. Zieg-
Producing Managers Association. All
yesterday William A. Brady continued
to insist that Mr.. Ziegfeld was men,
Der. and Mr.. Ziegfeld persisted that
he wasn't No decision had been
reached late last night.
Pickets swarmed about the Century
Theatre. where "Chu Chin Chow"
opened last night, but were unable to
persuade any actors to desert. One of
them besieged Lionel Braham as he
was entering the stage door and held
up the actor until some one inter-
vened and pushed the picket into the
gutter.
a strong attempt was made to "pull
out" She's Good Fellow" at the
Globe, but the show went on. So did
the performance at the Winter Garden,
although many were missing from the
cast, and the show bore little resem-
Continued ~, L1st 41n0r