Arizona republican., 1919-10-23

The Actors Equity Association want ed the Producing Managers to recog nize the Equity cantract, calling Tor extra performances, given on Sundays and holidays. The managers refused on the grounds that the Equity repre- sented only few of the actors and actresses. The Equity promptly showed it's importance by calnng out it's members from theaters which did not have Equity contracts. A strike was on. Much to its own surprlce' the Equity, instead of losing in popularity by this action, was lmmedlateiy flooded with aplications for memDer- ship. In the first week of the strike, hundreds of new members deserted the theaters for it's cause, and then the chorus stampeded.
 The A. B. A. had not been concerned with the problems of the chorus II had a few chorus members. But it courageously determined to make the chorus troubles it's own, now that general rebellion had been precipi tated A minimum salary of S35 a week and a clause requiring managers to provide costumes and especially shoes and stockings for the chorus, was then attached to the Equitys terms settlement.
 These were all the Actors demands For these things they affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. Recognition for the union and clothes for the chorus caused Marie Dressler to join the Women's Trade Union League, and made George Conan re- | tire from the theatrical business, with | the remark that he would run an ele- vator before he employed union ac- | tors in his productions To which. you will remember, one of the Equity members so promptly replied that even if he ran an elevator he would have to have & card from union. Admirers of Mir. Conan, however, will be delighted to know that he has not been reduced to the indignity of such position. Fortunately the strike ended before he lost all of his money. Upon only one phase of the strike are the members of the Equity sensi- tive, and that is the growth of the Actors Fidelity League, the rival or ganization formed during the last days of the strike. With the strike over, it at first appeared that the League would get what the theatrical profession terms dirty deal" In other words, it looked as if the man agers, having recognized the Equity would forget all about the league of the loyal; that the actors and ac- tresses who had refused to strike would get a less favorable type of con- tract than those who did. But this conclusion was wrong. The Fidelity League, instead of dropping quietly out of existence, is increasing it's membership, so it says, and develop ing power Only the other night it gave a large benefit performance to be used in promoting its organization. which was largely and Hberally pat ronized by producing managers.
 According to the Equity. the mem bership of the Fidelity is made up almost wholly of managers, semi managers and persons with manager ial relatives or affiliations. David Warfield, for example, they say owns an interest in several theaters; Grace George is the wife of producer; George Cohan is a producer, and near ly all of the other members have been so successful in the theatrical business that they no longer have to worry about their pay envelopes. Southern's membership is rather hard to explain, so the Equity merely re- marks sadly that he has been misled.
 Whether or not these facts are true, the growth of the Fidelity League is disquieting to Equity members. They say they know the devious insidious methods employed by the managers, who do not fight their grievances out in the open but in the safe seclusion of the managerial offices. Even here they do not lose their tempers The reca1citrant actor is never threatened bit is always promised an attractive contract. The most savage actor is apt to prove tractable under such persuasion.
 But perhaps it is wrong to say that the Equity really fears the rise of the Fidelity. It merely finds it an- moving. For, as one of the members declared, "Here is an Organization reaping the benefits of all the terms we fought for, and getting some of the biggest plums in the biggest the atrical pie we have had for years