New-York tribune., 1919-08-24
Lights Go Out i'm Liberty
and Casino When the
Mechanicians Quit;
Only Five Left Open
Cohan Is Head of
New Actors League
Announces Withdrawal
From Producers; Offer
of 100000 Refused

The actors strike closed two more
theatres in the city last night, and left
the Great White Way with only glm-
mer of its former brightness. The Lib
erty, where "The Scandals of 1919"
was playing, and the Casino, housing
Lew Fields's "a Lonely Romeo" went
dark when the stagehands walked out
and joined their brethren who are on
sympathetic strike.
Only five of the big playhouses re-
main open. These are the Fulton,
where John Ferguson" is being given
by actors with Equity contracts; the
Winter Garden, where the chorus of
"Monte Cristo, Jr.," is alternating with
vaudeville; the Greenwich Village, with
Greenwich Village Follies"; the
Playhouse, with "At 9:45," and the
Hippodrome, "Happy Days"
This last opened last night. AL
though It's manager, Charles Dilling-
ham, is member of the Producing
Managers Association, the production,
which plays twelve times a week, q re-
garded as vaudeville show and its
actors were not called out.
Cohan Heads New League
George NJ. Cohan was unanimously
elected president yesterday of the new
ly formed Actors Fidelity League,
which is intended to rival the Actors
Equity Association and as far as pos
sible draw from its membership.
NO less than seven actors endeavored
to out-yell one another for the distinc-
ton of nominating Mr.. Cohan at the
meeting held at the Hotel Biltmore.
1t had been previously announced that
the executive committee had declined
Mr.. Cohan's offer to finance the new
organization with 100000. At the
nounced that in two days 733 actors
had applied for membership. When
Mr.. Cohan, who did not attende the
meeting, learned that he had been
elected, he said he would not accept
until he had reigned from the Produc-
ing Managers Association.
WithhoIds His Acceptance
"I'm not going to try to carry water
accept this until | have resigned from
the managers organization and | can't
do that until there is full meeting
believe there will be a quorum at the
meeting of managers to be held Mon
day afternoon. III offer my resigna-
tion then. If the Actors Fidelity
League thinks ought to withdraw
from the firm of Cohan & Harris I'll
do that. If they think l ought to I'll
never act again; never produce a show
or shake a foot
The earlier part of the Biltmore
meeting was not so unanimous as the
finish. When there was some indca-
ton that members of the Actors
Equity Association were in the room,
Louis Mann, who presided, requested
that all who were not in sympathy
with the new movement leave the
room. About a dozen men started
toward the door. One of them
shouted
"Three cheers for the Equity"
The cheers were given by the Dozen
but from other parts of the room came
Kisses. This caused the departing
actors to halt in their tracks. One Of
them turned and shouted
"Yes, we're Equity actors and EQUITY
wants actors. but it doesn't want scabs
Good night"
Veteran Speaks His Mind
Richard O'Brien, one of those depart
ing from the meeting, stopped long
enough to say:
II served in the A. E. F. and now
I'm serving in the A. E. A. Pm proud
OF both. III tell you this much,
the Equity meetings he was given
courteous treatment"
Here Louis Mann broke in with a
plea to the gathering for respectful
treatment for those who were leaving
at his suggestion. This served to ST.
lence them, until Marguerite St. John
broke in with:
"My son served in the A. E. F., too,
but see no reason why military SER
vice should be used for personal adver-
tisement."
This started Mr.. O'Brien anew. but q
companion soothed him with a pat on
the back, and the Equity delegation, or
most of it, departed
Then one or two others. men and
women, asked Mr.. Mann if they might
stay. They said they we're members
of the Equity, but wished to hear the
issues discussed so that they might
decide whether they wished to affiliate
with the Actors Fidelity League.
These were told to remain.
1T was announced that headquarters
of the new organization had been es-
tablished next to the Henry Miller
Theatre in 122 West Forty-third Street.
Want Contracts Upheld
Then Howard Kyle, who helped found
the Actors Equity Association more
than six years ago and resigned re-
Gently because he was opposed to the
strike, read the constitution of the
Actors Fidelity League. One of the
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